Archive through December 01, 2009

[mhomrighausen]

Hmmm... Let's see... The CaseIH FARMALL tractors are (repainted/rebadged without all the options available on the) New Holland Boomer tractors. Biggest thing I've heard from folks is the green ones along with the red, blue (now grey and red) is the dang price is way too high for them. I've heard that you can purchase a new Bobcat (Daewoo), Cub Cadet/Yanmar, or Kubota for around ten grand less. So be it.

Now about plastic versus steel. Two seasons ago I convinced a friend to purchase a Cub Cadet over a Sears or John Deere. He bought a 2000 Series. So far he has replaced the deck's wheels (keep fallng off even after tightened by the dealer) at least twice and he has replaced that cheaply made STEEL hood/grille combination twice due to it breaking. He isn't one to abuse his equipment either. He says his older Sears and green tractor will actually do a better mowing job and won't get hung up on simple ridges in the lawn like the Cub Cadet will. His next tractor will be a green one. I am not the one with a complaint... HE is. Now I've noticed that the same cast iron axles and some other Cub Cadet features (decks for instance) are available on the cheaper brand MTD products. Yes, you can say that is in a way smart and saving manufacturing costs. In another way you are cheapening the value of the Cub Cadet line. Why do people purchase the green equipment? Biggest thing in their mind is quality and resale (well other than if you work for the green company then you get a sweet deal when purchasing their equipment.) One is also correct when saying that, "We can't go back to the way it was." However.... people are now thinking twice once again before buying some cheap item that won't last much longer than the time it takes to pay it off. The economy has taken a turn where people are not buying those high priced CUT tractors. They once again are looking at the older bigger farm tractors that can be bought for half the money and still have a loader, cab and even sometimes air conditioning as well as a heater. They are looking for something that is going to last and be reasonably assured that parts will be available down the road for what they've purchased. Such is the case with a lot of the bigger farm type tractors. What really troubled me is when I read that Cub Cadet was making some parts NLA for equipment a new as three to five years of age. Trust me when I say people remember such things for a long time. Yes, they supply most of the the parts for the older Cub Cadets. A lot of parts have also been available as aftermarket for quite some time also or reproduction parts are becoming more readily available.

Oh well... at my age, I don't need to worry so much. My Cub Cadets are tough enough to outlast me.

 

[junderwood]

Richard,

I don't want plastic either, but I can't believe I would ever see the steel from times gone buy. If done right a one piece plastic hood could look good and hold up.

 

[mhomrighausen]

I really don't care much for plastic hoods either. AND when one truly thinks about things we've been a so-called "throw-away society" for many years. Just recall the many Cub Cadets, John Deere, Massey Ferguson and others from years past that have been parked that were deemed "worn out". Those tractors as members have proven just needed in most cases some gentle TLC and the tractor and attachment was up and running. Or maybe the tractor wasn't worn out however the owner simply decided they needed a new or newer tractor for the conveniences offered. Recall the times that some of us have gone to an auction and purchased something simply because it would perform the same job as something we preently owned only it now offered hydraulic lift instead of manual and power steering instead of manual and we got it for a good price. Something else to think of is not ALL of us are so-called collectors or restorers. Some of the members on both sites and there are others that don't belong to either site still use their old Cub Cadets as "daily-drivers". When Tenneco purchased the International Harvester agricultural lineup the company was quick to realize that they had an obligation whether legal or not to continue making parts for the IH brand of older equipment as well as the older Case brand. Realizing that upfront helped smooth over the very real resentment that some farmers held against Tenneco's announcement to stop building the International Harvester tractor line. When Tenneco announced that ALL future tractors even though technically they were Case built tractors and previously painted white and black were to be painted the familar IH red and black and named CASEIH/ CASEINTERNATIONAL tractors that solved over 90% of that newly formed partnership's problems. AS far as MTD supplying parts for 30 and 40 year old Cub Cadets let's reflect for a minute. How come didn't MTD do the same with an also very well known brand a.k.a. BOLENS when upon buying them MTD announced no further product support for the previously made Bolens products? We'll never know however maybe Bolens didn't have a built up supply of parts as perhaps Cub Cadet did. Any business is a consumer dependent business no matter what. If the Market Research team notices that sales for a cheap setup is better than the higher dollar and longer lasting items which do you think they are going to focus sales on? Obviously MTD is blessed and happy to have so many of the old IH and early MTD built Cub Cadets still in use. As shown so many times these pieces of equipment were in a way "overbuilt" as was a lot of the older equipment. Even some of MTD's older equipment is still around and being used as well as restored.

Just some thoughts. Have a great day.

 

[kide]

While there's been a lot of comment about what we'd like to see MTD build, the real interest for a lot of us is in honoring a brand that MTD now owns. I'm not in the market now, when I was 5 years ago, I didn't like the quality of the ZTR that CCC was selling and bought a commercial unit (built in Wisconsin) that was of equal quality to my 129. I spent a little more than the CCC unit, but am not sorry (nor are the two neighbors that bought the same brand/unit based on my views). The only major plastic on these units are the gas tanks and seat cover.. I wish that MTD could sell products of the same quality, but since they really are targeting the big box stores and have forced many of the L&G dealers out of handling their product lines, they'll be building to that price point and I'll probably not recommend their products. I still am pleased to see MTD continuing to market parts for the IHC built Cubs, but don't hold your breath on that either, since it can't be a profit center for them. I had an older MF before the 129, I can remember what a PITA it became getting parts for that, once MF was sold...

 

[dfrisk]

KENDELL - With the mark-up on parts I'm sure MTD is making some $$$$$ on parts. Hopefully enough to keep them supplying the frequently required parts. With the supply of used parts and common parts from newer equipment I don't forsee any problems keeping these little tractors running for a couple more decades.

When some things have become NLA from MTD people like Our sponsors above have created sources. That will continue I'm sure.

 

[digger]

A good example of the latest item that went NLA just last week.

BUT, There are some already being made up to replace them.

 

[klejeune]

Cool, I need at least 3 of those.
(although I like Denny's idea of filling in the teeth on the ratchet but the last one) Hmmm, I've got an extra lift ratchet here, maybe I'll just grind all but one off and put on my 100 with the front blade. Could even build up with weld a ramp so I wouldn't have to hit the button to get it in the slot.

Anyway, my dealer was just saying how much some of the uncommon items have gone way up in cost from MTD. So while they may not put things as NLA they may jack up the prices quite a bit. But at least they're still available.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Keith, I thought that was Kendell's idea?

Charlie, are those coming out of eastern Wisconsin by chance?

 

[kide]

Geez yes, I almost got run off the forum back in about '01 for that bit of heresy...

I just filled all the sector slots with brass (brazing rod..) and smoothed it up - that's lasted 20+ years

 

[digger]

Kraig,
That's the plan anyway.

 

[klejeune]

Sorry, I knew I should have went back and looked up the post, but "thought" I had it right, no need to confirm to myself... oops. And thanks for the pic.

 

[dfrisk]

CHARLIE - Back when the 70 was new We used to go thru 4-5 of those lift lever bails a year! Dad tried to make them out of baling wire and of course they didn't work. And the bigger stiffer planter marker wire wouldn't fit into the holes in the lift lever.

Guess it's time to find hyd. lifts for my two NF's.

 

[kide]

Dennis:
Piano wire...(RC guy that probably hung around hobby shops shoulda known that)

Keith:
I'm probably not the only one to have thought of it.. (I never needed those intermediate heights)

So, MTD - what can you do for us on the Cub's 50th birthday?? Skip a new model, just give us all those parts we need for the old 'uns....

 

[jdiederichs]

Wish they could sit down with Case-IH and get approval to make a Ltd Edition Red one again (like that could ever happen?) Remember that many of the ol' IH dealers are now C-IH as well as CC dealers, they would sell quite a few if pricing was not a major issue. Not available from big box stores just a dealer exclusive!

It obviously couldn't be a previous design, maybe just a new model with a special hood and retro decals and colors? Please MTD! It could be done

 

[jdiederichs]

Ah yes, piano wire, or music wire as it is also known. Wound many a prototype spring with that stuff back in my old days at Gilson and later Lawn Boy in Plymouth, WI.
Also the stuff used in Ruger firearms when everyone else was still using flat springs!

 

[bbrigham]

Jim....That's not a bad idea that should be very doable. The appearance is the major issue I have with the new GT's, looks like they should be 1000' below the surface of the ocean carrying ICBM's. I'm no engineer but I've done enough fab work building panels for race cars, muscle cars, and structural pieces to know they can do it and still be affordable to consumers. Look at the auto industry, well..what's left of it, retro sells. An X82 look would be great, and more wishful would be steel panels instead of cheesy plastic. I would rather see a retro "O" but I know it needs to be realistic too.

 

[mhomrighausen]

Just trying to stop by and check in.

Dennis F. When we stop working seven days a week with up to twelve hours (parts availability) a day I'll take a close up picture of the hold down bracket the real Clarence made for Clarence the Cub Cadet 102. He only needed to make one and it has been on there for I don't know how many years. His improvement should ahve been adapted by Cub Cadet.

 

[dfrisk]

MARLIN - Looking forward to the pic.

Kendell, JIM - Yep, I have about a foot long piece of piano wire still left from the RC days. I don't think it would work very well though.....it's only about .005" dia. We got one of the first Associated RC-10GT's when they came out 10-15 yrs ago. No centrifugal clutch spring so the clutch shoes dragged constantly, the brake rotor that exploded on the maiden run at about the first instant at half throttle. Ahhh, but Who needs brakes anyhow!

As We got the chassis settled in I started playing with the clutch more to get the power to the ground. With two HP in a 4-1/2 pound car it was always a challenge to keep the clutch hooked-up and the diff. free. There was a slipper clutch on the input shaft but everyone had to keep that locked up tight in the gas classes. The elec. cars & trucks could use it to soften the low RPM punch of the elec. motors but it would not survive a minute behind a gas engine.
Associate used molded Teflon clutch shoes on the GT, You could run trailing shoe, leading shoe, weight the shoes, they had three mounting holes for my home-made return spring. You could "Tune" on those things forever!

 

[jdiederichs]

Brendan,

I agree 100% on the styling of the current GT's, that is what kept me from seriously moving to one. I cannot stand the "waterfall" look the reverse slant of those hoods. Looks exactly like those '85 Chevy midsized vans! Simply no reason to have that ugly slant. Even green has steered clear of that look.

I always liked the "normal" slant of the older models, I like my 1782 and 1282 look, it says real American built garden tractor, not some pseudo-Euro car look.Hu-raah!

 

[kide]

Dennis:
I was thinking of the thicker stuff, like .125 or bigger that you can get in p-wire.....Tough to bend, but it'll hold its shape..