Is It True ?

[Dennis H.]

I called Binder Books and ordered the three manuals recommended by Rudi and John (thanks guys).

The man taking my order congratulated me on my purchase and told me that the Farmall Cub was the most highly sought after tractor in the country. Is this really more of a collector's item? I bought mine to use on my 40 acres with no real plans to restore, only maintain it.

Maybe I did better than my Uncle claims as he says the Cub is just a rich man's toy. Well I ain't no rich man and I plan to work my toy as soon as I figure out how to mount the implements I also bought. All I need is a blade which I think I'll build myself.

Dennis H.

[Bigdog]

Rich man's toy? Poor man's tool! It can be either. But, they're mostly fun.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

I don't know if they are more of a collectors itme or not. Many people want them to use (my reason for purchasing), and they remind a lot of people of when they were younger and the people lived on a farm or in a small town, where tractors were a common sight. Somewhat of a nostalgia trip. Plus, like me, they're so darn cute!

[Fredburgess]

Hey Dennis,

Yeah, I hope that guy's right but like a lot of the other folks I bought mine to use. I needed something to cut a bunch of grass and I can't bring myself to buy some stamped steel and plastic mower - even if they do have twice the horsepower. Besides, the Cub is just so cool! I've got mine down at our summer place and used it last weekend to push a ton of debris from the last flood back into the Shenandoah. I figure that plow doesn't know it's for snow! Anyway, why have a tool that depreciates when you can use one that's worth the same or more over time. Same goes for the cub cadet in the garage! (Hey, the "boss" buys into this story so I intend to use it as often as possible!)

Fred

[parts man]

The cub is one of the most sought after tractors because of guys like ya'll. They are very handy for general yard work, gardening, and plowing a driveway. I'm pretty positive there's a lot more cubs at work than restored! Some folks collect them because their family had a new one at one time, which isn't a surprise since they made them for, over 30 years!! Hey if it ain't broke don't fix it,, right??!!

[Mike Schmudlach]

I collect IH tractors and trucks but the only thing I have multiples of are Cubs. No one thinks it is strange (well not with this group) to own 8 Cubs but if you told someone you had eight 560s or eight 300s they would think you went off the deep end.
I just bought another Cub today, a really nice original Cub 184 lo boy w/ an IH mower. I just did a count and I guess I have 10 Cubs. Good thing I just sold one that is heading to New York to Tom at TM.
Mike

[Scott C]

I bought my cub with intentions of restoring it, and using it.
I figure, if it lasted this long, with probably less care than I'd give it, it'll last another 50 years. I'm not going to farm with it every day but it will be turning dirt, grading and plowing snow every chance it gets. I feel the same way about my cub cadets. I've got an original I restored (photo pages) and it pulls fire wood, plows and gets muddy, I'm not going to beat it but I am going to use it. They can always be repainted to look purty or rebuilt to work right and untill I can no longer get parts, they will get used. I started with a 129 cub cadet and it cut my yard (roots, rocks and dirt) for 6years before I even realised what I had, now I've worked it even harder (after painting it up and refurbishing). I figure I could have bought a Wally World tractor every three years after my yard beat it to death or keep using the 1971 129 I bought for $650 (with a deck, tiller and blade). So with the cubs and cub cadets, and a lot of others for that matter, even with the occasional major repair, they're still an economical choice, not to mention fun, in my opinion.

Mike,
Strange? naw.......

[CaptPaulret]

I grew up on the family farm of 400 acres, dairy and cash vegetables. I started driving tractors at the age of 7. We had a International W-30, a John Deere B and a John Deere A. In 1947 I attended a tractor maintenance seminar at the local International dealers for farm youth and on the showroom floor was the new Cub. Of course I wanted dad to buy one, I thought we could use it to clean out the cow barn, but he thought it was too small for our operation. Well to make a long story short at the age of 70 I finally got my cub and I paid less for it with the equipment than I did for my John Deere riding lawn mower. As far as value in our area you can expect the pay up to 3 to 4 times the price the cubs sold when new and I still think that's a bargain. If I could afford it I would have 3 or 4 or 5 or6 or 7, well you get the idea.

[Rudi]

I orginally bought mine cause I needed a tractor to do the garden. I had watched the wife's uncle use his Cub for over 20 years and I had decided a long time ago, that when I went to buy a tractor, it would be a Cub. Ellie is doing what she was originally bought for, and will continue to do so for years to come. The restoration part will be Jethro for now as I need to have one at least running and working. After he is done, then I will think about redoing Ellie. Or maybe by then I will have another one or 2 or 3 -- and maybe a couple IH Cub Cadets to replace that piece of junk Craftsman I have.

I think one of the real attractions is how well the Cubs were built, how long they have lasted with or without TLC and how much fun they can be. Unfortunately, with the way things are built today, pretty much only the older tractors like our Cubs will still be here in another 50 years