About to join the Cub Club

[Chev]

Hello All! First post, but I've been lurking a lot.

I need a new mower badly. I currently have a "82 Snapper with a 29" deck and about 2 acres with lots of trees to mow.

I am looking at a 05 Cub Cadet Tank M48 with just under 700 hours on it.

What should I be wary of? What should I inspect very closely. I know what they are asking and I am probably ready to pay this, but what do you think it is worth?

I am going to look at a Scag Turf Tiger 48" tomorrow night to get a good base for comparison, but that one is not for sale.

Love the site!

 

[robert]

chev, welcome ; the tank looks good-hydro gear pump and Parker motors, Kaw with remote filter fx?, fab deck - if the maint has been done and if the price is right go for it.

 

[benski]

Make sure the mower deck raises and lowers evenly and smoothly. I've seen some REAL casual welding on the lifting arms, and it took quite a while to diagnose, repair, and reassemble the, uh, little darling..:wink::biggrin:

 

[Chev]

Hey,

Thanks for the replies.

I've been running this 10 year old Tiger Cub this afternoon trying to have something to compare the Tank to and.......... wow I see what I have been missing.

My lower yard used to take me ~8 hours to mow and I just mowed it in just over an hour. The old method requires going over the same spot over and over to get completely around trees, and going over the thick spots twice to completely cut the grass.

I hope this Tank is pretty much the same or better than the Scag. I do feel like I know what a good mower should feel like though.

 

[robert]

chev, try to get a demo Cub 2000 series-what size deck is the Tiger Cub?

 

[Chev]

I just took a look at it, and he takes pride in it and the rest of his equipment's upkeep.

It is a 48".

The steering action is a little bit easier than the Scag, and therefore easy to be a little twitchy, but it sold me on the rest of the build. The front end is on a pivot and that smoothed out the ride nicely. The hydraulics were really well kept and as a hydraulics mechanic on Harriers, they look well designed and easy to work on. The engine sounded good. I couldn't help but think that the valves probably need the valve adjustment check after all these hours.

So, I am picking it up once my trailer hitch gets here. I'm about to get covered in leaves and this thing can definitely chew them up. I wish I had a bagger, but it would probably fill up to fast to use.

I'm excited

 

[benski]

I just took a look at it, and he takes pride in it and the rest of his equipment's upkeep.

It is a 48".

The steering action is a little bit easier than the Scag, and therefore easy to be a little twitchy, but it sold me on the rest of the build. The front end is on a pivot and that smoothed out the ride nicely. The hydraulics were really well kept and as a hydraulics mechanic on Harriers, they look well designed and easy to work on. The engine sounded good. I couldn't help but think that the valves probably need the valve adjustment check after all these hours.

So, I am picking it up once my trailer hitch gets here. I'm about to get covered in leaves and this thing can definitely chew them up. I wish I had a bagger, but it would probably fill up to fast to use.

I'm excited QUOTE
I'll throw this word of rather obvious advice in here; don't use the deck as a step to get on your mower; you'll eventually bend the thing out of shape, and it won't mow as evenly as it could.

 

[Sammy the Red]

I hope this Tank is pretty much the same or better than the Scag. I do feel like I know what a good mower should feel like though.

The Tank is not in the same class of mower that a Scag is in.

 

[Chev]

Sammy,

Thanks for digging this old thread up. I need to take a few pics as a follow up.

I'm afraid that your comment is just one of those uninformed biases based on some opinion that you follow as the gospel though.

After owning the Tank for a while, it is far and above the Scag. Shall I list out the reasons, or would I be wasting bandwidth on a troll?

We will end this with a story of a Scag. My buddy has a Scag Freedom. If I were to drum up an idiotic bias against a mower, we will start there.

There may be some poorly made Cub Cadets out there, but there are plenty of well made ones as well.

 

[robert]

Chev, I agree as I believe I have a very very well made Cub and will add that there are some very poorly made Exmarks out there also.

I am of the opinion that the 'Tank' is, in every way shape and form, a high end zt.