Farmall Cub

Hey guys.

I need some information. Back in 2010 when I first purchased my 1200 Cub Cadet, I didn't know didly-squat about them.

During my restoration process, I became quite familiar with it. Since I was using it with a Johnny bucket Jr at the time, I didn't have any real use for the quick attach system. However, things have changed since then.

I've installed the mower deck on it, but have a problem with the quick attach letting go way to easily. For the time being,
I drilled a couple of holes, then threaded them and installed bolts to secure the deck.

In looking at parts online and on ebay, it appears there are supposed to be some springs installed in conjunction with the quick release handle.

For the life of me, I cannot figure out how these springs are supposed to go. None were on my tractor when I bought it, but I managed to get a pair off ebay.

So, does anyone know how these things are supposed to be aligned, and how they are supposed to be installed? Any special tools needed?

As always, thanks in advance. This place is a powerhouse of knowledge.

Let's see if this works. http://www.partstree.com/parts/?lc=cub_cadet&mn=1200&dn=0017500035 Springs are item #4.

Bump.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about here? In other words, how do you install the springs for the quick attach handle
on a Cub Cadet?

Rick - It's been a while since I got rid of my 782 but if you can take a picture of the springs and a close-up of the quick attach I will see if I can remember how the springs went on.

I will try to take a picture or two this week of an installed spring, with the key word being try. I've had cataract surgery on both eyes the last few weeks and am not seeing up close too good at present, and it will be a couple more weeks before I can get a prescription for my new glasses. There was a picture posted on one of the Cub Cadet sites at one time showing how the springs were installed, but I cannot find it now.

Bigdog and Paul B. I thank both of you very much. I'll try to take a photo of the quick attach and the springs and post them here. Hopefully I can get this addressed soon.

I just ordered all new belts and gator mowing blades for this coming season's mowing chores.

I managed to finally get the decals installed this past Saturday. Man alive, did that make a difference in how that tractor looks!

Paul, I wish you the best in the healing of your eyes. My mother had one eye done, and she's putting off getting the other one until the last minute.

I tried to get a picture for you, but with the quick attach lever installed you can't see the springs. If memory serves me correctly, you have to take the QA lever off (remove the cotter pin and short clevis pin), and the spring slides back in the QA "pocket" with the long end toward the back (and curved down) and the two short loops hook around the pins that mount the QA lever. I think you can understand that better once you remove the lever.

Springs:

Left Side quick attach lever:

Right Side quick attach Lever:

Whole quick attach lever:


There you go... Again, this is for a 1200 model Cub Cadet. I'm sure the same system is used on a narrow frame (within reason) and many of the wide frames.

Paul, I think I know what you're saying. But, it doesn't quite match the parts breakdown posted in my first post.

Thanks folks!

Oh yeah, a couple more things. There are two holes on each side for the quick attach ears. Does the quick attach bar go in the front holes or in the rear holes? Also, is there supposed to be a "lip" on the quick attach ears?

I'm trying to figure out why my mower deck and the 42" snow/dirt blade keep slipping off so easily.

Thanks folks!

I don't know what you mean by "ears" and "lip", but the pins that hold the QA bar on go in the front holes. In the picture you posted, the bar is in the unlocked position, which will let the mower deck or blade slip off. If you raise the QA bar to the locked position (up) the ends of the QA bar drop down in front of cross bar that goes in the QA. In the picture it does not appear that the assembly is fully seated in QA. Try loosening the belt adjusting bolt/nut and then try pushing the deck subframe back in the QA until the QA bar can be raised to lock it in place, then adjust the belt. If it will not lock in place, then you have another problem some where. In the picture, it looks like the cross bar that fits in the QA may be bent, or it may just be picture distortion. Once you get the sub frame in place and locked in, you can secure the QA bar in the up (locled) position to allow you to use the mower/blade until you can figure out how the springs go in. That is all the springs do is, hold the bar in the locked position. .

Paul B wrote:I don't know what you mean by "ears" and "lip", but the pins that hold the QA bar on go in the front holes. In the picture you posted, the bar is in the unlocked position, which will let the mower deck or blade slip off. If you raise the QA bar to the locked position (up) the ends of the QA bar drop down in front of cross bar that goes in the QA. In the picture it does not appear that the assembly is fully seated in QA. Try loosening the belt adjusting bolt/nut and then try pushing the deck subframe back in the QA until the QA bar can be raised to lock it in place, then adjust the belt. If it will not lock in place, then you have another problem some where. In the picture, it looks like the cross bar that fits in the QA may be bent, or it may just be picture distortion. Once you get the sub frame in place and locked in, you can secure the QA bar in the up (locled) position to allow you to use the mower/blade until you can figure out how the springs go in. That is all the springs do is, hold the bar in the locked position. .

Paul,

That is just the description I needed. I had no idea the quick attach bar is supposed to go in an upward position. That makes all the sense in the world now. I'm thinking the belts that came with this mower are not OEM - but I have no
way of proving it. That will be taken care of shortly. New OEM belts are ordered and on the way. I think the PTO belt especially is stretched way out of whack - just judging by the belt adjusting bolt on the front of the tractor.

The ears or lips I was referring to are the hooks on each side of the frame that the QA slide into. Sorry, but I'm at a loss of words here. I didn't know if they were supposed to be smooth or have a built up area to catch the QA or not. Just trying to identify the root of the problem here.

Oh, on the belt adjustment: when you mount the deck on the sub-frame, there are some "rods" that slide into hangers located on the front of the mower deck. Those flat rods have something like a spear head on the end. How far are those hangers supposed to go on those locking spears? Those spears are kind of like the one point shanks on the Farmall Cub.

Thanks again for the help. Now, we're getting somewhere!

In the photos above, you have the quick release lever down in the "release" position. This means if you pull on the mower mule drive subframe, it will slide forward, out of the quick attach mounting points and drop to the ground. The springs you have are meant to hold the lever up, in the "latched" position. When you push that lever up, you will see that the mounting part is oblong, and part will drop down in the way of the mounting pins on the mule drive subframe. In that up position, you cannot pull the mule drive forward to take it off of the tractor.

So, to mount the springs, pull the two cotter pins holding the quick attach release lever in place, and pull the roll pin on each side, allowing you to remove the lever (it looks like you'll first have to remove the mower mule drive subframe from the QA mounting). Then place the open end with the forks pointing up, under the release lever so that the closed looped end lays under the release lever, then push the whole assembly back into position such that when the roll pin is re-inserted (to hold the release lever in place), it also catches the forked end on the springs, and holds them up in place as well. Re-install your cotter pins, and you'll se that the release lever will now be held up in the locked position.

Thanks Bill. I'm starting to get a handle on this now.

Here are the spear heads - prongs I was referring to: and


Something tells me the deck isn't quite there yet. I'd think those oblong hangers should be behind the prongs so
they cannot slip off. Again, this is the first time I'm doing anything of this sort, so I'm about as lost as one can be.

I've loosened the PTO belt tightening bolt in anticipation of dropping the mowing deck and installing the new parts this weekend.

Any help going back with this thing would be greatly appreciated.

Rick - those prongs do not go all the way through the eye. They should look just as they are shown in your picture.

Thanks Bigdog. This will help a lot. I hope I understand what Bill wrote about loading the springs.

Bill: I take it that the roll/clevis pins do not actually go through the loops of the springs? In other words the crook of the springs near the forks rest on the underside of the clevis pins with the springs straddling the QA release bar. Right?

I hope I can get this right in my mind. It sure is hard to lay on the floor and look up into those holes to try to reinstall those
springs. Oh, the things PO's can do to a poor tractor!

Ok, this isn't pretty, but you should get the idea. I tried to draw in the quick attach lever, if you were looking at it from the side of the tractor. Now you can see how the pin goes through the spring, and how the spring goes around the lever.