Cub Cadet made a GREAT Zero Turn Tractor

[AxleHub]

The quantity of threads and stories on zero turn riders is phenomminal is size and vehement support. They claim good cutting and fast speeds of movement fo cutting. And so many times users claim they tear up a little sod "but that is normal". And slopes ? Supposedly they aren't an issue.

So in beginning 2015 I went a different way . . finding a very lightly used Cub Cadet I 1050. Its like a billy goat on slopes and also sidehills. In over a year I never once ripped any sod on my sloped property or my mostly flat property.

Recently I hired someone to cut my mostly flat property. He has a high end John Deere zero turn rider and he uses it daily. But I could see a couple sod rips. And he admitted that slopes can be challenging even with a $9,000 unit.

My point is . . there are used I 1046 and I 1050 units floating around. I bought a new snowblower for winter use on mine and new gator blades for summer cutting.

These units were made till 2012 and the zero turn ability and billy goat tendency makes a very useful lawn tractor both winter and summer. They cone in an 18 hp, (I 1042) and 20 hp (I 1046) and 25 hp ( I 1050) versions. .

 

[Jack Vines]

Agree completely a ZT skid steer is always going to tear sod on side slopes. However, they're faster, more maneuverable and work wonderfully on flat ground.

Disagree a L1042/46/50 can be considered a true ZT, but it's an excellent compromise.

And yes, I'm a fan of the CC tractors, having owned a 2135 and a 2166 for the past twenty years. Another benefit of the steering wheel is being able to trim right up to fences and trees. The ZT will inevitably skin a tree or snag a fence and sidehills make it worse. Also, my Toro ZT requires eyes-in-the-back-of-the-head to not constantly whack the bagger into fences and trees when maneuvering close to them; not a problem with my two tractor models.

jack vines

 

[AxleHub]

Agree completely a ZT skid steer is always going to tear sod on side slopes. However, they're faster, more maneuverable and work wonderfully on flat ground.

Disagree a L1042/46/50 can be considered a true ZT, but it's an excellent compromise.

And yes, I'm a fan of the CC tractors, having owned a 2135 and a 2166 for the past twenty years. Another benefit of the steering wheel is being able to trim right up to fences and trees. The ZT will inevitably skin a tree or snag a fence and sidehills make it worse. Also, my Toro ZT requires eyes-in-the-back-of-the-head to not constantly whack the bagger into fences and trees when maneuvering close to them; not a problem with my two tractor models.

jack vines

Just to clarify . . Its the I 1042/46/50. With 2 separate rear differentials . . For a 2wd it really has great traction. But its the side-to-side grip that surprises me. I looks like a regular lawn tractor until you si on it. Anothet thing I really like is a regular zero turn rider seems less controlled in its turns . . Very fast directional changes . . Where the I series it a more controlled zero turn. I wish they still made new ones . . and I glad I was able to get a late model as there had bern improvements to the earlier models.

 

[Jack Vines]

Agree, as mentioned, it's an excellent compromise without some of the ZTs inherent liabilities.

FWIW, having grown up on a farm tractor, I've often wished the late, lamented 2000 series CCs had been equipped with individual rear wheel brakes, the most basic form of skid steer.

jack vines

 

[aczlan]

Is this the LT1050, or is there another 1050 model?

Aaron Z

 

[rcbe]

Is this the LT1050, or is there another 1050 model?

Aaron Z

Nope - OP is referencing an i1050.... such is from a different group/class of tractors vs the LT1050. chk out TractorData.com Cub Cadet i1 tractor information

 

[AxleHub]

Someone private messaged me a question. Why are you talking about buying a product that hasn't been made since 2012?

Well I think irs a fair question. I was really looking at buyig one early 2015. In 2015 I found a dealer who had a brand new full warranty 2008 model for sale with 1.2 hour on it in an I series 1050. It was about 350 miles away and they had it on display at a branch office and the branch just didn't know how to sell it so the main lication got it. Unfortunately they did kow howto sell it before I could arrange to get down ther. So I found a local dealer who actually had a late 2011 made unit with 50+ hours on it (it was his personal unit (. He loved it . . But for image purposes ge needed to have one of the brand new styled cubs his use .

My point in posting bout this unit is simple. Cub cadet created in 2006 a really unique lawn tractor in the I series. It was patented because they made a steering/suspension/differential series of mechanisms that were more controllable than normal zero turns and allowed cub to also attach normal attachments used by lawn tractors (snowblowers, blades, carts, vacuums etc.).

Unfortunately . . some dealers did not grasp how big of a leap they were to homeowners. Their price points were sub 4,000.00 and if you don't understand its features . . It was too hard a sell.

So out there are used product. (I also found some new 2010 ans 2011 mdels in distant areas). But their prices are lower while their benefits are the same as 5 years ago. I had no diffiulty getying a brand new snowblower for it at 50% off . Had I been faster I could have gotten a brand new bag collection unit for 100.00. But they were sold the day before I called. Same high quality Kohler 25 hp engine as thenew units and same deck.

If you hsve hills or slopes or snow . . its worth considering. Otherwise . . Any old zero turn rider will get you by.

 

[Jack Vines]

What you say, same but only worse. The i-series Cub Cadets were great machines and unique. Same as the 2000-3000 series; they're not made made anymore because homeowners are numbnuts who buy big box convenience and price, not knowing it's junk.

jack vines

 

[wickedvix]

Just have to pitch in - I bought my i1042 zero turn riding mower in the spring of 2009. I have 5 acres that was not mowed at all before (new construction) and filled with rocks, lots of hills and odd things to get around. I don't think it was intended to use for 5 acres, and although we never really mowed the entire lot, we regularly mowed almost all of it. Probably 100hrs/season I'd guess. It wasn't serviced much besides new blades and I'm not sure that the oil was changed or anything else until this year when it all fell to me to take care of. Basically it was abused - but here we are in 2016 and it's still going (although I'm having some issues with getting the timed mower deck back in proper working order). The only serious complaint I have is the deck is a b...tch to get back on - it makes me cuss like a sailor every. single. time.

 

[CharlieKtractor]

piece o cake-----follow the instructions in the owners manual