New to me 1861

[Pray-2-miss-rocks]

Picked up an 1861 today, thought I'd share.

I got into cubs after inheriting an 1811 from the old man that used to live at our property, he bought it new and left it here for us. It's been a great tractor, has always been in good shape and I really got to liking the cubs. This year, my deck is too rotten and the front main developed a leak that needs immediate attention. Rather than trying to hurry to fix my 1811, I wanted to get a second tractor so that I could work on one while still being able to keep my mow schedule (about 3 acres).

So, I found this 1861 (pics should be attached) that is in fantastic shape, almost unbelievable how clean it is. I also didn't realize how tired my 1811 is until mowing with a fresh 18mag. My 1811 has a lot of hours, not sure exactly how many because the hour meter stopped working at 1490, but based on simple math with my mowing per summer, it easily has 2500 or 3000 hours on it.

Anyway, thought I'd share. The only thing I need is a grill, hoping to find one on here eventually.

The other pesky things are the "safety" features on the 1861, the reverse switch that kills the pto and the seat switch are driving me nuts already. I'll have to disable them.

[SS5150]

I had an 1861 very similar to yours. It was a grass eating SOB with the 54" on it.

[Pray-2-miss-rocks]

Originally Posted by SS5150

I had an 1861 very similar to yours. It was a grass eating SOB with the 54" on it.

This has the 54 and I mowed in 2/3 the time it took with my 1811. Granted, my 1811 with the 50c deck would have been a contender if it didn't bog on the thick grass.

It's a shame really, I like the 1811 as a tractor much better than the 1861 but freshness matters.

[LAWN BOY]

That’s a very good looking machine.
Here’s a grill on eBay, I think that it’s what you need…
https://www.ebay.com/itm/27584399041...3ABFBMmsSTzINi

[Pray-2-miss-rocks]

Originally Posted by LAWN BOY

That’s a very good looking machine.
Here’s a grill on eBay, I think that it’s what you need…
https://www.ebay.com/itm/27584399041...3ABFBMmsSTzINi

Yea, I lucked out on an older machine that has barely been used.

That's the cyclops light lens, I need the grill that goes underneath it. Hard to tell in the photo cuz it was so sunny

[cadetpwr]

Great looking tractor, a real survivor. Its good to have a pair of Cubs, that way if one is down for rebuild, you still can take care of business. Now you can take your time and return the 1811 back to being as nice as the new tractor is. Mower decks can be found in super nice shape, so if yours has serious rust issues, I would see if you can find a much nicer 50c for it while you refresh the Mag18.

[Farmall450]

Originally Posted by SS5150

I had an 1861 very similar to yours. It was a grass eating SOB with the 54" on it.

OP, that's a super clean unit, take good care of it. You won't find plastics like that again. Front bumper time!

[Rex B]

From what I can see of that grill, I'd repair it. JB weld Plastic Bond works wonders.

Oh, and if that SGT is cheap, buy it. I paid $100 for mine, and it's fun for towing and pulling. I took the mower deck off and mounted a winch in front, and got the Extreme 3-point stuff. Feels like a grown-up tractor. Handy when you need to drag a boulder or a downed tree out of the woods.
Motors aren't that hard to find. Or spend $800 at HF for a new Predator engine.

[Pray-2-miss-rocks]

Originally Posted by Rex B

From what I can see of that grill, I'd repair it. JB weld Plastic Bond works wonders.

Oh, and if that SGT is cheap, buy it. I paid $100 for mine, and it's fun for towing and pulling. I took the mower deck off and mounted a winch in front, and got the Extreme 3-point stuff. Feels like a grown-up tractor. Handy when you need to drag a boulder or a downed tree out of the woods.
Motors aren't that hard to find. Or spend $800 at HF for a new Predator engine.

It's hard to see in the pics, but the grill is just missing. The guy I bought it from made a crude grill, out of some mesh, that is currently zip tied to the shrouds. I will keep an eye out for an original, I would like the tractor to be complete. No rush, of course, but something I will pull the trigger on when I do come across one.

[Pray-2-miss-rocks]

Originally Posted by Farmall450

OP, that's a super clean unit, take good care of it. You won't find plastics like that again. Front bumper time!

Thank you, it will kinda hurt to watch it age over the years, but it is wild to have such a fresh machine that works the way it did when new. Makes mowing enjoyable. What kinda bumper are we talking about?