MTD was made in ohio and the USA for about 20 years. It may be a CUB CADET but it IS NOT the real cub cadet International built tractor. The 82 series was the last of the real good cub cadets. Anything newer doesn't even compare. Your tractor is still a decent tractor, not the worst by far, but not one of the best cub's out there.

 

MTD bought Cub Cadet from IH in 1981, but for the first 15 years or so they left CCC, Cub Cadet Corp. pretty much alone, and Cub built pretty good tractors up through the mid 90s when MTD began to provide much more corporate influence and cost pressure on them. IH was headquartered in Chicago, MTD is located in Cleveland.

steve

 

This is what I thought. The new cub's don't look as well built as my 2130

 

The 2130 Is Built on the same frame that the 2500 series were Built on as far as that statement they left them alone Not exactly true after the first few years of ownership MTD changed manual trans with in the Line. They did not buy the IH patent on the trans. The cat 0 3point that you will find on the CCC cub cadets is the same 3point that was used on there White line and there Own name brand & Yardman 990's. 2000 is there year they really started streamlining there Brands Meaning 2001 The White Outdoor GT's were based on the same Frame as The Cub Cadet 2000 & 2500 series one CCC series 3 came out in 1990 is were some of the streamlining also started to begain for example the implement lift handles used on the 1540 where the same used on White,YardMan,Yard machine & many other MTD brands The Garden tractor frame themselfs from the 1440 which came out in 1992 was also used in the White Line & the Yard man line Minus the two Holes for Hydraulic Ports For the most part the frame's were the same except for the fender decks The Cub supers had there own Frames of coarse But to say they left alone for the first 15years Not really. CCC was always HQ in Ohio But most Cubs until the Mind 1990's were made in Tenn. and still a lot are. And the Cadet model of the 1990's were standard MTD lawn tractors But had Cub Cadet colors The Cub Cadet rear engine rider since the mid 1980's were also Just other MTD Brand RER in cub Cadet colors But a MTD cub Cadet really is still a Cub Cadet & remember the 82 series from may 1981 to 1985 was Built at MTD's CCC Plant in Brownsville,Tn though they were all designed By the IH Engineers. Your 1995 2130 is really MTD's first Tractor design of there own under the CCC corp Because the Standard Garden tractors(1641) & the Supers(2082) still shared a lot in common with the original IH designs of the 82 series like attachment mounting Points for example. The 2130 share a lot in common with todays new 2000 series except for fender deck and Hood :thThumbsU

 

I would trade my(wife's) 2206 for a new 2000 series if she'd let me. Have never had a Problem with any MTD made machine I have owned. Had a Montgomery Wards Signature 2000 GT made By MTD had it 5 years Never had one problem with it Traded it on a 1999 White GT2055 made by MTD and it's 12 years old all I replaced on it was a solenoid and one 3point arm which I damaged to user error. White Lawn & garden tractors have been made by MTD since 1975 Before 1975 they were made by Jacobson. White sold off the outdoor Power equipment Line to MTD in 1981 and for the most Part the line stayed the same until 2000. The only thing I'm not happy with MTD is they did away with the White Line and that they stopped making the 990 series as of 2001 Because the 990 series had alot to offer for the Price, Hydraulic lift,Shaft drive & a 3point standard on the White GT2055 for $3,800. and the White GT2055 or 990 series could take Both a loader & Backhoe.:thThumbsU

 

I completely agree with Sergent.

 

I talk with two different guys from time to time about things that come up with my 782 and 1872sgt.One guy hates every CC made after 1989 and the other guy doesn't like anything after the cyclops.One time the cyclops guy was looking at my 782 and 1872.we were talking and i started defending my 3235 so he started looking it over. after he looked he thought it was put together very good.Better than he ever thought.Anyway now that MTD and their great wisdom have ended the 3000's(RIP)The 2004 3235 is probable the newest GT i will ever own by CC.

 

I hate to quote myself, but i would like to add I see my 3235 going for many years to come.I'm just disappointed that CC/mtd is not making a true heavy duty GT anymore.Cub/yanmar's seem to be very good so it's not like they are not making heavy duty tractors.Maybe they will come out with a GT.something like the sc2400 for people that don't need the 4wd,3pt,or fel but still need a 60"deck and a tiller and so on.To be honest i wish i had a sc2400.I also would like to add this, because this time a year you get a lot of new people looking at MTF looking to find stuff on the new lt or gt they have on the way or are thinking about buying.
IMHO the Cub Cadet 1000's are just as good if not better than any other LT's out there But buy from a dealer! CC 2500's or the new 2000's, you can't get this much tractor for that price any other place.
:smilie_fl

 

1981. Nineteen Eighty One.
My God that was 30 years ago!!

Here's my take. IH is out of business and Cub/MTD is still in business. Who is the better company?

Why are we still talking about this like it happened yesterday? It's done, it's over. MTD makes Cubs.
Pontiac is out of business too in case you didn't know .

MTD is the business profile that makes it today. None of us could afford a lawn/garden tractor if they still made them like they used to. And that is why we have what we have.

Right now I will take the reliable electronics of today over the old stuff. That is one thing that is vastly better today.

Say what you wish but who is still in business?

Sure, the tractors were made tougher then. It's not MTD's fault. It's what consumers can afford. That is the plain and simple of it.

 

Here's my take. IH is out of business and Cub/MTD is still in business. Who is the better company?

International is very much still in business. In fact, if you look at any Ford Diesel truck from 1983 - 2010, the engine will have a little sticker on it that says International or Navistar International. They sold off the agricultural division, and the lawn/garden division and changed the name to Navistar International.

Sure, the tractors were made tougher then. It's not MTD's fault. It's what consumers can afford. That is the plain and simple of it.

Cub Cadets were never cheap. A moderately equipped Cub in 1970 with a deck, electric lift and a mower deck would probably set you back close to $1300. That is the equivalent to $7100 today.

Most people back then did not buy tractors. They either used push mowers, or bought those cheesy little riding mowers. They were cheap, Cubs were not. But now today, everyone thinks they need a 20HP V-Twin tractor with a 56" deck to mow their .5 acres. They also feel they should not cost any more than the equivalent of what one of those cheesy little riding mowers in the 60s would have cost.

A person that buys a 1000 Series is not the type of person that rebuilds a tranny. No need for such.

There is a big difference between rebuilding a transmission, and being able to change the fluid. On a 1000 series, you cannot check, add, or drain fluid without taking the transmission out and dismantling it. It's a sealed transmission.

 

I had a 1994 MTD GT2050 for eleven years. In that time I put nearly 1,000 hours on the machine and it was a good machine right up to the point that it wasn't. After 11 years of hard labor both the transmission and steering gave out at about the same time. The machine didn't owe me anything and I was glad to have known it.

All of the owners of IH Cub Cadets swear that MTD has never produced a good machine. Truth be told, MTD produces a different machine built for a different customer at a different price point. The IH Cub Cadet owner is not the target demographic for MTD. MTD is a volume builder, Cub Cadet wasn't. That's why CC didn't survive and was sold/purchased to/by MTD.

ANY product built to a low price point will have it's share of problems. Many of the products MTD now produces are geared towards the low end of the market where big horse power figures sell more machines then build quality. If you are unhappy with the performance of your machine, its probably because you purchased the wrong machine ("you" and "your" are not directed in anyone in particular). Just because it looks like a GT doesn't mean it's gonna work like one.

One gets what one pays for. CC products are not the products of yore - but the vast majority of the market is no longer seeking those products. Most of the market is interested in ride-on mowers that look like garden tractors. Those of us who need a real GT pay the price one of two ways; we send big money for quality, or we go cheep and spend the money saved on failures (and then blame the machine).

I don't blame MTD for this, they are selling what the customer is asking for. When my "classic" 3000 series goes out to pasture an MTD product wont be on my shopping list. I don't hold this against MTD, I simply acknowledge it.

 

When Cub Cadet was sold in 1981 it was not because it was not doing well. In fact it was doing very good in sale's. It had to do with International Harvester & Trucking. They needed Capital so they sold off there Outdoor Power equipment Division(Cub Cadet) to MTD in a effort to keep International Harvest & Trucking alive and it didn't really Help Because the Harvester side was sold Tenneco(Case's parent Company) in 1985:thThumbsU

 

When Cub Cadet was sold in 1981 it was not because it was not doing well. In fact it was doing very good in sale's.

Then I retract that portion of my nearly coherent rant. But I stand by my rant about that change in the market. There doesn't seem to be much of a space for quality machines at a price slightly higher then the mass market machines.

 

As a long time worker in Automotive manufacturing it is no longer Ford or Chrysler or GM, it comes down to which supplier is going to give you the best deal on all of the components for that vehicle. In many cases the supplier companies engineer the parts to OEM specs. Lawn tractors seem the same these days. Its no longer Bolens of old or John Deere or Cub cadet. It's Kawasaki and Kohler or Hydrogear and Tuff torq. The best deal wins the contract right down to the tires I'm sure. When My Ltx 1050 arrives in a month I am quite confident it will be more than enough tractor for my needs. I have become a big fan of the old iron since joining this site but I see no issue with the MTD quality of the new cubs. The biggest issues i seem to hear about are ppl buying their tractors at box stores rather than a reputable dealer who will handle problems properly........ I'm rambling again lol (referring to JD 100 series):trink39:

 

I love old Cubs. I love the 82 series. I love my cyclops GT and Super. I love the 3204. All are pretty impressive machines in their own right. There's nothing cheap about a 3000 series tractor. The only thing cheap about the cyclops is the plastic.

These are well built machines, I have no problem that they are MTD made.

 

My only Problem with MTD Cub Cadet is this when the 1000 series Lawn tractor first came out they had servicable transmissions. Now there sealed Like everyone else. That was a good selling Point for a Box Store machine having trans were you could change the fluid without having to remove the trans from the Frame. But that said I still think the Cub 1000 series is still the Better Buy for a machine that is sold in a Box store/Dealer. I think there Better than the Deere L,LA or D series machines.:thThumbsU

 

A person that buys a 1000 Series is not the type of person that rebuilds a tranny. No need for such.

My 1872 was an MTD. It's still going strong......somewhere. Sold that puppy for $1,000 2 years ago. I was glad to see it go. Like anything old, it took constant attention to keep it going. Nothing major. But a little something nearly every time I took it out. Can't deal with such. All the old tractors are this way. It's always something. If that is what you are into, that is great. Got no problems with that.
I walk to the garage, turn the key, cut the grass. Blow it off with a leaf blower. Go watch TV.

Don't get me wrong. I'd love to own an older one again. Some time. But that time is not right now.

 

I agree with some of what you said, and certainly respect your desire to turn the key and go, but .... My 1864 is a 1997, the 2084 is a 1994, and I walk to the garage, turn the key, cut the grass. Blow it off with a leaf blower. So, while these aren't exactly old IH Cubs they aren't new, I do exactly what you do with 14 to 17 year old tractors. Before that I did it with the 1211, a 20 year old tractor when I sold it. All are/were turnkey machines that go multiple seasons without any problem that keeps me from cutting grass.

 

Hey Sergeant, not trying to hijack this thread, but you had replied to a question I had about older Cub model #s, I was wondering if you could shoot me the same info about post 1981 models. You had formated your response in a chronological model #/hp layout that was easy for my pea brain to grasp. I will be looking for a Cub project later this summer, nostalgia steers me toward older Cubs similar to what I grew up with (68' 104)
but I don't want to over look a good tractor because it was made by CCC,or MTD.
Thanks.
StormN

 

Not to get too far into this but Gt's had nothing to do with IH failure. IH was a huge company that was into many different fields. Similar to GM with similar issues. In the late '70s IH was expanding and like so many other companies have done basically expanded their way out of business. They got too big and collapsed. I'm working from memory but and it's been many years but I seem to recall something about a new factory in Ireland. Some labor issues ect that were the last straw. I remember a friend being laid off from a plant that made Scouts when that part of the business closed up.

 

StormN I will send you a Pm with it.:thThumbsU

 

Wow lead head, you think a cub cadet 104 back in the day dollars wise is equivalent to 7100 dollars today?

 

Yup, as GCBailey just showed as well. Cubs were NOT cheap. Cubs back then were basically equivalent to what the larger compact-utility-tractors are today. That is why they had so many attachments: rototillers, generators, front end loaders, lawn-blowers, snowblowers, etc..

 

there is a dollar value calculator somewhere on the web, probably dozens of them that compare today's dollar vs. previous years.... I know my wife's grandfather bought his 149 for $1685 back in '73 and that was without a deck. The 48" was $200ish extra... He's still got the receipts.

Here you go: $1,685.00 in 1973 had the same buying power as $8,561.74 in 2010. Annual inflation over this period was 4.49%

source: http://www.dollartimes.com/calculators/inflation.htm

 

Sound's about right, at $1675 it was about 3/4 of the price of a new chevy nova, around $2400. Do an $8000 tractor is about 3/4 or so of what you can get a compact car for, maybe $12000 or so?

My LT1045 would have been around $375 back then.

 

yes and $8000 bought a vette back then too. Now that may get you rims and tires for one.

 

Buy the time you get into the cubs of today that can match the old IH built ones, your better off buying a SCUT with 4wd and a true cat 1 3pt hitch and your basicly there price point wise anyway. That being said, most of the repeat Cub Cadet purchasers we had also have an old IH one that normaly the mower deck rotted away, but the core tractor is still good, they normaly have a blower or a blade to move snow and maybe a rototiller for the garden. So that cub gets dedicated to chores, moving the boat trailer and winter duties. The new cub being mainly a grass cutter by design, gets to do just that. The new cubs cut grass WAY better than any older IH built cub hands down. Mower deck tech has come a long ways since the days of IH Cub Cadets. While the decks of the older ones do fine for farm yards with weeds ect. The fine manicured lawns of surburbia need a bit more finesse for todays market place. Higher vac decks, mulching ablities ect. While I can give them a run for thier money with the 50" on my 1650 IH built Cub Cadet, packing gator blades and in good shape with no rust outs and the interior baffle plate intact. I can still take the smaller 1000 series and get a better and cleaner cut. Also keep in mind that many more folks did more with thier Cub Cadets back in the IH era, more folks put out gardens, plowed thier own driveways and lived in the country where one needed to do more than cut the grass. Most of my neighbors have the typical 1000 series cubs or little lawn fawn JD's. They come get me with my 1650 when they need bushes yanked out of the ground, or their drives cleared in the winter time. I applaud MTD for keeping the cub line going, supporting the IH built ones for so many years now. If I had the coin, I would get one of the new 50th aniv cubs to mow with and retire the 1650 to just chores and tractor shows. But alas its way out of my budget, so I keep the old cub running as best I can. With a fresh overhaul on the 16hp Kohler, I should be good for many years yet. Cheers Mike

 

Buy the time you get into the cubs of today that can match the old IH built ones, your better off buying a SCUT with 4wd and a true cat 1 3pt hitch and your basicly there price point wise anyway.

I'm almost with you on that, but there is a niche (small, I realize) of people who want lots of capabilities in the smallest package possible. Even a SCUT is too big for some things around the yard.

Basically, me and DMAC. That may be why the 3000 was discontinued...

 

Very well said Mike!

 

Mike did mention a great point.... MTD has had the good sense to keep support to a great extent for pre-MTD cubs.

 

I have no problems with MTD buying cub. Cub most likely wouldn't be around if it were not for MTD. I have GT3235 and I think its well built and def can hold its own with many older cubs, not to mention I bet my cut will be better. The dealer I bought mine from stopped stocking 3000 series cubs about 2 years after I bought my 2004 GT3235. They were approaching the price of a awd kubota, so people just when with the Kabota.

I don't blame MTD for introducing cheaper tractors. The market is to blame for that. HD and lowes etc started selling cheap tractors like murrys etc. Since they were cheap, people were snapping them up big time. If it broke in 5-10 years just get another one. Cub and JD are not about to let a huge money making market slip by just to uphold their reputations. If they did, they wouldn't be in business. Its sad, but we're a throw away society. I don't follow that logic and when I buy something I want it to last so I'm willing to pay more for that.

People walk into hd or lowes and see yellow/white or green paint and think quality. Of course that rep takes time to build, but it resonates with people. So when they see a cub for $1500 well they think its just as durable as the ones from the past. Of course its not, but honestly most people are not willing to pay for it either.

I look at it this way. I choose to be happy Cub is still around offering a pretty decent variety of tractors instead of getting upset that their just building tractors that the market wants.

 

I do think a big part of it as mentioned before is we are in a "throw away soceity". I was reading through the book on my LT1045 and it even states in it that the useful lifespan of the tractor is 300 hours! How many morons, I mean people... read what MTD writes and say "oh, this thing is only good for 300 hours... time to buy a new one!" When you think of it for someone who isn't mechanically inclined it's pure marketing genius! When you can tell your customers how and when to buy a new product.

 

SO what is a 82 seires? and from what I know mtd makes everything except like john deere and husquvarna and a few others also my grandpa has a pony from lowes (mtd stuff if I know right) and it does not even have tie rod's for the sterring!! you guessed it, where a tie rod should be there just is a hole, for a 90 degree angle where the tie rod should be!!! to sterr with not smart in my opinion. And I think evey body could admitt that no matter what kinda job it is and old iron tractor does much better!! We also pull wood all winter with are's and 2000 ld. camper sometimes. I would like to go to lowes or hd or any other place and have one of there lawn mowers pull 2000 ld up hills like are's do. well i guess you guys can tell what I think about mtd.

p.s. funny thing is you never see any mtd or other new tractor out at the tractor pulls!

 

The 82 series is just a nick name because the models were 482,582,682,782 & 982 and a few others. BTW check this link out http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=168562 It shows who manufactures what machines:thThumbsU