thinking of buying a Christmas present for my '48 (correct police, please don't weigh in)

[Teakettle]

I have to mow along hedgerows and in an orchard, and branches reach out and thwack my mesh grille. So every spring I take it off and try to restore it to roughly the correct curvature. It's finally reached a point of misshapenness where I ought to get a new grille, and I was wondering whether I should go ahead and get a multi-bar grille (the 11-bar, not the 4-bar) instead. Are the repro ones robust enough that they'd stay in shape in this situation? Thanks.

[Indy4570]

my tractor is a 1950, my engine is a 53, so I figure since it will never be original, I will use one of those grills when I find one! who cares as long as YOU are happy with it. I am no different from anyone else, I would LOVE an all original tractor all painted up. But I need a user more than a trailer queen. but if you have a trailer queen taking up needed space let me know I be right over with the trailer

have you considered a grill guard? I have been thinking about that.

[Willy]

My mesh grill is pretty beat up but you can still use all the bolts for it, so I figure it's serviceable. Besides, all those pushed in places are part of it it's history.

I've been eyeballing those bumper & grill combos. The price tag kind of scares me off though.

[Drfting1]

....can go extreme with a bumper

[Teakettle]

....can go extreme with a bumper

Yes, I have something much like that on my Cub's big brother (an IH 454), which I use to mow in places which would absolutely annihilate a Cub...

[Eugene]

I rummaged through my metal scrap pile and made a brush guard for my 154. Out of pocket, next to nothing. The Numbered Cubs fiberglass grills just don't take much punishment.

Any way, if you have a scrap metal pile, you can probably fabricate a brush guard.

[inairam]

The 11 bar grill may be better but with my limited experience with fruit tree branches, I do not think it is an answer. It will just take a little longer to get beat up.

another more expensive Christmas option may be to use an offset mower like a c-22 or a mott to keep the cub grill out of harm's way. ( about the same price range as what I have seen the bumpers go for or the 11 bar grill)

If the Cub has been very good this year you could purchase a tow behind. I have a tow behind brush mower with it own 19 hp engine that I can offset the tongue and place it on the side of the tow bar that would work well in this application.

This is the one I have but I do not recommend it. It is well-constructed heavy deck and engine and has a nice cut but it it not well designed for service. It is somewhat difficult to work on because they used through bolts and very few rivet nuts so you are constantly having to get a wrench on both sides of the deck to do anything. ( this is another post -needless to say I asked Santa to send the manufacture coal this year)

you could buy a "dress grill" and put on offseason and use the beat up grill in the mowing season

[Willy]

....can go extreme with a bumper

That's the one I've been thinking of. (or building one similar)

[jsfarmall]

Building a bumper is one option if you wanted to keep the mesh grille. The 11 bar grill will be tougher but as you said it's not an answer just prolong the need for re shaping. I have a sickle I'll sell probably depending on where your at. I'm in Northeast Arkansas. That would be good for getting under limbs but sucks having to take a mower on and off for stuff. I haven't messed with the sickle so don't know what it's like.

[Teakettle]

Building a bumper is one option if you wanted to keep the mesh grille. The 11 bar grill will be tougher but as you said it's not an answer just prolong the need for re shaping. I have a sickle I'll sell probably depending on where your at. I'm in Northeast Arkansas. That would be good for getting under limbs but sucks having to take a mower on and off for stuff. I haven't messed with the sickle so don't know what it's like.

Thanks, I tend to keep my belly mower on all the time except if I need to use the front blade, so I think a second mower is probably not an ideal solution here. Hey, maybe I need another Cub!

[inairam]

definitely another cub. No sense spending time switching implements! It is Chrismas after all

[inairam]

Thanks, I tend to keep my belly mower on all the time except if I need to use the front blade,

This is where the tow behind makes a good option.

[tnestell]

I really like the look of the 11 bar grill. Think I might give myself a Christmas gift. Still have the original and a replacement.

[Drfting1]

Liking the second cub option.....

[jsfarmall]

Well I started with one cub, I broke the garden, cultivated, and mowed. Also used.my blade but that wasn't a big deal cause it was usually out of.mowing season. So I got another cub to keep the mower on. If your not too handy with welding and building a bumper is perfect project. Don't have to be perfect, just functional. Also make it to protect the tie rods. Perfect learning project for ya. Piece of channel iron, some light angle iron, then flat bar and your good to go. Google is full of examples to go by.