Farmall Cub

hi my name is kevin im new to this forum and i dont know if its the right place for my question but here goes,im looking to buy a international cub 154 does anybody here have information on these tractors i will be using it primarely for mowing, just wondering if these are good units or not, i have heard that they are hard on the clutch and drive shafts, any info would be helpfull ,ps what is a good price for one of these. thanks kevin in mich.

Welcome to the forum.

Setting a price on a tractor is pretty tough. But to provide a general idea. In central Missouri you can purchase Cub with a mower, in very good condition for around $2500-. I have seen a numbered lowboy priced at $3500- from a local dealership.

My neighbor has owned and used a 154 as a mower tractor for years. As far as I know the neighbor has had no major problems with his tractor.

There are quite a number of topics concerning the numbered lowboys on this site. At the top of the page is a "Search" function.

Michigan. Location is a major factor in the price of tractors. There are several individuals frequenting this site living in Michigan. Perhaps they will have a better idea as to local prices.

Known problem areas on the tractors are the the tractor drive clutch/driveshaft and the PTO clutch pac/short shaft. Both can be rather pricey to repair. The frame has also been known to crack in the area where the transaxle/final drives attach. I would say to look one over good, and make sure everything works like it is supposed to, before buying it.

I would stay browsing and you may find one thats affordable. The only thing on my int154cub was the shifter fork for 1st & rev all the cub cadets, Fcubs & int cubs have that problem sooner or later. I own mine now about 1 1/2 years and its a "mowing machine" so the local tractor guy calls them. I can surely mow alot of grass in less time with the 60" deck. I found one locally with the 60" deck for $800 I couldn't get it on the trailer fast enough when i purchased it.

The only other problem i can see with all these awesome tractors is the PO neglect. Like anything else they seem to try to run them into the ground before they fix or do maintenance on them. If its right when you get it, it will run forever. These machines are awesome wether its a cub cadet, FCub or int154cub these are workhorses.

There's a great group of guys here that will help you out too.

If you need any parts, I have a great source for int154 parts, the guy is parting out 3 int154's right now. I'm going to be tractor poor soon at this rate...

thanks for the fast replys, i found 2 154 cubs one has a 60 inch deck,snow plow and tire chains. it also has the large turf tires ,the guy is asking 2000 for it,i think thats more than im willing to pay since i dont need it for plowing i have a 1946 farmall a that i use for that. the other one is one that has been sitting for at least 5yrs that i know of and the mower deck is a woods that is rotted pretty bad, he says that it runs good and he replaced the clutch, he was using a pull behind deck with its own engine, the last time i talked to him he said he would take 900 for it without the pull mower, i need to go and check compresion and spark baybe try to start it.im thinking offering about 500 for it, now that i know what to look for i think this one would be a good restorable tractor thanks for the help and i will post again when i get a good look at it . kevin in mich

i found 2 154 cubs one has a 60 inch deck,snow plow and tire chains. it also has the large turf tires ,the guy is asking 2000 for it.

the other one has been sitting for at least 5yrs. im thinking offering about 500 for it.

Wait. Before you purchase either one. Spend some time, look around, check the ads in the paper, free fliers, etc. before you buy.

While the Cub that has been sitting for 5 years and may sell for $500- is initially cheaper. The cheaper of the two may be the one for $2000-. The $2000- Cub has some equipment. You need to subtract the price of the equipment from the $2000- to figure out what that Cub is selling for. You can also sell any equipment you do not want. You also need to subtract from the $2000- money to repair the cheaper Cub.

Check the for sale/wanted section of this site. Also check the advertisers on the for sale/wanted section. They frequently have running Cubs and prices for equipment.

While these tractors are considered to have some shortcomings, I don't think they are really that serious. The most important thing is to keep the clutches properly adjusted. The 154/185 has a clutch brake that is very important, you'll grind the heck out of the transmission gears, if it isn't working right. Even more so than the F-Cub, it's important to have the shop manual for these tractors, so you can get the feel of how these systems function and keep them in proper working order.

Most of the problem areas were addressed with the 184, so you might keep your eyes open for one of these, although the selling price is generally higher.

Gary Dotson wrote:Most of the problem areas were addressed with the 184, so you might keep your eyes open for one of these, although the selling price is generally higher.

I would suggest a 184 as well. They have a real clutch where a clutch belongs... on the flywheel. The 154 and 185 have the clutch on the front of the transmission so the PTO could be powered by belts ahead of the clutch. They were troublesome and expensive to repair.

When I purchased my int154 cub the gears were grinding when i wanted to put it in gear from neutral. I learned on the forum and by the 154 cub manual about the adjustment on the clutch and tranny fltwheel brake. I seen the clutch adjustment at .090" and i set the tranny brake at .010" and its been great for over a year now. This spring i need to weld the 1st & rev fork but thats with every cub/cadet too. On the up side it has a live PTO. Its not as simple when it comes to working on the int154 and the Fcub is a little easier to work on. I'm sure the 154 can be finiky at times too but so far so good with mine. Lets face it i see some of the 154cub pics and the PO tries to run them into the ground or so it looks. GW is right there many years old and its all about doing the maintenance. All i did all summer was grease it and change the oils.