Leaderboard

As you know I picked up that Bolens at an estate sale few weeks ago for 50 bucks. Got it running and have sold it. At the sale there was also a International Harvester Cub Cadet 109 for sale that I did not buy as the asking price was more then I was willing to spend. The lady running the sale called me the other day to tell me the Cub did not sell and asked if I was interested in it. Cub was in the barn. She said it wouldn't start. I bought the Bolens not starting and it was outside. So we worked out a deal and I went to pick it up today. Got it pretty cheap but not as cheap as I got the Bolens. The Cub had a deck attached and also a second one that appears to be solid but incomplete. It also came with the owners manual and a very nice Service Manual in a 3 ring binder. So I use my Snowco trailer for the second time now and get it home. Seems to be in ok shape. I notice some issues right away but a put some gas in it, charged the battery. Turned the key and it's purring like a kitten. Fired right up. I see some things I need to address but mostly issues with the deck and how the deck carriage locks into place. That being said it's running and driving. Saved from being scraped. Couple years back I had the 108 model. The 109 is same only it's hydro driven. These old IH Cubs are built like tanks. Hopefully find a new home for it soon. Let me know if anyone has had or have one. Noticed it didn't have headlights, were they an option ? This one has the cigarette lighter that still works. First pick is it in the barn. I thought because of all the green grass clippings all over it that it must have been running recently. 20250227_132803.mp4

Many of you have seen the wooden horse and received a smaller version. After 10 years of weather, mine needed major repair. The wood was starting to delaminate and nearly all the black lettering and paint had disappeared. The red was still OK. After some regluing and painting, it's back in the wall.

I use mine quite often. When I had my cataracts removed, I paid the extra 3K to have the new lens with the 0.001" hash marks installed. Calibrated eyeballs are the bomb.

Or does my butt make this tractor look small ????

Oh he's been haunting me! I think his spirit ended up in our new puppy!

Hummmm. I've got to get cataract surgery in my dominant eye in the near future. Might ask the doctor about that option.

Actually it Makes a great range finder. An absolute necessity for accurate archery shooting. Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight and is measured by the angle or half-angle of inclination between those two lines.[1][2] Due to foreshortening, nearby objects show a larger parallax than farther objects, so parallax can be used to determine distances. Sorry for the Eric, but Kevin started it with his eyecrometer and Jim keeps encouraging me.

Fat Thursday takes place on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday in February, right before the 40-day period of Lent, and will be celebrated on February 27 this year. And yes, it’s exactly what you may be thinking — it’s a time to indulge. As the lean season of Lent draws near, food becomes central to many peoples’ thoughts. There’s nothing like a fast to get us all thinking about food; especially those forbidden treats loaded with calorific goodness. If donuts were the first thing that came to mind, then you’re right on track because this holiday, originating in Poland, is about stuffing your face with Polish donuts, known as ‘pączki’, and a few other exotically named sweet treats.

Ahh... The first bookend of the gluttony days, ending on Fat Tuesday - March 4th this year... Does this tractor make my butt look fat? Asking for a friend...

In all sincerity, I wish the suspenders man Waldo was here to rib you today.

I've been gone 5 years? Feels like a lot less, frankly. I don't even know where to start with how to catch up. So... the fleet has definitely changed since I last posted, half of it's gone, and replaced with new tractors. I sold my 317, I still have my Burns, 140, and 110, and in the last year I bought three cub cadets: a 1210, a 782, and a 782D. I'll give a brief summary of what I've done to each: Burns Basically nothing. I got it running, then the drive belt jumped, seized the whole driveline, and then killed the engine by somehow throwing off the timing without shearing the flywheel key. 140 I originally had it running, and replaced the axle seal, but it kept leaking. Turns out, the entire axle housing was bent, meaning that it would never seal. I found a used housing and got it all back together, ran it for a bit, and it's currently parked because the engine is super tired and super down on power, and I accidentally broke the lever linkage for the outside handle. 110 I've done a good bit with tractor: added headlights, swapped tires, put the plow on, cleaned it up a bit... It needs paint bad. Currently in storage. 1210 Bought it a few months ago for $225, it's an early one with the K301 instead of the M12, managed to get it running, and have gotten it cleaned up and looking so good for an all original tractor. Hydraulic lift is half installed but I still need to figure out how to get the 3/8" roll pins out to remove the rockshaft and swap the hydraulic lift rockshaft in. I've mowed with it several times, heck, it's actually the first tractor I've ever had that can actually mow grass, and it does a dang good job of it.

This just in... ! First time in RS history - an @ebinmaine thread has gone off topic!!!!

Is the die adjustable? If it is, open it to make the first cut.

Got some more done

782 Bought it as a parts tractor for the 1210 for $50, but ended up changing my mind on the whole "parts tractor" part. Originally had a series 1 that lost compression (two guesses as to what happened around here in hill country), then got swapped to a series 2, that was then itself removed and thrown onto a log splitter. Not a looker by any stretch of imagination but it's still pretty nice, so I decided to repower it. Instead of a command or a vanguard, with me choosing to be stubborn and different, I decided to pick up a Kawasaki FD620D from a Cub cadet 3205 to replace the missing engine. It's currently about 1/4 of the way through the swap, the engine is in the frame but it needs a driveshaft, fuel system, and wiring. 782D Oh, where do I begin... I bought it as one of my bucket list tractors for $500, sold as a non-running tractor, potentially with a bad engine. Previous owner said that it wasn't getting fuel out of the injectors, and he was definitely right in that regard. The engine had 0 injection pressure, and was only dribbling out the tiniest amount of fuel, not even trying to run. I had to dig way into the engine to find that the injection pump plungers had been put in backwards by the original owner, blocking fuel flow to the injectors entirely, but even after doing that, it still wouldn't start... Until it suddenly just fired up after multiple days of trying. Runs great now after removing the tank strainer that was getting sucked into the fuel line and blocking it, and I've been working on it lately, putting a 3 point and dual brakes on it. I plan on gardening with it this summer. The 782D is currently rocking the hood and grille off the 782 for now, since its hood and grille are in a sad state. That's about it. I have been hard at work on other projects like getting our 3020 going again, got it running last year after sitting for 12 years, so that's about all I can say about the garden tractors.

I'm almost afraid to ask what method of eradication was used...

7" x 7.5" covers most of the early units thru the 90's. Somewhere along the way, 520's and many of later models featured different bolt patterns . 520's typically have a 7.5" x 8" bolt pattern while the other late models have a 8" x 5.75" pattern.

No sir. I'm talking top link spacers for CAT2 tractor stuff. They are 1 inch ID, thin wall steel spacers. 2 of them slip loosely over the axle, and combined allow for 1/4 "in or out" axle movement but prevent the bearing slipping into the case. The only direction the bearing can go is outward, so at least it would be visible should that happen. The spacers slip loosely over the axle and do not touch anything else inside the case. Two spacers fit perfectly between the diff end cap and outer axle bearing, but still allow for the axial in/ out play.

yes... shockingly small!!!

I got that part. What I'm trying to do is attach a large bolt from a vendor TO a plow control rod which is round. It's those control rod threads I need to cut. ✂️

Since the goal is to keep the die face perpendicular to the rod, I’d consider clamping something with a true and perpendicular ¾” ID hole to the die as an additional stabilizer/guide to help keep it aligned. Slipping it over the rod ahead of the die. A collar or coupler, for example? Forgot to mention the standard die motion--forward to cut and then back to break off and clear cut off material Also, realize that it takes a LOT of force to cut threads like that so the die carrier has to be quite sturdy and expect the rod to want to twist.

Happy Happy Sqounky !

Missin him also Kev. Just doesn't seem right without the Waldo / Squonk banter.

1050 tires will work on 7" rims but they need to be 4 plies then 10 psi or they will round up in the center of the tread. I have 23x1050 on 7" rims on my C-120, and 24x950 on my 1989 520-. Here is the 520-H with the 24x 950. C-120 on the right 520 center and modified 312-8 with 25x900 on the left. The 25 all Trails II are made with a rounded tread they run on the three center traids.

I forgot to eat breakfast & lunch. Went to the local Legion for dinner. Unloaded the new tractor from the truck & unpacked the 8-speed that arrived today. I will try to get some tractor-related stuff done tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Mike @squonk, we are all glad you were born.

My guess is the engine was a Friday quitt'n time unit and they threw in two intake valves. Exhaust valves are thicker and though the intake valve used as exhaust will seat adequately when cold it could warp a slight bit when hot. Buy a new exhaust valve, buy a valve spring compressor, clean it up real well and return it when you are finished. Retail auto parts stores do it all the time.

Same here Richard. I have a roll of these stickers that I use to cover the idiot lights.

Well I got this far today. I'll finish up in the next day or two. So far so good.

Excellent. Great save Don! If I was closer I'd be interested in that. My maternal Grampa had a yellow & white IHC Cub Cadet before his Red X82 series. Always did like that. His was hydro too. No idea what year or model. Niiiiice.

These I believe have the correct mounting pattern.

Does it help with night vision?

So, no scope needed for deer season heh?

Happy Birthday, @squonk! I thought I woke up in a horror story of a Phil Collins song!

Mike, Mike, Mike guess what day it is? Wait, it's Thursday "never mind".

I was not suggesting that he or anybody should defeat them. That was why I offered to give him some.

McMaster-Carr or Grainger, Different lengths ?

WWWHHAAATTT ??? The sob ain't worth two birthday threads is he?!?!

@ri702bill will certainly add his perspective on this. My experience is only up to ⅝” and the machinist advice I got was all about alignment and taper. Use a drill press or tapping press to make sure the die is correctly aligned with the rod to be cut. Grind a short taper onto the end of the rod (to be cut off later) to help start the die. Edit to second @WHX??--lots of cutting fluid!

@Achto ??? I would say no just get it started strait and plenty of cutting oil.

That's the type I use in the Regal red. I can't say I've warmed up to the new nozzles though. I'm figuring on rattle can for the Dino dash so I can get it installed and have some proper steering as I wait for the opportunity to spray the major sheet metal parts. I'm going to try my hand with a HVLP sprayer and Rusty Regal with hardener for those. I made a half hearted attempt at getting the steering will roll pin out but wasn't giving up easily so I'll just cover it.

the Big Boy went through Sedalia Mo. maybe 15 years ago. Stopped at the Amtrack station. I was headed out for lunch and saw the steam/smoke, but didn't realize what it was from. Found out the next day it was the Big Boy. Kind of disappointed that I missed it. Maybe 5 years later, Union Pacific's Challenger locomotive came into town and made an overnight stop. I made it a point to drive a ways out of town and find a good observation spot at a grade crossing. Not quite as dramatic as @peter lena footage, as it was slowing down for the stop. The Challenger is a 4-6-6-4 articulated steam engine just a bit smaller than the Big Boy - still an impressive sight to see running.

Great tractor, I have 1989 414-8, with a nos 48 deck I purchased about 5 years ago near Gettysburg Pa. at a Toro dealer. Clean it up and it will serve you well.

@76c12091520h has some very nice aftermarket seats for sale.

I have used black gorilla tape to very good effect on several seats... works great. Looks great. Very cheap. Just a thought...

The DB kits I bought has the correct rear and middle bushing. There was not a bushing for the starter gear on the couple of starters I did, which was ok as my gear did not have a bushing. On most of them the middle bearing was worn a lot and the rear bearing was worn just a little. FYI. The Kohler manual shows how to make an easy small sheet metal jig to hold the brushes for reassembly. Its works great.