I bought another one. 1250 Hydro

[Dan Page]

Hello everyone,

I am interested in opinions and thoughts about a 1978 1250 hydro. It hasn't run in some time and the mower deck is trash but it did come with a dozer blade and rotor tiller with the rear pto and three point hitch. I will post some photos when I can.

The motor does roll over and is not seized so that's a start. It has all the parts except the exhaust and there seems to be a piece missing from the front of the engine where the exhaust mounts.

What should I be looking for and what typical issues did this model have?

Thank you

 

[dschwandt]

rear PTO on a Hydro??
You sure it's not just the other end of the input shaft?
Got a picture?
I have a rear PTO on a 100 but the tiller will not fit with that in the way.

 

[Dan Page]

I don't have a picture at the moment. I have two houses and I am in the city and I took it to my place in the country but I will get one. To me it looks like it has a pto that is belt driven? There is a factory bracket bolted to the rear and an angle drive pto with a pulley on the bottom which looks like a belt from the mid mount mower may hook to and then there is a vertical shaft that goes into an angle drive with another pulley that comes out the right side, I assume to go to the rotor tiller.

It's similar to the snowblower drive on the front of my 104 but it is driven by a shaft instead of a belt.

 

[kmcconaughey]

David, I'm guessing by rear PTO, Dan is referring to the 90 degree gearbox for the tiller.

Dan, you'll want to check the ISO engine mounts for sure and if it hasn't already been done, do the brace mod on the engine mounting rails. Here's a link to the CUBFAQ on the engine ISO mounting rails:

Engine ISO mounts

EDIT: Yep, that's the 90 degree gear box for the tiller. Not an actual rear PTO.

 

[kashaver]

The part missing on the engine is probably the aluminum frame and the sheet metal box that goes around the muffler. The 1250 runs a large muffler enclosed by a sheet metal box that helps kill the noise, That is why that series is called 'quiet line' as they were much more quiet than any cub cadet that came before them. Probably either the box or muffler failed or else the aluminum frame that mounts it to the engine broke.

I put one back together where the aluminum frame was missing and the sheet metal cover had almost all the screw holes broken out of the plates. I found a frame on Ebay and welded washers over all the broken out holes.

 

[dropte]

Personally my least favorite series of Cub Cadet, but they are fine. Kinda an awkward stage between the old school cubs and the 82 series.

Everyone else has hit on the big stuff. Super easy engine to work on. Sounds like it’s got goodies. Decks are pretty easy to come by if you want to replace it.

 

[Dan Page]

Thank you all.

Yes km I guess it would be a gearbox rather than what is traditionally considered a pto.
I will check those mounts and make the suggested modification. Thank you for the information.

There is a plate that is cracked still attached to the engine, that must be the plate kashaver has mentioned .

Since this is a hydrostatic tractor is there an outlet and inlet that could be used for a provision for a front end loader?

Thank you

 

[dschwandt]

Your 1250 has a manual lift, correct?
No hydraulic ports then and if there were you would have hydraulic lift (rare for a 1250) and they would be on the front for an angle snow blade.
If it were me, I'd hold out for a dual stick 1450 or 1650.
Of course you could add hydraulics but would need a ported pump from a donor 1450 or 1650 to replace the current one on a 1250. Another whole can of worms.
Good luck!

 

[dropte]

Thank you all.

Yes km I guess it would be a gearbox rather than what is traditionally considered a pto.
I will check those mounts and make the suggested modification. Thank you for the information.

There is a plate that is cracked still attached to the engine, that must be the plate kashaver has mentioned .

Since this is a hydrostatic tractor is there an outlet and inlet that could be used for a provision for a front end loader?

Thank you

Even if you had a ported pump, they don’t really have enough flow to run a FEL. most people that add one add a pump.

 

[mgonitzke]

Maximum rated output of the Sundstrand Hydro unit charge pump is ~800 psi, and the flow rate at that pressure is almost nothing, not to mention the ports are intended for intermittent operation of small hydraulic cylinders. Not at all appropriate for a loader, log splitter, etc.

 

[dschwandt]

Works good though for a power steering upgrade such as what I put on my 149 w/FEL

https://www.ihcubcadet.com/threads/power-steering-install-on-a-149.6993/

 

[Dan Page]

Thank you for all the input. I really appreciate it.

I have seen some tractors with a pump installed on the front pto off the engine.

Are these factory or aftermarket? Ty

 

[dschwandt]

They are all aftermarket installs.
You would need a closed loop system for FEL operations and most include the reservoir as part of the frame assembly.

 

[dropte]

Works good though for a power steering upgrade such as what I put on my 149 w/FEL

https://www.ihcubcadet.com/threads/power-steering-install-on-a-149.6993/

Yup. Perfect application for that. And a perfect addition to a FEL install as well.

Yours is probably the nicest loader cub I’ve seen anywhere.

 

[dschwandt]

Thanks David!
It's getting used too!
Really comes in handy.