LT Cubs Unite!!!

TPajak · Jun 2, 2006

( Or... hold beer bottle in your hand like I do on my 682 /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

-Fordlords-
)

then i'd really fit in with these country bumkins...lol..but alas me an alcohol are not friends...allergic reactions keep me from getting too fat and drunk...which may be a good thing being im 5'9 and 250 but can lift this 1042 without blinkin an eye

TPajak · Jun 2, 2006

( Or... hold beer bottle in your hand like I do on my 682 /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

-Fordlords-
)

then i'd really fit in with these country bumkins...lol..but alas me an alcohol are not friends...allergic reactions keep me from getting too fat and drunk...which may be a good thing being im 5'9 and 250 but can lift this 1042 without blinkin an eye

SuburbanSam · Jun 2, 2006

I hope that this is at least my last statement on bashing because I really wanted this thread to go another way but...
All these posts were indeed made by you FordLords just as TangoWhiskey said. And unfortunately they as well as many other didn't make me feel real good about spending almost $3,000 on my LT series. I have a Mercedes E class, but if I keep bashing the C and SLK lines I either wind up sounding elitist, or insecure (whichever you prefer). But I definitely don't come off sounding like I'm trying to help Benz "improve the line" as you suggest? You have given a great deal of advice and incredible insight. But with no balance in the forum, I tell you that if I were to get a flat tire, I would have taken my CC back and gotten a Deere based on all the neg about the line. The only other thread that I could at all use out of the balance was the "Does anyone Like their LT?", again indicating to me that the author also was very skiddish about his purchase.

Also want to thank the person for sharing with us what a belt slippage could and could not cause. I was definitely expecting the worst.

Without sounding like pansies the rest of the way, it would be really great if we could get back to how to EFFECTIVELY use our LT's, tips tricks and methods to get the most out of our vehicles without having to run back to the dealer with an additional $2,000 borrowed out from our 401ks just because we chose to read this "expert", "unbiased", "insightfull" site to learn about our cubs.

( Briggs has only one engine I would even remotely consider, that is the Vanguard which is their top of the line engine. (I just learned on the CC forum here at TBN it is made for Briggs by Diahatsu.) The I/C and Intek are virtually identical engines, and Kohler created their cheaper Courage lineup to use on entry level machines much in the same way Briggs does with the Inteks. None of the under $2000 machines will get a decent Kohler Command any longer. Most of the top end over $2k tractors will likely get Kohler Command, Briggs Vanguard, Kawasaki, or Honda power.

The average lifespan of the small lawn tractors is around 400-500 hours, so tractor makers wanted more economy minded engines for those smaller models to keep the costs down, hense the Kohler Courage and Briggs Intek 750 hour engines. Command, Vanguard, Honda and Kawi are rated for 2000 hours, and are more expensive to manufacture.

-Fordlords-

Honda does not compromise quality or have a, "Here is our economy one, and here is our good engine," lineup like Kohler and Briggs have been strong-armed into doing with the Command/Courage and Vanguard/Intek lines. Kawasaki can't afford to lose their reputation that way either, thus they have no, "cheapo," lineup of small engines either.

For a good balance and value look at Cub Cadet's GT 2554 model- a bit pricier than the cheap LT jobs at $3399, but it has great credentials- Heavy frame, VERY heavy duty hydro, shaft drive, Kohler Command engine, and a deck with a cut quality that is hard to beat. It's a really decent machine that will endure, why waste money on a cheapo 10 year LT when for $1000 more you can get a 20+ year machine that can twist the cheap LT's into pieces performance wise? It really is a get what you pay for scenario, and the best values are in the upper-middle range of machines. I like JD, they are great machines, not brand bashing but when it comes down to equal credentials vs. value, new JD yard equipment IMHO is WAY overpriced compared to the offerings of others.

-Fordlords-

Kohler Courage vs. Kohler Command/Kawasaki/Honda/Briggs Vanguard engines?? The Courage is rated for 750 hours of life. It is built like the cheap Briggs Intek engines. The others are rated for 2000 hours of life- that's a big difference.

-Fordlords-

My humble opinion and that of many others is if you want a Cub Cadet, get at least one of the 2000 series shaft driven tractors and stay away from the LT models with the belt driven hydros. The 2000's start at $3k, but are MUCH better machines than the 1000 or 1500's which are light duty lawn tractors. All Cub Cadets are built by MTD and have been since 1981, and the CC 1000/1500's are indeed very similar "cheap" machines to the ones MTD makes under their other product names. (Look at anything seeming cheap and the little blades of grass by the name and you have it!) The CC 2000-3000 GT's are MTD's highest end garden tractors and are proven performers. The lesser MTD/CC stuff is basically throwaway on par with Craftsman and Wal-Mart LT's and even the cheap JD LT's.

-Fordlords-
 )

SuburbanSam · Jun 2, 2006

I hope that this is at least my last statement on bashing because I really wanted this thread to go another way but...
All these posts were indeed made by you FordLords just as TangoWhiskey said. And unfortunately they as well as many other didn't make me feel real good about spending almost $3,000 on my LT series. I have a Mercedes E class, but if I keep bashing the C and SLK lines I either wind up sounding elitist, or insecure (whichever you prefer). But I definitely don't come off sounding like I'm trying to help Benz "improve the line" as you suggest? You have given a great deal of advice and incredible insight. But with no balance in the forum, I tell you that if I were to get a flat tire, I would have taken my CC back and gotten a Deere based on all the neg about the line. The only other thread that I could at all use out of the balance was the "Does anyone Like their LT?", again indicating to me that the author also was very skiddish about his purchase.

Also want to thank the person for sharing with us what a belt slippage could and could not cause. I was definitely expecting the worst.

Without sounding like pansies the rest of the way, it would be really great if we could get back to how to EFFECTIVELY use our LT's, tips tricks and methods to get the most out of our vehicles without having to run back to the dealer with an additional $2,000 borrowed out from our 401ks just because we chose to read this "expert", "unbiased", "insightfull" site to learn about our cubs.

( Briggs has only one engine I would even remotely consider, that is the Vanguard which is their top of the line engine. (I just learned on the CC forum here at TBN it is made for Briggs by Diahatsu.) The I/C and Intek are virtually identical engines, and Kohler created their cheaper Courage lineup to use on entry level machines much in the same way Briggs does with the Inteks. None of the under $2000 machines will get a decent Kohler Command any longer. Most of the top end over $2k tractors will likely get Kohler Command, Briggs Vanguard, Kawasaki, or Honda power.

The average lifespan of the small lawn tractors is around 400-500 hours, so tractor makers wanted more economy minded engines for those smaller models to keep the costs down, hense the Kohler Courage and Briggs Intek 750 hour engines. Command, Vanguard, Honda and Kawi are rated for 2000 hours, and are more expensive to manufacture.

-Fordlords-

Honda does not compromise quality or have a, "Here is our economy one, and here is our good engine," lineup like Kohler and Briggs have been strong-armed into doing with the Command/Courage and Vanguard/Intek lines. Kawasaki can't afford to lose their reputation that way either, thus they have no, "cheapo," lineup of small engines either.

For a good balance and value look at Cub Cadet's GT 2554 model- a bit pricier than the cheap LT jobs at $3399, but it has great credentials- Heavy frame, VERY heavy duty hydro, shaft drive, Kohler Command engine, and a deck with a cut quality that is hard to beat. It's a really decent machine that will endure, why waste money on a cheapo 10 year LT when for $1000 more you can get a 20+ year machine that can twist the cheap LT's into pieces performance wise? It really is a get what you pay for scenario, and the best values are in the upper-middle range of machines. I like JD, they are great machines, not brand bashing but when it comes down to equal credentials vs. value, new JD yard equipment IMHO is WAY overpriced compared to the offerings of others.

-Fordlords-

Kohler Courage vs. Kohler Command/Kawasaki/Honda/Briggs Vanguard engines?? The Courage is rated for 750 hours of life. It is built like the cheap Briggs Intek engines. The others are rated for 2000 hours of life- that's a big difference.

-Fordlords-

My humble opinion and that of many others is if you want a Cub Cadet, get at least one of the 2000 series shaft driven tractors and stay away from the LT models with the belt driven hydros. The 2000's start at $3k, but are MUCH better machines than the 1000 or 1500's which are light duty lawn tractors. All Cub Cadets are built by MTD and have been since 1981, and the CC 1000/1500's are indeed very similar "cheap" machines to the ones MTD makes under their other product names. (Look at anything seeming cheap and the little blades of grass by the name and you have it!) The CC 2000-3000 GT's are MTD's highest end garden tractors and are proven performers. The lesser MTD/CC stuff is basically throwaway on par with Craftsman and Wal-Mart LT's and even the cheap JD LT's.

-Fordlords-
 )

Flip221 · Jun 2, 2006

( I hope that this is at least my last statement on bashing because I really wanted this thread to go another way but...
All these posts were indeed made by you FordLords just as TangoWhiskey said. And unfortunately they as well as many other didn't make me feel real good about spending almost $3,000 on my LT series. I have a Mercedes E class, but if I keep bashing the C and SLK lines I either wind up sounding elitist, or insecure (whichever you prefer). But I definitely don't come off sounding like I'm trying to help Benz "improve the line" as you suggest? You have given a great deal of advice and incredible insight. But with no balance in the forum, I tell you that if I were to get a flat tire, I would have taken my CC back and gotten a Deere based on all the neg about the line. The only other thread that I could at all use out of the balance was the "Does anyone Like their LT?", again indicating to me that the author also was very skiddish about his purchase.

Also want to thank the person for sharing with us what a belt slippage could and could not cause. I was definitely expecting the worst.

Without sounding like pansies the rest of the way, it would be really great if we could get back to how to EFFECTIVELY use our LT's, tips tricks and methods to get the most out of our vehicles without having to run back to the dealer with an additional $2,000 borrowed out from our 401ks just because we chose to read this "expert", "unbiased", "insightfull" site to learn about our cubs.

 )
)

I don't really see any bashing in FordLords posts... Most of what he said is fact.

The CC 1000's are very nice tractors for the money, just like the 2500's are very nice for the money, and the 3000's etc.

The build of the 1000 series and the 2500 series don't really compare, nor should they!

For anyone looking for a lawn mower, the 1000 series CC's are about the best bang you can get for your buck. Buy it and don't look back! So what if the engines (are rated to) last only 750 hours; that is a long **** time! At 50 hours/year, that's 15 years.

BUT - if you are going to do more with it than intended, then don't complain about it when it doesn't hold up or doesn't do what you think it should (even though the Mfr says it isn't designed for such things).

I was one who took FordLords adivce and traded up to the CC 2544 from a CC 1046. I wanted more out of the 1046 than it could (reliably) deliver, so I traded up (and paid the dealer a 10% restock fee on my 2006 1046 with 5 hrs. on it).

The extra $1000 shows all over the place, but it doesn't make the 1000 series a bad tractor! It just needs to be used for its intended use.

As far as "bashing", you have to remember that 90% of people who end up here (MyTF, TBN, etc.) end up here because they have a problem and are looking for an answer. While a lot of us (obviously) love to read up on other's experiences and post positives, the truth is we are a VERY small percentage of the population who own these machines.

Just my 2 cents.

Flip221 · Jun 2, 2006

( I hope that this is at least my last statement on bashing because I really wanted this thread to go another way but...
All these posts were indeed made by you FordLords just as TangoWhiskey said. And unfortunately they as well as many other didn't make me feel real good about spending almost $3,000 on my LT series. I have a Mercedes E class, but if I keep bashing the C and SLK lines I either wind up sounding elitist, or insecure (whichever you prefer). But I definitely don't come off sounding like I'm trying to help Benz "improve the line" as you suggest? You have given a great deal of advice and incredible insight. But with no balance in the forum, I tell you that if I were to get a flat tire, I would have taken my CC back and gotten a Deere based on all the neg about the line. The only other thread that I could at all use out of the balance was the "Does anyone Like their LT?", again indicating to me that the author also was very skiddish about his purchase.

Also want to thank the person for sharing with us what a belt slippage could and could not cause. I was definitely expecting the worst.

Without sounding like pansies the rest of the way, it would be really great if we could get back to how to EFFECTIVELY use our LT's, tips tricks and methods to get the most out of our vehicles without having to run back to the dealer with an additional $2,000 borrowed out from our 401ks just because we chose to read this "expert", "unbiased", "insightfull" site to learn about our cubs.

 )
)

I don't really see any bashing in FordLords posts... Most of what he said is fact.

The CC 1000's are very nice tractors for the money, just like the 2500's are very nice for the money, and the 3000's etc.

The build of the 1000 series and the 2500 series don't really compare, nor should they!

For anyone looking for a lawn mower, the 1000 series CC's are about the best bang you can get for your buck. Buy it and don't look back! So what if the engines (are rated to) last only 750 hours; that is a long **** time! At 50 hours/year, that's 15 years.

BUT - if you are going to do more with it than intended, then don't complain about it when it doesn't hold up or doesn't do what you think it should (even though the Mfr says it isn't designed for such things).

I was one who took FordLords adivce and traded up to the CC 2544 from a CC 1046. I wanted more out of the 1046 than it could (reliably) deliver, so I traded up (and paid the dealer a 10% restock fee on my 2006 1046 with 5 hrs. on it).

The extra $1000 shows all over the place, but it doesn't make the 1000 series a bad tractor! It just needs to be used for its intended use.

As far as "bashing", you have to remember that 90% of people who end up here (MyTF, TBN, etc.) end up here because they have a problem and are looking for an answer. While a lot of us (obviously) love to read up on other's experiences and post positives, the truth is we are a VERY small percentage of the population who own these machines.

Just my 2 cents.

SuburbanSam · Jun 2, 2006

Flip221, Thank you for your post. My (and now many others who've commented on this thread) is that there are VERY few of your type of post and many more even harsher than FordLords. In fact "what it is intended for" as you stated, without any definition, more than most would make someone switch to another brand. Maybe it's just me, but if I need more than "what it is intended for" out of my LT cub, then I'm going to trade it for a JD, or a Kubota. I'm not going to spend more with a company that has allready disapointed me or one inwhich forum members make open ended statements like "when it doesn't hold up" with no meaning behind it. If my Audi Quatro has sudden accelaration syndrome and crashes through my garage, I'm not going back to the Audi dealer and giving him another 10k for a bigger model?

Why don't you at least list some of those things that you've found were limitations to your 1046, or what you feel are the lines intentions are and what your intentions were, so that a newbie reading posts can easily be able to say "If I have purpose X, Y and Z then I need tractor 123, or if I am only going to do P, Q and R, then I need tractor 456". This would enable new folks to make clear, unbiased, informed decisions, in order to AVOID the 10% restocking fee, towing and all the rest. Goodness knows this shouldn't have been a forum etiquette thread, but I must tell you that how my acre of land is laid out, and the above post describing what really happens if the drive belt breaks, I can honestly tell you that I ABSOLUTELY overbought in the tractor area.

Many have initially come to this forum to make sure that there salesperson at HD or Cub Corporate wasn't doing just that, selling.

If there were even a few more threads out here to add balance to this subject, I would have spent $500-$1000 less money and $500-$1000 more in things to put in my cupholder. As well, you very well could have bought the right 2500 tractor in the first place.

Again what would really make this whole thing worth it is if you would tell us what you were doing with your 1046 originally, what else you wanted to do while you drove it in those first 5 hours, what it couldn't do, and what you now do with your 2500 series. That way the rest of the world can figure out for themselves what their workload would be like and make some intelligent decisions. Who knows there may be some people who live in DownTown ManHattan who want to pull stumps in Central Park. Thus they would readily know that they need a 3000 series???

SuburbanSam · Jun 2, 2006

Flip221, Thank you for your post. My (and now many others who've commented on this thread) is that there are VERY few of your type of post and many more even harsher than FordLords. In fact "what it is intended for" as you stated, without any definition, more than most would make someone switch to another brand. Maybe it's just me, but if I need more than "what it is intended for" out of my LT cub, then I'm going to trade it for a JD, or a Kubota. I'm not going to spend more with a company that has allready disapointed me or one inwhich forum members make open ended statements like "when it doesn't hold up" with no meaning behind it. If my Audi Quatro has sudden accelaration syndrome and crashes through my garage, I'm not going back to the Audi dealer and giving him another 10k for a bigger model?

Why don't you at least list some of those things that you've found were limitations to your 1046, or what you feel are the lines intentions are and what your intentions were, so that a newbie reading posts can easily be able to say "If I have purpose X, Y and Z then I need tractor 123, or if I am only going to do P, Q and R, then I need tractor 456". This would enable new folks to make clear, unbiased, informed decisions, in order to AVOID the 10% restocking fee, towing and all the rest. Goodness knows this shouldn't have been a forum etiquette thread, but I must tell you that how my acre of land is laid out, and the above post describing what really happens if the drive belt breaks, I can honestly tell you that I ABSOLUTELY overbought in the tractor area.

Many have initially come to this forum to make sure that there salesperson at HD or Cub Corporate wasn't doing just that, selling.

If there were even a few more threads out here to add balance to this subject, I would have spent $500-$1000 less money and $500-$1000 more in things to put in my cupholder. As well, you very well could have bought the right 2500 tractor in the first place.

Again what would really make this whole thing worth it is if you would tell us what you were doing with your 1046 originally, what else you wanted to do while you drove it in those first 5 hours, what it couldn't do, and what you now do with your 2500 series. That way the rest of the world can figure out for themselves what their workload would be like and make some intelligent decisions. Who knows there may be some people who live in DownTown ManHattan who want to pull stumps in Central Park. Thus they would readily know that they need a 3000 series???

DmansPadge · Jun 2, 2006

( Or... hold beer bottle in your hand like I do on my 682 /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

-Fordlords-
)

Finally... a REAL answer!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

DmansPadge · Jun 2, 2006

( Or... hold beer bottle in your hand like I do on my 682 /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

-Fordlords-
)

Finally... a REAL answer!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif