Cub Cadet 70

[vthomley]

There have been some Cub Cadet 70s being worked on in the past few months. I have ben watching and reading the threads knowing that I would be getting this one sometime this spring. Finally last night my dad and I went and picked it up.
Motor head is off and missing, the motor top and piston have had a rag covering it plus there's oil on it, the crank moves. left front tire is brand new, or was brand new 20 some years ago. My friends son said he's 25 years old and has never seen this move, its been sitting in a shed for a while. Fenders are a pleasant surprise! It sitting at my dads, I am guessing in a few weeks it might be running - maybe. I have a bigger project I need to finish first.

 

[Brad McGowan]

Some real potential there!

 

[mgwin]

Nice find! I see another yellar motor sitting in the background! Looks like maybe a 12hp.
Someone buggered up that nice grille with an unusual muffler.

 

[dxsmith]

That appears to be a John Deere 110 muffler. I have one on my 110 and need to by another.

 

[dfrisk]

It's crazy the number of different prior owner modifications you see on these old Cub Cadets. SON spent an enjoyable day welding up close to 100 holes Dad drilled in the hood of our old 70 Dad traded the Original In on in 1965. But with it's new base coat clear coat special mixed IH 901 white it looks really nice. The slower speed 2nd gear makes the 70 a better mower tractor. With the stock 7 hp engine they're still a little under-powered but with a 10 hp you can run anywhere in 2nd. Knowing how many hours that was put on that 70 it amazed me how little wear there was in so many places. We wore the original K-161 out in 3 years mowing two large farmyards, the rebuilt K161 lasted 3 years, then we replaced the K-161 with a new complete K-181, Then I lost track of it, was still Dad's primary mower tractor, he loaned it out to friends & neighbor's when they broke their Big Box Store toy tractors, and the K-181 that was in it when He gave it to me I think was from a Wheel Horse, and it too was wore out. The bigger engines, 10 HP and larger last SO much longer than the 7&8 hp.
VINCE- that's a nice 70 you got there. Should be an easy restore/refurbish.

 

[vthomley]

Thanks, Dennis, and others, a refurb is the idea but one never knows.... This hood has an odd V cut out of it near the pedestal
DXSmith - do you need me to sell you this muffler? it would be very inexpensive if we can get it off without wrecking it.
Marty, the 12hp K301AS yellow engine is off some golf course piece of equipment, it has a hydraulic pump on it and the tank is the hydro fluid reservoir. I hope to be able to adapt the pump to my current project. Could not turn the crank shaft although I did not try very hard. we also got a 14hp K321AS engine from a Toro Reel Mower - no plans for either if these engines, the price was right.

What is the differences between a 70 and 100 other than the obvious engine? steering wheel or something? Depending on how this engine looks this may get a 10hp motor transplant. I have one one the shelf awaiting it if so. I also have a complete set of 100 decals. Or I get a nice patina 100 hood and drive it as is.

MY lawn can be mowed in 25 minutes with my 20" 40 volt battery mower, my 2 car garage has no room for Cub Cadets, luckily my dad lets me park them at his place. This 70, a 102, a 122, 129, 128(current project), a 149 and more are all sitting at his place. Maybe I have forgotten a couple more. Hmm, let me see, he has an Original, 70, 72, 73, 109, 149, 149, 149 with Loader. Last summer we had a total of 8 149s but sold a few, I think 4 is close to the correct number.

 

[mgwin]

Only difference in a 70 and a 100 is the engine and decal number.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Vince, your 70 has the large battery box so it's a fairly early one. The early 100s had the simple steering wheel with the acorn nut. The later 100s got a fancy steering wheel with the decorative center cap while the 70 retained the simple steering wheel and acorn nut. Here's a photo of the later style 100 steering wheel.

 

[Todd]

Didn't they give up the timed mower deck for the *70*?

With all the more newer-ish stuff usually shown, it always makes me happy to see the original foot-pads and original independently mounted fenders.

What are the rear tires? I like their look as well.

Todd.

 

[dfrisk]

There were some 70's equipped with the 2 blade timed decks, but IH did not recommend the use of that deck with 10 hp tractors, so none on 100's.
Most Cub Cadets back then came on 6-12 Good-Year kinda zig-zag turf tires, a 2 ply rated tire. A Firestone that looked similar to their Town & Country mud&snow tire was an option. The wider turf tires, 23-8.50x12's were also Good-Years.

 

[Todd]

There were some 70's equipped with the 2 blade timed decks, but IH did not recommend the use of that deck with 10 hp tractors, so none on 100's.
Most Cub Cadets back then came on 6-12 Good-Year kinda zig-zag turf tires, a 2 ply rated tire. A Firestone that looked similar to their Town & Country mud&snow tire was an option. The wider turf tires, 23-8.50x12's were also Good-Years.

I really dig the original; Town & Country tires and that is why the tires in the photo caught my eye - very close.

I bought a 1946 Cj-2A that came with a bunch of mis-matched tires and I felt it quite a score to get an old Kelly Springfield tire mounted up. It's what we used to call a forest-service tire back in the day and looks like a T&C on steroids. It's the tire-swing tire now just because I like looking at it from the front porch.

I also appreciate the insight on the deck situation as far as development. I truly appreciate the timed decks from an aesthetic point of view and it's good to know that I should never think of slipping one under too much H.P.

Regards, Todd.

 

[lpalma]

Throttle cable is longer on a 70.

 

[vthomley]

Todd, as Dennis mentioned these are 8.5" Goodyear tires, Terra Traction if I remember correctly.

 

[Todd]

Todd, as Dennis mentioned these are 8.5" Goodyear tires, Terra Traction if I remember correctly.

I like the Firestones better but at least that's a decent alternative to keep my eyes open for. Thank You.

 

[dxsmith]

Thanks, Dennis, and others, a refurb is the idea but one never knows.... This hood has an odd V cut out of it near the pedestal
DXSmith - do you need me to sell you this muffler? it would be very inexpensive if we can get it off without wrecking it.

I am definitely interested in the muffler. 704-984-3259. You can text me at this number if you get it off. I have a friend here in North Carolina that has really been looking for a CC 70. Best of luck with it!

 

[dfrisk]

The two model 70's I've ran, both I ran for quite a few years, both ended up with K-181 8 hp engines, not that much more displacement or HP than the K-161 7 hp but surprising how much better it handled taller grass, or deeper snow, yes I ran a 36 inch snow blower with no underdrive. Switching to a 10 hp that bolts right in is astounding! I guess I got a little carried away, and built a small flywheel K321 14 hp, ported, K361 cam, off-set ground forged Alcoa connecting rod with a Clevite 77 bearing insert that pops the piston .050" higher in the cylinder, not sure of the HP but it's WAY over 10 or 12. It just never runs out of power. So I wouldn't walk away from a good looking #100. Same parts, same ever-lasting quality, and the 10 hp engine lasts at least twice as long, maybe three times as long as the over-worked 7 hp. My rebuilt 10 hp ran 14 years before I got scared of a catastrophic engine failure and rebuilt it. 3 years was the rebuilt or replace schedule for the 7 hp engines when we ran them. That constant Wide Open Throttle and full load does that.

 

[Todd]

That's an interesting observation where working the same engine at the same labors when the 7 HP is down some 14% would beat it so badly.

Makes me want to baby my 60 year old 7 horse a bit more though it's really just for the kids to ride and the occasional tug duty these days. If I ever do re-relegate it to mowing, I don't have much more than what Bermuda will survive in Phoenix anyhow.