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Bought a new toy

threewood

threewood

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I figured it was about time for this old man to start cutting the grass in style. The push mower was getting old and exhausting. I did a bunch of research on several lawn tractors and this one checked the most boxes.

Cub Cadet XT2 GX4 D. Locking differential, k62 transmission, 25 hp Kohler, 54" cutting deck. Able to pull ground contacting equipment such as a tiller. What I can't get over is how much plastic is used. Hood, steering wheel, levers. Gets the job done though, without effort.

Free freight shipping, no tax. Great deal.
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I have been around cub cadets most my life. About 15 years ago I restored my cub cadet 100 that was given to me as a kid..it is a 1965. I got it in the late 70s.

Funny thing mentioning all the plastic on these new mowers..I loaned my 100 to someone and he didn't tie it down in his pickup. He popped over a terrace and it rolled out the back of the pickup. Did at least 3 violent end for end rolls.
We bent the steering wheel back and went back to using it. They don't make em like they used 2!
Pieces be flying on a new one!
 
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A great memory as a teen was working on and mowing with my dad's Dayton riding mower. 10hp Briggs&Stratton, all metal beast. Steering sucked, tires were hard and slick, but no rust and it just kept on going and going. It has sat for 15 years and I bet it still runs.
 
We had an all metal simplicity fall off the trailer at 55mph. She landed and barked like an airplane, ran on the highway for a bit then dove for the ditch. Folded one of the front wheels under during it's endos but it ran fine after the axle repair
 
I can't remember the last time I have seen a dayton!
After I restored mine.. we lived in the suburbs for a couple years and used the cub cadet 100 to mow. It had a 10hp Kohler and not much of a muffler.. I bet the neighbors were glad we moved.
 
threewood said:
A great memory as a teen was working on and mowing with my dad's Dayton riding mower. 10hp Briggs&Stratton, all metal beast. Steering sucked, tires were hard and slick, but no rust and it just kept on going and going. It has sat for 15 years and I bet it still runs.
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We had a Montgomery Wards tractor with a 15hp Briggs and Stratton that I cut the grass in summer and plowed the driveway in winter when I was a yute. It was one of the first things Pop bought when we got the house in Addison.

I so loved cutting the grass and plowing that Pablo now takes cares of it at my house. LOL

I sold that tractor (with Pop's permission) to Joe Bartis who turned it into a dirt racer.

Something like this...

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I watched him race with it a couple of times and he did well lol
 
Curiousyellow71 said:
I can't remember the last time I have seen a dayton!
After I restored mine.. we lived in the suburbs for a couple years and used the cub cadet 100 to mow. It had a 10hp Kohler and not much of a muffler.. I bet the neighbors were glad we moved.
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Gold paint job from the factory and moon hubcaps. I wish I had a picture.

From the internet. But same model.
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If you have never watched a serious lawn mower race, you owe it to yourself to watch one. Exciting and hilarious at the same time.
 
threewood said:
I figured it was about time for this old man to start cutting the grass in style. The push mower was getting old and exhausting. I did a bunch of research on several lawn tractors and this one checked the most boxes.

Cub Cadet XT2 GX4 D. Locking differential, k62 transmission, 25 hp Kohler, 54" cutting deck. Able to pull ground contacting equipment such as a tiller. What I can't get over is how much plastic is used. Hood, steering wheel, levers. Gets the job done though, without effort.

Free freight shipping, no tax. Great deal.
View attachment 1664646View attachment 1664647
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You got the better welded deck, looks like a nice unit :) 25hp twin? I had a 20hp twin on a little craftsman when I lived in town 20 some odd years ago, love the sound, they sound so smooth.



I bought one of these used 20 years back when i moved out into the country. I thought it was pricey back then at $2100.
I change the oil once a year. Grease things every other mow(a bit over 2 acres) Bought a second set of blades so I could swap out instead of remove/sharpen/install. I sharpen the set on a rainy day and swap as needed. Blades are like 5/16" thick. I sharpen on my 7" grinder wheel, and hang the center pin hole on a nail in the bench to balance them.
Had to put a tube in one of the deck tires up front. About time for new front drive tires, the tread is almost worn off. That's about it.
Oh yeah I re-gapped the plugs 4 years ago.

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Mine doesn't have the rear wheel assist, the 932 is a 28hp gas power 2wd. The rear wheel assist deisel is the 935, which is only 22hp. I don't use it for snow so I don't care about the rear wheel thing, and it sips gas, and gas has been cheaper then deisel since like 2007.
I have been looking for the unobtainium 76" rear discharge deck for ten years, but alas, they seem to have gone extinct compared to the 72" side discharge.
 
Useless trivia; when Cub Cadet was owned by International Harvester they were built in Louisville Kentucky. My uncle worked in the foundry. They were considered the Rolls Royce of riding lawn mowers.
 
They are now owned by MTD, which isn't as good as IH. Older models are very well made.
 
threewood said:
They are now owned by MTD, which isn't as good as IH. Older models are very well made.
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Yeah, MTD has gone and bought up a lot of the old brands. When you go to the big box stores these days,
most of those red/orange/yellow mowers they have sitting out front all are MTD units despite the brand
displayed.
They make the transaxles for MTD next town over from us (company is called Tuff Torque).
I designed the fire protection for the plant when they built it around '96 or so. They make the transaxles
for all the MTD riders - and the more expensive John Deeres too, albeit with an additional "quality control"
step in the final process for them. :)

The claim to fame for Cubs is their decks - they've always had super tough/thick decks on them.
Of course, my place eats riding mowers for lunch (it's really several acres of former pasture), so I gave up
on those a couple decades ago and got the tractor (and Italian finish mower) I still have to this day.
 
My brother-in-law gave me a relatively unused Husqvarna 54” deck mower about 10 years ago. It has been doing a great job on my 2.5 acres. I added X blades to it a few years ago (https://www.amazon.com/Ballard-Inc-X-Blade-Mulching-Adapter/dp/B07PPCTV6R?th=1) and they made high speed finish cutting much finer. The frame broke on it where the transaxle mounts. It turns out that this is fairly common. My fabrication skills put it back in action though and it still does the job.
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Good luck with your new toy @threewood !
 
Enjoyed reading this. We have an old Ariens rider mower that is all metal and does a great job. I just had a friend offer me his 15 year old Cub Cadet rider for free. I wasn't sure I wanted another project but decided to take it on. I mean, a mower for free, how could I resist. It cranks over and I believe they let it sit too long. Anyway, he'll deliver it to me next month. I'll let you know how it goes.
Terry W.
 
Don't pass up free, well made mowers. I am going to get my dad's mower eventually. But the distance is the limiting factor.
 
Looks like a new Chevrolet pick up truck from the front. Lol.
I had a lil ole John Deere given to me, looks and works like new. Took my yard down from 3-1/2 hours to just over an hour now.

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6PKRTSE said:
Looks like a new Chevrolet pick up truck from the front. Lol.
I had a lil ole John Deere given to me, looks and works like new. Took my yard down from 3-1/2 hours to just over an hour now.

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All the Deere's I looked at were much more expensive than the Cub. I even looked at light duty tractors (looked like mini backhoes) but those started at $15k without any attachments.
 
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