Bill:
Don't want to nitpick, but if we are going to make production statements they really have to be accurate.
IH built 253,184 Farmall/IH Cubs over it's production life. Probably the most prolific model ever produced.
IH Built 25,497 IH Cub Lo-Boys over it's production life
IH built 29.171 IH Cub Lo-Boy 154's over it's production life.
IH built 6,346 IH Cub Lo-Boy 185's over it's production life.
IH built 4,224 IH Cub Lo-Boy 184's over the first 2 years of production and I would guestimate that maybe half to equal that amount for the last 2 years of production bringing it to around similar numbers to the 185.
With the total Lo-Boy production probably sitting around 41,863 units, the Numbered Cub production is substantially less than the combined production of the Farmall Cub in 1947-1948. Considering that there are over a quarter million Farmall/IH Cub units produced,
Big Bill wrote:The 154/numbered series out sold the fcub in numbers if we look at the IH production number and compare them in sales is because the estate owner didn't want a farm looking trator on his estate. He wanted a sleek looking sheetmetal dressed tractor more like a cub cadet on steroids. Something more modern looking not a blast from the past. Plus i think the all castiron look may scare people too with its intimidating muscle look.
Farmall Cub production:
'68 231005 - 232980 - 1975 units
IH Cub Lo-Boy production:
'68 24481 - 25998 - 1517 units
IH Cub Lo-Boy 154 production:
'68 7505 - 8272 - 767 units
The Cub Lo-boy production ended in 1968. Farmall/IH Cub production ended in 1979. I84 production numbers are clear up until 1978, but production numbers
'77 43802 - 46162
'78 46163 - 48029
'79 48030 - ?????
'80 49873 - ?????
are definitely unclear after 79.
The only Cub that the 154 Lo-Boy series outnumbered was the IH Cub Lo-Boy and only because IH ended production and superseded the Lo-Boy with the Numbered Series. That is probably what you meant, but it was a nice exercise for me.
Again, IH designed the Numbered Series strictly for the estate management market. It is not designed to do anything else .... it is a great mower, snow thrower and can do other yard maintenance chores. One thing it is not is a farm tractor.