Case 446 How long will a SCUT last

[MrJimi]

I was curious as to what it looked like and I found these
Case Garden Tractor - Repower - Ingersoll
SBA - 446 Case Tractor Items
casegardentractors : CASE- COLT- INGERSOLL GARDEN TRACTORS

 

[Will_C]

They sure don't compare to today's SCUT's, but they were probably the closest thing 30 years ago. We had a 444 with a 14hp Kohler single cylinder engine, and a 448 with an 18hp Onan twin. They were also made with a FEL and a BH.
Will

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

I had a 446 for 10 years before I upgraded to the BX2200 in 2002. I had a 60"mmm, snowblower and snow cab during the winter, rototiller, and a front blade. I sold the entire set up for $2500 and put that as a down payment on the BX.

Here are the differences between the two:

1. The BX cuts the lawn about 2 times faster and does a better job.
2. The rototiller on the 446 was slow and not heavy, as a result did not do a good job.
3. The BX uses a lot less fuel.
4. The 446 lost traction way before the BX does.
5. The attachments on the BX come off and on a lot easier then the 446.
6. They are both orange.
7. Both are built like a tank, and should last a very long time.

 

[Botabill]

Thanks for your observations NY_Yankees_Fan. By the way... Where do you weigh in on the question "Is the Case 446 a bonafide SCUT"? I find is really amazing that the Case garden tractors as old as 30 year still have parts readily available and a devoted followoing. Here are a couple more interesting links I found casegardentractors.com
Case Garden Tractors By the way... Thanks Mr. Jimi for the links you posted.

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

Bill,

The 446 is a great garden/lawn tractor, BUT it is no subcut. The BX does so many things much better then the 446 ever could. Cutting speed, use of many more attachments, 4 wd, more horse power, just to name a few.

I actually looked at a new Case because I could use the 446 rototiller, snowblower and cab on a new machine. Could have saved a lot of $$ on attachments. BUT the new Case was close in price to the BX and you got so much more tractor for the $ with the BX.

Do not get me wrong the Case was/is a great tractor, but the BX was just heads above in my view.

Here is another place to go for Case, a lot of knowledge folks here
http://www.mytractorforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=21

 

[Soundguy]

Back when that case was built.. where was that bx?

soundguy

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

Back when that case was built.. where was that bx?

soundguy

Well lets see, since Kubota invented the subcompact tractor, I guess in was in some Japanese kid nerd engineering type dreaming of tractors.

 

[Botabill]

I'm still not sure what differentiates a SCUT from something less. The BX 1500, I think we would agree is a SCUT yet it has 1 HP less HP than a 446. Yes you could argue the 1500 is a diesel whereas the 446 is a gasser but is being diesel the line that determines SCUTs from Garden tractors or whatever? Hey don't get me wrong. I'm not saying the BX isn't more tractor than a 446 but the 446 is 30 years old. I'm just not sure what a SCUT is. .

I also wouldn't be quick to agree that the Japs invented the SCUT. There have been lots of small tractors around for many many years on many continents.

As you know I have a BX 1800 which I am very fond of. I've been having some fun comparing the 446 with my BX. There are remarkable similarities. I don't know who originated the similarities but it is interesting to note that Kubota bought out Onan, the manufacturer of the engine in the 446. I wonder what other inovations they bought , borrowed or Hmmmm...

 

[gsganzer]

I used to be a member on the Yahoo Case garden tractor group, back when I owned my 446.

That group of folks is a lot like the folks here on TBN. Friendly and someone can always point you to parts, performing repairs, finding implements etc.

I believe there were the 444, 446, 448 and the models with loaders were the 646 and 648.

 

[SkunkWerX]

I think the Hydraulically operated 3 Point Hitch is one of the factors differentiating between a Garden Tractor and CUT/SCUT?

I have the BX2350 and a Ford GT75. It is pretty obvious which is which.
I can bolt a lot of gizmos and attachemnts onto the GT75, but it will still be a Garden Tractor. But that doesn't make it bad, just engineered for different usage.

In recent years the lines have gotten quite blurred between Garden/SCUT and even CUT/SCUT.

Case in point: My Ford1210 was considered a Compact Tractor back in the mid-80s. 3 cyl deisel, 3 point hitch, geared tranny, no steel frame, the tranny housing was the frame.

So, I bought my BX2350, brought it home, and did a side x side comparison.
Wheel bases were virtually equal. OAL was about the same. Seat height the Ford was 1" taller than the BX. Both were 4wd, the new unit was hydro, the Ford was gear shifter. Both have Hi Lo gear range. Both have Diff Lock pedal.
The Ford1210's 3 cyl. diesel was rated at roughly 17hp, with about 13PTO hp. The BX is 23.5HP with 17PTO hp.

The BX looks much more compact than the 1210, but they were surprsingly similar sitting side x side when the tape measure was used.

My conclusion is that the BX2350 was called SubCompact based on some term developed by a marketing group. It is Kubota's way of differentiating the BX from the B series. So the BX's were called SUBCUT, because the term existed, where the Ford1210 was called Compact, because back in the early 80's, that was the only distinction they had made for a category between Garden and Full Size tractor. Just as the lines are blurred between Garden and SUBCUT, So are the lines between SUBCUT and CUT.

The Case 444/446/448 series is one of the age old models of Garden tractors aimed at the small hobby farmer/serious gardener , when there were really only Full Size tractors, and Garden tractors. It bridging the gap, giving some big tractor features, in a small package.

In some cases, we are talking about marketing terminology, such as with the Ford1210 and BX comparison. What makes my BX a SubCUT and the Ford1210 a CUT? A marketing term. But the BX has a cup-holder, so... game, set, match.

This is just my very general opinion, and a fairly quick way to draw a line, if we need to do so:
-A Garden Tractor doesn't have a 3 Point Hitch, more often the use a sleeve hitch or other proprietary fastening system for attachements.
-A SUBCUT usually has a limited CAT1 or CAT 0 3 Pt. hitch
-A CUT has a full-on CAT 1 hitch.
That is just a quick, off-the-cuff manner to make distinction between them. I'm sure there about 100 other factors that could be analyzed.

With all this said, the Case 446 is fine tractor, a fully-loaded Garden Tractor, very capable within it's range of operation. It can probably be looked at as a "classic".