Urban Farm Tractors

Hi all! Wanted to start a thread for some of my machines. I try to lead a pretty self sustaining lifestyle on a 1/2 acre lot in town, and I've been looking to Cub Cadet for help. I've got 3 IH garden tractors - a 1969 106 gear drive narrow frame, a 1975 149 wide frame hydro with a #1 tiller, and a broke down 127 hydro that I'd like to put an electric motor on, but probably never will.

My next build is gonna be a work buggy and I definitely want to do it up ATLTF style. I'll be starting with a little more modern yellow and white machine, a 2001ish Cub Cadet 2166, 16 HP OHV single Kohler Command and a shaft driven hydro with factory foot controls that are easy for my family to operate. It's main job will be doing work like pulling a cart around the garden and carrying 150 lbs of chicken feed (3 bags) around on the custom hood that I'll either build or repurpose, but I'd very much like to be able to take it on a romp or chase the oldest around on his dirtbike in the woods.

Having read through the threads here, I haven't seen any 2000 series shaft drive cubs built. Please point me in the direction of any cub cadet build threads that I may have missed. The 2166 is pretty fast, and it looks like there's enough room to swap the 20x9/8's on the rear for something closer to 30" with a little fender massaging. Suggestions on a cheap tire/wheel that will get good traction but won't tear up my yard or my wallet. I was hoping to find a set of well worn quad tires but willing to take any port in the storm.

I want a mobile generator/welder some day. This seems like it will also be a good candidate with it's electric PTO on the front of the motor and new real estate coming available under what will most definitely be a longer, taller hood, and involve no less than one automotive alternator. Maybe an A/C compressor and tank for onboard air too, if I can find the pieces to make it happen for close enough to free. (If I find these parts for free, I'll enter the build off)

Work lights will be on the the must have list for this beast. It cannot be difficult to come up with a folding/telescopic rotating light tower that will light up the garden at night. LED technology has come a long way, but I'll need to upgrade from a regular lawn and garden battery as I'd like to have the engine turned off and the lights turned on for a couple hours without killing the battery. I'll add USB & 12v power ports to it as well, to keep the phone charged and power a bluetooth speaker or radio while we work.

She'll need a little tool box for ratchet straps, tow rope, hitch pin, and such, much like most of your rigs, but I'd like to add a vertical rack for garden tools. Once a week she'll be my butt buggy and radio battery when we go hoe weeds.

For a lawn tractor, the front end of the 2166 is as stout as can be, with a cast iron front axle and spindles that rival most garden tractors. The tie rods look like the weakest link, and the only part of the factory chassis that really needs attention, so I'm curious to see what all you guys have done to add some beef.

Thanks in advance for the help. Will try to get some pics up tonight.

Sounds like an awesome build. Can't wait to see it. I know what kind of tractor your talking about and I've never seen one of those built either.

So basically this is gonna be a work tractor more than a mud tractor, right?

If you have some connections and know where to get parts then you should definitely be able to get stuff for a good price or maybe even for free. I love my little town, everyone likes to see the next generation working on tractors instead of video games, so I get a lot help concerning parts.

All I can suggest on tires is cut the turfs. They're just SOOOOOO expensive.

Are you putting rear and side lights on it too? If so you should definitely run 2 or more switches to power them. It would be a great way to save power. And yes you'll definitely need a better battery.

I don't know much about those Cubs but I have heard that they're built pretty sturdy, so it sounds like you got a good foundation to start with. Good luck!

Definitely more of a work tractor than anything. Would be nice to get down the trail without breaking stuff. Couldn't go too crazy in the mud, I'm pretty sure there's a plastic fan on the driveshaft that doesn't like water. I pretty much need a little buggy to do chores around a mini farm, and maybe have a little fun when the chores are done.

Funny you should say that, I actually work on video games, pinball machines, and jukeboxes for a living. I'm pushing 40 though and finally building the tractor that mom didn't want junking up her yard when I was a kid.

As far as parts go, I have pretty solid MacGyver skills when it comes to repurposing stuff. As far as parts go, my goal would be to build the machine entirely out of free stuff and shop supplies.

Cut turfs? I definitely want something taller than stock. This may spend some time on the road if I start farming neighbors' properties something similar to what Curtis Stone does. You might be on the right track though, if I can find a set of tall turf tires I can cut them. Tell me about expensive, though, I'm pricing out ag tires for my 106 too...

Probably going to buy a big box of Chinese LED lights on eBay, put lights on whatever I have that needs lit up, and put the rest on this beast. I have a box full of switches and I make pretty wiring harnesses, I could wind up with a whole lot if it becomes a generator air compressor on board welder light tower grain wagon dump truck and butt buggy with a factory cupholder.

They're definitely sturdy. Heavy too, and no swapping pulleys. If I want a mud mower I think I should look for something lighter. Maybe some day

If you wanna talk about hydro fans then let me tell you I have experience breaking them in water LOL. Keep that fan outta water and branches and you should be fine. I'm not good at doing that lol.

Haha it's a small world isn't it.

You could probably just trade your old turfs in for some big ones and use those. Just be sure they have a lot of tread on them or cutting them won't help much. If your not exactly sure what I mean by cutting them then here's a pic of mine. BTW these tires didn't have much tread on 'em so I kinda wasted my time.



Well it sounds like you know what your doin' with electricals so can't wait to see 'em.

Here's a couple pics of the before. The hood is going away  no doubt, and the Kohler has some burnt wires that need to go away.

Any suggestions on a carb swap?

Mods, if you've seen this thread and what I'd like to do, I have to ask, do you think I'm over halfway there?

My engine wiring harness is burnt up and she doesn't run, but I did jump some wires around, got it to start, and took it off of the kids' bike jump last year. I hope to get this pile to run and do the stuff mentioned above long before October. If she qualifies, I might as well enter the contest.

I see a little romp coming up in Western PA that sounds like a good time, too

I have only been doing this for about a year. I have seen less get by in the past. I say go for it. @Doug has been on a little hiatus, but I think he will agree. Be sure you make your sign and take the picture with it and your tractor. Create a new post in the entries section. Go ahead and give us a good run down again of what your plan is.

https://www.atltf.com/t5975-ready-set-build-entry-instructions-and-password-here

No pics at the moment, and I never took pics to enter, but I did get her running, driving, and muffled. I also got some free knobbies that look like old trike tires and put 'em on the back.

I have 2 more knobby quad tires for the front, but it looks like I either have to find hubs with the right bolt pattern, cut the hubs out of stock wheels and weld them up to the rims the wheels are mounted on, or get lucky and find the right size wheels with hubs.

The ignition and carb solenoid wires on the Kohler Command 16 HP OHV were melted from a poor design that kept them a little to close to the block. Seeing as the tank in this one sits lower than the carb, I went ahead and replaced the solenoid with the bowl screw from a common Briggs push mower, and cut the wire.

I then found that when the starter runs, the ignition hot shuts off. The carb solenoid is hot when the starter is engaged, but not when the ignition is running. Without a manual or wiring diagram, I opted to run a new hot lead from a fused circuit and put an on/off switch on the dash instead of figuring out the voodoo behind it all. She runs great now, but loud. Secured the battery to it's factory location with a big expensive zip tie, I'm that confident now.

Now I need a muffler, preferably a quiet one, even better if it's free. I found a hydraulic filter on the shelf with a 1" opening, closed my eyes, and started welding like Ray Charles. I added boogers until it stuck, then booger welded some more. I sealed the holes in the top and the popcorn in my welds with some furnace cement and drilled a few holes in the side of the oil filter to let the noises out, then fired her up for a full throttle cruise while smoking and throwing ashes out the side as the paper filter element burned up.

It was round about this time that the parts for the car i was getting paid to work on showed up, so I put her back in the shed after the flames went out. Not quite as fast as I'd hoped, though

Just remember the more you do, the closer to half way you become.

I am well past half way, and think I probably was before I started. I'll just have some fun with this one and keep you all updated.