Advice requested an trading in new GT2550

[savageactor7]

?or a good pre MTD used series 2 tractor and 50 deck.

I love the tractor I think it could pull down my garage if I could hook it up properly.

But with 30 hours I致e run out of gas a half doz times or so?ow I won稚 take it anywhere without topping it off. Since I changed the oil at 10hrs it constantly weeps oil necessitating I top it off. The 徹 ring securing the dipstick keeps coming off.

The 50 deck in too high maintainance, it痴 a throw away deck imo ?致e owned 5 CC痴 and this is the 1st mower I got without a full pulley cover.

After 5 hrs I noticed a partially frayed belt so I took the covers off figuring the debris was the problem. Now I have to take it off ever time I mow. No amount of compressed air or hose pressure will clean that mess out.

Still noticed belt fraying, further investigation revealed the front lift/rod bracket assembly was rubbing against the belt so I took that off and with an angel grinder removed enough metal that the 2 notches allow the belt to pass by unmolested.

Not enough ground clearance when you take off the deck and go into the woods.

Many other things I don稚 want to nitpick about but it痴 one thing after another. We have 30 acres and use the tractor daily.

Someone please tell me what痴 the best shaft driven series 2 tractor I want to trade down for?hen they still made good stuff. I figure I don稚 need 21 HP?y first '64 IH had half that HP and ran a rototiller, snowblower, deck and never ran out of fuel. Also I require a mower deck with a full top cover. Thank you for your recommendations.

 

[LBrown59]

I went from a CC GT 2554 with a front blade and rear tiller to this.
I really liked the GT 2554 but I just wanted something different.

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk286/lb59/100_2316.jpg

Nothing wrong with the CC GT 2554 and I just loved the trouble free 54'' mower deck.
It was and is a great tractor with none of the problems you mentioned except it was a little hard on gas

?or a good pre MTD used series 2 tractor and 50 deck.
I love the tractor I think it could pull down my garage if I could hook it up properly.
But with 30 hours I致e run out of gas a half doz times or so?ow I won稚 take it anywhere without topping it off. Since I changed the oil at 10hrs it constantly weeps oil necessitating I top it off. The 徹 ring securing the dipstick keeps coming off.
The 50 deck in too high maintainance, it痴 a throw away deck imo ?致e owned 5 CC痴 and this is the 1st mower I got without a full pulley cover.
After 5 hrs I noticed a partially frayed belt so I took the covers off figuring the debris was the problem. Now I have to take it off ever time I mow. No amount of compressed air or hose pressure will clean that mess out.
Still noticed belt fraying, further investigation revealed the front lift/rod bracket assembly was rubbing against the belt so I took that off and with an angel grinder removed enough metal that the 2 notches allow the belt to pass by unmolested.
Not enough ground clearance when you take off the deck and go into the woods.
Many other things I don稚 want to nitpick about but it痴 one thing after another. We have 30 acres and use the tractor daily.
Someone please tell me what痴 the best shaft driven series 2 tractor I want to trade down for?hen they still made good stuff. I figure I don稚 need 21 HP?y first '64 IH had half that HP and ran a rototiller, snowblower, deck and never ran out of fuel. Also I require a mower deck with a full top cover. Thank you for your recommendations.

 

[JSharp]

If it's a "new" 2550 why aren't the problems covered under warranty?

 

[savageactor7]

If it's a "new" 2550 why aren't the problems covered under warranty?

Well they're really not the kind of big problems I would bring to my dealer...who I'm very satisfied with btw.

Look if I was a lunarian and just arrived off the moon...I would love this tractor. the trouble is with owning so many other CC's I'm used to a certain level of quality and user friendliness.

I suppose I could live with everything but the deck, and all new decks are the same ...no deck covers.

There are times I find myself in the woods at nighttime and those headlights are worthless also I have to plow snow like 0430 and those safety micro-managers at MTD didn't even put any tail lights on the machine so cars can see me.

Like I said it's a bunch of little things...I just miss my older tractors, they did so much more with less horsepower.

Yesterday when the O ring came off the dip stick for the umpteenth time I decided that was that. I decided at that time I wanted to trade for an older more user friendly and conventionally made tractor. Like when a brand name meant something.

LBrown59 I just googeled the GT 2554 and that is too much like mine...when you take the deck off the pulleys are still out in fount of the tractor waiting to be damaged in the woods. That's bogus design imo. All my other CC's when I took the deck harness off I had clear sailing in the woods. Thanks anyway.

 

[LBrown59]

LBrown59 I just googeled the GT 2554 and that is too much like mine...when you take the deck off the pulleys are still out in fount of the tractor waiting to be damaged in the woods. That's bogus design imo. All my other CC's when I took the deck harness off I had clear sailing in the woods. Thanks anyway.

I was just contrasting how my GT2554 didn't have the issues your GT2550 did except It was somewhat hard on gas.
Have you looked at the CC 3000 series .
You may need to look at certain models of
Kubota
Simplicity
MF
Toro
NH
And JD
to find what you're looking for.

 

[savageactor7]

Yes Mr brown today I did look at the 3 series tractors, the Yanmar's, the Kubota's and Huskies I was ready to trade up if I had too. Unfortunately all the garden tractors are pretty much the same...except for the Ingersoll Rand one that is made in Maine.

Actually I have no big complaints against my 2550 it's got the most pulling power of any of the many Cubs I've owned...it just a bunch of small things that more or less reached critical mass when the O ring on the dip stick came off for the 10th time or so that drove me over the edge.

At this point in time I'll most likely keep the 2550 and modify it to my requirements. First thing being putting real lights on it all the way around so I can see and be seen and don't get run over plowing snow...then over the winter I have to do something with the deck and fabricate a full top pully cover like CC has had since like...forever.

thanks for your input.

 

[JSharp]

Are you sure it's debris that is causing the belt to fray? My 2554 deck with the stock blades filled the area up under the covers with crass clippings in about an hour. Yet I've had no problems with the deck belt.

The front PTO might be an issue if you're brush hogging with the thing but for normal grass cutting I don't see it or the lack of a full pulley cover as a problem. The area under the cover will still fill up with clippings unless you also close off the area around the spindles.

The headlights are about useless but I don't use my Cub at night so it doesn't bother me too much. Same with the lack of rear lights. If you're going to operate the machine near a roadway in the dark you'll need an SMV triangle too in addition to rear lights.

The Cub is a garden tractor and on par with all the others currently available. But it's not a tractor. Never will be. When I got my Cub I has plans to use it for a lot more things than I now use it for. But I was somewhat dissatisfied with things about it too. Like PTO belt life when cutting tall prairie grass, cooling issues, pulling power, etc.

The cost of a sleeve hitch and the light duty garden tractor attachments made for it brought me to the conclusion that what I needed was a *real* tractor. Something with power, lots capability, ground clearance, a huge variety of inexpensive implements, etc. I think you'll end up coming to the same conclusion. If you have things to do that are overwhelming the Cub what you probably need is a tractor...

 

[JTKub]

The Cub is a garden tractor and on par with all the others currently available. But it's not a tractor. Never will be. .

+1 to that. It's a great machine for mowing. Especially on hills, slopes and rough terrain, but if you truly NEED attachments, you do need a real tractor (CUT or better).

Joel

 

[savageactor7]

Are you sure it's debris that is causing the belt to fray? My 2554 deck with the stock blades filled the area up under the covers with crass clippings in about an hour. Yet I've had no problems with the deck belt.

Well I solved the belt fraying issue. Got on the ground and looked along the pullys front to back and noticed the bottom of the belt was touching the front lift rod/bracket assembly. So I took that off and with an angel grinder notched out 2 gentle 'U' groves for belt clearance.

Like I said it's not a bad tractor it's a bunch of little things. Just say'en I do have a Kubota B1750 btw.

I can't believe everyone here is so acceptable of the new mower decks that are open and become debris collectors. imo these newer decks are intentionally made to be disposable. Most of us here have been buying CC for years because of quality, right?

Personally I service the top of the deck every time I mow with it now...and that's my main complaint with this tractor...it's needs more maintenance than an aircraft.

 

[art]

For many customers I like the open top of the deck as it is easier to clean and even with the garden hose although not my perfered method at least it can dry out with out holding moisture and rusting as bad.
There are short comings to the deck and from time to time we have to modify them to perfect the deck to the tractor. As a dealer it is important that when there is a problem we file appropriate warrantee forms so the manufacturer can also become aware of the problems. All to often we even take a short cut and forget about the paper work but just correct the issues for the customer.