I have a bone to pick
 

I don't know what affiliation this site has to cub ,but I'm telling right now. The new cubs are not the old CUBS !! Oh they make me wince when I work on them. Just not the Cubs of years gone by. Plastic !!!!!! There hasn't been a good CUB built in about 14 yrs . Maybe I'm wrong. Next they will be built in china. Now that's my opinion. If any of you think I'm incorrect, then by all means change my mind. Please !!!! I have never wanted to be proved wrong anymore than now .........................:Detective1: It's like the heading states... Only Cub Cadets! A site dedicated to one of the toughest garden tractors ever made!

+1000

I bought a lt1050 after I moved here for FL to TN from the Big Orange Box. I went through 3 of them, first dropped the deck in less than two hours, second lost a trans in less that 8 hours and the third ate another trans in less than 11 hours. You bet, absolute JUNK.

Sorry guys but they're junk.

Scott


That's the story that got me to my first 1250 and then I realized the '82's and I got rid of that QL real quick like. BTW HD took it back after like 8 months of sitting in my garage.

I AGREE 100% !! I worked at the H.D. for a while, and I heard a lot of complaints about the Cubs and saw several returns!

It's not just the CCs, but any and all of them at the big box stores...nothing like old iron! The fact that they are still getting the job done 40 years later speaks volumes about their quality.

My parents have a box store cub cadet and it is junk except for the Kawasaki engine. It's falling apart. My former employer had a box store JD and it was junk also. These days you've got to spend the big bucks in order to get new good quality machine.

Eagle: Which ones are you working on?? Like DYT said, the Cub Cadet branded machines found at the box stores (Home Depot, Lowes, Tractor Supply, etc.) are simply rebranded MTD made throw-aways. Apparently market share is critical to manufacturers and I recall, when I was working at a dealership, that about 2001 or so, Cub Cadet notified dealers that, for that reason, they were about to move the Cub Cadet brand into the mass market area. Thus all the 1000 series Cub Cadets that are pure POS.

However, if you bother to go to a real Cub Cadet dealer and look at the 2500 series and up (3000,4000, etc.) you will find something approaching if not the general quality of the older Cub cadets: Cast Iron Differentials, HydroGear Hydrostatic transmission (basically the old Sundstrand IH used), direct engine-to-transmisisn driveshafts, sturdy frame, Cast Iron front axles and other similiarities. Personally, I'm not too fond of the styling, but they are catering to the feminine buyers (more than you think) with that rounded look....

There are some still new tough Cub Cadets out there but ya ain't gonna find 'em at the box stores....

Myron B
CCSupplyRoom

Trying to compare one of the box store, low end models to one of the IH built Cub Cadets is like comparing apples to oranges. Cub Cadets were never cheap to buy, and the price that was paid for a new one 40 years ago, would be in the $5K to $6K range or more in todays dollars, and that $1995 box store special certainly does not compare to an old one, in either quality or price, but it is what the american public buys.......and throws away and buys another when it's broke. As AAgitch said, you have to spend the bucks to get the quality. I have owned a lot of Cub Cadets, from prototypes to a 2008 model 2544. Most of them were good one's, some were models I don't want another of, but they were all Cub Cadets and in my opinion were still the best of the brands out there, dollar for dollar.

The basic quest of Cub Cadet up until about 1996 was [How can we build a better machine] . After that the new quest has been [How can we build them cheaper]. It's just not Cub either. Deere is about as bad. At least they still build good stuff from the 300 series up. I remember walking into the Cub dealer in Carlisle around the year 2000. The first thing I noticed was that the rear wheels were 4 lug not 5. Reminded me of a Pinto. The fenders were cheap stamped sheet metal. The saleman was telling me how they were going back to a cast iron rear end. But only for a limited time. Well I'm looking at the specs right now for the 3000 series. It does still have a cast iron rear. Maybe I was a little hard on Diesel. Maybe I need to find a Cub Dealer and actually look at these tractors again. It's been 9 yrs since I have looked at them. Like I said, change my mind. There are times when I like to be proven wrong. Thanks !

Even back in the early 80's, Cub Cadets weren't cheap even by todays standards. The x82 series sold new in the $3000 - $5000+ range. As far as new ones, I can't complain too much about my 2004 2180, but in it's defense, it is a 2000 series and the body was made out of steel. But it's nothing more than a heavy duty lawn mower. Used in the correct aplication, it should last me quite awhile. I would say that the 1000 series probably would do too bad as long as they are used for what they were designed to do. And that is mow grass in a realitively flat yard. They really aren't built to do any ground engaging equipment. Although, a friend of mine has a 2005 1042 that he has seriously abused, and it keeps on going.

AJ

Myron I have a lot of grass to cut and was thinking about a zero turn Cub are you saying don't buy. What do you recommend. JMD:bigthink: