makeing the right choice
 

Im putting together a 123 and Ive found a couple of tractors for a parts tractors....122 126 147...the 122 is probably good enough on its on to restore so I hate to do that to it....but it has a good cast iron corner deck that I would love to use... the 126 is not so good but is all there......the 147 has had a engine fire that got contained pretty quickly but did enough to pretty much do it in....and its hydro..... which makes it a better choice....If the hydros are the same.....trying to figure that out the parts manuls for both they look the same but are 1 number off......it has a decent deck under it as well but has hydro lift cylinder........just about on the brink of mass confusion at this point this our first cub and just want to do the best we can with what I got to work with....it is slim pickins down here...anybody have any thoughts??? Thanks Randy and Son.....

Once you get the 123 up and running you'll find all kinds of uses for another one without a deck in the way. You might just as well go get them all, build the 123 and use the 147 for parts and then use 126 for parts to finish the 122.

If I had the cash right now I would Im just afraid there gona disapear....for now Im just gona be able to get one....if the others stay I will go get em....Ive got the 123 torn down with the 12 horse headed for the machine shop monday....

With the exception of being ported or non ported, the Hydros are the same between all Cub Cadets, ported means that it has fittings (or places to put fitings, for a hydraulic lift) normally found on the 149 & 169's.

The 147 you speak of is a match for many of the hydro parts on your 123 but the lever mechanisms on the dash are completely different and will not readily interchange with each other. The 147 should also have an electric lift as opposed to a hydraulic one.

The 122 that you mentioned is basically the same tractor as your 123 with the exception of the gear drive transaxle and related parts. The deck lift mechanism and mule drive from the 147 will be different, it is a quick attach, the 123 or 122 are bolt on... At any rate the 147 lift mechanism will not work on a 122 or 123.

Your best bet is to first decide what parts you will need to complete your 123 then choose the tractor that best matches the needed parts.

Good luck with your project, I hope you and your Son have many happy hours working and playing together.

thanks for the info guys those are the things I needed to know before I made the choice....since the 149 is scorched a little I think it will stay around awhile out there so I"ll pick up the 122 just to have in case and if I'm lucky I will not need much from it so it will be here for a next project....I did not know that about the quick attach and the mule drive on the 149 I thought they all had quick attach decks on them...by not having a deck on my 123 and not familiar with these little tractors I see I gota long way left to go....