plow lift adapter

[tc429]

hi all, first post...helping a old (88) buddy Don get his old (model 72) cub ready for winter...he got a blade for it years ago, we put it on last night, missing the 'lift adapter' for the deck adjustment handle...simple enough to fabricate, but as no turnbuckle to adjust 'between notches' I was thinking about making a split adapter with a bolt to adjust lift a little bit...turnbuckle would be easier, but dunno if i could find one strong enough- leverage on the lift is pretty short/highly loaded...actually thinking about lengthening the front a bit so its easier to lift too- really only needs like 4" travel(I think).

just thought I'd ask if anyone else had already done one like this/had any suggestions or comments.

he has a gravel drive, so really cant use the shoes too well, thinking about putting him some wheels on the blade too so it wont dig in. thoughts?

far as the tractor goes, hes had it forever- 3 yrs ago the glass fuel bowl shutoff vibrated out, it caught fire bad... hes redone it, put a lot of money in it, all new parts, paint...hes getting a bit too old to muscle his snowblower around, wanted to plow this winter.., he's kinda hard headed, but does very well for his age, neat guy, served on the original Enterprise in WWII, very interesting to talk to

really impressed how these old '72' cubs are built, talk about heavy duty...weve got a little one, but its the newer mtd built style, it works but drinks a lot of gas for its little 38" cut...can mow our 5 acre yard on a little over a quart of diesel in our big tractor, got the lil cub for the kids to help with, that thing must burn over a gallon per hour...Don said same thing about his cub- he can mow his yard(probably close to a acre) on a quart in his old Kohler/cub, his yr old MTD takes over a gallon...

I'll put a pic up later-

thanks for any comments/suggestions
Tim

[ksanders]

In the end, he's probably money ahead redoing the whole 72 instead of getting a new one. I never liked the whole "sediment bowl with gas above coil that causes spark" out of paranoia of that exact thing happening.

As for the using a lot of gas, hydros and twin cylinders suck gas like you wouldn't believe. Single cylinders and especially gear drives use very little gas.

As for the gravel drive, the skid shoes will work with minimal damage if you set them high enough. I usually set them to allow just a thin film of snow above the rocks as to not plow away the rocks too much. I think if you add wheels you're going to run into clearance issues. For example, if they're in the back of the blade, every time you angle it they'll be close to your front wheels on the tractor. If on the sides you can't get as close to stuff.

For the lift handle bracket, I'd just get one instead of making it. That bracket takes a beating from the lift rod everytime you hit something and for the 10-20 dollars you'll spend on one you couldn't even buy the materials. I know people on this forum have extras, they're on Ebay, and I probably have 5 in my stash extra that I know of.

For the snowblower, they make a hydro lift set-up for the 72 you can buy. They're kind of hard to find sometimes and run about $300 for a full set-up but will pick up anything the 72 can be equipped with effortlessly. Might be worthwhile.

Lastly..... WELCOME TO THE FORUM

[Tom Scott]

Tim - As far as the skid shoes go, I will second what Kevin is saying. I don't think wheels are the answer.

The only other idea that I have heard of (but haven't tried yet) is to take a piece of ABS plastic pipe and put just the right width slot in it lengthwise for the blade edge to sit into. Now the nice round pipe rides on (and hopefully over) the stone, rather than digging into it. You would need some type of way to secure the pipe to the blade edge, perhaps a few bolts through several of the holes for holding the wear blade onto the moldboard. Or a bolt up through the pipe into where the skid shoes were bolted. Or bolt the shoes on through the pipe to hold the pipe on and still have skid shoes. You get the idea. I would try not to add any new holes if I could avoid it.

I was reading this on a larger tractor forum and the consensus was that PVC was too brittle and broke easily. I would guesstimate a starting diameter of about 2-1/2", maybe less or more, depending upon actual results. The larger the diameter, the lower the approach angle, and the more likely it will ride over the stone rather than push it. Too large of a pipe will get awkward and heavier.

And from me as well, Welcome to the forum!

[tc429]

thanks for the info-

still have the question about fine adjustment- it looks to me like the 'clicks' on the handle even with the hole drilled low will change the blade by a inch or two...

what if instead of casters we put like conveyor rollers right behind the blade? just tossing out ideas...

hadnt thought of the pvc or any other round bottom blade, might be worth a shot

heres a pic of old Don the day we got it running again:


we had to pull the valves, bad gas had stuck a exhaust valve open, polished them up, she started first try...Kohler made one heck of a good engine, that thing was like new inside still (had to replace gaskets)

[J Hayes]

I was reading this on a larger tractor forum and the consensus was that PVC was too brittle and broke easily. I would guesstimate a starting diameter of about 2-1/2", maybe less or more, depending upon actual results. The larger the diameter, the lower the approach angle, and the more likely it will ride over the stone rather than push it. Too large of a pipe will get awkward and heavier. And from me as well, Welcome to the forum!

I thought like you said about being brittle,.

I saw either on this forum. possibly on old lost site , may even came from across the street....Of using belting sandwiched between blade and cutter bar..I dont have a black top driveway , but I'd bet a the belt would not beat up the black top .. If you use it for gravel .. just cut a wider strip so it tends to roll back under keeping cutting edge up off the gravel.

[tc429]

hmm... I like that- and have got some heavy conveyor bet material too thanks!

[tc429]

another cub 72 question- measured the steering wheel splines, like 11/16 with a smooth tapered base...anyone know if theres a larger/thicker rimmed wheel available? I think with gloves on, hes gonna have a hard time steering this thing, the wheels are very thin/smooth. maybe a spinner knob at a minimum, but those can be finger breakers too...hmm... thoughts?

thinking about making him up a set of fenders too...need to get my kids something to practice welding on...

[vince_o]

Couple of things I noticed

A guy dressed in funny collered clothes with a ford blue eng, and a Mack bulldog, just has to fit in well with Scott, Ugly Jim or I just fine

I have a set of narrow tri ribbed tires on my 106 that I would recomend you maybe looking into. What little snow Ive tun minw in it steers real easy and has good tracton. I thin Chris Westfall still carries them, if not Epay is full of them.

[tc429]

For the lift handle bracket, I'd just get one instead of making it. That bracket takes a beating from the lift rod everytime you hit something and for the 10-20 dollars you'll spend on one you couldn't even buy the materials. I know people on this forum have extras, they're on Ebay, and I probably have 5 in my stash extra that I know of.

I saw a pic of one, the way it looked, seemed it might tend to twist around- problem is his shoulder is pretty weak, leverage not great from the pic I saw of one...made up one from scraps with a split collar that tightens to the shaft(cant twist) and made it double thick at the pedal pivot, with lower rod holes...it only lifts the plow about 4", but is very easy to pull. If he needs more, can move it up a hole and add a spring up front, but he's gonna try it as-is ...

[Farmallgray]

Tim,
You don't have to worry about the notches on the handle. Just let the blade float. There should be a little button on the front of the lift handle grip. When you push this button with
the lock button down, it will hold the button down and allow the blade to float over the uneven ground. The skid shoes shouldn't be a problem. I have a gravel drive and they work ok. I just keep them down to where the cutting edge is about 1" off the ground.

I am intriuged by the plastic pipe idea. I have often thought about the belting or some kind of rubber but I have never found a good source for some suitable material. a friend of mine has a jeep CJ with a Myer plow and a rubber cutting edge and it works great for gravel and even in grass. I watched him plow a sidewalk with it one time. Even though it was too wide, it didn't tear up the lawn next to the sidewalk.

[tc429]

In the end, he's probably money ahead redoing the whole 72 instead of getting a new one. I never liked the whole "sediment bowl with gas above coil that causes spark" out of paranoia of that exact thing happening.

yep- he was lucky it didnt explode- he had a extinguisher in his garage nearby, put it out, but engine heat kept reigniting it, extinguisher ran out...said by the time he got his garden hose on it, it was engulfed...gotta love steel gastanks- a newer one woulda been exploded in seconds if a tank melted...

As for the using a lot of gas, hydros and twin cylinders suck gas like you wouldn't believe. Single cylinders and especially gear drives use very little gas.

our diesel is a 3 cyl hydrostatic, very economical, even with 4wd. I think a lot of the fuel gulping is from oversized engines and Briggs less than optimal cam/carb/compression...those old kohlers were fuel sippers...as a kid we had a 4hp kohler 38" wheelhorse, it used less gas than our pushmower

As for the gravel drive, the skid shoes will work with minimal damage if you set them high enough. I usually set them to allow just a thin film of snow above the rocks as to not plow away the rocks too much. I think if you add wheels you're going to run into clearance issues. For example, if they're in the back of the blade, every time you angle it they'll be close to your front wheels on the tractor. If on the sides you can't get as close to stuff.

agreed- all good points.

For the lift handle bracket, I'd just get one instead of making it. That bracket takes a beating from the lift rod everytime you hit something and for the 10-20 dollars you'll spend on one you couldn't even buy the materials. I know people on this forum have extras, they're on Ebay, and I probably have 5 in my stash extra that I know of.
For the snowblower, they make a hydro lift set-up for the 72 you can buy. They're kind of hard to find sometimes and run about $300 for a full set-up but will pick up anything the 72 can be equipped with effortlessly. Might be worthwhile.

Lastly..... WELCOME TO THE FORUM

thanks for the welcome went ahead and made up a bracket with very low holes, he was able to lift the blade easily with it.
On the snowblower- my bad- I was talking about his walk behind unit, he dont have a snowblower attachment for his tractor... I dont always type what I meant to say

[tc429]

been a couple years since stopping in here... well, lost my old buddy back in July, we never did get the old Cub back where it could be. his family had a estate auction yesterday, I just had to get the cub, luckily for me it went way less than I was ready to- just had to get it, maybe because of all the memories of old Don, the kids and i working on it a few years ago, maybe just because of the goofy 'look ma- no hands' picture a few posts up... sure miss that old fart, so glad my sons got to know a couple folks from that generation that i was blessed with as some of the best friends i ever had. ive got a ton of unfinished projects, but the old Cub wont become one of them...we'll get it looking good, and it will be handy for a extra snowplow- gonna laminate Don's pic and put it under the hood, hopefully he'll be remembered long after I'm gone by my kids too... they dont make folks like him anymore

[Tom Scott]

Tim - Kudos to you for helping to make your friends last years more enjoyable. Even though the tractor didn't get finished with him, the time you spent with him was invaluable.
Nice to hear you have the tractor now. Hope to see you around more.

[dag1450]

Thanks for the cool story Tim. There r a couple old farts in my life that i should make more time for. Keep us posted on your project. Dave

[tc429]

thanks guys... i'll try to make up a thread on whatever we do with it... I got to know old Don when his brother Ben got sick, Ben was a friend/neighbor for >20 yrs, and before that I grew up next to his other brother Gene- who had kids my age... heres a link to another project, if anyones bored, Ben's 65 Ford...first picture had Ben and Don (don was on the right)... spent almost a year on that one, we still have it, still looks the same

http://www.fordmuscleforums.com/galaxie ... story.html

my brother gave me a set of wheels/tires off a Sears tractor he scrapped, they sat in the garage for years... lo-and-behold, they fit the Cub... a couple inches more tread/same diameter, look better proportioned... think I'm gonna chrome the wheels, go with that size tire, maybe 3rib fronts though, better for plowing...we put them on last night to be sure everything clears, no problem. plan on a set of fenders, new hood (with Don's mack bulldog of course) decal set, tighten up the steering gear with a bearing, maybe bore/bush the kingpins, new seat cover, maybe another steering wheel (I have a 12" foam 3 spoke from my first car hanging on the wall...think it would fit better than the flat one- kinda hits the hood/hides the throttle/choke... we'll see.

[tc429]

hadnt stopped in here in a long time, was looking back to see when first post was for me...anyways, thought id share a more recent pic of old Don's cub, wearing trailer fenders, a 35 yr old steering wheel from the car i wrecked when i was 16, and its newer tires...

GREAT little tractor, used it for snow the past couple yrs, like plowing with it better than the big one

[dag1450]

Nice u stopped back. They r fun in the snow. Do u have a set of tire chains?

[tc429]

chains are for smaller tires, might do the sheetmetal screws like i used to for my quadracer...the old tires with chains beat my back up pretty rough riding...since then though i flipped the seat spring 180, rides super soft relatively speaking. even chainless, the chevron treads did pretty well, only real issue is brakes dont work if one tire slides- bought a set of disc brakes for it...actually, should be out there fabbing pedal linkage before winter huh