Tractor City

[JaySVX]

Cars, trucks, motorcycles, there's plenty of ways to get around town. But what about those little engine driven things that provide you with a nice looking lawn?

Not many people put to much stock into their lawn care equipment. To many, it does hte job, then goes back into storage. It breaks, buy another. Would you do that with your car? Surely no, so why do it with your lawn care equipment? That, naturally, might get old.

What if there was an alternative option? How about, general maintenace, and your tractor will last 20, 30, or even 50 years? Surely, you'd think, that a tractor like that must cost thousands of dollers to offset the lack of required upkeep. But what if, just by chance, it didn't cost any more than a regular tractor? Blasphemy you say?

In my shed I have the tractor that my father mowed with before I was born. The battery is dead, it has been there for 6-7 years, untouched. I went out a few weeks ago with a jump pack and a can of ether. Hooked up the jump pack, sprayed the intake, turned it over, and 3 turns later, it was chugging away. I'd like to see some craftsman do that.

Your standard consumer lawn & garden tractors, however, are designed to be throw away's. Five years and it's dead. 10 if you don't use it often. 15 if you don't use it AND you are extremely lucky. And that's with regularly scheduled maintenance.

My arsenol consists of three tractors.

A 1950 Case VAC farm tractor. Runs like a champ, even after my little engine fire incident thursday night. Just had to require the electrical system. Don't even bother with leaded gas. Paid $1200 for it, with bush hog and rear blade.

A 1967 International Harvester Cub Cadet 124. Was sitting for ages. Starts and runs beautifully. Doesn't look so hot though, needs some cleaning. I have never done an oil change on it since it has changed to my hands 15 years ago. Gifted from my father. Kind of a right of passage, as I Frankenstein'd it by transplanting the engine onto a Cub Cadet 104 body because I ran into a stump and broke the steering rod.

A 1969 International Harvester Cub Lo-Boy 154. Just picked it up. Beefcake, turf tires, 60" deck, mid and rear hydraulics, rear PTO, 3 point hitch. Drove it off the trailer, lowered the deck, engaged the rear PTO, and proceeded to mow the lawn. 15 minutes later, I drove it across the street and mowed the neighbors lawn. 20 minutes after that I took it into the garage and parked it for the night. These are 2-3 acre lawns, and it's been raining, so mowing is over due and the grass was damp. Came out with a clean even cut through-out. Paid $1400 for it. Haven't found a flaw with it yet.

I also aid and assist in maintaining my father's two tractors.

One being a 1971 New Holland S-14 with hydro-static transmission, front, mid, and rear PTO, and hydraulics. It has a blade and a tiller, the mid PTO for the deck doesn't function. This tractor has been a nightmare to maintain, not because of it breaking often, but when it does, parts are next to impossible to find.

The other is a 2004 Craftsman something-or-other, 6 speed, 44" deck, blah blah. It ran around $1500 new. The deck has broken in one way or another a good 15 times. The oil filter costs $55. The headlights burn out way more often than they should. You cannot get the "spring" you need for the tensioner on the belt. Nor can you fasten one. You can, however, buy another mower deck for $400. It's been 5 years, time to throw it away and buy another.

My other neighbor has a 2005 Craftsman something-or-other, along similar lines. In 2008 he had to get a new engine. It was not covered under warranty, and came to the tune of around $700.

Other neighbor has a JD lawn tractor, circa 2006. Same thing.

Other neighbor has a Bolens lawn tractor, circa 2003. It's been dead in the water for a couple years. He now drives a 60's Bolens. Hasn't had a problem with that one.

The maintenace on my Cub's over the years has been sharpening of blades every couple years, which I do myself on the high speed grinder, and adding gas. In 2004 I replaced the belt to the deck, the old one snapped.

I can get new old stock for every old tractor I own, minus New Holland, thank you Ariens, I hope you go bankrupt.

Every tractor I have mentioned costs in the neighborhood of $1500-2000. New ones and old ones when they were new. However, the old ones, 30 years later, are selling for the exact prices they were when they were new.

Sure, you can go out and get a Scag for $6000, it'll last you a solid 15 years, probably more, and it will do a grea job mowing. And, it will require minimal maintenance. Cost of ownership over 15 years is about that of a new lawn tractor. If you are going to buy a lawn tractor, check out those Scags. They're nice.

If you don't require the ludicracy of a Scag, and don't want to spend the money, consider something a bit older. They may not be as fancy, but they get the job done year after year.

Lets not forget transmissions. Older tractors get their power to the ground. My 12hp Cub Cadet has much more power to the ground than the 20hp Craftsman. That means thick or wet grass bites the dust, instead of bogs the engine and lays down to stand back up later as if you hadn't cut the grass at all.

1950 Case VAC:


1967 IH Cub Cadet 124:


1969 IH Lo-Boy 154:


1971 New Holland S-14:


Also, a 1968 IH Cub Cadet 124 I parted with to YT:


You wouldn't throw your money away buying a Daewoo car, so why buy a shoddy tractor?

*I don't have pictures of the craftsman, it's currently in pieces due to a broken spindle on the deck.*

Long live the real tractors!