Going to look at an Original
 

Any particular gremlins to look for? I already own a 1440, and I'm a mechanic by trade, so I should be able to spot the obvious (I think anyway).

Is there anything particular to these models that I need to look out for? It comes with the mower, and the guy says it's all there.

Thanks for the help!

Rick

im new to cubs, but have been collecting the red horsey tractors for many years. i picked up my first cub, an original, a couple weeks ago. been sitting outside for years. this is without a doubt to most simple tractor i have ever worked on. had it running after a few hours work, carb o-haul, points, stuck exhaust valve, etc.etc. it would be nice if the original oil bath air cleaner is there. lay down and get a good look at the clutch assembly. rear fenders and a creeper would be nice, mine has neither. watch for frame cracks. see what the diff oil looks like. steering play can get a little pricey. very straightforward little tractor, and a pleasure to work on. the folks on this forum can tell you a lot more than i can. very helpfull guys on this board!
have fun
Dave

From my short experience, the weak link in the transmission is the 1st/reverse 13 tooth slider gear. If I were going to look at one I would definately lift one rear tire, put it in either 1st or reverse, push the clutch in and roll the wheel to feel the gears.

:GoodLuck:

They are GREAT little tractors!! :Salute:

One I looked at recently had a tecumseh snowblower motor (pull start!) grafted in. Nobody thought to check the rotation onthe motor, now it is an original with three reverse speeds and one forward!:bash2::bash2::bash: It did have a creeper tho.

If you want it to be complete, the expenasive things to look for are the hood ornament, the grille ornament, and the oil bath air cleaner. Those 3 parts can set you back a pretty penny if it doesn't have them. Also the frames tend to break where it bolts to the rearend. Oh yeah, the seat pan is another to look for. When a good one comes up for sale, they usually sell for around $75 - $100. The lift, fenders, and creeper were all options and nice to have. If it has any of the options, it could significatly raise the value.

AJ

AJ, what do you think a good engine would run if I bought the backwards one and wanted to replace it with the correct Kohler...?? I can get it for $100 and it has a creeper with an aluminum handle...

Thanks all for the replies! I need this like a hole in my head, but they sure are cool looking!

Went to look at the Original
 

For those of you still kind enough to be interested, I looked at the Original today, and it appears to be in pretty good shape. The hood has a rust spot a few inches across, but is not heavily pitted (a glaze of body putty would clean it up), but the hood overall is straight and unwrinkled. The seat is shot, but the battery box looks good. I did not run it, but it shifted through the gears just fine. I did not see any cracks where the frame joins the rear end. The grill was straight. Also, it did not have fenders.

The mower was another story. It appeared to be all there, but the underside was heavily pitted, and several holes were eaten through on the front, and along the back curves. The hardware was all in good shape however.

The guy wants what I think to be top dollar for it all, but I'm wondering what kind of money I'd be looking at to fix/ replace the deck, fit some new tires, buy gaskets for everything, and replace/ rebuild the clutch? I am not a purist, but I would like to respect the machine, and make it as new looking as possible. So I’ll do a fairly complete teardown, and rebuild.

Any rules of thumb for costs?

Truckntran the creeper alone is worth more than $100. You would be a fool not to buy that tractor. As for a engine, I have no clue what a good running one would sell for. I've never looked to buy a k161.

Rickbaro a good deck shell is getting very difficult to find these days, so...... but just top let you know of prices, when I bought my original, I paid $115 on ebay. It was adjertised not to run, the wrong hood, and the wrong seat. I ended up bring it home and putting a rebuild kit in the carb and mowing grass with it that same day. If it has the hood ornament, the grille ornament, and the oil bath air cleaner, I would say it should sell for around $150 to $200. Give or take a little. if it's in great condition, it would probably sell for $250+.

AJ

what kind of money is he asking for it? in just the last week or so, ive seen several for sale. none have been over 300.00 in decent running condition. if the deck is rusted out, i would say it should be under 200. remember, an original seat will run 50 - 100 to replace.
Dave

ajgross and dkish,

Those prices sound right for "our" area. But he is in Texas. And while I don't know, I'd bet a cup of coffee that there aren't a lot of IH Cubs there. Unless Texans avoid eBay.

Thanks Dave,

He's asking $500. I've no intention to pay that however (mostly because that would kill my modest hobby budget). Mostly because the condition of the deck, it's missing fenders, no lights, and no creeper. He says I can get a seat off eBay for $10. I doubted that, but didn't really know.

I'm trying to figure out how much (roughly) it would take to refurb one of these, and kind of build a budget from that. Then I'd know what I could offer him.

Right now, I'm thinking it may not be worth more than half of what he wants. He knows it has collection value, but I think he's overvalued it.

Although I have just recently started my search, I'm getting a sense that you'd win that cup of coffee!

But I have a pickup truck, and I'm not afraid to drive a bit for a good deal. One of the members up in Kansa has a pretty nice O for sale. 750 miles round trip is pushing it though!

RPalmer
i didnt think about his location. i am new to cubs, but what you said holds true to wheel horse tractors. they are very common in the midwest. still, 500.00 seems quite high. i wish you luck in getting the tractor. you will have a lot of fun with it!:beerchug:
Dave

rickbaro,

There is collection value and then then there is parts value. It obviously is not in collectors condition. So maybe all he has is a collection of assembled parts. Earlier this year I went to check on 2 O's. When I got down to buying one..."Oh that was a mistake. That price is for each". Needless to say I don't own an O. But I do have 2 100s with fenders and can't imagine being any more happy. FWIW I would pay that price if it was complete and drivable with a rebuilt carb and tune-up. I have seen decks for those sell out of In.. But shipping would kill ya on something like that. Have fun.:biggrin2.gif:

FWIW I don't think cubs are any more expensive in Texas than anywhere else.They just aren't too popular, the expensive green paint sold a LOT of lawn machines. . In fact I would say in the Midwest where Cubs are really popular collector machines prices are the highest ... That being said, I can't figure why Originals are so cheap.... compared to say, a 147 or a 1250. Of course you are talking less power, but it is a FIRST model cub Cadet.

By the way I picked up that creeper gear equipped Snowblower engined O today ...Got it running in about 5 minutes and drove it around. I think I just may go thru the effort to install a jackshaft or something to reverse the engine rotation ..it is a nice little tractor and would do just fine in a parade or pulling a garden cart. Well worth what I paid. Wouldn't sell it for less than $250 now I have actually driven it. :biggrin2.gif: I can't figure out why folks can't adjust carbs..that was the only reason it didn't run well. :bash2:

If I'm not mistaken you can turn the carrier over in the rear end and it will then be going the right direction.

$500 for a "O" in that condition is just insane. It is more like a $200 tractor. BTW, it really not missing the fenders. The fenders were a option and if you want a set for it, then you are looking at around a $200 investment. I've seen them sell for as much as $250. A good welded seat will sell for $50 to $100 and a unwelded seat will go for over $100. The seat cracked in the middle a lot. It's very hard to find one that hasn't been welded. You could probably find something a lot cheaper and maybe not so far away.

Truckntran congrats on the new machine. I told you, you had better buy that one. I think Yosemite Sam might be on to something there with swaping the carrier. I think I can remember reading a post where someone put their rearend together backwards and said it would go real slow in forwards but fly in reverse. It shouldn't take more than a afternoons worth of work and it's a whole lot cheaper than buying a new engine.

AJ