Cub Cadet 582 Special

[dan_c]

Hello,

I just picked up a Cub Cadet 582 Special. Be honest with me, is this a good cadet or a not so good?

Would any one know where I could find a good used 44" mower deck? The one that came with it is a little ruff. I'm going to weld repair it for now.

Thanks ,

Dan

[Paul B]

The 582 special has a 16 hp B&S flat twin, is shaft drive to a right angle gear box, and then belt driven to a Peerless 4 sp gear box, through a belt tightening clutch. That Peerless transaxle and belt tightening clutch is it's biggest drawback. That same transaxle is also used in the 482, the model 1100, and a model 580 (same as a 582 Special but painted yellow and white). A regular 582 (not the 582 Special) has the same engine but is shaft driven to the same transaxle that is in the other gear drive Cub Cadets, and Farmall Cub. It all depends on what you want the tractor to do, but most people that want to do more with one than just cut grass, prefer one with the heaver Cub transaxle, rather than the belt drive Peerless.

[dan_c]

Paul,

Thank you for your reply. My Brother in Law purcased the tractor from his neighbor. He has a couple of other riding mowers and offered it to me for what he paid for it $500.00. It seems to run good, all though it does not like to idle down. I have not looked at anything as of yet, plugs air cleaner ect.

If I decide to keep this tractor, I would be buying it for mowing. I have a 1950 Cub. There are no casters on the cub deck and it tends to scalp as a result. I'm going to fabricated ajustable casters. The deck on the 582 is real thin. I'm going to weld some patches today. Are new or good used decks available for the 582. It has the 3 blade 44" deck. Would other Cadet decks be interchangeable?

As far as the transaxle goes, I figure it has held together for all of these years. Heavy hauling with this Tractor would not be recommended, I take it. Is $500.00 more then a 582 with a rusty old deck is worth?

Dan

[Paul B]

That 44" deck was used on several different models of Cub Cadets so should be fairly easy to find, but they also may be in the same shape as the one you have. You can find solid ones, and with a little set up work, they make a good deck. They were kinda thin to start with, and they tend to warp or twist, but with some time spent to straighten and stiffen it up, they will cut good. The spindle bearings are like a water pump bearing, and rather pricey ($100 plus each), so you need to find one with good bearings. There are two different size drive belts (from the engine PTO to the deck) used, 3/8" wide and 5/8". The 582 should have the wider belt, so you need a deck with the wider pulley. The pulleys will interchange. $500 is more than I would pay for a 582 Special, but then I probably wouldn't buy one for any price.

[dan_c]

Paul,

Thanks again. Could you tell me what the correct spark plug gap would be? Does this machine have an oil filter? Would straight 30 weight oil be the correct viscosity for the summer months?

Paul I can appreciate the difference in the rear axel but how can this be a real bad machine considering that it has been in service for 30 years and still seems to run strong? You have me about ready to give it back to my brother in law.....and look for a better model cadet. I should have ask for opinions here before making any move. Of coarse I have not payed the brother in law yet and I could take it back. All I have done so far is weld up the completely shot deck the best that I could.

I'm going to start a restore project on my Farmall Cub very soon. I just wanted the 582 Special to mow. I do like well made quality things though. I looked at that rear pearless axle and I see what you mean. But again, it has been hanging in there for 30 years!

Dan

[Paul B]

The plug gap is .030, point gap is .020, it holds 3.5 pints of 30W oil. The operators manual specificaly states not to use 10W-30 or 10W-40 oils above 32 degrees. It does not have an Oil filter.

If you are happy with the Peerless transaxle, go for it.

[dan_c]

Paul,

I appreciate the information as I have no owners manual.

I'm trying to decide whether to give it back to the brother in law or keep it for awhile. I told him that I would take it, so I'm not comfortable with going back on my word. I wish I had known that this model had an inferior trans axle.

Thank You,

Dan

[Jim Becker]

If I was in your position, I would keep it and use it, just don't abuse it. Since it has run this long, it was probably reasonably well taken care of and has a lot of mowing in it still. Just avoid the temptation to see how much it can pull.

Mow with it for the rest of the season then decide if you want to keep using it or replace it with something else. Look at it as a learning experience.

[Rudi]

Dan:

I would agree strongly with what Jim has said. Use it and learn from it. Also his comment on the Peerless transaxle is also bang on. It may not be a top flight transaxle compared to an IH rear end, but it will do the job that it was intended for.

Just to help out a bit here - I have never been lucky enough to own a Cub Cadet - YET Missed one yesterday - $250.00 for a 127 -- just my luck. Got a headsup from a buddy, but by the time he had even seen the ad, it was already gone.... somebody had CC Stealth Radar

However, here are some observations on the Peerless transaxle.

Craftsman uses basically the same kit in their lawn mowers. I have euphamnistically referred to my dead Craftsman as a POS. And that is kind of unfair. If and this is a big if, I had used my 12.5 HP Deluxe 38" Riding Lawn Mower as it was intended - ie - AS A LAWN MOWER, instead of using it as my own tiny TRACTOR - it may have lasted a lot longer.

My Father-in-law and I bought 2 identical 12.5 Deluxe lawn tractors in Calais Me, in 1990. His has been used as a lawn mower only. Mine on the other hand has been part tractor trailer, part grader, landscape rake, leveling blade and general all around maintenance tool. It has hauled over 9 ton of boulders to line the wall of my pond where the outflow pipes are, it has haulled a 5 foot 18" steel I-Beam on a chain to level and grade my driveway for years, it has beat into submission via my lawnmower blades hills, lumps, ant hills and other obstructions that I inadvertantly did not see or miss as well as do it's intended task of cutting grass. Oh, it was designed for less than 1 acre at the maximum, and I cut a minimum of 3 acres. Some times that deck has been mistaken for a sickle mower and a combine

Through it all the Peerless has struggled to keep up with all it was asked to do. I ruined a gear about 12 years ago, before it really had a lot of wear on it. It cost me about $20.00 to fix and that was the last problem I had with it. The transaxle has been a real good item for me compared to the POS deck that came with it -- however, the deck is a Roper, so that explains that

you wrote: I'm trying to decide whether to give it back to the brother in law or keep it for awhile. I told him that I would take it, so I'm not comfortable with going back on my word. I wish I had known that this model had an inferior trans axle.

If you use the special as it was intended, as a lawn mower, that transaxle will not be inferior, it will perform exactly as it was designed to do. If however, you expect that 582 to be a replacement for its bigger cousin the Cub - well, it will not last the season.... It is all in using the machine as it was intended to be used.

I would keep it, use it as a lawn mower - one can never have too many of those - especially a Cub Cadet Hope this helps a bit.

[dan_c]

Thanks guys..........that is what I'm going to do keep it and mow with it. I have my very good running 1950 Farmall Cub to do other stuff with. Like plowing snow. I patched the rusty old deck up and painted it today. I will put it back on in the morning. I painted the underside of the deck with truck bed liner paint. Nothing will stick to it.

My 50 Cub was setting in the yard and a man stopped and ask if it was for sale. I told him that I have no desire to sell her. He was looking at the 582 special and told me that he just sold one. He buys and sells equipment. Anyway, he said that he can get me a brand new Intenational identical 44" deck, complete with a new undercarrage, belts and blades for $450.00. So if after mowing with this deck and if I like the machine, I may call him and buy that deck. A new shell from MTD is $500.00 and that is all that is available.

Dan

[Rudi]

Dan:

As with all things in life. If you like it go for it. We only get to do this once, so we may as well enjoy what we are doing......

[dan_c]

Rudi,

Right you are!

Buy the way what do you have to do with this 582, tear the tank out to get to the ignition points?

Dan

[Paul B]

The engine section of service manual I have only tells how to remove and reinstall the engine, it does not list any repairs. The operators manual tell how to remove, clean, gap, the spark plug, but not any thing about the points except in the trouble shooting guide where it says "see your dealer" for problems that may be caused by the points.

I don't know anything about that twin cylinder Briggs engine, so I can't help you.

[Rudi]

dan:

I have a Briggs servicing manual for a lot of their engines. Let me know what the model of the engine is and I will see if it is in the manual.

['Country' Elliott]

Dan...You can probably find an Operator's Manual on CD on "E-Pay" for your Cub Cadet ...or even an original (if you prefer). Good Luck with it and HAPPY CUB CADETING !!!