The original Cub Cadets were made by International Harvester (IH) in the 1960’s and they were a decent unit. Then MTD bought the Cub Cadet name (minus the IH) sometime in the 80’s and they went down hill fast.
Everything MTD makes is crap. I remember when they bought up the troy Bilt name after garden way went under, and they started spitting out the same junk with just a different label.
Yes I had an original Cub built in the 70s. It was a superb machine, but mine was too low in hp (12hp Kohler) so I upgraded to a 20hp Wheel Horse with an Onan. Best tractor ever. Sadly I let it go as part of a house sale and "upgraded" (so I thought) to a JD 345. It's like a BMW car, breaks frequently and the parts are outrageously expensive.
@@billm6294 onan engines were since bought up by Cummins and they scrapped all the onan engine line. Onan engines were extremly expensive parts wise and even more expensive today. Onan engines are OK, however even with strict maintenance, they still have issues.
MTD bought Cub Cadet from International Harvester way back in 1981. They kept the garden tractor line excellent quality for a while, and even made some innovations there. Then they implemented the classic MTD (Made to Die) corporate board room strategy, to cheapen everything down as much as possible. MTD is now owned by Stanley/Black and Decker, so expect even worse.
Perfect comment! But here's the question: Is it really a design "flaw" when the designers deliberately design their junk to fail? Planned obsolescence was conceived in the 1930s and put into standard practice in the 1950s. Producing disposable junk to keep consumers coming back to buy the same junk over and over again is a feature not a flaw of modern manufacturing. When you design something to fail and it fails, that's flawless design execution. The fact that Stanley/Black and Decker are now holding the reigns of this acquisition is just more evidence of deliberate-design obsolescence. They were one of the earlier adopters of this philosophy way back in the 60s when their tool quality began to decline and was solidified in 1990 when all Stanley tool manufacturing went to China. I call that flawless, well-oiled corporatism.
The engine shroud will come off without removing the gas tank if you are careful the fuel tank comes out in 5 minutes. Deck issues are avoidable if proper maintenance is done. Steering is crap but easily fixed and yours is missing a washer that goes above the gear. This is all a mute point because they have been redisigned.
You are wrong about the engine shroud, no way that comes out without the tank off. Also this video is not talking about new Cubs is for people who are buying used stuff and can’t afford the $3k mower so far from a mute point.
I've owned a Cub Cadet for four years, and it has been terrific. Low maintenance, lots of power, mows my steep two-acre lot easily, hauls plenty in a trailer, and has a terrific snow blower that is great here in Vermont.
@@MowerMike owned JD LA130 and the L46 transmission in it is complete trash. Mine failed and was told by dealer, it's disposable. Complete removal to change fluid and seals and it ran about two hours then failed for good. JD has nice green paint but not much else to stand out for the price tag put on these little tractors. Too bad it's not simple & dependable pulley sprocket & chain drive. NO, I don't work for any tractor company.
Interesting that the only deck I have seen ripped out was a small John Deere. They also seem to have a bad habit of the paint falling off in sheets. Probably no primer. I think the JD is a thicker 12Ga and the Cub is 13Ga. Not a fan of Kohler. The parts are made in China then assembled and run in the U.S. Briggs is "supposed" to be American made for American engines. I had a 1960 something Cub that was a tank. Not even in the same ball park as what they make now. I am trying my first Husqvarna with a Briggs V-Twin. Time will tell, but seems kinda wimpy built so far. They did add reinforcement to the thin deck.
I don't get it, I have a 2015 Cub Cadet XT1 LT46 with 500 hrs. and have never had an issue! My only complaint is the piece of sh*t cheap as* seat and Cub Cadet wants almost $300.00 for another piece of sh*t seat. I do however appreciate your observations and experiences and will keep them in mind when I buy another one.
My whole fleet from pushers to riders are Cub Cadet. The American made ones that cost more and I have not had a single issue aside from slow tire leaks. Ive had 2 with Briggs or Chinese cub branded motors and wore them out insanely fast. All my Kholer Cubs work great, season after season.
I have a 22 year old Cub Cadet 1515 38” deck 15hp Kohler Command with ball bearing front wheels and a big 6” Electric Clutch and has almost 1100 hours. Never touched Engine or the Heavy Duty Hydro transmission. Replaced drive belt once and quite a few deck belts. Has same spindles and I replaced most idler pulleys. Deck in good shape as it is kept greased and oiled at points where rust could start. Put tubes in 3 of the tires. On 4 th Battery. They stopped making this unit around 2004 and the newer ones not built as good. Mine has the metal hood and is real heavy Duty. That was one of their best series. Also replaced blades every 4 years. Never sharpened them.
I've got a Cub Cadet that's given me no trouble since I bought it in 2013. I've used it well for my lawn care business and no complaints. I will add that I bought it from a Cub Cadet dealer and not a big box store.
I was a John Deere mechanic for years and am not impressed by this cheaper series but they are way better then most of the others. I've replaced lots of steering pinions and a few sectors. The sectors wear away in the center so I sometimes would cut an unworn section of the sector teeth and weld it over the center of the new one to double the width of the teeth and lifespan. I also greased these parts and the bushings. Never had to work on that version of the cub cadet but I welded up lots of Deere decks at lift points etc.
I have had my CC for only 5 or 6 years and have zero complaints about it. It's been reliable and does a good job doing what it was built to do. The only thing I've had to do is regular oil changes, sharpening the blades, and replace the battery.....regular maintenance stuff. It may or may not be better than JD's equivalent, but that doesn't matter much to me because I'm happy with what I've got and would not hesitate to buy another CC should the need arise.
I have a LT 1045 bought it in 2007 and it’s still going strong 09/2023. Yearly maintenance and keeping it out the weather. Take care of it it will take care of you.
They both kinda suck and you get what you pay for. Both designed to be used 3 years then throw it in the garbage! Especially if it’s a model from the big box store.
I agree to a point they are both made cheap. But the Deere has a better design. You can get 20 years out of one of these. Just have to subscribe to Mower Mike so ya know how to fix them lpl
I own a Cub Cadet, and I have another pet peeve to add to your list. It leaks oil like crazy! I've had to replace almost every gasket at least once which is a pain. But on the bright side, it is 15 years old, and still works well which is why I hang onto it.
I have zero clue who owned that cub cadet, but to me it seems like it wasn't taken care of. I rarely have to work on my cub cadet and when it does break I don't have those goofy issues, and I've had it since 2004.
I have a 2015 model Cub Cadet with over 200 hours on it and it works fine not a problem in fact both them John Deere and the others all used Tuff Torq hydrostatic transmission so the only difference is the engine itself
I'm with you on everything EXCEPT the gear size. It only needs to be as big as the gear it's meshing with. They both are meshing with a stamped steel 'gear' for the steering.
Cup Cadet has The Strongest Warranty in it's class 3-year / unlimited-hour warranty. Plus, limited lifetime warranty on frame and fabricated deck shell. John Deere, All new John Deere commercial mowers come with a standard basic warranty on the full machine of 24 months/unlimited hours. The warranty does not include mower decks. Cup Cadet is the winner.
We had a Cub Cadet in the 60's. It lasted a long time and was great. The new stuff Deere included are plastic junk. I currently own for past 18 years a Kubota BX18 series with a real tractor engine, a diesel!
As the owner of a 2015 Cub Cadet XT1, I confirm is it a piece of garbage. My 2001 Murray rider never needed maintenance in 14 years, my 2015 CC needs maintenance constantly. In fact Im working on it right now
Wow, I got my first Cub Cadet 2yrs ago and with 3 bolts the engine cover comes right off. Never have had trouble starting it yet. Took the spark plug out for the first time this year and put it back because it didn't have a bit of soot on either the side or center electrode. So far it has been a good mower..Very easy to push in neutral and has very good traction backing up. So far so good. We will see.........
@@MowerMike Well, we will see. I have never really had a huge pref. in name brands. Sometimes manufactures will watch videos like yours just to see what the complaints are about, and perhaps remedy as necessary. This is going on the 3rd year so I will post any failures. As I said, this was a first time cub cadet purchase just to see if they were any better than ones I have bought in the past. I would like to try out a John Deere though..Maybe next purchase?
The steering sector is redesigned on the newer Cub Cadets and is relocated to move it away from the underneath of the mower. Both your mowers (JD and CC) look like very little maintenance has been done to either. I would have been embarrassed to show the world my mower(s) if they looked like that. Preventative maintenance goes a long way.
Good to hear they changed the design. I never get to work on anything newer than about 15 years old. That is funny you think I am embarrassed by showing a couple of junk mowers. Videos on old beat up equipment is the theme of my whole channel. You should move on and watch a more official mower channel with qualified mechanics.
My Dad owned a 1972 John Deere 300. Last year my older brother sold it running with a 48" deck, tiller, blade and snowblower. Not too bad for fifty years old. My John Deere has a long way to go as it just turned 22 years old. I have noticed Cub Cadets have increased in price to the point where they are nearly the same as a John Deere. Buy one if you want to but.......
I own a 2007 LT 1046 with about 1000 hours. I would suggest having access to a welder to keep the deck and frame in top condition. The hydrogear transaxle and Kohler engine are bulletproof.
Love to hear your opinion of the Cub Cadet XT line. They came out in 2015-16 so they've been around for a while. Supposedly they fixed all the engineering flaws of the old 1046.
I have a 2011 cub cadet ltx1040 with the dreaded Kohler courage. It’s been absolutely reliable and has needed nothing but regular maintenance. Just under 500 hours currently.
i have several jds from the 1990s . tough as nails , but i've always thought they went out of their way to make them hard to work on . same with my 1960 era 1010 farm tractor . glad to hear they've lightened up on us fix it yourselfers .
I've got an LT120. Always needs a shot of starting fluid to get going. Noticed the pinion gear was getting a bit worn and got an extra for when needed. Always had respect for Cub Cadet, maybe the newer ones eliminated these issues, but I'll keep what I've got and if the engine were to blow, it's only 4 bolts and $500 for a new one.
Can't say much about Cub Cadet improving, but the JD's in the same price bracket have declined in quality. Pathetic seeing JD's with plastic transaxles.
@@PageMarker1 I just found out JD got rid of the plastic transaxle in the last year or two. The amount of 1 star reviews suggests the failure rate wasn't worth the money the bean counters thought they would save.
@@hochhaul The amount of money spent on warrantied mower repairs really gobbled up however much they saved when they retooled from metal to plastic parts as that transition had to have been costly. JD's cost more because of the name and there is a qualitative value inherent in brand loyalty. Thanks for the good news!
Haha scrubs! Yep am so tired of working on them, even when they leave they seem to find a way to sneak back to the shop. Appreciate the comment means a lot to have y’all watching one of my videos.
You can have the inconvenience of a gas tank woth gravity feed, or you can replace fuel pumps and/or pump diaphragms. One isn't better or worse than the other, necessarily. Just different design decisions.
This guy just happens to pull up the worst model Cub Cadet ever made! Cubs rock! Look at all the comments everyone loves them! I just bought a xt2 Lx46 and frigging love everything about it! The deck is fabricated 11 gage Steele and has a lifetime warranty. J.D's decks are only stamped12 gage steel. The cub has so many other great features as well. So glad I bought it ! Worth evert penny and J. D' are way way overpriced if you want a quality one.
JD's "120 hour" 2 year warranty TELLS ALL, verified by this bullshit "easy change oil/filter", ANY engine designer who would pull this idea out of his/her ass and approve of such an intellectually fraudulent "design specification", should be castrated, (or hysterectomyed for that gender-YES ONLY TWO), and disbarred from any professional accreditation that sponsors such FRAUDS.... JD's PLASTIC spindle guards vs CC's METAL, NO reported instances of CC belts flying off.... The topper is still the 120 hour limited warranty which PROVES their designs are only built to that "durability" specification.... JD = BULLSHIT.... P.S. F J B....
I haveca Cub Cadet RZT.. 270 hours.. now on 3rd set.of.spindles.. its junk..i ho back to international harvester with cub cadets.. they are now junk.. terrible
Well Big Daddy Kane, lemme tell you bout my cub cadet. Because, if you bought it from Home Depot…..it only SAYS scrub cunt-det. I have a real mover. And a real mower…has lug nuts. No lug nuts on the rear wheel…no bueno. Dig? I bought mine used not running for $200 ….a lot. Little Timmy saw pop put liquid in the back gas tank….4 feet from the engine incidentally. And thought mud pies would be good also. So the fuel system was full of mud. I cleaned it all out. Didn’t even have to take the carb off..just the top off. Japanese Kehin model. And I cleaned all the mud out, charged the battery, and it ran great. Did a service on it…and wonderful. The first owner even put tubes in the tires. 😀 I have a shaft drive, 20 hp, Koler. Hydrostatic trans..2 series. 2004 model. And it’s bitchin’ It’s smooth, there is a thousand greas fittings. The carb is on top, it’s easy to service, it has two oil filters, the 48” deck is still tits. Sorry…. What you have here is a cub cadet….only in name.
If you want a newer Cub Cadet You would be better off buying the pro Z line or their stand on mowers I recently bought a 2016 pro z 100 with a Blown Kohler engine i put a Briggs Engine it is heavier built than the two mowers in your video and has ZT3400 Hydro Gear transmissions just need to get a Kawasaki engine for it the Briggs is temporary it has a fabricated deck unlike the 4th grade arts and crafts John Deere stamped Decks or any lowes sold craftsman.
That's the cheap big box store Cub Cadet with the stamped deck. I have a 12 year old XT2 Cub Cadet (dealer only model) it has the much heavier 54" deck, stronger transmission, bigger tires and 26HP Kohler 7000Series engine, and it works all year round. So far just about 600 hours on it, including running the 42" 3 stage snowblower on my large paved uphill driveway in the winter and my 1.5 acre yard all summer, and other than routine maintenance (oil and filter changes, greasing spindles, etc. and sharpening blades) no issues whatsoever. When I bought it I also looked at the JD unit comparable, it was $2,000 more, had 2 fewer horsepower and a stamped deck instead of the fabricated deck on the Cub Cadet, as well as a warranty not as good as the Cub Cadet. No diss to the JD owners, but I think I made the right choice, just my opinion.
I have a cub cadetxt2 tractor for a long time. I hated it i would never buy one again. The plow that goes on it is junk. Don't buy it . Buy a johndeere 318 and sell the cube cadetxt2
I had a worse one than that man I sold an old John Deere I had and purchased a Craftsman with that sorry single piston Kohler courage POS because of the Kohler name being good, boy did I find out how wrong I was by purchasing that mower so those Cub Cadets have to be gems next to that mower. I sold it and got a Bad Boy MZ with a Kawasaki 8 years ago and have not had a single issue out of it not one. The Kawasaki was the best engine I have ever owned so far and far better than any John Deere with a Briggs. As for conventional tractor mowers I agree John Deere is the best, but with Zero Turn mowers the competition is stiff so many good mowers. I cannot speak for all Bad Boys, but mine has been really simple and gets the work done. I got the MZ because I needed a 48" deck to fit it inside my portable building out back I did not want it left outside. It is sad that Cub Cadet was baught by MTD before they got hold of them they were solid mowers.
My neighbor gave me a JD 110 after her husband passed away. Less than 200 hours had to replace the deck spindles and yes John Deere makes the same plates to reinforce the deck around the spindles. The plastic hinge on the front of the hood broke and while mowing one day the hood fell completely off in the grass. I have a 2007 Cub zero turn with almost 900 hours. I rebuilt one hydraulic motor on it, replaced a couple of pulleys and belts. Still going strong.
The problem is the ones you were comparing in your video came from a box store.... People see John Deere and Cub Cadet and think they getting a top of the line name brand mower. Pick any one of the Cub Cadet or John Deere mower and then go to a John Deere or CaseNH dealership and look at the same comparable mower there..The buyers will see a huge difference in quality but then so is the price. The last Cub in your video came from a CaseNH dealer i would be willing to bet since it was more beefier and shaft drive.😅
Maybe all the issues you have had was buying used mowers from people that are poor at maintenance. I expect cub cadets to be ran through, along with any consumer riding mower.. People are horrendous with maintenance and messing stuff up. Im going through one now that was farmer rigged..
ALL HAIL KNOWLEDGE! Im reaching out to you guys, because i cant find dibly S*** about mine. Im buying a Cub Cadet Z-42 zero turn tomorrow, and i dont know anything about it. Nothing on forums, and 1-3 random clips on youtube. Anyone know anything about this? im guessing 20+ years old.
Dude turn off the computer and have fun on your new mower. That is a good model. If something breaks just get your tools out and start taking stuff apart.
The JD needed the (unsafe) electric fuel pump because the fuel tank is low relative to the carb. The CC is basically gravity feed like a motorcycle. Also easy to see fuel level with tank in front. My last lawn tractor was a 2008 LT 1045 46" deck with snow blade/weights/chains. 2 acres of lawn and 300' driveway to plow in Michigan winters. That tractor lasted 14 years of hard year-round service and was still going strong when I sold it for $500. I then immediately purchased a new CC XT1 46" and couldn't be happier. I never had a steering gear problem, never had a spindle mount problem, never had a PTO belt retainer problem, never had a carb problem and never had to remove the engine cowling. I did always keep the tractor in my garage when not in use. I also cleaned the darn thing at least once a year. Also no funky "oil change cartridge" like on the green tractors.
Those are a mechanics dream. If you get paid by the hour then taking out the fuel tank is only money in the bank. It’s not that difficult *disclaimer. I don’t own a John deer or cub cadet but am purchasing a cub next week
0:00 most the mowers your showing are home owner models Ment for light duty. Even you John Deers are. I wouldn't chase either brand out of my garage. Oh thats one other point, clean the grass off the deck do not leave wet grass on your mower and dont store it outside. Every brand of mower is subject to rust. I never use a hose to wash the deck off ill blow the grass off the mower and try not to mow right after it rains. Your asking for a rusty deck and dry berrings on your belt pullies if you do, you do know you can repack sealed berrings. It all comes down to how you take care of your equipment. And yes ive got a 1525 with a 2 stage snow blower, its a pain in the Ass to take off and put on but when you need it its handy to have. Park it outside your asking for problems.
Dude i have that exact "Scrud " cadet ltx 1050 with Coller engine rebuilt the entire drive system 1 time never changed a spark plug maybe oil every other year and it has 978 hrs on it runs and mows like a champ i guess i got a good one. the drive pull system is a bitch to change out old pullys i ended up tilting mower up against work bench strapping it in place and working on it upright saved a lot of time and crawling around. Iv replaced the spindals 2 times and mower deck belt once in its lifetime. deck is solid as can be . Mines a 2011 model. id asume nearly 1000k hours is a good life span for a mower. iv always stored it inside and washed out the deck with my own built setup that runs of my pressure washer , likely why the decks in good shape. The steering gear and wear nut was a tricky 6 beer challenge i ended up drilling through the top of the footwell a 2" diameter hole so i could gain access to the old worn gear and 2 friends help and holding steering and front spindals a duct tape to hold other stuff in place we got it done LOL what a trash design. I also did this repair when replacing all the drive belts while strapped in an upright position. dont forget to drain your oil and gas the axle is sealed so dont need to drain the fluid to service upright but good idea to change it once in its life right? to get that cowl off i just sawalled the bolts with a really long 16" blade. screw that gas tank lol. I would say key to the sscrud caddet is dont do maintenance unless it needs it and always run good non ethonal fuel with stabalizer addative. iv pulled my plugs out once they still look brand new. swapped them out and it ran worse , yes gapped and all so i put the orginals back in runs great. I also bypassed all the mower and drive gear safety crap so now i can just get off with the blades ingadged to get another cold beer. also remove those tower covers all they do is rust your mower deck. I also swapped out the strater soilinoid to a heavy duty GM universal unit and rebuilt the starter once. cause they went out around 800 hrs. I replace the blades once a year keep those towers balanced and they last a long time.
About once a year while I'm at Home Depot I check out all garden tractors on display in front. This year I was very disappointed when I popped the hood on them and all I saw was electronics instead of a gasoline motor. This is the fate of those who live in green weenie California, no more gas powered garden equipment.
The spindle damage is what happened to mine although it did take 16 years for it to happen. My question is, how old is the deck in the video? I had my 1st Cub Cadet ( LT 1050 ) from 2007 -2022. It went thru hell and just kept on going.
i feel the same hate towards both units, i lost all respect for cub cadet and john deere check out the john deere d105. that stupid mower has a PLASTIC REAR END. HAVE JOHN DEERE LOST THEIR FRICON MINDS whats next. rubber gears?
my ltx 1050 has a deck 2 times that thickness for real that deck looks like junk. I know they pused cheaper parts on big box store sold mowers and they got cheaper as years went on
Bought my MTD/Cub SLT 1550 back in '06. 25 hp Kohler V twin. Had some minor issues over time and when I looked online for help, well the comments from people made me think I bought the worst machine ever made. I just changed the original belts last year at 400 hrs. The steering bushing twice and tie rod ends once and the wheels still splay out when backing. New front tires too. But all in all I don't think I can complain compared to other's problems. But yeah, MTD does kinda ruin things.
I always thought all the mowers were the same company with different color paint. I suppose I was wrong and there are 2 or 3 companies making a dozen brands of mower. hahaha.
Cub cadet makes good mowers.I had one that lasted over 1000hrs.Only thing i done was serviced it when it was due.I had john deer to and was good but not as good as the cub.Friend of mone had two john deers and both he hit something with the deck and screwed up the deck.
I have a Husqvarna LTH1542 from 2005.(bought new) I mow over an acre of rough lawn every 5 days in season. I have only replaced belts, blades,and 1 spindle since new other than oil changes. Was I lucky or were they made better? I would like to get a new mower, as it is starting to get well worn, who makes the best/simple to use 42-46" mower these days??? Want hydrostatic.
My 1054 worked great(27hp powerful) til putting on a new transmission drive belt, after a few hrs mowing the belt loosened & started slipping a little more every time, I cannot figure how to simply tension that belt, but its connected to the brakes which when put on disengages the belt totally = somewhere in there it may adjust like the deck belt-? *So keep 👀 for a clue if it even has tensioning-?
I disagree with your take on the steering. The sector gears are the same stamped steel. The basically just run in a small line in the steering gear. There is no need for that tall gear on the JD. If the sector gear was thicker then the thicker steering gear would be appropriate. Also that GT2544 looks to be the 2005-2008 version. The hood was different on the older models and the muffler was mounted at the frame level. I have a 2007 GT2550 and an older (2004 iirc) version that burned to a crisp due to that low mounted muffler, so I am familiar with the differences
In the years of my dad and I doing mower repair, we've seen quite a few with BROKEN FRAMES. It's such a shame because we have 3 IH cub cadet that are damn bulletproof, mowing, tilling, snowblowing you name it. It's a crime what MTD has done to a great American brand
How are the Cub Cadet XT2 Enduro series? Have any of those come to your shop yet? Are all of the Cub Cadet’s lineup (including the high end models) built the same way? Just curious-looking for something that can handle 5 acres. The Cub XT2 GX54 caught my eye, it looks like a Tonka truck LOL. But if it’s still built like garbage, I don’t want it.
I’ve a John Deere now but my first mower was a GT14 Jacobson it was built like a Indy car all tube construction with a Kohler engine. It could Barrie it’s self it was so strong and powerful
I like both brands. I have an i1046 with 400+ hours. The only thing that broke was my fault and easy to fix. I just park it over winter, charge the battery, add new gas to the tank (tank is in the back,) and for 15 years, I'm mowing for another season. It handles a steep ditch slope pretty easily. I don't know any JDs (or other mowers) that would handle it as well, except for the new CC that also has steering wheel zero turn capability. Gas tank is in the back, so that is not a worry. I will mention that CC parts have generic replacements; they are much cheaper, being available from many competitive sources.
Comparing an old cub cadet to current production is a farce. Current production, owned by MTD and SBD are cheap. There are better built products out there, like Bad Boy, Hustler, etc........ There are no longer any small high quality riders. JD's are improved of late..............
I have a 2007 lt1045 fuel in the rear battery up front. 4 5/16" ×1" retaining bolts/screws. Same as my john deere. Kohler courage 20 hp. Intake manifold gasket was cork. Big mistake big smoke at start up. But we have 650+ hrs still starts and runs strong. Steering looks weak but haven't had any issues yet. Knock on wood. Was my zedo's he mowed 2 acres rather flat. My property approximately 1 1/4 needs mowing rear yard has moderate grade replaced the drive belt 1st time this season (645)hrs. 1 set of spindles 2 deck belts oil / filter changes. Thats it machine has my respect . Newer machines all suck especially with the right to repair act. Need a loader/mower soon those are not cheap any advice?. Like ability to attach backhoe as well (rear pto) .
