Cub Cadet 100

Summer travels of a 1970 gold demonstrator 826

Roger Siemsen from Hutchinson, Chapter 15 member and former board of director member, has a tractor that is likely one of the more well-traveled tractors in the club. It has been in the Case IH corporate headquarters atrium in Racine, Wis., attended the Case IH company picnic and has been a part of the Case IH display at several Farm Progress Shows and similar shows around the Midwest during the summer.

The tractor that is so special is a 1970 International 826 gold demonstrator. It has a German diesel engine and is a gear drive. It was originally sold by Hackbarth Implement in Cosmos to Joe Hartung. It was later traded in to Arnold’s Implement in Litchfield. From there it was resold to Carl Hellwig of Litchfield. Hellwig passed away in December of 2005 and in March of 2006 Siemsen purchased it from Hellwig’s wife.

When Siemsen first inspected the tractor it was loose, but it would not start. He succeeded in getting it running and then began with the mechanical restoration. While he was working on the restoration, Case IH was looking for a gold demonstrator to use as part of the introduction of two new models of tractors. The new 305 Magnum and 535 Steiger would also have gold demonstrators as part of their introduction. The top 100 Magnum dealers got 100 gold 305s and the top 50 Steiger sales dealers got 50 of the gold 535s.

Brent Mueller, an employee of Case IH, asked his father, Al Mueller, who was an employee of Arnold’s Implement in Kimball if he knew of any gold demonstrators. Mueller called Chapter 15 member, Harlan Johnson of Litchfield. Johnson knew Siemsen had purchased the 826 and informed Siemsen of the Case IH interest.

Siemsen was then contacted by Case IH headquarters when he received a call from Randy Woods, sales manager responsible for Case IH tractor sales, to see if the tractor was for sale. Siemsen did not wish to sell but the possibility of a lease was discussed. Woods came out to see the tractor and while visiting with Siemsen, saw his restored Super MD. Woods was so satisfied by what he saw that a lease arrangement was agreed upon. The painter of the Super MD was engaged by Case IH to work on the 826, and Case IH completed the restoration that Siemsen had started. The result is a tractor that looks and functions like one fresh off the assembly line. Much of the hauling of this tractor has been done by Arnold’s Implement of Glencoe.

The last of the 2008 shows at which the 826 was featured was in September at Husker Harvest Days near Grand Island, Neb. There the 826 stood at the entrance of the rather large tent that was the command central for the very significant display Case IH had set up for the show. The Case IH employees working at the show said that 826 really caught the eye of show attendees and helped to create great interest in their display.

cub cadet 2000 series "garden tractor"

2000 Series Cub Cadets are no more than glorified lawn tractors. The 3000 series is the only "real" garden tractor they make anymore and even they are not what your 124 is by any means. If you're talking about the front axle they have been putting cast iron axles on many MTD built lawn tractors for years. You could get them on Huskees that Tractor Supply sold at least 8 years ago. it had a cast iron transaxle. yeah i know that front cast iron axles are meaningless sales gimicks, but this had a cast iron transaxle. i was not considering purchasing one, i just thought maybe mtd is trying to put SOME quality back into cub cadet that has been lost. will they ever return to the glory days? nope. MTD will never be international harvester. under the drive system section is says heavy duty cast iron transaxle. however when you look under attachments it doesnt appear to have ground engaging capabilities, the true definition of garden tractor. i think it should be illegal to advertise a tractor as a garden tractor if it cannot garden. kinda stupid if you ask me. why was it back in the glory days that nearly every machine sold, unless it was a very small lawn tractor had ground engaging capability and now nearly nothing does. even your little original and john deere 110/112 round fenders powered by little 7 and 8 hp engine had ground engaging capability. now 20 hp lawn tractors cannot do what a small 7 hp garden tractor from the 60's can still do 50 years after its introduction. MTD, if you are listening unless it can handle a tiller or brinly sleeve attachments its lawn or yard tractor.

Original Farmall Cub and Cub Cadet

Cub and Cub Cadet

Garden Tractors, Deere, Cub Cadet, Wheel Horse, and All the Rest, 1930s to Current

The Farmall Dynasty

International cub cadet tractor chassis, model 70 and 100