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 Once upon a time.....
I push-mowed our lawn, which was filled with lots of time-consuming landscaping creations. This chore was part of my father’s Work-To-Eat Program.
In the Spring of yet another mowing season, my father brought home a 19 page IH Cub Cadet brochure. I read it cover to cover, several times, and circled the following tag line for emphasis:
IT’S EASY TO DRIVE, SAFE TO DRIVE, FUN TO DRIVE (LET YOUR TEEN-AGER DO THE DRIVING)!
On May 11, 1968, a shiny new Cub Cadet 72 ($825 in Sixties Dollars) was delivered by Criscola Farm Equipment. Tony Criscola himself drove it off the trailer. From that
very day, the 72 was in almost continuous service for over 30 years.
I have fond memories of this machine. The old Cast Iron Cub defined my perception of quality -- “invest wisely in things that will stand the test of time”. When my father
passed away in 2000, I swapped his MTD/Cub Cadet straight-up for the well-worn 72.
During the summer of 2000, I used the Cub Cadet to mow the Arunah Hill observing field. This is a tough job for an old, un-restored 7hp tractor -- the field is bumpy &
hilly with many rock outcroppings. And, it only gets mowed once a month, even in the spring!
The earliest pictures show a well-worn machine. Before the 2001 mowing season, I rebuilt the tractor, and it now works much better and is very reliable. The extensive
Parts ‘Network’ (new parts from Dealer, used parts from everywhere) is a real testament to these machines.
I’ve recently bought a 125 to handle the workload. Someday, after a full restoration, the 72 will be retired.
-Dan Carnevale
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