Any lawn tractor enthusiasts here?

[CSnyder]

Are there any lawn tractor/ super garden tractor collectors or enthusiasts here on the forums? As many know I run, or should I say did run, a hotshot rig for many years and recently retired from doing it to pursue a different career of farming crops. Well this last week a local man asked me if I would do a short run with a load of lawn tractors to a show and swap meet in Dyersville Iowa if he paid for my room and and all expenses plus wages. I agreed to it since I know the guy and he is pretty cool. I went out to the meet each day to hang out and see what it was all about. These guys are just like us with our trucks! I couldnt believe some of the cool things you can have or do with a lawn tractor. They had a mini sled and did tractor pulling with them as well. I even seen a guy with a lowered Murray tractor with a 125 cc engine and 5 speed transmission go racing down a gravel road! The guy who parked next to us was also a TDR member out of Missouri driving a white 3500 with a flatbed. Yesterday a guy came over and started talking lawn tractors and pulled his jacket off to reveal a Geno's Garage "Got Diesel" shirt and we ended up talking for over an hour. The vendors and spectators came from all over the USA for this event. I seen pins in almost every state on the map they put up to mark where you are from. I got home late last night and spent 3 hours on a forum called weekend freedom machines reading up on them. I came home with a Cub Cadet super garden tractor and a John Deere super garden tractor and a little wagon for each one that replicates a hayrack on a farm. I also bought nine oddball tractors and some misc attachments. What an addiction!

 

[mjendrejcak]

I have a couple of Bolens and Cub Cadet garden tractors in my collection. They are all mechanically sound now just need cosmetic fixes. I looking at buying a Bolens\Iseki tractor (4x4 diesel powered) or a John Deere 430 next. I have been on weekendfreedommachines.com a couple of times. Someone on there built a small articulated hydraulic driven tractor. Got me started on my own project, I have some narrowed dana 60’s with lockers, a 33HP Kubota diesel, multi stage pump and divorced transfer case driven by a hydraulic motor.



I have yet to make a show with any of my tractors.

 

[Dieselnut59]

I inherited my grandfather's IH/Cub Cadet lawn/garden tractor but have not done anything to it. I thought a diesel conversion would be fun and interesting and even have a potential engine for it, but have never touched it in years. The gas engine still runs fine, but is just not properly fueled.

I have not decided wheather to convert it or keep it original... .

 

[WMonroe]

Does anyone know of any good lawn tractor forums? I have an older Allis Chalmers that I have been thinking of converting to a diesel.

Will

 

[Alphacowboy]

so chris, what kinda lawn tractor did ya get me? :-laf I am sic and tired of this pile-o-poo crapsman I have!

 

[mjendrejcak]

Does anyone know of any good lawn tractor forums? I have an older Allis Chalmers that I have been thinking of converting to a diesel.

Will

I do not know of a site dedictated to AC's but some good general sites are

www.yesterdaystractors.com

www.tractorbynet.com

www.ytmag.com

 

[mjendrejcak]

... even have a potential engine for it, ...

What do you have to drop in?

 

[CSnyder]

The site I was reading on was www.weekendfreedommachines.com .



Matt, I have all kinds of tractors here now after this weekend. I have a nice John Deere 332 DIESEL that any guy on here would love to have, a Bolens with some toys and rear 3 point, a bigger White model with new engine, Allis 716H, Cub Cadet 1650's one is yellow with a twin Vanguard engine and the other is red with a Kohler... both REAL NICE, and a cheap Ford. I also have some cheap Cub Cadets listed on Ebay under my name as Snyder3605 and I will be listing the ones mentioned above later this week. I also have some John Deere parts tractors and some Cub parts tractors and a Massey 12 that needs to be restored. Might be worth your trip to come see what I have and of course you will get it for my cost.



It isnt too bad to convert one to diesel at all. I seen several of them at the show this weekend. Most of the guys bought the engines from semi trailer reefers because lots of them have the Kubota 3 cylinder in them. They had to find a smaller radiator though was the biggest thing. Any machine shop can fabricate the adaptors to make it work in your tractor easy enough. Im in the process of doing one as we speak on a Cub Cadet 2284 super garden tractor. I went and picked up an engine yesterday locally from a trucking company for 500 bucks with 1800 hours on it. The trailer was rolled over but the engine wasnt running when it rolled and he started it for me while I was there. He said he usually gets about 12000 hours on a compressor engine before they need an overhaul. I went to the machine shop this morning and bought up some iron to make my mounts with and when I get everything squared in today Ill take the entire tractor up to them and have them make me the adaptors. I figure Ill have less than a thousand in the conversion but the original engine will get me back at least half that when I sell it on Ebay. I only paid 2500 for the tractor to begin with this weekend so Ill have less than 3000 in a lawn mower that will mow and til my garden for as long as I live. If this one turns out good Im going to buy the last 5 engines this guy has on trailers and do some more conversions to resell.



Chris

 

[Alphacowboy]

hey chris, that vangard power 1650 aint this one is it? http://www.smallenginewarehouse.com/RepowerItems.asp?Brand=Cub+Cadet&Model=1650



I think my dad has one of the 1650's in his barn, I should ask him about buying it and doing a diesel conversion on it. I think its actually in good shape and runs, but the mower deck rotted out so that needs to be replaced.

 

[WMonroe]

Thanks for the links.

Will

 

[Greenleaf]

I get on the weekend freedom site time to time. I have a 1966 Deere 112 that is nearly all original. I found it parked in the back of my wife's Grandfather's garage under a stack of stuff.



I use it two days per week in the summer to cut grass. I still get a kick out of the new throw-a-way lawn mowers that have a 36" deck and 22hp :-laf

 

[bmoeller]

Chris, every September, we have a steam traction engine/antique tractor show locally. The parade runs right past the house where I used to live.



On Saturday, is the antique tractor pull and on Sunday afternoon, there is a garden tractor pull.



Usually the 2nd or 3rd weekend of Sept.

 

[daveshoe]

I am lucky enough to have a Cub Cadet ''no-number'' This is the first one made in the early sixties. It mowed 5 acres a week for twenty years. International Harvester had many Cub transmissions left over,and rather than throw them out,the Cadet was born. This same transmision was used behind a 20 horse 4 cylinder,but the original Cadet only had a seven HP Kohler.

I even have the advertising pamphlet that Dad drooled over before he bought it. I need to get going on the restoration soon.

 

[CSnyder]

Dave, That no number Cub you have may be worth thousands if its one of the very first serial numbers out there. Its a big challenge for the Cub Original owners to have the lowest number there is and they will pay dearly to have the lowest number known. Might want to research that baby!



Chris

 

[bmoeller]

The REAL Cub Cadets are great. Where I used to work, they had 2 of them. A 100 and a 1250 hydro. The 1250 has been the best riding mower I have ever used. They are tough as nails, and dang heavy. Really liked the quick-tach setup they have. Works slick.

 

[TSpecht]

My parents still have an operational mid-60's I think Cub Cadet model 110 (I think it is, the 100 series with the 10 hp Kohler engine and a considerably stout 3 speed transmission). I'm going to try to inherit that early in the not too distant future, it runs a rototiller, mower deck, and some other similar stuff with more authority than the newish 22hp 2 cylinder Yardman or whatever it is they have. Those old IH Cub Cadets were definitely built to last, that's for sure, still running strong.

 

[daveshoe]

Dave, That no number Cub you have may be worth thousands if its one of the very first serial numbers out there. Its a big challenge for the Cub Original owners to have the lowest number there is and they will pay dearly to have the lowest number known. Might want to research that baby!



Chris

so,where do you research it?Are the numbers on the frame,the transmission, or where?

 

[bmoeller]

http://www.ihcubcadet.com/BobsPage/

 

[daveshoe]

#53691 built and sold in 1963. Frank Girbert International in Greenville Ohio. I think that place is now a Sherwin-Williams store. BTW--the Great Darke County Fair is coming up starting on friday. You can usually see some really bad tractor pullers because it is a good place to run for a tune-up pull before the big pull at Fort Recovery. The most fun is the old junker gasser 4x4 pullers that really break their old stock trucks. A good variety of stuff at a fair price. The demo derby is a real hard hitting bloodbath. Jeff Brown does not allow teams out there--if you make a light hit,he will disqualify you.

 

[Dieselnut59]

What do you have to drop in?

2 cylinder 14 horsepower Kubota. WOuld definately take some work and I am not sure I would want to butcher the thing that bad... It does have sentimental value.