New Woods 59 on old Loboy, revisited
Posted: Sat May 29, 2004 8:24 pm
AFter puchasing a Woods 59 new last fall (installation on my '55 Loboy I described here), I've now had a chance to try it out...and the mowing experience is quite satisfactory. This is a heavy-duty unit--nothing "cheap aftermarket" about it at all. I like the fact that it is designed to lessen tension on the V-belt when the unit is lifted. The tractor has ample power (I was concerned about that) and second gear will handle very heavy grass on all but the steepest upgrade. Touch control yields quick response, a good thing because the tractor is difficult to stop quickly when mowing due to lack of blade clutch. Fortunately, most of my mowing is in a field. However, the mowing of the front lawn (usually handled by my Cadet 108) also works well. The cut is even and attractive if one takes care not to turn too sharply as the front tires tend to dig in a bit (I believe that in later Cubs this problem was corrected). The casters are close to the front wheels, but don't cause a problem (my front end adjustment is balky, like most others). My previous tractors have all been single-cylinder air-cooled, including the '74 Cadet 108 and an '83 Power King. This Cub with its four-cylinder water-cooled engine is so much more quiet and smooth! I don't even feel that I need to use my usual hearing protection. All in all, the mower works well--yields good seat time. Pics...
