Order of operations

[John TV]

First,I’m very new to this and my first Cub. My new to me 149 seems to run quite well with the exception of the 38 inch mower deck. I hope to use this as my cabin mower starting next year. My goal is to make it as reliable as is possible for a 50 year old mower before bringing it up north where I have limited tools etc. That said, this may be a somewhat stupid question but are their items on the tractor/mower deck that seam to be typical trouble spots to check out? If there are old threads that might address this could you help me find them? Thank you. John in Minnesota

[Gregg Ridlon]

Hello John, welcome aboard.

You cannot go wrong by starting with the owners manual; has the recommended regular maintenance items & lubrication points for both the tractor and mower.
Changing the fluids and filters right away is a high priority for me; never know what is in there unless you already know with the previous owner & the machine.
While working through the manual's recommended maintenance, be on the lookout for worn or damaged parts.

If you did not get the manual with your machine, there is a scan here on the forum in the Resources / Technical Library - Tractors section: Fourth page 'Manual - Operators 1x8/9 Series'

Best regards,
Gregg

[John TV]

Thank you Greg. I did get reproduced manuals, good suggestion.

[West Valley G]

I have always found, enjoyed, when I got a new to me machine.
Just start going through it. Not with major repairs in mind but major
maintenance. Most all of these tractors get neglected to a degree.
Examples might be cleaning the fuel system. Take a good look at
your wiring, might be simple connections that look corroded. Good time
to brighten em up. All linkages spiffed up and a little silicone to
make them move smooth.
All kinds a things to learn just dinking around. Kinda fun to just
start reading threads of all kinds pertaining to your machine.
Enjoy your first Cub.

Ken

[IHinIN]

The PTO clutch and driveshaft are things that should be inspected and possibly rebuilt. The PTO clutch disc and bearing are wear items.
The driveline has several wear points. The front hub wears from the dowel pin in the driveshaft. The dowel pin can wallow the hole in the driveshaft and fall out. Mine did this and I added a 1/4” set screw to the end of the driveshaft to retain the pin. The rear coupler and end of the driveshaft wear allowing the shaft to wobble and the rag joint usually needs replaced.

[Graflex45]

Originally Posted by John TV

First,I’m very new to this and my first Cub. My new to me 149 seems to run quite well with the exception of the 38 inch mower deck. I hope to use this as my cabin mower starting next year. My goal is to make it as reliable as is possible for a 50 year old mower before bringing it up north where I have limited tools etc. That said, this may be a somewhat stupid question but are their items on the tractor/mower deck that seam to be typical trouble spots to check out? If there are old threads that might address this could you help me find them? Thank you. John in Minnesota

Having rebuilt 3 mower decks after buying 2 cubs in the last couple years, you should completely disassemble the mower deck into the individual parts and make sure everything in the best shape. if it was stored outside and rusted too much you can see if there is a problem. I took the best parts from 2 44 inch decks and made one good quality one and gave the rusted out deck to my neighbor to scrap. The cups that hold the axle bearings can collect water and rust out if stored outdoors or if the previous owner mowed wet grass and didn't keep it clean. Also take all 3 bearing assemblies out and spin them in your hands to make sure they aren't excessively worn. If they aren't and they are good to reinstall, pump a bunch of grease through the bearing assembly to purge out as much of the old possibly contaminated grease. If they are wobbly or you can feel spots where it feels like they sat and rusted then order a new set. then when you reassemble everything I think its a good idea to use all new hardware that isn't rusted or worn. brand new carriage bolts that aren't rusted will have a better fit into the square holes of the sheet metal.
The mower deck is the most abused and worn part of the mower, so if you put some good effort into making sure it works and don't let the blades get unbalanced it will serve you much longer. As long as you regularly grease them the bearings should last for ages. My grandpa had one that I used up into the early 2000's and those bearings where never replaced. Just a couple pumps of grease every couple times you take it out to use it.

[Cub Cadet 123]

Welcome John TV. When I first saw your post about the "Order of Operations", I thought about my Algebra I class and the "Order of Operations". It made me laugh because the teacher would tell us, "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally", which was an pneumonic device for remembering to do "Parentheses-Exponents-Multiplication-Division-Addition-Subtraction". We were tough guys, so we made learning tough to her dismay and changed it to "Please Execute My Dog And Sister" . Thanks for helping me revisit that memory. Now, on to your cub 149.

Congratulations, you purchased a very solid cub cadet that you will find more utility with than just mowing around the cabin. It will haul wood, help pull logs, garden, remove snow, move mulch, gravel, etc. I have owned several 149's and one thing I noticed is what IHinIN mentioned was the PTO clutch. If your 149 is an older model 149, then it will not have the safety brake on the front PTO clutch that was put on in 1974. If it predates this modification, then inspect and likely replace the wear button (cost about $15 DIY). The brake had a large round pad on it as a safety modification. Others have given you really good, sound advice already, so I would advise you to look into what they have stated, but I would also add that if you are taking your cub 149 to any shop for work, then I would have them remove the balance gears in the engine. They are a ticking time bomb. The side effect is that your cub will shake or shimmy just a little bit more than normal, but nothing bad at all.

A well serviced machine will see you through another 50 years of service!

Cub Cadet 123