What did I buy

[ogoltsov]

So I've been looking for an old tractor to restore with my 9 year old son and picked this up for $100. The story from the previous owner is that he was going to restore it, but it sat around for a few years and he lost interest.

I've been looking at the serial number reference guides on this board, but the model number doesn't seem to match the serial number.

It has an 8hp B&G(frozen), hydro trans.

It also came with the trailer which says Cub Cadet on the tongue. Does anyone know anything about that. It look to be set up just right to transport the tractor.

I'm new at this, so any info about the tractor or trailer is appreciated.

Pics here: https://plus.google.com/photos/101604725584063413500/albums/5738888237052592929?authkey=COH8tICCivrFjQE

 

[ogoltsov]

Oh, sorry.

Model # 132 383 100
Serial # 0350033U072664

 

[cmwkrill]

You probably already guessed, and I can't be of much help, but it looks like you bought a Cadet 383 hydro. Not Cub Cadet, mind you, as Cub Cadets were garden tractors, Cadets were lawn tractors.(props on finding the right part of the forum, by the way.) It was the 8hp version of the 8hp gear drive 382. That's pretty much all I can tell you, and I was just stating the obvious. You and your son should have fun workin' on that.

(if I may make a suggestion as to a nice follow up project, a Cub Cadet 109 (10hp Kohler wide frame hydro) is what I'm recommending. I just got one myself (restoration and refurbs, page) and it (seems) really simple to work on.)

 

[jchamberlin]

Oleg, Welcome to the forum

You can find out more about your tractor by clicking on the Cub Cadet Parts Lookup icon at the top of the page and then selecting "Lawn Tractors" from the drop-down box under "Find Parts by Model." The 383 was the hydrostatic version of the Model 382. The hydrostatic transmission is a dream to mow with, but the gear drive is good for some tasks like plowing and spraying.

I'm not sure about the distinction Charles makes; I thought the Cub and the Cub Lo-Boy were bona-fide farm tractors and that the Cadet was the name given to the smaller version designed for the suburban home owner and first released to the public in 1961.

The "Original" Cub Cadet was designated as a Garden Tractor, meaning that all manner of implements could attached to it and that it was constructed in such a fashion that it could duplicate nearly all the functions of a "real" tractor, but on a smaller scale -the garden- as opposed to a farm. (Although several members of this forum continually "push the envelope" of what a Cub Cadet can do, including Charlie, the owner of this forum). The Cub Cadet Garden Tractors actually used the same automotive-style differential as the larger Cub and Cub Lo-Boy tractors, driven by a horizontal shaft coupled directly to the engine, although the "Original" had an interposing drive belt link.

The Cub Cadet Lawn Tractors, as I understand it, are designed as single-purpose machines, primarily intended for mowing and for towing "yard implements" like trailers, aerators, sweepers, de-thatchers, sprayers and such.

In the case of the 383 I notice that the engine is oriented vertically and that the transaxle is driven by a belt. The hydrostatic transmission is not the same as the one used in my 149 or 782. The frame of the 382/3 is different than the Garden Tractors, but it appears to have the same cast iron front axle.

Judging from the serial number, your tractor appears to have been made after the traditional cut-off date of June 1981 when International Harvestor sold the Cub Cadet line to MTD and during that time period when MTD manufactured the Cub Cadet as an entirely separate division under the name of the Cub Cadet Corporation. There also appear to have been some changes made to the 382 especially after S/N 70001, I'm not sure how much the hydrostatic 383 was effected, but the gear-drive 382 got a whole new transaxle.

I think you've got a fine representation of IH equipment, though. It is very likely that your machine shares many parts with the IH-built Cub Cadet Garden Tractors and it certainly looks very much like the wide-frame 1x8/9 series from a distance.

 

[cmwkrill]

I'm just passin along what was told to me, that (for whatever reason) the lawn tractors are not cub cadets, just cadets.. let me see if i can maybe dig that up..

 

[ogoltsov]

It looks like I'm going to have to do exploratory surgery on the motor.

Before I get too far into the motor is there any way to test the tranny to make sure it works?

 

[jchamberlin]

Oleg: I've seen where some enterprising fellows have rigged up electric motors to turn over there transmissions. I looked for the post I was thinking of, but I couldn't find it. I remember a piece of channnel for mounting the motor and the transmission being held fast in a vise, but that's all I can recall of the setup.

Good luck with your exploratory surgery.

 

[mgonitzke]

The front axle is not the same, and it shares basically zero parts with any garden tractor.

 

[jchamberlin]

Matt is correct, as usual. I was fooled by the APPEARANCE of the cast axle on the 382/3 which reminded me of others I had seen; but on closer inspection on Parts Lookup, I realize that (1) all the IH Lawn Tractors seem to have shared the same axle, judging from the depictions, even though three part numbers are used:

I don't really have a guide to the chronology Lawn Tractor model numbers, but it seems to me that the earlier ones used a pin to locate the spindles like some of the narrow-framed Garden tractors. PN 759-3268 is given for Models 76, 80, and 382/3:

PN 759-3269 is given for Models 1015, the second series of 1215 and 1220 tractors, the Model 1225, and all the 13xx, 14xx, and 17xx. The only difference I can see from the depictions on Parts Lookup is the bolted spindles. The depictions of PN 759-3269 also show two (2) 3/16" bolts and nuts not shown in any of the other shots of axle parts, including the 759-3269Kit below.

PN 719-3019 is given for Models 1105, and the first series of Models 1015, 1215, and 1220, as well as all the 16xx series.

As an added note, Models 1605 and 1610 also give the PN 759-3269 Kit showing only the axle and associated parts, but not the "connections" to the axle.

If these Lawn Tractor axles are compared to Garden Tractor axles, it can be seen that the only one they faintly resemble is the one from the Original, but again, as Matt points out, they are not identical.

PN NLA for the Original:

PN 759-3011 for Models 70, 100 and other Narrow Frames:

PN 759-3270 for Models 1x8/9, Quiet Line, and the 82 Series tractors:

PN 719-3100 for Models 1440, 1641, 1861, 1862 (second series), 1863, and 1864:

PN 759-3549 for Models 1535, 1541, 1860, and 1862 (first series):

The Super Garden Tractors are the easiest to reference, they all used the same PN 759-3271 with the bushed spindles: