What's so great about Cub Cadets anyway?

[Terry C]

Pretty tough to beat the rear ends and hydros in old Cubs. Their drive lines are what I like best.
Only Deere and IH around here. Like a lot on here I grew up on an IH farm.
But, probably the best non-super GT is a JD 322. (318 with a 3cyl gas) It pains me to say that but you can’t really argue the features.

[drglinski]

Originally Posted by Rmowl

It's the IH heritage for me. I had a few diesel farmalls, then no longer had a use for them when moved to a smaller property. Drive shaft driven, farmall cub trans in the gear drives, was a no brainer. When a little 10 hp pulled an 8,000 lb truck in 1 low up my steep driveway back to the garage I was sold. Other brands are great too just seems less confusing to stick with one.

X2. Dad's an IH mechanic. Been driving one since I was old enough to remember. Buying an IH built Cub Cadet is a no brainer. Are there other brands that are good? Newer CCC/MTD built CC that are good? I'm sure....but I don't have an interest in learning about them. Call it narrow minded or whatever, but I don't mind.

[mickb72]

Originally Posted by Vrobert

Maybe it's mostly nostalgia. If you grew up with cubs you know them better or perhaps you have fond memories. But is there something else about their quality, utility, or design that sets them apart from other brands? Does cub do some things better or worse than other brands?

Well you can collect cubs,deeres or horses. But if you want to win at garden tractor pulling you'd better have a cub. 90 percent of gt pullers are cub parts. Parts prices will reflect that. Mike

[Lanceskene]

Originally Posted by mickb72

Well you can collect cubs,deeres or horses. But if you want to win at garden tractor pulling you'd better have a cub. 90 percent of gt pullers are cub parts. Parts prices will reflect that. Mike

Not in stock class..... I got over 900 lbs with 16hp engine, a Peerless gearbox and beefier clutch than any CC.... only Cub Ive had/have that can pull as much dead weight is my 154 Loboy.

[johncub7172]

Pretty nice Lance! But, I'm not going to "one-up" you. However I'm proud to say I have pulled a 2500 pound yard roller around with my seven-horse k161 model 71, and even bent the fixed draw bar down! Pictures in thread to prove.

Why I like my IH Cub Cadets so much is because they are built strong and tuff. The history also is interesting to me of how the garden tractors came to be. I feel completely confident using my garden tractors. I started out as a young man push mowing 2 full acres of grass. Did not have a lot of time on the weekends for play. Until I found an old Original, by myself asking no more than questions, I got it running and mowed a year or two with it. So, I grew up on IH Cub Cadet, and that's what I'll always have in my garage. Like my grandfather whom liberated France, came home and had only one job retiring from the post office, and only driving Ford LTD's.

IH Cub Cadets are a hell of a tuff garden tractor, and no other manufacture can claim different!

[Lanceskene]

I like the IH Cubs as much as anybody.... Im just not brand bias, and Im not knockin anyone who is brand bias..... but theres alot of good garden tractors out there and I want to try them all... so far, that Columbia has proven to be the most capable at pulling the big heavy loads... if it wasnt I would probably have sold it by now.

[Terry C]

Originally Posted by Lanceskene

Not in stock class..... I got over 900 lbs with 16hp engine, a Peerless gearbox and beefier clutch than any CC.... only Cub Ive had/have that can pull as much dead weight is my 154 Loboy.

Maybe you should tune up your low boy.
Just joking, are these Columbias rare? I’ve not heard of one

[Lanceskene]

My Loboy runs quite nice thank you

Columbia is/was a Canadian manufacturer for MTD, in the US you would have the MTD 960/990 tractors, my Columbia is identical to a 960 mechanically, a 990 is the same tractor but with a hydrostatic trans.... the 990 were more popular but I prefer a gearbox and clutch.

It isnt a tractor you want to mow the lawn with, its a big heavy, awkward, beast of thing to drive, steering isnt all that great, manual lift and all its attachments are brutally heavy(I use a winch on the plow).... but it has proven itself to be very capable puller/bulldozer so I keep it around.

I was just out testing my new splined rear hubs today, first day its gotten even close to the freezing point lately, weve been -30 since before xmas so it was nice to get outside a play for a bit.

[Vrobert]

Originally Posted by johncub7172

The history also is interesting to me of how the garden tractors came to be.

Is there a back story about how and why this type of tractor came to the market?

[johncub7172]

Originally Posted by Vrobert

Is there a back story about how and why this type of tractor came to the market?

I thought the making of the IH Cub Cadet and how it came to be was interesting. Here, you have a well experienced large farm tractor manufacture who has been in the business for decades, that recognized a need for a small garden tractor during the late 1950's. The way IH used a proven tractor transmission from the Farmall Cub by re-tooling to make fit into a small package took away the need to outsource a garden tractor transmission. By doing so, IH was a leg up on the competition, and in cost to build them. Having a "big tractor" transmission that could carry the power from the gas powered inline 4 cylinder IH C-60 engine and stepping that same transmission down to a single cylinder Kohler Iron Line gas engine was a dam sure bet!

Don't know about Lance's MTD, but I guess he likes it