Anyone know where the name 'Cub Cadet' came from?

[JPPWNY]

It is a strange name. Anyone know how a tractor company name referencing a baby bear and an officer in training came about?

 

[AndyM]

International Harvester went into the garden tractor business around 1960.
Previously, IH's smallest tractor was the Farmall Cub.
Their new smaller tractor was called the Cub Cadet.

A "Cadet" is an officer in training, so I'm going to guess a "Cub Cadet" is a Farmall Cub in training!

Here's a couple of pictures I found on the internet of a Farmall Cub and a Cub Cadet from the same time period...

 

[Fordlords]

During the International ownership period, (Sad to say MTD has been making Cub Cadets longer than International did) the even smaller lawn tractor series were just called Cadets, no Cub in front. I think it was like a Boy Scouts hierarchy thing based on ability

-Fordlords-

 

[rozett]

I spent many hours in the seat of a Farmalll Cub. The fruit farm that I worked at had a Farmall M and a pair of Ford 8N's. He bought a brand new Farmall Cub in the mid-50's. I think they were made from '47 until '63 or '64. It was (and still is) a great tractor for tilling crops. I never saw one painted in the IH white/yellow.... they were all red.

 

[Maveric]

I spent many hours in the seat of a Farmalll Cub. The fruit farm that I worked at had a Farmall M and a pair of Ford 8N's. He bought a brand new Farmall Cub in the mid-50's. I think they were made from '47 until '63 or '64. It was (and still is) a great tractor for tilling crops. I never saw one painted in the IH white/yellow.... they were all red.

Cub tractors were procuced form 1947 until 1979. Cub Low-Boys were produced from 1955 until 1979 (basically until the Louisville plant closed which was home to the Cub, Lo-Boy, and Cub Cadet).
The standard color on the Cub tractor and Cub Lo-Boy was changed from IH red to Federal Yellow in 1960 and the red became the optional color until the end of production.
In 1961 IH wanted a smaller yet rugged tractor to meet the needs of small commercial owners. To keep tooling costs low they used as many parts as possible from the Cub and Lo-Boy such as transmission and differential housings and the internals. Initially one name given consideration was Cubette- a prototype built by Wagner Manufacturing that was a belt drive unit and deemed too light and not worthy of the IH name. Hence the Cub Cadet.
I'm not trying to be a know it all but I got a nifty book for Fathers Day and was quoting from it. Hope this is of some help.