I bought a Cub Cadet yard tractor. Oops, no I didn't

docmirror · Mar 21, 2021

LT 1045 from 2007. I thought I was buying a real Cub Cadet. Nope, it's made by MTD which makes riding mower and yard tractors for dozens of retailers.

Lucky, I only paid $175 for it. Unlucky that it appears no one has done a lick of maint to it since Bush was in office.

It only needs: Belts, spindles, tires, oil, filters, seat, batt, carb, lights, and some trim bits. Plus a lot of cleaning. The guy got the last nickel out of that drive belt!

The hydro unit is sealed for the life of the machine. Oh boy, I hope it doesn't need one of those. Will be all in it for around $350, or a bit more. Hoping to get it cleaned and sell for $700 this spring. Seems to be the going price for a clean one with new bits.

DoubleO7 · Mar 21, 2021

You have to go back to pre 1981 to get a real Cub Cadet.

TractorTucker · Mar 21, 2021

The good mtd cubs were pre 2000 as they
had shaft driven hydros. I sold all my mtd
cubs as I like my 62 sears suburban more.

docmirror · Mar 21, 2021

(quoted from post at 08:31:05 03/21/21)
You have to go back to pre 1981 to get a real Cub Cadet.

I have a 1961 Original with the gray cutting deck. It's a great mower. This one will just be a refurb and sell. Make a few bucks, keep me out of the bar on Sat.

Hobo,NC · Mar 21, 2021

So far I have been able to rebuild all the mower deck quills and idler pulleys I have ran across for chump change... I know the day will come I will run across one that will defeat me tho... Its a a labor of love and more about making the tools to get the quills apart...

I brought a new cadet in 1990 it was a P.O.S. belt driven hydro. I traded it in on a 98 shaft driven hydro it cost 4K... Its been OK other than its rusting apart from the inside. I have replaced most of the body parts from donners... Its became my trim mower since 2001... My big mistake was loaning it to my uncle to mow grave yards he put several hundred hours on it before I put a halt to it...

What I miss about having a local IH dealer they would trade you out of anything and pay ya good money for it but of course they got top dollar for their new mowers...

used red MN · Mar 21, 2021

.. got the last nickel out of that drive belt!.. That would still be good for a guy looking to get his LAST nickel out
of it, to him it is still good for another season or until it breaks! Hope your resell plan all comes together.

Brian G. NY · Mar 21, 2021

Never was a fan of MTD. However, years ago I saw one alongside the road for sale that must have been from the 60s. That was an impressive machine. I have a bunch of Jake built Fords and one Gilson Built Ford. All great tractors but the Jakes have the Gilson beat hands down quality wise.
I did buy a 2001 MTD built Model 3206 Cub Cadet a few years ago. This is by far the newest and best mowing tractor I have ever had. The prior owner paid $6,500 for it in 2001; the list price was $7,428. It had under 800 hrs. on it when I bought it for $1,400 in Sept , 2015 He maintained it meticulously, recording everything he ever had done to it.
It has shaft drive hydro, front and mid PTOs and P.S. It is built ruggedly, especially the deck with plenty of zerk fittings all over the machine.
Not your typical MTD Cub Cadet, for sure!

UncleTom · Mar 21, 2021

Do you know what MTD stands for??????? Mostly Tin Dummy.

docmirror · Mar 21, 2021

(quoted from post at 12:03:30 03/21/21) Never was a fan of MTD. However, years ago I saw one alongside the road for sale that must have been from the 60s. That was an impressive machine. I have a bunch of Jake built Fords and one Gilson Built Ford. All great tractors but the Jakes have the Gilson beat hands down quality wise.
I did buy a 2001 MTD built Model 3206 Cub Cadet a few years ago. This is by far the newest and best mowing tractor I have ever had. The prior owner paid $6,500 for it in 2001; the list price was $7,428. It had under 800 hrs. on it when I bought it for $1,400 in Sept , 2015 He maintained it meticulously, recording everything he ever had done to it.
It has shaft drive hydro, front and mid PTOs and P.S. It is built ruggedly, especially the deck with plenty of zerk fittings all over the machine.
Not your typical MTD Cub Cadet, for sure!

Nice looking tool. Then again, I paid slightly over 1/10 for mine and it'll make a few hundred in June. I have some other tractors for mowing serious stuff. The comm Ariens 60" ZTR is best thing for the runway, it moves fast, and comfy. I find the ZTR seating to be more to my style over the front engine belly mower type.

Old weldor · Mar 21, 2021

MTD. Meant to Die!

John in Mich · Mar 21, 2021

I, too, have a bunch of Jake builts: Ford, Jake, MM, White. I watch various markets around Great Lakes
but rarely see one for sale. Those that I do find must be gold plated which never shows in the pictures.
LOL

Brian G. NY · Mar 21, 2021

Nice looking tool. Then again, I paid slightly over 1/10 for mine and it'll make a few hundred in June. I have some other tractors for mowing serious stuff. The comm Ariens 60" ZTR is best thing for the runway, it moves fast, and comfy. I find the ZTR seating to be more to my style over the front engine belly mower type.

ttps://forumphotos.yesterdaystractors.com/photos/mvphoto71867.jpg[/img]

docmirror · Mar 21, 2021

30 years ago, $75 was worth - well, $75!

Neat sickle mower.

Torwood · Mar 21, 2021

I bought a LTX 1050 cub with a Kawasaki motor
new back in 2011. Biggest pile. Kept blowing belts
until I went on YouTube to make a modification. At
210 hours the hydro bit the dust. I have a flat yard
and never worked it hard. Very disappointed.
Bought a Hustler to replace it. Been very happy
with that so far.

Traditional Farmer · Mar 22, 2021

My MTD Cub Cadet is a 100% Mitsubishi compact tractor with just the CC MTD name on it,has been a handy little tractor.

BarnyardEngineering · Mar 22, 2021

LT1045 with the single-cylinder Kohler Courage engine on it?

My flying club had two of them bought as a pair. One blew up, the cockamaime balancing mechanism in the engine fails on them after so many hours. Kohler to their credit did stand behind the engine even though it was way past the warranty and being used much harder than a typical homeowner mower. All the club ended up paying was labor to swap the engine out.

Needless to say both of them ended up getting sent down the road not long after that, replaced by Cub Cadet zero turns of all things.

Bret4207 · Mar 22, 2021

MTD and Cub Cadet are like Poulon and McCullouch. There was a time when the name represented a quality machine. Not so much anymore! I will have a real Cub Cadet Lowboy someday!

LPRG2 · Mar 22, 2021

I fell into that trap before. I thought I was buying a tractor for a lifetime of use. It was an 2007 LT1042. I shortly found out they were made by MTD, what a disappointment. The Koehler engine literally broke apart after 350 hours. I will never trust newer cubs or Koehler engines .

docmirror · Mar 22, 2021

Trust me guys, I'm convinced. Once I get it all purtee, and some new consumables replaced, she's going down the highway to the great backyard in someone else's sky. I'll make it go, but after that - call 'the guy' for help.

Only reason I grabbed it up was the low price. I'm going back for a LT2000 Craftsman for $175 maybe tomorrow. Has an I/C red top engine in it, so should be good for something.

Bret4207 · Mar 23, 2021

(quoted from post at 13:10:11 03/22/21) Trust me guys, I'm convinced. Once I get it all purtee, and some new consumables replaced, she's going down the highway to the great backyard in someone else's sky. I'll make it go, but after that - call 'the guy' for help.

Only reason I grabbed it up was the low price. I'm going back for a LT2000 Craftsman for $175 maybe tomorrow. Has an I/C red top engine in it, so should be good for something.

I had one of those Craftsmans- complete JUNK!!!!!

I bought a Cub Cadet yard tractor. Oops, no I didn't

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