Farmall Cub

Hello
I purchased a '49 Farmall Cub three years ago. I want to grow some grass and have decided to put the little guy to some gentle use around here. I live up in the Huachuca Mt. of SE Arizona, and have had literally hundreds of loads of red dirt/clay hauled into my property for landscaping and fill. The problem is that it gets so hard its almost impossible to grow anything. So...I want to start dragging something around with the cub, but never having farmed, I'm not sure how to proceed. I am considering a disc and also a harrow rake. Would a small disc be easier to pull for the cub? Also, the Cub does have hydraulics...a "lifting bar" is centered over the drawbar, but I do not have the three pt. style hitch. Are these available? Would this allow me to vary the depth of cut of the disc? Do I need to locate a Cub disc or would a Sears or other manufacturer work? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks
Mike

Mike, there are disks made for the cub that will allow you to use them without a 3 point hitch. That would be the cheapest way to go. 3 point hitches are expensive. Check the implement pictures on the TM Tractor site or look at some of the manuals on Rudi's page for a visual. I have also seen landscape rakes rigged up using the cub drawbar and the rear rockshaft for lifting.

And welcome to the board!

Hello Bigdog

Thanks for your fast reply. I am anxious to get going now and get something done before our summer rains begin in late June or July. We are hoping for some above average rainfall this summer.

Please tell me the disc you would recommend, wher I can order it

and if the disc would be easier for the Cub to pull. ( rather than harrow rake ). I want to break up the ground but not more than three to four inches max. I also want to go easy on the Cub and not get him too dirty. Its a really nice machine....I have been looking at it for too long now and just have to drive it around awhile. This should not be a problem as far as messing anything up.

Should I use only granny low gear for discing.

Thank you again.

Mike Tiemann

HI Mike, and welcome aboard!! An old horse "team disk" or team harrow (meaning meant to be pulled by 2 horses) should do the trick for you. They can be easily adapted to hook on a tractor drawbar, and many have been in the early days of tractor farming. You might be able to find one kicking around an old fence row somewhere.

Mike,

Hope this gives you some ideas of how you can attach implements without a three-point hitch.

I've posted this several times before. Maybe this is what Bigdog was referencing.

John

Here is an example of a cub pull type disc harrow (I bottowed this pic from JP Tractor Salvage):




If you are sowing grass, I usually disc first and then use a drag or spike harrow to smooth it up on the final pass. You can also use a spike harrow to lightly cover the seed. Some people also use a drag, which is simply some oak 6x6's bolted together to smooth it up after disking but before before seeding. If you get the implement sized for the cub it should handle anything you want to pull.

Hello again and thanks for all of the help and patience with a NOVICE. Great web site too.

I received a Northern Tool & Equipment Catalog in the mail yesterday. They have some good looking disc cutivators that are made for use with ATV's. Some have the three point hitch, some have some tires on the back that I guess you have to manually lower to pull the thing around without cultivating. They are all between 48 and 53 inches wide. What do you think about using the ATV tools with the Cub?

I'm thinking I should get the 3 pt. hitch for my Cub. Would that allow me to raise and lower the disc with the rock shaft arm. Being able to lift the cultivator would seem like a good thing. Would it allow me to vary the depth of my cut into the ground? The hydraulics on my Cub are all newly rebuilt and work great as does the PTO.

Looking forward...I also will need a good mower. I have seen many Cubs on Ebay with the Woods Belly Mower. This looks like the way to go but does this mower make a good smooth cut? Does the Woods mower work well with all of those belts and pullys, or is that a problem? The Northern catalog also has some drag along rotary power mowers and some 3 and 5 gang reel mowers made for ATV's What mower would you recommend?

What will a GOOD Woods mower and all needed suspension, pullys and belts run me? Are these still available new? Can one of you quote me a price for a good 3 pt. hitch?

Thanks again.

Mike Tiemann

When I was looking, Worksaver had one but I believe the price was $550. I had mine made for less that $100. Go to Worksaver's site or order their catelog. It is probably better to go with a category 1 rather than category 0. It's a little more popular for attachments.

Mike, Woods still makes mowers for the cub. But they are pricey - about $1200 - $1300 if I recall correctly for a 5 foot finish mower. You can find the 42" mowers used all the time from places like J.P. Tractor Salvage and also from private owners and on ebay. You can pick one up usually anywhere from $250 - $450. The 42" mower cuts very well if kept sharp and maintained. Not a manicure cut lawn, but good.
The atv implements will work with your cub, but not as well as properly sized , heavier-built implements. The 3 point hitch is nice but again very pricey as Rocketman said. But hey! it's only money!

Mike,

http://www.worksaver.com has the 3-pt hitch for Cubs. They run around $600 or so. A new Woods mower will be over $1000. The belts/pulley system works very well and the finishing mower will do a really nice job.

The style of mower you need depends on the vegetation you intend to cut, how tall it gets between cuttings, overall condition of your Cub's engine, the terrain (lawn, field, ditches, size/shape of cutting area, grade, uneven versus smooth ground) and what you want the finished job to look like.

Lurker Carl

Mike,

After trying to find a decent used belly mower for my '55 Loboy, I bit the bullet and purchased a new Woods L59, about $1300 w/everything, including 2 casters. As I bought it last fall, I really haven't had a chance to mow with it, but I can tell you that it fits the tractor perfectly--good design.

http://www.pivot.net/~tbuds/mower1.jpg%20

I'll be painting it when it gets a little warmer...

Jeff How far will your tractor travel after pushing in the clutch. Slipping the pto lever out of gear as you depress clutch may be ok when you know where your are going stop but what about in a emergency. My old C2 I guess it is has a free wheeling clutch on it. Just wondering?

Jim,

I've got a C-3 and I figure on about 10 feet - more or less depends on speed, incline and how good (or bad) the brakes are. An over-ride clutch can spoil you! It's a shame it wasn't part of the C-3 package.

LC

Jim Hudson wrote:Jeff How far will your tractor travel after pushing in the clutch. Slipping the pto lever out of gear as you depress clutch may be ok when you know where your are going stop but what about in a emergency. My old C2 I guess it is has a free wheeling clutch on it. Just wondering?

Jim,

Of my two mowing Fords, one has an ORC and the other cannot. A better plan than kicking the PTO out of gear is to kick the transmission out. Either way, it must be done quickly just as the gears go from driving to driven. Then stopping isn't a problem.

I'm sure the Cubs would work the same since they are both sliding gear transmissions.

I was going to make the same suggestion as George. Gear shift is a lot easier to reach than the pto shifter, and also more durable. I used to work on the maintenance crew at the local hospital where we had a cub with a 59 inch Woods. We mowed aobut 5 acres, with alot of shrubs, trees, curbs, etc. I got real good at hitting the clutch and slipping the transmission out of gear when I needed to make a quick stop. It takes a little practice to move the transmission shifter at just the right time when the engine load is off, and before the flywheel action of the mower starts pushing you.