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70, 71, 72, 73....Which one(s) is the Hardest to find?

Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2010 3:19 pm
by oldiron1
I love the look of round fenders and am familar with the 161 engine in the Originals, so I thought I'd attempt to collect the different generations of 7hp models as they are somewhat unique compared to the rest of the models.

I just thought I'd throw the question out there as to which of the 7hp model(s) are the hardest to find. I'm sure location plays into the answer.
Where I live, I see quite a few 70's and 71's compared to much fewer 72 and 73's.

I'd love to hear other's input.

Thanks! Rob

Re: 70, 71, 72, 73....Which one(s) is the Hardest to find?

Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2010 3:32 pm
by Paul B
Of that group, the 73 was the least produced according to Ken Updike, at 7678, then the 72 at 9881, the 71 at 11072, and the 70 at 22600. There were 8489 copies of the 8 hp model 86, and 2345 or the 8hp model 800.

Re: 70, 71, 72, 73....Which one(s) is the Hardest to find?

Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2010 11:03 pm
by oldiron1
Thanks Paul! I appreciate those production numbers.

I guess it makes sense that I've noticed far more 70's than any other of those models then a few more 71's looking at the numbers.

Do you think the reason for the consistant drop in production numbers was that people were interested in more and more power?

Thanks, Rob

Re: 70, 71, 72, 73....Which one(s) is the Hardest to find?

Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 8:16 am
by Paul B
Probably. That and wanting larger/wider mowing decks. I have had 7 hp models with 42" and 48" decks, and 2 model 800's that had 44" decks, and the larger decks works the 7 and 8 hp engine pretty good, and if the yard is not flat it adds more to the load on the engine. That, and the cost, was probably the reason the 800 was only produced for just over a year and the other models in the Quietline series were built for nearly 6 years. When "bigger" became available, people wanted it.

Re: 70, 71, 72, 73....Which one(s) is the Hardest to find?

Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 8:55 am
by wdeturck
I love the look of round fenders and am familar with the 161 engine in the Originals, so I thought I'd attempt to collect the different generations of 7hp models as they are somewhat unique compared to the rest of the models.

The 100 is the same tractor(uses the same fenders) as the 70 except it has the 10 HP engine. The 70 & 100 also had optional wide tires and they used different fender mounts. If you want to get rare tractors collect all the 7 HP pull starts. They didn't offer a 73 pull start model. The Original had the pull start on the fly wheel and the others had rhe pull start on the puley side of the engine.

Re: 70, 71, 72, 73....Which one(s) is the Hardest to find?

Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 10:44 am
by oldiron1
Paul, That makes alot sense as larger deck size on a mower has always been a growing trend. I would think by the time the larger decks and more horse power was avaliable, most home owners wanting a smaller deck size would have bought the "economy" Cadet lawn tractors instead.

Geezer, I really like the harder to find tractors and like the idea of colleting the pull start models. I have a pull-start Original, which I've seen a few of, but I can't remember ever seeing a pull-start 70, 71 or 72 in person. Are they out there? I remember seeing one pictured in one of Updike's books and it's a unique setup being the recoil is attached to the front of the engine vs the rear like the Original.

Re: 70, 71, 72, 73....Which one(s) is the Hardest to find?

Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 3:33 pm
by Paul B
The pull start, or more correctly recoil start tractors are out there, but are rather hard to find. I have a very low serial number Original with a recoil start and have owned other recoil start Originals and a 70 and 72 with recoil start. The recoil starter was standard equipment on all the 7 hp Cub Cadets except the model 73, it came standard with electric start which was optional on the other 7hp models. The 70-72 models had the recoil starter mounted on a "coffin plate" (named for its shape) bolted to the front of the engine. The recoil was above the engine and turned a pulley that was belted down to the same pulley/PTO assembly that was used with the electric start models.

Re: 70, 71, 72, 73....Which one(s) is the Hardest to find?

Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 11:19 pm
by dirtbuggy
I have had the original tractors since about 1969, worked for a international dealer since 1969 and have never seen a engine with a recoil starter on it. They did have it made to were a person could wrap a rope around a pulley but no recoils

Re: 70, 71, 72, 73....Which one(s) is the Hardest to find?

Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2010 9:26 am
by Paul B
dirtbuggy,
I'm not sure I understand what you are saying, but IH used two different 7 hp engines in the Original and models 70, 71, 72 Cub Cadets, a model K161 T, which was a recoil start, and the more common model K161 S which had a starter generator. The Spec number of the engine varied depending on the model of the tractor. If the tractor came from the factory without electric start, it had a recoil starter mounted originally. If the recoil unit broke or was/is missing on an Original, you could wrap a rope around the rear groove in the drive pulley and use it to start the tractor, but that was not the intended way to start it. On a 70, 71, 72, if the recoil is/was broke or missing, you had to improvise a way to "wrap-a-rope". IH NEVER built a Cub Cadet that had a primary starting system that required the owner/operator to "wrap-a-rope" around a pulley or other device, to start the tractor. The attached pictures are of the recoil starter on a 1961 Original, serial number 653 (the 63rd production tractor built). The picture of the data plate is hard to see, but it shows the model number to be K161 T. Click on a picture to enlarge it.

Re: 70, 71, 72, 73....Which one(s) is the Hardest to find?

Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2010 10:16 am
by Bermuda Ken
I believe the rope wrap starters were fitted to the other inferior brands of garden tractors. As Paul said, IH/Cub Cadet did not use these for a reason. IH had enough sense (and lawyers) to see a MAJOR lawsuit waiting to happen with engines that use this type of starter.

Re: 70, 71, 72, 73....Which one(s) is the Hardest to find?

Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 6:13 pm
by BigBill
For some reason i see more 70's and 100's here than any other models. but the 122's and 108's are a close second.

My 70 with the new replacement 8hp engine with the larger 29"-1250-15" tru power ag's on the rear with two sets of wheel weights is a workhorse. Its hauling 1/3 cord of firewood with every load in the trailer. I was thinking of adding a larger engine but why when the 8hp pulls the load with no problem. I want to add hydraulics for a 4way plow and dump body on the new trailer. Plus i want electric rear brakes on the trailer too which i already have here. I want a little super 70. I'm going to upgrade the clutch to the 6 pin plates with the puller spring and load the rear tires and add another set of rear wheel weights. Right now the 8hp has no problem spinning the rear tires.