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Archive through June 20, 2012

IH Cub Cadet Tractor Forum

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dfrisk

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 12, 2001
Messages
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displayname
Dennis Frisk
JEREMIAH - I think you missed my point entirely. I was meaning exactly what Kraig said. I'd have probably worn out and scrapped TWO lesser mowers in those 15 yrs. I got 70% MORE for my old 129 than I paid for it. Yes I had expenditures for parts in those 15 yrs, but I expected that when I bought it. It was really rough, lots of rubber tarp straps & duct tape holding it together. It was the main mower for some guy running a small lawn service, all his repairs were cobble jobs done quick so he could get the tractor back mowing.

When it sold at Dad's auction, it brought the most of any of the 5-6 Cub Cadets Dad sold. Only his 154 Low Boy brought more, and really, not THAT much more. Dad sold an almost mint condition 129 that had a 42 inch mower & rear tiller plus a year old Kohler Magnum 12 HP installed in it. MUCH better tractor than my 129, but it didn't look as nice, think it only brought $550. As my 83 yr old Dad learned that day, "Shiny Paint Sells Better". He already knew that, He'd had his '51 M repainted a year earlier because he thought it might get sold at the auction too. But I remember driving that M back when I was 4-5 yrs old, first tractor I "Solo'd" on. It was NOT getting away from me. While we were getting ready for the sale, I bet we had a DOZEN people pull into the yard and ask when the sale was going to be and if that M was selling.

Anyhow, Dad had a neighbor who always bought cheap box store or Craftsman lawn mowers to mow his half to 3/4 acre yard. Dad would try to keep the cheap mowers running for him, but sometimes they'd break stuff you just couldn't repair without replacing major components like axles, frames, etc. When those tractors would go to the shop for repair, Dad would loan him the CC 70, some years he'd mow with the 70 more than he would with his own mower. Often the repairs on those cheap mowers would cost what a decent running old GD CC would sell for. There's NO economic sense in that is there.
 
Hey, Wayne, I saw your comment about the 126, they are good machines. I do have a 147 but it has a 12 hp. motor in it but it is a hydro. I am just old fashioned - I like the gear driven models better -- works better here for mowing. Have fun with the 126 and let me know how it works. Rodney
 
Bill J.: You sure opened the discussion door at a not-too-particularly-busy time.
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For those who haven't heard the story, my first CC was a 105 that wouldn't move after I bought it for $50, trailered it home and got it started. That was my initiation to stuck relief valves. Sold it to a friend who used it as a tractor, not a mower. His wife wasn't too impressed until the day he left it parked on the front lawn when he went to work and a couple people stopped to see if it was for sale.
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Bill: If you go to look at that 149 I hope you at least bring us back some pics.
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We all must be in "protect" mode right now. Has anyone else noticed that since all this B/S mower talk started, only one item has been posted for sale since last Friday? And the wanted board is on fire!

I bet all this talk is good for the sponsors. I know it makes me want to go work on a cub.
 
Guys, thanks for the replies to my question about Sam's 125. I don't think they took the hydro apart, but I've referred all your responses to Sam. I'll let you know what he finds out. My email has been really unreliable for two weeks so it's hit and miss when I can get on here. Thanks again and I'll try to let you know what he finds out.
 
Paul F. Great to hear from you.
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By actually discussing things here and being open is how we all benefit. The more information provided initially can lead to a quicker solution and someone can get their Cub Cadet up and running sooner.

Back to work. Break is over.
 
Paul-
If they didn't take the hydro apart, then they must have took the ring-gear carrier out and put it in upside-down...?
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Question about Quiet Line electric pto clutches.Can they be re-wound?I've got one that is shorted and another which is open.
 
IH used qaulity decals so what is a good method for removing to replace or should I sand it lightly and apply over the old?

This is NOT a restore just an attemp to correct a wrong number on a 1x9 dash board
 
JEFF - I remember installing that dash decal when I repainted my 129. All those curves and bends in the dash, and trying to line up all the holes for the amp gauge, choke, steering column, it wasn't pretty when I got done. I'd try to remove it so any roughness from the old decal doesn't show through the new decal. I've heard Goo Gone works well for removing old decals, that or Brake-Clean, WD-40, etc.
 
Sorry Dennis I wasn't clear, I ment the 1x9 sticker but I will try goo gone I have some at work.

any other comments are welcome
 
Dennis Frisk: I see your point, now that you and Kraig have explained it. I admit to "stirring the pot."

I thought it might be helpful to get more specific in our data concerning the "cheap" lawn mowers out there, and judging from what I find on-line, even the "Shift-on-the-Go" 38" mowers are going for $1,000, with a decent gear drive at a BBS (Big Box Store) fetching $1,200 while a hydrostatic drive can be had for $1,400. Compare that to a 2000 Series Cub Cadet for $3,600 without the deck!

If one annualizes the cost of ownership for a typical BBS tractor at those prices, and figures $150/year for service (tune-up, oil change, belt check, spindle grease or replace) it comes to about $360-400/yr for a 5-yr life span, and $255-275/yr for a 10-yr lift span.

Compare that to the purchase of a decent used 125 or 149 at about $500 and add the following expected and usual repairs:

$200 Steering & Suspension (Ross rebuild + Spindle & Pin repair + new tie-rods)
$100 Trunnion repair (remove trans & pay welder)
$100 PTO repair
$100 Driveshaft repair (including cup)
$100 Engine (Carb rebuild + Head Gasket at Decarbon)
$100 Miscellaneous
Totals: $1,200 "Purchase" Price

Add $50 per year for self-maintenance for an annual cost to own of about $290/yr over 5/yrs (Tractor will still be going strong) or $170/yr over 10 years when some major repairs will probably be needed to "maintain" its utility.

So, IF one is able to do one's own work, THEN the purchase and refurbishment of an older Cub Cadet makes economic sense; IF one has to pay another to do the work, THEN one still may come out OK; but, notice that I did not stipulate any major repairs in my analysis. If the motor or transmission has to be replaced, and one is not able to do it oneself, then I don't think it makes financial sense to re-build a basket-case; and even if one does the work oneself, it STILL may not make financial sense (I have first-hand information on this point).

However, as others have pointed out, and what has kept me going thus far, is that the Cub Cadet product is WORTH sinking money into: it is an investment, as much as it is an expense. Afterall, what owner of a BBS tractor can talk about passing on to his SON what he received from his FATHER (and if the parts are still available, what he received from his GRANDFATHER).
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Jeff, try a heat gun to soften the old decal before you try to remove it. Just don't roast the dash, be sure to use a low setting or as an alternative use a hair dryer set on high. once you have most of the old decal off then use the Goo-Gone to remove the residual adhesive.
 
Just to add a little to the fuel to the fire, two years ago I found myself in the position of having an acre of grass to mow with nothing but an old push mower. I had two choices, buy a new mower or "fix up" my Dad's 102, which he had bought new in '67, but had been sitting in my Mom's garage for over 10 years.
I ended up going the 102 route, I spent the rest of the year rebuilding it,(all the while push mowing the yard. It was a real motivator to finish the tractor.)
I got a little carried away, stripped it to the frame, took it all down to bare metal and painted with PPG paint and rebuilt or replaced EVERYTHING I thought looked marginal or could wear out. I could have bought a new box store tractor for what I spent,( the wife reminded me off this several times), but now I've got something that my son will eventually use. Plus the pride I feel everytime I use it, (the envious looks on the neighbors faces doesn't hurt either) is priceless.
It took about half of the mowing season last year to finally get it all dialed in, deck height, even and level cut, etc., but I'd put the cut of the grass up against just about anything you can buy now.

Bob

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Jeremiah, don't forget the pride in ownership factor, hard to put a price on that. I've not checked, but I wonder how many dedicated forums there are for the various box store lawn tractors?
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Do any of the owners of those brands travel hundreds of miles to meet up with others that own that same brand and spend most of the day talking about them? True we also play with them in the dirt at these meetings.

Exhibit A:

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I only know of one Mow Day and the turn out was rather small, even if it was mostly IH Cub Cadets.

Exhibit B:

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Not sure what the point of my post was.
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I guess I just wanted to post photos.
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Thats an impressive picture, Kraig!
I'm about to mow again, and I'm trying to figure out why my deck leaves a little streak of un-cut grass in between the right & middle blades in this picture-

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There is a tiny gap in between, but there is a gap (smaller) on the other side, too. Any ideas?
Also, should all the blades be oriented in the same direction, or is this alright?
 
The chalk likes I drew do not really give an accurate representation of the gaps due to the thickness of the chalk
 
Clark, the blades actually overlap. Note that the center blade is mounted forward of the two side blades. To check the overlap you'll need to draw two lines, or use a straightedge placed at a right angle to the rear edge of the deck. Compare the lines to the extreme point of each blade. Kind of like this:

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How sharp are your blades? Also, it looks like you have a different style bearing assembly in one location. Are the blades in the same plane?
 
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