How to find the age of your Craftsman riding lawn mower or lawn tractor

Where to locate the model and serial number on a riding mower

Start by locating the model and serial number label on your Craftsman riding lawn mower or lawn tractor. On most models, both numbers appear together on the same tag.

Common locations include:

• Under the seat

• On the frame beneath the seat platform

• Near the engine mounting area

• On the rear frame of the tractor

The model number usually starts with three digits, followed by a decimal point and then five to eight more digits. Those first three digits determine which serial number format you’ll use to find the production date.

If your model number starts with 917

Craftsman lawn and garden products with model numbers starting with 917 don’t all use the same serial number format. The production date is encoded in different ways depending on when the unit was built, so the first step is identifying how the serial number begins.

Match your serial number to one of the formats below.

How the serial number encodes the build date

Serial format: year and week

If the serial number starts with four digits, it may follow this pattern:

YYWWxxxxx

• First two digits = year

• Next two digits = week of manufacture

Example:

0423xxxxx = week 23 of 2004

Serial format: calendar date

Some products use a serial number that starts with six digits that resemble a date:

MMDDYYxxxxx

• First two digits = month

• Next two digits = day

• Next two digits = year

Example:

061508xxxxx = June 15, 2008

Serial format: extended date format

Other products use a longer serial number format:

YYYYWWDxxxx

• First four digits = year

• Next two digits = week

• Next digit = day of the week

When the serial number doesn’t fit a clear pattern

If the serial number doesn’t clearly match one of these formats, the engine manufacture date is often the most reliable way to estimate when the machine was built. In most cases, the engine is produced shortly before final assembly.

For model numbers beginning with 247

Craftsman lawn and garden products with model numbers starting with 247 typically use an 11-character serial number made up of letters and numbers. The production date is encoded near the beginning of the serial number.

Focus on the first five characters.

Serial number structure used on these machines

Many serial numbers follow this pattern:

PMDDYxxxxx

• First character = product type

• Second character = month (letter)

• Third and fourth characters = day of the month

• Fifth character = year

The month is shown as a letter:

Example:

Serial number:

1F030xxxxxx

F = June

03 = 3rd day of the month

0 = year ending in 0

This indicates June 3 in a year ending in 0. Depending on the tractor, that could be 2000 or 2010. Use the machine’s design, features, and labeling to determine which year fits.

Newer serial numbers (2021 and later)

Beginning in 2021, some models switched from a numeric year character to a **letter-based year code**.

• M = 2021

• N = 2022

• P = 2023

• Q = 2024

• R = 2025

If the year character is a letter instead of a number, the serial number was produced **2021 or later**, removing decade ambiguity.

If the date is still uncertain

If the serial number doesn’t match the expected pattern, or the year could fall in more than one decade, use the engine manufacture date as a secondary reference point.

If the model number begins with 536

Craftsman lawn and garden products with model numbers starting with 536 often use a serial number format where the production date is embedded in the first four digits.

How to interpret the serial number

If the serial number begins with four digits, it may follow this pattern:

YDDDxxxx

• First digit = year (last digit of the year)

• Next three digits = day of the year

Example:

5123xxxx = 123rd day of a year ending in “5”

That could indicate 1985, 1995, or 2005. Use the tractor’s styling, features, and labeling to determine which year makes sense.

Why the engine date is especially useful

Because this format only shows the last digit of the year, confirming the decade requires judgment. The engine manufacture date often provides the clearest reference, since engines are typically installed shortly before final assembly.

Confirm the build timeframe

After decoding a production date, it’s worth confirming that it aligns with what you see on the mower or tractor.

Helpful checks include:

• Whether the date fits the machine’s design and control layout

• Whether the engine manufacture date precedes the estimated equipment date; may be less reliable if the engine was replaced.

• Whether decals, safety labels, and features match that era

If something doesn’t line up, revisit the serial number format before settling on a final answer.