My first Cub Cadet

[john hall]

I've ran a few of the "cheaper" modern mowers--just to check them out after servicing them. All of them I have used will mow a nice, clean cut yard and do it faster than any older quality built machine (any brand). Having said that, What you have is a lot more heavy built, more reliable, stable and just downright more classy. Yours will with stand bumps and bruises a lot better than a modern mower. The only thing I don't like about old mowers is the general lack of safety switches, I personally find them a great peace of mind.

Your mower should be a great machine but like anything that has been ran for 50 years, you'll need to go over it with a fine tooth comb looking for things that are worn to the point they need repair. Once you do that you will get bored with nothing to work on and go buy another old Cadet! Seriously, your machine looks pretty well cared for. I'd check all 4 of the steering ball joints, both belts for cracks, examine all the idler pulleys, look for loose spindle bearings, level the deck if needed, gauge the tires and have at cutting the yard. Also look for any fuel and oil leaks. One last thing it probably does need, check the rear end fluid to see if it is full of water. The 128 here has been here 20 years and never had the fluid changed. I checked it this spring and was shocked at how much water was in it. Its on my to-do list, but I'm still using the mower, a few more hours won't hurt it more than it already has (if at all).