Farmall Cub

I want to get one this spring. Have been looking at them a long time and would like to know the best overall model no later than early 1970's

Was leaning towards 147, but any help or advice would be appreciated. Would like to do some Brinley plowing and heavier grass mowing if needed and I can;t get a fcub or loboy out to my land due to weight in a lo spot I have to cross

I can put a machine like cadet on a sled and pull it across with 6 wheeler
Thanks!

How about driving a tractor across the low spot when the ground is frozen?

If you are going to get a Cadet, get a hydrostat. That way you can vary the ground speed while keeping the mower speed at maximum.

Cadets make good lawn mowers. But not that good at cutting tall tough grass. A cadet may work well for the intended task - may be not.

I have a 129 - hydrostat. With luck it will be running this summer. My goal is to actually get a roto-tiller for my smaller gardens. With the hydro creeper gears are not required as infinite choice is available (well within it's capabilities that is). My 129 has a 12 hp, so I guess the 147 you are thinking on will have a 14 hp Kohler. Not sure how good that particular model is, but the hydro would be a good choice. (based on my experience with my JD-L111 hydro).

Oh.. cutting tall grass with a ride on is a huge job.... but to be honest it was the only choice I had for years, in fact is still the only choice I have as my Cub-22 isn't restored yet. The secret is in multiple passes starting with your deck as high as it will go. Each additional pass lower the deck one notch. Also take very small bites -- even a foot at a time. Try to cut so that you eject away from the uncut section. If that is not possible, I have found over the years that the first cut will have to be very slow, pausing often to make sure you can eject all the cut grass under the deck. Make sure that the chute guard is held open ... or it will clog and make succeeding passes very difficult. (Yes, the chute guard should always be in place for the vast majority of tasks, however in this scenario it is less dangerous to have the guard open.). Once you get the area chopped down with the first cut, reassess then attack it methodically. It can be fun.. I know I enjoy it a lot. Seat time is seat time and for me it is one of the most relaxing pass-times I can get. Oh yeah.. started it this way with my gear drive Craftsman and now continue with my JD hydro.

This may or may not be the best way, but it is how I have learned/evolved the process so that I can do it safely and reasonably quick without fear of damage to the gear or anyone else. Make sure no one is near you when you are working especially with the guard up. That is important. If the mower tosses something that you didn't see, observers could get hurt and that is not desired. If there is a better way I would be amenable to changing how I do things as well.

Todd,

Opinions will likely vary (like what Cub or oil is best) so as you know you need to gather and weigh all options and decide on what fits your needs best.

I like the looks of the early, “narrow frame” ones and want to stay with the manual transmissions, from a maintenance perspective the hydros intimidate me. Plus, I like the idea of having a regular Cub tranny in it! But then I mainly play with mine and don’t have the on hands use of them that those with experience do. I do plan on using my 124 for some occasional mowing and trying to plow with my 100. The later narrow frame series get you into the 14 hp engines and more power has to help but there are those that swear by the 7 & 10 HP for plowing. I guess, like a Cub, the mower deck size can test the machine the bigger it gets (and most Cadets have a couple sizes that work).

Many think the “wide frame” models were a big improvement and much easier to work on and depending on the year, they move into a 16 hp engine. Date wise this moves you into the 70’s. You have to think that improvements were made over time as they learned more, but then they started with a pretty good thing! The wide frame style just hasn’t caught my attention enough yet… but, when it comes to Cadets, I will never say never!

You may find that you will end up with several and can compare yourself!

Good luck and happy hunting!

Todd,
The sky's the limit with the cub cadets. If your looking for early '70's, I'd go for a 149. It's a wideframe, 14 horse tractor. Nice thing is it comes with a hydraulic lift for implements. The wideframes are easier to work on because you can remove the tunnel cover to work on any driveshaft issues. A 149 is the first cub I bought, and now 20+ cubs later, I still have that original 149 and she's not going anywhere. Good luck with the search and keep us posted.

Todd,
I love the narrow frame cadets, but I would definitely go with a gear drive if picking a narrow frame. To work on the hydro transmission in a narrow frame, you almost have to lay the tractor on it's side, or just un bolt the rear end and back it completely out of the frame. My pick would be a 149 or 169 (if you could find one) first of the wide frame cadets. The wide frame cadets have a lot of improvements, including the removable tunnel cover for maintenance on the drivetrain, hydraulic lift for implements, and more attachment options (mower decks, blades, snow blowers, etc) both because more options were made, but also because the wide frame attachments all the way up to tractors from the early 1990s will fit. The narrow frame cadets are still my favorite look, but you run into problems finding mower decks for them.

Had a 147 for a brief period, then sold it to Arthur Luke (I could never get the thing started; he started it and drove it off the trailer!!! Oh, well.)

I did read up on the lift mechanism of the 147; it has an electric motor to lift the deck (at least the one I had did). Read where those motors would go bad and were hard to replace.

So, if you narrow your search to a 147, you might check into the electric motor issue. You might be able to convert it to manual lift. Can't find the info right now, but I think the 149 was supposed to have a different lift system (not electric).

Here's a link to all the Cub Cadet models: http://www.tractordata.com/lawn-tractor ... ctors.html

Wish you the best in your search.

I have a 147 and it's a true beast lol. You can use them to cut tall grass but I like others have said you will need cut with the deck raised and also moving at a slower rate. This is were a hydro is nice to have because unless you have a creeper gear on a gear drive you will have to ride the clutch to keep a low ground speed. If you take your time a 147 will cut through what you want it too. I was using mine to cut down 5 to 6 foot tall brush over the summer. Also cub cadets are heavy tractors so you may still having problems getting through a wet spot.

Stanton wrote:Had a 147 for a brief period, then sold it to Arthur Luke (I could never get the thing started; he started it and drove it off the trailer!!! Oh, well.)

Stanton, I did drive it off the trailer, but I can't take credit for getting it running, have to thank jpcubs for that.

Hey Todd...I prefer the narrow frame, low horse power Cub Cadets (70, 71, 72, 73). The shaft gear drives are very durable for plowing with a Brinly #8 or even a Brinly #10 plow That being said...the pan seats on them are not comfortable for long periods of plowing ( my JD's are a lot more comfortable) ...BUT, a 7 hp Kohler Cub Cadet with rear ags and a set of rear wheel weights will pull you ALL DAY LONG with Brinly plow behind it until your a_ _ falls off the pan seat Below is my 1971 Model 73 7 hp Kohler Cub Cadet with a #8 Brinly moldboard plow ...'Country'

Great looking cub! I have seen some Narrow frames that have straight from grill with no headlight area. How is the breakdown on that made between the 2 styles. Were lights just an option?

A sickle bar mower was manufactured for Cub Cadets. Just a thought if the grass gets very tall between cuttings.

Hey Todd...Yes, headlights on the Cub Cadet were an option. When I first got my Model 73 (at Cub-A-Rama 1) it had no headlights or Grote tail light. I added those options as well as rear fenders and reflectors, the padded seat cover, the 3 point hitch and sleeve hitch, helper spring, front tri-rib tires and rear ag tires and weights, vertical exhaust with muffler, and a new wiring harness. ...'Country'

ToddW wrote:Great looking cub! I have seen some Narrow frames that have straight from grill with no headlight area. How is the breakdown on that made between the 2 styles. Were lights just an option?

Todd, the "Original" didn't have a segmented headlight area like the rest of the narrow frames, the grill covered the entire front area, the (optional) headlights were mounted on brackets on the sides, somewhat like a Cub. (lights were options on all narrow frames)

Happy hunting,