Deck Removal on a Cub Cadet LT1050

Cub Cadet

• Cub Cadet tractors have been working in suburban America since the early 1960s. The first Cub Cadets were originally conceived by International Harvester -- a manufacturer of farm tractors and trucks -- and came in only one model. Newer Cub Cadets are available in several different sizes, starting with the entry-level series 1000.

Series 1000 Tractors

• The small series 1000 Cub Cadet tractors are available with several different power plants and mower deck widths. The base-model LT1040 comes with a 19 horsepower engine and a 42-inch-wide mower deck. The LT1050 is a slightly larger unit powered by a 25 horsepower engine, with a 50-inch-wide cutting deck. The LT1050 also comes standard with an automatic hydrostatic transmission.

Mower Deck

• The mower deck of a Cub Cadet LT1050 is constructed of sheet metal and houses two cutting blades. Spindles attached to the cutting blades protrude through the top of the deck. A large, flexible V-groove belt is routed around pulleys attached to the spindles and gets is power from an engine-mounted electromagnetic clutch. The clutch is controlled by a PTO switch on the dashboard and turns the power to the cutting blades on and off.

Mower Deck Removal

• The mower deck can be removed for maintenance or for attaching other accessories, such as snow blowers or plows. According to Cub Cadet, it is also recommended that you remove the mower deck to replace the cutting blades. Safety precautions require that the PTO switch on the dashboard be turned off and the ignition key be removed to prevent accidental starting while you perform any work on the mower deck.

Deck Removal Procedure

• Once you remove the metal guard from the mower drive belt under the engine, you can slip the belt off the clutch pulley. You need not remove the belt from the remaining pulleys. The deck is suspended by two spring-loaded pins, one on each side of the deck. A sway bar and a stabilizer bar are connected to the deck with cotter pins that you can remove with pliers. You can then slide the mower deck out from under the right side of the tractor and remove it.