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Cadillac Forums: 1963, flathead, 3 on the floor....
***WARNING*** Lots of pictures, if busy, or don't really care about tractors.... move on
I'll admit, this was, or atleast started out as a 100% emotion purchase. See, as a kid I used a Cub 100 to mow the fields at my fathers/grand fathers place. My father restored that tractor, they had it since he was a kid.
I've always liked that tractor... guess it's just as they say... the things from when you are really young is what you go after.... and ever since I used the 100, I've always wanted to get that feeling back.
So when I just happened to browse the local Craigslist and saw somebody selling a 100, running, with a parts 100.... for $350... man, I said to myself how the heck can I pass this up?
See, they don't make them like this anymore... hear that with alot of things, but for garden tractors, that is oh so true. This thing may not be pretty right now, but it is in original, unrestored condition, and now, 45 years later, it works just as good as ever. Seriosuly, it'll outlive me. The main frame is heavy gauge steel, the whole grille assembly is solid cast iron, as is the front axel, transaxle and most of the engine.
Engine is a Kohler K241AS. 10hp, but not 10hp in todays garden equipment terms, 10 real, hard working HP.... which really goes far. Trans is 3-speed, which are real gears, and behave like such.
In 1960 is when the "original" came out, then in 1963 the 70/100 was made... same tractor, just 7hp/10hp. IH basically took their Cub farm tractor, and shrunk it to bring the farm life home
Right now it's not exactly stock, firstly, it's got John Deere 110 fenders, which fit the tractor well... I may keep them on it until I can get an original pair of fenders... still tho, I like them, they did grow on me. It's also got a John Deere steering wheel, which does the job, but will be replaced with a correct wheel at a later time. The tires... heh... it's got fairly new Ag tires on the back and skinny rib tires on the front.... makes it look like a little pulling tractor. Again, took a while to grow on me, but I do like the look now... and man, are those tires sure handy when it comes do doing tractorey-type stuff! Then finally, the exhaust... and what classic tractor whoudln't be complete without a big stack and flapper? Of course it looks out of place, but again... it did grow on me, and I will admit... the flapper is darn cool! Still tho, I have both versions of the original muffler I may put on in the future to tame it down... but I dunno, I sorta like it now.
So as I mentioned, it was first an emotion purchase, restore it someday.... but then I realized, this is a real garden tractor, not just a lawn tractor... that means I can do heavy duty ground engaging tasks..... now all of a sudden my emotion purchase now can play a major role in my yard cleanup and transform process.
So I scanned the Atlanta craigslist a bit... and found someone selling a Brinly plow, nearly new condition (every other one I've seen was completely rusted over) when I asked how much I was shocked to hear... $50! of course add a $50 tank of gas... but still... made it worthwhile tho, stopped for some good pizza in ATL.
I bought an old Wheel Horse disc harrow from the same guy I got the tractors from for $20, it works great, gonna clean it up, grease it and it's ready to go. I paid $350 for the 2 tractors, $20 for the disc harrow, $20 in other misc parts for the Cub and $25 for him to bring all the toys here to me (stinks not having a running truck to tow my trailer)
So the new plan is, to use it all as-is to work... then sometime in the future when thats done, I am going to restore the tractor... take it all apart piece by piece, clean it, repaint it, and put it back together.... going to have to get a sand blaster, but thats a while off. Right now, it is completely functional, the engine runs awesome, no smoke at all, starts right up. Already has a new spark plug and air filter, so I did an oil change and will change the trans fluid, then hit all the grease points but otherwise use it for now.
The parts tractor has several goodies... first up, a complete set of original tires/wheels, which must have tubes, because they hold air. Also it has a mower deck, complete with all PTO engagement hardware and mower deck hanger... and, it has the 3 pt. hitch needed for certain things like the Brinly plow. I'll be robbing the rest of the 3 pt hitch off it, then someday fix the mower deck up nice, tho it won't work with the tires on the tractor now. Still tho, I am not going to use the Cub for mowing, thats what the Wheel Horse will do (once I actually have a lawn to mow) as that is a more comfortable and easier tractor to mow with, but not as heavy duty. The parts tractor has a solid frame, transaxle, clutch and engine. The guy I bought them from said the guy he got it from said the engine ran, but it smoked... it turns by hand... has oil in it.... it would be fun someday just to get it running. Rebuild kits are cheap and these seem easy to rebuild. Steering is not working on the parts tractor because the steering box is cracked in half.
The big ag tires give it insane amounts of traction in even loose dirt.... perfect for plowing The plan is to use the chain saw to clear all the trees I want, get a 55 gallon drum to burn the stumps (still need to find one) then use the plow to plow all the land, I am going to leave the leaves down (was trying to clean them all up) the plow will flip the soil over, so the leaves will break down and fertalize the land. Once everything is plowed up, I'll go over it all good with the disc harrow to break up the large chunks of soil, further help to break up the leaves and smooth it all out to get ready for seeding
What classic would be complete without a hood ornament?
I was thinking about maybe going a bit upscale....
the 10hp Kohler... K241AS, K-series, 24cubic inches, 1 cylinder, A-modified oil pan, S-electric start. Note the external voltage regulator and ignition coil.
the original fuel sedement bowl. Pretty neat, fuel drips from the tank into the bowl, any dirt or debris sinks to the bottom, there is a screen at the top where fuel is drawn from... just shut off fuel and unscrew bowl to empty, clean and put back in I've got a cover for the clutch, just haven't put it on yet.
the massive Delco-Remy starter-generator helps complete the tractor
Taking a peek underneath....oil drain plug and beefy front suspension.
steering box:
clutch:
driveshaft at the top:
transaxle. Hard to believe it's just a garden tractor... but thats why at nearly half a century later these things are still being used everyday for work in unrestored condition
I really like using it, in it's sorta rough-looking condition right now, it really has an old farm euipment feel to it... but darn it runs so good. Everytime I use it... it's just cool to know its 45 years old... something to be said for things that last this long and still kick butt!
The parts tractor.... quite a difference between the orginal tires The tires are cracked really bad, but gotta have tubes.... when all is said and done and there is a nice lawn, I may swap the wheels/tires, those ag tires will tear up the grass pretty quick. Still, good to have both sets
What a differnce the tires make from the back! Heh. The old 100 is a Narrow Frame Cub, later they made the Wide Frames. but the tires alone make it look wider. You can see the upper part of the 3 pt. hitch, that moves up/down with the handle that normally raises/lowers the mower deck. the lower portion I since put on the other tractor.
Both seats are original, that one is just rusted a whole lot more.... that cushion really helps! Plus it looks cool too... I'll probably leave the pan seat on... I like it.
I got this yard cart for moving things around the yard... some larger rocks/cut pieces of wood on the other side, but also when I do cut down trees and cut them up, then when it's al done, for putting mulch out and other goodies.... it's a nice cart, build quality isn't that good (ugly welds etc...) Made in China so what do ya expect? 1,500lbs capacity, it dumps and the sides can fold down to become a flat bed... it'll get good use over the years
Fun toys for the bigger toy
I was shocked when the guy sent me a picture and I saw the condition... $50! Heh, he was surprised I drove 120 miles each way to get it. I am looking forward to using this, it'll be alot of fun
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The Wheel Horse disc harrow... I think it's cool that it's a Wheel Horse. Built really well, makes the ones at Sears look like junk. all the discs turn free, but I need to free up the adjusting bolts on the top. When I do get a sandblaster some day and restore the tractor, I'll clean up the disc harrow as well. You can put weight on the top of it (cinder blocks/snadbags etc...) to help it work, which is what I'll end up doing.
I couldn't wait, had to try it... the hitch pin for the trailer was too big, so I pulled a bolt off the parts tractor and hooked it up to the Cub, no weight in the tray, just pulled it around to see what it'll do.... I think it'll work great... get 80-100lbs on it and it'll really dig in nice, especially on freshly plowed dirt... this stuff is packed in.
Those 3 trees were fallen in my little mini-forest.... this was before I got the Cub, so I got my tow strap and tied them up to the Wheel Horse... I was surprised it pulled them right out... not bad for turf tires on layers of leaves It was fun to work with that tractor, but it's really not made for too much more, it's a 200 series, the 300 series were a garden tractor. Mine does have a cast iron front axle, but a stamped steel frame, belt drive and Peerless transaxle.... still tho, fun to switch up the tractors now and then
just for fun, here are some recent pictures of the Wheel Horse.... hard to belive it was a year ago I pulled the mower deck and painted it up....man time is flying by!
These are the trees that are coming down. My property goes to the side road there (they are putting in a small sub divsion ) this is only about 1/3 the trees too. I was undecided what to do, but it would be nice to actually have a yard. I am going to clear most the trees out in the center, leaves some around the sides, but at some point I'd like to get Leyland Cypress trees all around the edges of the property. A few trees are staying, such as my two hammock trees, as well as the grouping of the 3 trees to the right of the hammock.... but other then that, and a few others.... I am already seeing my future PGA-quality lawn It's alot of trees, they are all very tall, but pretty narrow. I got a new chain saw I get to play with, so it'll be fun
You can see the overwhelming leaves... I got them all blown away with the leaf blower... but now its just in huge piles. I was going to get all the leaves (even in between all those trees) and make a compost out of them... but I got to thinking of it, and when I do go to plow all the soil up, they just stay. I'll make a few extra rounds with the disc harrow to break them up good.
I thought this video is cool, not only is it a 100, but it's the same type of plow I got, showing it all in work... pretty neat... then use the disc harrow to go over all this to make it nice smooth and even soil ready for planting.
When we had to do our lawn at my parent's house we brought out (ours is a little dirtier and rustier ):
Throw a Roto-tiller attachment on the back and whatever was on or in the ground becomes nice, even lawn after you throw some seed on it in the spring.
Ever since I was young and used the 100, I was partial to Cub Cadet, then when we got the Wheel Horse at my moms (heh, 8 or 9 years ago now) I also like Wheel Horse.... I'd like to find an older Wheel Horse garden tractor someday to fix up.... I haven't got hooked on the Deere's yet, but maybe within time.... tho I need to lay low on the tractors for awhile... running out of places to put everything!
Ever since I was young and used the 100, I was partial to Cub Cadet, then when we got the Wheel Horse at my moms (heh, 8 or 9 years ago now) I also like Wheel Horse.... I'd like to find an older Wheel Horse garden tractor someday to fix up.... I haven't got hooked on the Deere's yet, but maybe within time.... tho I need to lay low on the tractors for awhile... running out of places to put everything!
4wd diesel power
I have to admit I like the Cub Cadet lawn mowers better than the John Deere mowers. The thing is I can't put my finger on why, they just seem better made and engineered somehow.
I have to admit, it's pretty cool that your tractor has a high mount exhaust, complete with raincap.
Now all you need is it to burn oil so you can see the horsepower hard at work whenever you give it gas and see blue smoke shoot out of the exhaust.
__________________ -Chad
From all of these signs saying sorry but we're closed
All the way down the telegraph road
-Dire Straits, Telegraph Road. 1982
lol, nah this thing doesn't burn a bit of oil.... To my knowladge, it hasn't been rebuilt, tho in 45 years, whos to say. It starts right up tho, only smoke is black smoke when the choke is pulled, push it in and it clears right up... it runs great, and the idle is set super low... I like it like that though.
Just for fun I want to try to get the other tractor running... I points and coil are there, but I would need a carburator, then rig up a fuel supply.... then just wrap a pull coard around one of the pullies... it would be cool.
Weekend finally arrives, means I get to play with it a bit more
I have to admit I like the Cub Cadet lawn mowers better than the John Deere mowers. The thing is I can't put my finger on why, they just seem better made and engineered somehow.
To be honest tho, I've really never used a Deere. As a kid I mowed a good sized yard with a nice John Deere lawn tractor... don't remember the model, I remember I liked it tho.
I'm sure if I had one, I'd like it too.... I am just partial to Cub, and especially the 100, because I grew up with it. Sorta the same with Wheel Horse.
Tho in the 80's IH sold off Cub Cadet, it became Cub Cadet Corporation for a short time, then MTD managed to snag it up and... well most know how it went from there.... same goes for Wheel Horse in the 80's, when Toro bought them out, things took a turn for the worst, but now, the only thing left for Wheel Horse is the Toro/Wheel Horse "classic" which is overpriced and only thing WH about it is the style. Someday an older WH and an 80's 316-H (bigger, more heavy duty version of my 211-5) would be neat.
These old Cubs sure are tough tho... in the models after the 100 they started adding hydraulic lift as an option as well as hydrostatic drive, but all of them up until IH sold them off are just way overbuilt... really is cool.
Here is a 100 fixed up nice... those are the correct fenders, it's also got the headlights (optional) as well as the very rare creeper gear (small shifter knob sticking up thru the frame) which basically makes the 3-speed a 6-speed.
my grandparents had an several tractors up till the late 90's 1 david brown, 1 international 444, 2 farmall cubs, and my grandmothers favorite: a massey furgason garden tractor.
Holy hell I thought I would never see one of those again. My grandpa has one, all original and much less rust. I'm stopping there on the way to the Midwest meet this weekend so I'll take some pictures. Maybe I'll post pictures of some of the other tractors we have.
I started it up and drove it around a bit, first time since last week, but I was just looking at it sitting there... The battery in it is an Autocraft Silver (Advance Auto) and according to the date code is now 5yrs old... tractor would be slow to start, sometimes had to hit the starter button a few times to get it past the compression stroke. So I swapped in the Autocraft Titanium battery from the Isuzu, it's been out, so I figure atleast it'll get use and stay charged... man, it turns over fast now! I am happy that the newer battery won't go to waste either, it'll stay in the tractor until the Isuzu is running again.
) this is only about 1/3 the trees too. I was undecided what to do, but it would be nice to actually have a yard. I am going to clear most the trees out in the center, leaves some around the sides, but at some point I'd like to get Leyland Cypress trees all around the edges of the property. A few trees are staying, such as my two hammock trees, as well as the grouping of the 3 trees to the right of the hammock.... but other then that, and a few others.... I am already seeing my future PGA-quality lawn 
It's alot of trees, they are all very tall, but pretty narrow. I got a new chain saw I get to play with, so it'll be fun 
