Cub Cadet new and old
 

Well I just thought I give up the dirt here.
I have 2 cubs ole 147 w/ loader and a 104 that has 106 decals (was on when I bought it.)
I also had a Snapper ZT-1844 I must confess that I hated it. I have more deviates in my yard than the golf coarse. That stupid thing was always spinning it wheels.
Well yesterday it was making a god awful noise.
I took it to the dealer this morning, I had to be resuscitated when told me how much it was going to be to fix it.(well almost):OMG::Shocked:
He (the mechanic) said I 'd be better off to trade it on a new one.
Since a good unit is worth 3200 buckeyes, mine minus the 700 to 900 for repair work would be worth 1800 smackers for trade-in. So I traded for a 1045 even-up 20 hp Kohler power plant 46" deck. I was considering a 1054 which was larger bigger tires,but it wouldn't fit through the shed door opening.
All I need is something to do the light work so I can start mounting the tiller on the 104.
Well I gave it a test run this after noon.
To my surprise it did rather well.
It only spun once in my test and I didn't get the tires loaded yet.
Everything seems to work rather well. Time will tell.
I still think compared to the classics they are rather flimsy.
Hey before anyone says anything, I already know that they are only mowers. The light work. but thats what I needed. heck I couldn't even pull a cart of mulch up the hill with the Snapper zero turn.



ole 147

That's a good deal ole 147. You know what the 1045 is made for. You made a good point, how they are flimsy. I had a 1018 up until 3 months ago and it was a good mower but flimsy. It only weighed in at around 500 pounds. I have no idea why CC went with mostly flimsly and cheaper instead of keeping MOST of their offerings tough and heavy duty.

Congrats, on your new cub, ole 147! Let's see some pics. :beerchug:

The old cubs are 100 times beter than the new ones. I have a 149 and a 125 that are working and use them for tough jobs and use a cub rzt for cutting the lawn it is a piece of crap. Its not mine it is a guy that works for my dad and he leaves it at my house.

I needed to free up my 104 labeled as a 106 so I can put my tiller on .
I can't do that while I use it for mowing. It mows really well to.
I'll take some pics tomorrow and post them Maybe I can get the herd together for a group shot to.
I think the new cubs are competing in the price game.
Americans do it to them selves ,they buy the cheapest crap they can find wether it's good or not as long as it's cheep.
That's why you see CHINA on everything now days.
They love our money and hate us at the same time.
At least the Cub Cadets are still made in USA.
I must say I was impressed how well it mowed. It also maneuvers well with the 12' T R.

Maplekid-

You're comparing apples to oranges. Our old cubs are equivalent to the 3000 series tractors, not the zero turns, and not the 1000 series lawn tractors. But I'll still take my old tractor over a new one...I can afford the old ones.

Well since good cub cadets were being produced, everything has gone up except peoples wages. BAck in the 70's and early 80's people could afford to buy a heavy duty gt. Now a days, we can barely afford to buy cheap junk. I remember a lot of people making $20 a hour in the early 80's. Now I know a lot of people who make $14 a hour 25 years later. Fact of the matter is, is that we just can't afford to buy the nice heacy duty garden tractors anymore. If cub cadet hadn't started making the cheaper models, they would have went belly up a long time ago.

AJ

Yeah AJ I think you are corrrect. I had that thought after I posted. Its kind of ironic that 25 years ago CC had maybe 10 garden tractors and 1 or 2 lawn tractors in their line up and now the numbers are reversed. This is just another example of what's happening nowadays.:beatdeadhorse:

I couldn't agree more. We run out to Wally World(China World) and buy the cheapest crap because of the low price. We are helping to support the economy of people that hate us. How ironic. I still like the old Cubs better. I like american made products even if its not made as well (I'm not saying it is) I still like to support an American worker.

Ya the only reson i have the rzt is because it is a guys that works for my dad and leaves he it at my house. It was given to him when one of his relatives got sick. Otherwise i wouldnt have one.

No matter what i would take any new cub cadet over a yard machine, poulan and all that other junk. Even though the new cubs are alot cheaper now there still alot more user friendly then the throw away mowers. Are 3 newer cubs are all the 2000 series and when you use them only for mowing nothing can go wrong on them. Are 2165 gets a mower deck, bagger in the fall and a snowblower in the winter since 1997 and have never had any problems with it.

I'm old and I'm going to repeat myself.
I believe many of the sales of these box store riding lawn mowers is because all the customer has to do is whip out their credit card. They aren't paying cash. They don't care if it lasts. They will just charge another in two or three years. All they care about (hopefully) is making their payment. Quality, Country of origin, ect. ect. does not matter.

Here they are.
I'm going to step on some toes here. This is the way I see it with my plus 60 years experience. When I was 25 I made $35,000 that year. 36 years later I made $45,000 in a year. Gas is $2.00 a gallon more now. Groceries are through the roof. Clothing is crazy.
We buy and trade this old stuff because it was made to last. Well the ones that made this stuff are either retired or dead.
I must say though I've mowed twice since I purchased the 1045 it mows really nice. Gets around really well to. Not as loud as the older Cubs.
More comfortable to ride. And MADE IN THE USA!!
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
:American Flag 1:

ole 147 has said his piece. Thank you for tuning in.

Nice line up of cubs!

I agree, aj, BUT,

its been 2 1/2 years, which ones are still running with the lowest maintenance costs!!?? :bigthink:

A better question is how many more have you added to the fleet since then!:beer2:

One of the reasons that drove me to restore my 149 was simply to save a piece of this era of American history. I could have bought a new machine down at the home improvement store for what I paid to restore the 149. But I wouldn't have had 1/10th of the machine and it wouldn't still be around in another 40 years.

IH Cubs are not throw away and replace technology and design. They are work, fix and continue to work technology and design. Says something about the mentality of today's society doesn't it?

If you want to talk about being green (recycling) IH Cubs are truly the greenest - you don't find many cluttering up the dumps and junk yards do you?

Well Cub Cadet is ony a name any more not an Icon.
Now I'm talking the new cubs MTD make a lot of cheap mowers.
It's what the public want as a whole. They don't look at how it is made and don't care how good it's made. You watch them the first thing they do is look at the sticker, then eigther move to another, or look at the unit.
And when youn try sell something the first thing they do is try to talk you down in your price. Even though you have more than fair price on it.

I sold the 104, and got a 122 then had to sell the 122 and I purchased a
1450 QL
The 147 I still have that, I use it for mulch, stone and dirt moving in the warm weather. It is my snow remover in the winter.
The 1045 is still working on the grass. It has been very good and depedable mower.
The 1450 is still being worked on since I have just recetly purchased that.
It did not run when I got it, and when I got it started it was loud (no muffler)
Mower wouldn't run eighter. Lights don't work,
I fixed the mower. seems someone run into somethig solid with the mower down bent the deverter for the grass and jamed the blade. That was an easy fix. The cub suffers from neglect. It had one big ole nasty pile of straw and fearthers in the air space between the crowling and the engine. That was nasty.The dipstick tube is loose, I need to tighten that up. I need to find a swedge for that, or a roll.
It has a 44" mower deck, wheel wts and the agtires are loaded.
Now if I can find a muffler for it I will be happy.
I work on the lights on the back wire ripped out in the front.
I need to clean the power plant after I fix the dip stick tube.
ecy, ect, ect, I hope to get it in good shape it's a nice wide frame.
It did catch my eye at the sale.
ole 147

Sweet 1450!:beerchug:

Good looking 1450!

I figure this 1210/1640 will still be running long after the latest and greatest from MTD have been melted down for scrap. It's only 23 years old.:biggrin2:

Nice 1210, Sam.