My 123 project

[zippy1]

"Sorry it got dark before I was done so no pics until next weekend.."
Flash works for that...

[Yosemite Sam]

I believe they turned tighter to the left, so you could more easily mow close to obstacles.

To make it steer the same, left and right... Take the drag link tie rod end loose from the left spindle. Turn the steering wheel all the way one way, then the other, then center it. Point the tires directly forward, then adjust the tie rod ends so the tie rod end will go back into it's hole without moving the steering wheel or the direction of the tires.

If the steering gear is very loose, it's probably a good time to rebuild it.

[kuleinc]

123 towed my trailer FULL of this weeks groceries, including water (our well tastes funky), right up the levy no problem last night!

[kuleinc]

I REALLY want to get a rear blade or box blade or something to move dirt with. I have a #1 tiller and gear box. Any reason to get a sleeve hitch or 3 point from those xtreme motor works guys?

Super clueless here... Don't want to lose the ability to use my tiller... but I'm getting more dirt and want to pull it around myself, the neighbor charges me to do it with his john deer. It is pretty soft dirt...

It is my understanding the hitch on the back of my 123 is specific to cub cadets, and box blades are impossible to find for these... I guess I need to know if I would be better off with a sleeve adapter or a cat 0 3 point? and which is easier to use or remove so I can use my tiller?

[Jeff in Pa]

Originally Posted by kuleinc

I REALLY want to get a rear blade or box blade or something to move dirt with. I have a #1 tiller and gear box. Any reason to get a sleeve hitch or 3 point from those xtreme motor works guys?

Super clueless here... Don't want to lose the ability to use my tiller... but I'm getting more dirt and want to pull it around myself, the neighbor charges me to do it with his john deer. It is pretty soft dirt...

It is my understanding the hitch on the back of my 123 is specific to cub cadets, and box blades are impossible to find for these... I guess I need to know if I would be better off with a sleeve adapter or a cat 0 3 point? and which is easier to use or remove so I can use my tiller?

I make an extended heavy duty sleeve hitch adapter that straddles the tiller mount.

click for bigger pic


That way you can keep the tiller mount on and use the sleeve hitch adapter any time you want without removing it. I highly suggest getting my extended lift pin to keep the lift straps straighter. In the picture is a regular length lift pin I used for the picture and it would be back too far if mounted correctly.

Jeff

[kuleinc]

Are you the same Jeff I'm emailing about driveshaft parts?

I was actually leaning towards cat 0 3 point because I read the sleeve hitches are more flimsy than the cat 0...

But I know almost nothing about these things... And yours looks thicker than other sleeve hitches I've seen pictures of. The gear box is currently on my 123. I don't even know if enough of the tiller is there to work, I certainly do not have a tiller mule drive, only the mower one... I should get some pics of it and see what you guys think...

[Jeff in Pa]

Originally Posted by kuleinc

Are you the same Jeff I'm emailing about driveshaft parts?

I was actually leaning towards cat 0 3 point because I read the sleeve hitches are more flimsy than the cat 0...

But I know almost nothing about these things... And yours looks thicker than other sleeve hitches I've seen pictures of. The gear box is currently on my 123. I don't even know if enough of the tiller is there to work, I certainly do not have a tiller mule drive, only the mower one... I should get some pics of it and see what you guys think...

Yes, that's me

I've been building these ( my own design ) for over three years and haven't heard of a single one bending yet.

You can use the mule drive off the mower deck to run the belt to the tiller mount.

[kuleinc]

Finally some pictures!
This shows the sand blasted and powder coated wheels, also pulling my agri-fab articulated dump trailer! These are like $800 new, and not worth it, totally worth the $150 I paid though!


This picture shows the new seat I got from Cub Cadet Specialities, very helpful guy, highly recommend! Also shows the used mower deck and lift, they both need quite a bit of work, but as you can see from the picture, they mowed my hill just fine. I'm very pleased with this little tractor, much better than my craftsman. I was even able to mow the steep parts that I used to have to do with my push mower!


The mower works ok for now, but I will be buying a speed up pulley and some better high lift / mulch blades that will cut the grass finer. It left a lot of hay, partly because it rained and grew like crazy this week, very tall grass. But also because the deck does not spin the blades very fast, and the stock blades have barely any lift on the trailing edge. So if you go too fast, the grass that is run over by the wheels only gets half cut. Still very pleased with my first time out.

You can't tell in the pic, but it also has a new S/G belt. The one I took off was cracking badly, and still had the IH logo on it!

There will be more pics next weekend, weather permitting. I ordered a HD extended sleeve hitch from Jeff, and some driveline parts. His sleeve hitch clears my tiller drive box! I will also be ordering a rear blade from extreme motorwerks in the near future...

[john hall]

Nice looking machine! I think you are going to like it a lot this summer.

[Jeff in Pa]

Looks good. You can not mow fast with the older decks. Take your time and enjoy the seat time. The lawn will look much better that way.

Jeff