I've had a Sears 38", 12 hp tractor and mowing deck for 16 years. It has a
Tecumseh engine. I have probably changed the oil 3 or 4 times and never
bother to run it dry before it sits for the Winter months. The biggest
problems have been getting the mowing deck even and high enough. One time
the front link broke and had to be replaced. This was a problem because the
replacement Sears sent was not an exact replacement. I had to drill out one
seet of holes, but it worked in the end.

The number of mowers waiting for repairs is no indication of their quality.
What percent of the number sold does number of mowers you saw represent?
Sears sells an enormous number of mower and the ones you saw were probably a
smaller percent than other brands!