Poulan PO17542LT Review

(Rated: 3.7 / 5) Review by Frank Lowery
Noise
Ease of Assembly
Maneuverability
Balance And Handling
Cut Quality
Check Price
Related pages: Best Lawn Mower, Best Riding Lawn Mower, Garden or Lawn Tractor Buying Guide, Lawn Mower Buying Guide, Lawn Mower Reviews, Poulan, Poulan Lawn Mowers, Riding Lawn Mower Reviews, Riding Mower Buying Guide,

When you are a homeowner with a large property and you have a big lawn to take care of, you know the importance of owning an efficient riding lawn tractor. Walk behind lawn tractors do not allow you to get big lawn care jobs done in a reasonable amount of time, and most of them do not have the necessary power to take care of big jobs either. Riding lawn tractors are designed to increase the amount of grass you can cut in an hour, and they accomplish this with wide cutting decks and powerful engines that can provide higher speeds for cutting the lawn quickly. Lawn tractors are a great upgrade to the basic riding lawn tractor, because they are equipped to do more kinds of landscaping jobs in addition to just cutting the grass.

The Poulan PO17542LT is a lawn tractor that has a lot of great features that make it a great choice for homeowners who have a big yard to take care of. It has a Power Built series Briggs & Stratton engine that is 500 cubic centimeters and provides 17.5 horsepower. It is compact enough that storage is easy, but it still has a big 42 inch cutting deck that allows you to cut your lawn more efficiently and in less time than tractors with smaller decks can. This is a lawn tractor that is designed to provide consistent performance and quality results, along with convenience and ease of use so that you will be able to provide a professional looking cut to your lawn and do so while riding in comfort.

Review Summary

The Poulan PO17542LT has many great features that are designed to optimize performance and reliability. It has a Power Built series Briggs & Stratton engine that provides a full 17.5 horsepower. The engine is 500 cubic centimeters, and it is designed by one of the best manufacturers in the industry. In addition the lawn tractor has a Peerless hydrostatic transmission and a top forward speed of 5.5 mph and a top reverse speed of 1.7 mph. There are six speeds to ensure that you are always getting the best ride possible. The speed is controlled easily using a manual lever: you simply set the tractor to the speed you want, and then concentrate on giving your lawn a great cut.

This lawn tractor has a 42 inch cutting deck, which is three and a half feet, making it almost twice as wide as even the largest walk behind lawn tractors. And it is considerably larger than many other riding lawn tractors and lawn tractors that are out there today as well. Combined with the top speed of 5.5 mph, the 42 inch cutting deck will let you cut a lawn that is up to a full acre in less than 45 minutes. That is much faster than many other lawn tractors, and it leaves walk behind lawn tractors in the dust. You will be finished cutting your lawn in no time, and then you can get back to enjoying your weekend in your beautifully manicured yard before you know it.

The Poulan PO17542LT has moderate overall dimensions of 72.8 x 34.5 x 45.1 inches, which means it will not be very difficult to store in your garage. And the compact size of the lawn tractor combined with its 18 inch turning radius mean that it will be easier to maneuver than many other lawn tractors. You should have little trouble negotiating tight corners or lawn obstacles like trees or garden beds with this lawn tractor. And it should have no problem maneuvering through the average sized yard gate either.

The Poulan PO17542LT is designed to make the experience of mowing the lawn as convenient and comfortable as possible. With that in mind, the cockpit is ergonomically designed. It features a padded seat with a comfortable nine inch seat back and a steering wheel that is angled to maximize driver comfort. The seat is adjustable so that even tall users will be riding in comfort. The controls are conveniently placed within the cockpit and in easy reach, and you will find that operating this tractor is a breeze. Overall, the Poulan PO17542LT is a great lawn tractor, manufactured with solid parts and quality craftsmanship and designed to ensure that mowing the grass is as convenient and efficient as possible.

Specifications

The Poulan PO17542LT has a 42 inch deck and dimensions of 72.8 x 34.5 x 45.1 inches. It has a gas powered, Power Built series Briggs & Stratton single cylinder 500 cc engine that provides a full 17.5 horsepower. It has a lever operated hydrostatic transmission manufactured by Peerless that provides a top forward speed of 5.5 mpg and a top reverse speed of 1.7 mph. The tractor is easy to shift between speeds and once you set the desired speed, you can concentrate on cutting the grass. It has six cutting height positions between 1.5 and 4 inches, and you can shift between heights easily using a single lever mounted on the rear fender.

The Poulan PO17542LT has dual cutting blades fabricated from welded steel to ensure that they are consistently able to deliver high quality performance even if they are cutting tougher grass types like St. Augustine or Bermuda grass. It has rear wheels that are 20 inches tall by 8 inches wide and front wheels that are 15 inches tall by 6 inches wide. The tractor is compact and weighs 385 pounds. There is a safety mechanism built into the seat that engages to stop the cutting blade in the event that operator exits the cockpit inadvertently. There is a lighting system on the front of the tractor that is operated with a switch on the right front panel.

Description

The Poulan PO17542LT is a gas powered riding lawn tractor with a Briggs & Stratton made, Power Built series engine. The engine is a single cylinder, 500 cc model that provides up to 17.5 horsepower to the tractor. The tractor has a 42 inch wide cutting deck with dual cutting blades manufactured with durable welded steel. The blades are tough enough to reliably perform even if you are typically cutting tough grasses like St. Augustine or Bermuda grass. The Peerless hydrostatic transmission allows you to easily transition between speeds using a lever mounted on the cockpit. And the top forward speed of 5.5 mph and top reverse speed of 1.7 mph mean you will be done taking care of your lawn more quickly than ever and back to enjoying your weekend with your family sooner.

The lawn tractor has a nine inch seat back, and the seat is easily adjusted to position it for the greatest comfort. The steering wheel is angled to ensure it is in the most comfortable position for the driver, and it is also padded. The cockpit is a step through design to ensure easy mounting and dismounting. And the driver’s seat has a safety feature that stops the cutting blades should the driver inadvertently exit the cockpit to minimize the risk of accidents.

The Poulan PO17542LT has six height adjustment options between 1.5 and 4 inches. You can easily change the deck height using a manual lever located on the cockpit. The cutting deck is likewise engaged using a manual lever in the cockpit. It is important to never cut your grass any shorter than 1/3 of its initial height. Doing so can make the lawn vulnerable to damage from drought or dry spells and susceptible to invasions by weeds and crab grass. But the grass is rarely the same height every time you need to cut it, so it is important to be able to conveniently adjust the height of the cutting deck. Cutting the grass at its optimal height will keep it looking beautiful and feeling healthy all year long.

The lawn tractor weighs 419 pounds and has dimensions of 72.8 x 34.5 x 45.1 inches. It packs a big cutting deck and a lot of power into a fairly compact package, which means you will not have too much trouble finding enough storage space for it in your garage. And it is highly maneuverable: it has a turning radius of 18 inches, which is less than half the width of the cutting deck. That means it will not be difficult to overlap from one row to the next or make turns without overshooting the edge of the lawn. The Poulan PO17542LT has big wheels: 20 x 8 inch rear wheels and 15 x 6 inch front wheels. These wheels will have no trouble with rough or uneven terrain, and along with the Peerless hydrostatic transmission they have enough torque to reliably drive the lawn tractor even through difficult or dense patches of grass.

The Poulan PO17542LT is designed to make operation and maintenance as easy as possible. The engine is made by a company with a reputation for the highest quality, and it is designed to need very little maintenance over the years. The transmission is also made by a great company, but it is manufactured with a partial aluminum construction, which I will discuss in more detail later. The gas tank is also a bit small, so you may have to refuel on bigger jobs, but refueling is easy enough.

If you are the owner of the kind of big property that has more than a half an acre of lawn to take care of, you are going to want a riding lawn tractor to get the job done. One of the best options for an all around lawn care machine is a lawn tractor. These machines can do more than just cut the grass, and offer a lot of power and a big cutting deck for maximum efficiency. The Poulan PO17542LT is a great option for homeowners who are serious about taking great care of their lawn.

Pros

Poulan is a great name in lawn care products, including lawn mowers and tractors, and the Poulan PO17542LT is another great machine from this company. This model offers a number of advantages to its user that will ensure using it will increase your efficiency and comfort when you are cutting the lawn. It has a wide cutting deck with dual steel blades, an ergonomically designed cockpit for greater comfort, great safety features, a heavy duty design for tackling even tough grass, and a high quality engine under the hood. Add to that the fact that it has a great price, and you can see why the Poulan PO17542LT one of the better lawn tractors available today. Here I’m going to discuss these features in some more detail to give you a better picture of what the Poulan PO17542LT can offer the user who has a big lawn to take care of.

1. Wide cutting deck for increased efficiency : The Poulan PO17542LT has a cutting deck that is a full 42 inches wide and is equipped with twin cutting blades manufactured from durable welded steel. 42 inches is three and a half feet wide, which makes it over twice as wide as most walk behind lawn tractors, and significantly larger than many riding lawn tractors and lawn tractors. A bigger cutting deck simply translates to greater efficiency: you will be able to cut your lawn in fewer passes, which translates to less time. The lawn tractor has an 18 inch turning radius, which is less than half as wide as the cutting deck. That means you will have a tighter overall turning radius that will allow you to easily overlap from one row to the next without slowing down or backing up.
2. Powerful Briggs & Stratton engine and Peerless transmission : The Poulan PO17542LT is equipped with an engine that is hands down one of the best you can hope to have in your lawn tractor. Briggs & Stratton is a leader in engine manufacturing, and it has a reputation for delivering quality. In addition this model is a Power Built series, single cylinder 500 cc engine that delivers a full 17.5 horsepower to the lawn tractor. It also features a high quality Peerless hydrostatic transmission that provides a top forward speed of 5.5 mph and a top reverse speed of 1.7 mph. Speed and direction are easily controlled with a manual lever located in the cockpit and within easy reach. Once you set the desired speed, you can go ahead and focus on making sure you are giving your lawn an even cut.
3. Ergonomically designed cockpit and convenient controls : The Poulan PO17542LT is designed with the operator’s comfort in mind. It has a padded seat with a nine inch seat back that provides great lumbar support. The seat is easily adjusted to make sure it is at the optimal position for the greatest driver comfort. The cockpit has a convenient step through design that makes mounting and dismounting the tractor very easy. And all of the tractor’s controls, including the deck height control, the manual transmission control, the headlight switch, and the cutting deck engagement control are all placed in a convenient manner around the cockpit. That means you will have no trouble easily operating the tractor. You can be certain that the Poulan PO17542LT is one of the easiest and most comfortable tractors on the market today.
4. Convenient safety features : Safety is very important when you are cutting the lawn, especially when you are using a riding lawn tractor with a powerful drive train and dual cutting blades. Poulan made sure that this lawn tractor has great safety features built in. The seat is designed to disengage the cutting blades and stop the lawn tractor if it detects that the operator has inadvertently exited the cockpit. In addition, there is a foot pedal that the operator engages to keep the cutting deck engaged. This kind of redundancy is important in safety mechanisms, because it ensures that if one does not work, the other will take care of the problem. The lawn tractor is easy to brake and steer, and there are headlights to make sure you can see what you are doing even if you are operating the tractor in the evening when daylight is getting scarce.
5. Can handle even tougher, denser grasses : The Poulan PO17542LT has dual cutting blades that are made from welded steel, and they are very tough. Other riding mowers can often get bogged down in dense patches of the lawn or if you are using them to cut grass like St. Augustine or Bermuda grass. This is not the case for the Poulan PO17542LT. easily cut through even the densest grass without slowing down or losing torque on the cutting blades. And it can do so reliably for years without requiring much more maintenance than periodically sharpening the blades. It is important to have a lawn tractor you can rely on to take care of tough jobs without losing performance, and in this model, you have just that.

Poulan also offers a 2 year limited warranty on the PO17542LT. Along with its Power Built Briggs & Stratton engine and Peerless transmission, you can be confident that this lawn tractor has what it takes under the hood to deliver tough performance for years to come. It has an ultra-wide cutting deck that will allow you to mow your lawn in less time than you could with smaller mowers, an ergonomic design in the cockpit and conveniently located, easy to use controls to make sure you are always riding in comfort, great safety features, and the ability to tackle lawns with even the toughest kinds of grass. The lawn tractor also has a competitive and affordable price to make sure you are not breaking the bank when you purchase it. Overall the Poulan PO17542LT is an excellent choice for the homeowner who has a big yard and wants a machine that can provide all around performance for many years to come.

Cons

Of course, even with all of its great features, the Poulan PO17542LT does have a few drawbacks in design and performance. While you can be confident that this lawn tractor will be able to provide reliable performance for your lawn care needs for many years, at the same time, it may not be the best machine for everyone, and it is important that you understand why before you consider purchasing it. With all of its great features – wide deck, high performance engine, and ergonomic design – there are still a few areas where the Poulan PO17542LT is still lacking. This lawn mower only has one grass clippings management option; it is rather loud; it does not easily handle sloping terrain well; ms with the engine belt, issues with using a lever instead of pedals to control transmission, maneuverability issues and power issues for tougher grass or bigger lawns. Here I will go into each of these in more detail.

1. The lawn tractor is rather loud : It is not uncommon for bigger lawn tractors and riding mowers to be a bit loud, but this is one area where the Poulan PO17542LT is definitely not optimal. It is much louder than most other riding mowers, and you certainly should not be operating it unless you are wearing the proper ear protection. I recommend a pair of utility grade ear protection muffs, although foam earplugs will also do. The noise factor also means you may be limited as to when you can use the tractor. Mowing your lawn in the early hours of the morning is probably not feasible with the Poulan PO17542LT unless you want to make your neighbors angry or unless you live more than a few hundred yards away from the nearest house. There really isn’t any easy workaround for the noise factor other than protecting your own ears, so this is definitely a major con for this machine.
2. Only one grass clippings management option : While it is not necessarily uncommon for a lawn tractor to only offer one grass clippings option, it remains rather inconvenient. In the Poulan PO17542LT you only have the option for side discharge, period. Poulan does not provide additional accessories like rear bagging or mulching even for separate purchase. So if you buy this lawn tractor you will be stuck with side discharge only. Of course, if that is all you want from your lawn tractor and you do not have a problem with discharging clippings onto the lawn or sidewalks, then this obviously will not be a big problem for you. But if you do want more options for managing your grass clippings, you may want to look elsewhere.
3. The lawn tractor does not maneuver well on hills or sloping terrain : Lawn tractors tend to be somewhat top-heavy; that is, they have a low center of gravity that can cause problems for maneuvering on certain types of terrain. The Poulan PO17542LT is no exception in this regard. It has a high center of gravity, and even with the Briggs & Stratton engine, it does not quite have enough power to reliably maneuver on hills or sloping terrain. This is not going to be an issue if you simply want to use it to cut lawns that are broad and flat. But if your property is fairly hilly, or if your lawn is situated on a long, sloping area, this lawn tractor may have trouble negotiating the terrain. In that case, you may want to consider looking for a lawn tractor with a larger engine that can deliver the necessary torque and horsepower to allow you to drive it around your property without losing performance or speed.
4. Not ideal for very big lawns : The Poulan PO17542LT is idea for lawns that are about an acre in size, but it is not that great for much larger lawns. The 42 inch cutting deck, while wide, is not quite wide enough to be optimally efficient for lawns over an acre in area. In addition to that, the gas tank is fairly small, and it can only hold 1 1/2 gallons when it is completely full. The lawn tractor is not quite a gas guzzler, but you will find on bigger jobs that you will need to be refueling before you are finished. So if you own a very big property, you may want to consider looking for a lawn tractor that has a bigger cutting deck width and a larger gas tank so that you can be completing the job without interruptions for refueling and in less time than the Poulan PO17542LT’s 42 inch deck can handle. On the other hand, if you only have about an acre of grass to cut, then this lawn tractor could be just right.
5. The transmission is not very durable : The Poulan PO17542LT has a Peerless transmission that delivers high quality performance under the right conditions. But the transmission is partially constructed out of aluminum. This has the advantage of keeping the lawn tractor’s overall weight down, but it also means that the transmission is not very durable. You will not want to be using this lawn tractor on bigger, tougher jobs. This also informs the #3 con – the transmission cannot handle hills very well. And if you are constantly driving the Poulan PO17542LT over rough, uneven terrain at top speeds, you run the risk of eventually damaging or cracking the transmission. That is a problem that can’t be repaired but instead needs a full replacement, which can be difficult and costly.

The fifth con – the durability of the transmission – is the main one that speaks to the quality of design and craftsmanship for the Poulan PO17542LT, but if you understand the limits of this lawn tractor and use it accordingly, it hopefully will not be a problem. The noise factor is a major annoyance, but you can protect your own ears with the right equipment and your neighbor’s sleep with the proper tact. The lack of grass clippings management options is unfortunate, but if you don’t mind having one option, then it will not be a major issue. You should understand before you buy it that this lawn tractor will not handle hilly terrain or very big lawns well, but if you have about an acre of broad, flat terrain, then this may still be the right machine for your needs.

Product Comparison

In addition to considering the pros and cons of any product, it is also a really useful practice to compare it to similar items made by other manufacturers. This gives you a better picture of how a particular lawn tractor stacks up against its competition, and can also be informative in terms of helping you understand what combination of specs is right for your lawn’s needs. That way, you can make the most informed decision possible when you are ready to make your final purchase. In order to make this process easier for you, I have provided a table that compares certain specs on the Poulan PO17542LT to those on the Husqvarna YTH21K46 and the Yard Machines 13AC762F000.

	Poulan PO17542LT	Husqvarna YTH21K46	Yard Machines 13AC762F000
Dimensions	72.8 x 34.5 x 45.1 inches	69.3 x 56.5 x 41.4 inches	65.9 x 41.2 x 53.8 inches
Power	Gas	Gas	Gas
Engine Manufacturer	Briggs & Stratton	Kohler	Briggs & Stratton
Engine Specs	PowerBuilt 500-cc Engine	Courage 597-cc Engine	PowerBuilt 344-cc Engine
Transmission	Peerless	Tuff Torq	N/A
Transmission Type	Hydrostatic	Manual	N/A
Gas Tank	1.50 Galons	2.50 Galons	1.36 Galons
Starter	Key	Key	Key
Deck Size (cutting swath)	42-inch	46-inch	38-inch
Number of Blades	2	2	2
Mulch/Bag/Discharge	Side discharge	Mulch, bag, and discharge	Mulch, bag, and discharge
Drive System	Lever-operated	Lever-operated	Lever-operated
Max Speed	5.5 mph forward 1.7 mph reverse	5.2 mph forward 2.9 mph reverse	5.2 mph forward 1.9 mph reverse
Height Adjustment	Single lever (6 positions)	Single lever (6 positions)	Single lever (5 positions)
Height Settings	1-1/2- to 4-inch	1-1/2- to 4-inch	1- to 3-1/2-inch
Wheel Size	15×6-inch front 20×8-inch rear	15×6-inch front 20×8-inch rear	15×6-inch front 20×8-inch rear
Weight	385 pounds	580 pounds	475 pounds
Warranty	2 years	3 years	2 years

As you can see, the Poulan PO17542LT has the largest overall dimensions of the three lawn tractors, at 72.8 x 34.5 x 45.1 inches. That means it will be a bit harder to find enough storage space rage for it than for either of the other two machines. The Poulan’s engine is not as big as the one on the Husqvarna tractor, but on the other hand the Poulan has a Briggs & Stratton engine while the other tractor has a Kohler engine. Both are good, but I tend to prefer Briggs & Stratton engines. The Poulan has the highest max forward speed of the three lawn tractors and it is also the only one that has a hydrostatic transmission. The Poulan is also the lightest of the three tractors. It is the only one of the three that does not offer three grass management options for the user, which as we discussed in the cons section can be a major drawback. All three tractors have six height adjustment options for the cutting deck and the same size wheels. The Poulan has a smaller gas tank than the Husqvarna and also has a slightly smaller cutting deck width. The Husqvarna has a Tuff Torq transmission made from durable steel, while the Poulan has a Peerless transmission that is partially constructed from aluminum.

Conclusion

When you are shopping for a lawn tractor to maintain a lawn that is about an acre in size, you are going to want one that can provide reliable performance and efficiently do the job in as little time as possible. It is important to have a wide cutting deck to minimize the number of passes needed to cut the lawn. You also want to ride in comfort and have a control array that is easy to use. You want a lawn tractor that has great features, a high safety rating, and quality craftsmanship to ensure that it will perform reliably for years to come. And you want it to be able to handle even tougher or denser grasses without slowing down or losing torque in the cutting blades. In these areas and more, the Poulan PO17542LT really delivers.

Conclusion Pros

1. Wide cutting deck for increased efficiency.
2. Ergonomically designed cockpit and convenient controls.
3. Convenient manual override and safety features.
4. Ability to cut even tough and tall grass.
5. Powerful Briggs & Stratton engine.

When you look at each of these features, it is easy to see why the Poulan PO17542LT is such a great lawn tractor to own. It has a big, dual blade 42 inch wide cutting deck that when combined with its top forward speed of 5.5 mph can cut up to an acre of grass in less than 45 minutes. It has a top of the line Briggs & Stratton Power Build series engine and Peerless transmission. It has an ergonomically designed cockpit so that you are always riding in comfort. It has great safety features and a convenient manual override system. It can handle even tougher grasses like St Augustine or Bermuda grass. These features, along with the affordable price, make the Poulan PO17542LT an excellent riding lawn tractor for the homeowner with about an acre of grass to take care of.

Conclusion Cons

1. The lawn tractor is rather loud.
2. Only one grass clippings management option.
3. The mower does not handle hills or sloping terrain well.
4. Not great for lawns bigger than an acre and the gas tank is small.
5. Aluminum transmission is not very durable.

While lawn tractors and zero turn mowers do tend to be on the louder side as far as yard machines are concerned, the Poulan PO17542LT is much louder than average. This is one of the main cons associated with this machine, and if you do purchase it, I highly recommend investing in quality ear protection. The tractor is designed for a large, flat lawn, and that is where it will reliably deliver its best performance. If you have a massive lawn – more than 1.5 acres – or if you have a lot of hills or sloping ground on your property, I do not recommend the Poulan PO17542LT. This is also the case if you want more than one grass management option from your lawn tractor. Finally, it is important to be aware of the fact that the transmission is not extremely durable, and you should use this lawn tractor with a careful understanding of its limitations.

Final Word

The simple fact for homeowners who own a big property with more than half an acre of grass to cut is that the job just can’t be done efficiently with a walk behind mower. Riding mowers are a necessity for jobs like this. And lawn tractors like the Poulan PO17542LT are perfect for the homeowner who wants a versatile, maneuverable, and reliable lawn care machine. These machines are designed to have bigger cutting deck widths, higher forward speeds, and the kind of engine components that can provide lots of power to the machine to ensure it can handle even the toughest jobs.

The Poulan PO17542LT has some great features for the homeowner with about an acre of grass to take care of. It has a 42 inch cutting deck with twin cutting blades manufactured from durable welded steel to make sure you are giving a professional grade cut to your lawn every time. It has a powerful engine manufactured by Briggs & Stratton, a leader in the industry. The engine is 500 cubic centimeters and provides 17.5 horsepower to the tractor. In addition there is a Peerless hydrostatic transmission that, while not the most durable available, will nonetheless prove reliable if you use it with an eye to its limitations. The tractor has a top forward speed is 5.5 mph and a top reverse speed of 1.7 mph. The tractor has a cockpit that is ergonomically designed and has convenient controls so that you will always be riding in comfort.

Best Price

The Poulan PO17542LT is affordably priced, especially considering that it has a 42 inch wide cutting deck and a powerful Briggs & Stratton engine under the hood. This lawn tractor falls on the lower end of the range for lawn tractors, which means you will be able to purchase it without breaking the bank or blowing through your entire home and garden budget for the year. While the price is reflected in some of the cons this lawn mower carries – such as the lack of extra grass clipping management options, the partial aluminum construction on the transmission, and the very noisy engine – it is still a quality lawn tractor. It provides reliable performance and is tough enough to handle even tough grasses like St. Augustine or Bermuda grass. Typically one would expect a lawn tractor of this quality and performance to fall much closer to the mid range of pricing. But the Poulan PO17542LT remains one of the more inexpensive lawn tractors on the market. If you are looking for a lawn tractor that can cut about an acre of grass, and you primarily intend to own it for residential use, this is a great option that is also quite affordable.