Guys, you all know I've been on here for a long time, and I grew up with Cubs, lo Boys, Cub Cadets, and love those tractors. I've owned, worked on, and used all of them. You all know that I'm a pretty straight shooter too, so that's all the apology you'll get from me.
However, my mowing machine, the one that I use every day, is a Simplicity Legacy 4x4 diesel. It's more powerful, faster, has foot controlled hydraulics, mows better than anything! It has quick hitch for implements, AND, you can have the loader, belly mower, and tiller all on the tractor AT THE SAME TIME if needed or wanted, and YES, I've had all on at the same time. The front loader walks itself on, all you have to do is hook up the hydraulic lines then sit on the seat and guide it in to place. With the 3-point hitch and 540 RPM PTO, I can switch between rear implements in about 2 minutes, and not have to lift, pry, leverage, anything, just back up to it and pull/install the pins.
The reason I got this tractor was that I needed a front loader. My back was really giving me problems, and I had a lot of drainage/landscaping work that I needed to do around my place. At the time, I had a 1977 Cub, a 1965 Lo boy, and a Cub Cadet 124, all in like new condition. I was able to sell those 3 tractors along with my mowing tractor at the time (Simplicity Conquest) and pay cash for the Legacy. I can honestly say that I've never looked back! I loved the 1977 Cub, but it didn't have a mower, and changing implements was a PITA! You all know it, which is why so many of you have multiple Cubs.
One thing that nobody has brought up, and it was a HUGE issue for my lawn, was weight and ground pressure. At my place, I basically live in a swamp. Most of my yard used to flood every winter. There was no way I could even drive a Cub around at my house in the spring (until about July) or in the fall (October on). The ground was just too soft. Even going from the barn up to the driveway, which never floods and is the dryest part of the yard, a Cub would sink in and leave tire ruts. The simplicity, even though it weighs about the same as the Cub, with the wide turf tires and 4x4, never marks up the lawn, and I've even mowed in May when parts of the yard are still flooded, just raising the mower up to go through the water.
Here is something else that most eveyone has overlooked. I've owned a bunch of Cubs and Lo boys, and restored most of them. Even the ones I picked up for $800, I had over $5000 invested in after restroring. The ones I've not restored, the one I picked up for $500, by the time I got "most" of the oil leaks fixed, tuned up, cleaned up, working properly where I could use it every day, I had another $1000 in it, not counting labor. You all are kidding yourselves if you think you can own (and have in good operating condition) 3 Cubs for less money than buying a new Subcompact diesel. Sorry, it's the truth, I've lived it!
I've owned the Legacy since 2007 and it has 528 hours on it now. The only thing I've ever done is change oil and filters, and grease it. The diesel engine ALWAYS starts! There are no gears, the foot controlled hydro ALWAYS works! I've never had a single leak in it, I've never had anything break on it, I've never even put a new battery in it. I can't say that for ANY of the Cubs or Cub Cadet's I've owned. Even in perfect condition, there's always something to work on with the Cubs, even simple things.
So, having said all of that, Here's where I stand. If I was planting crops, large gardneing, row-crop farming, had a small truck farm, where I was plowing, disking, cultivating, a Cub would be a great tractor, but a Super A/100/130/140 would be a better choice because of the dual hydraulics, potential for 3-point hitch, and standard 540 RPM PTO, all in a more powerful machine that is roughly the same size just a little larger. If I had more land to mow than I do now, and swamp land wasn't an issue, I'd probaly go with a zero turn mower because they're fast! If I needed a utility tractor to use (not play around with) it would definitely be a sub compact diesel, there's no question. If i was retired, and time was not an issue, and I had all day to work on things if needed, the a Cub would be just fine to have, maybe 2 or 3 of them, but then you've got just as much invested as a nice new Sub Compact Diesel
Hmmmm.
You can't get into owning, restoring Cubs, asking this question. People on here throw all of this common sense out the window because they love the machines. That trumps everything. I know, I always have one or two Cubs around here to play with. I love them. I love working on them. My kids love them. That pretty much covers it.