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How to Find Out the Year a Cub Cadet Was Manufactured

Kaite Mitchell

In the 1960s, International Harvester began manufacturing a lawn tractor line aimed at homeowners. Up until that point, the company focused on large agricultural equipment. Sold under the Cub Cadet name, these riding mowers became a hit with homeowners with large lawns and semi-rural homesteads.

Farmer riding red tractor around farm.

Knowing the manufacture date on your Cub Cadet is important when repairing your lawn tractor or locating replacement parts. Since 1979, Cub Cadets have their date of manufacture on a protected serial number tag on the underside of the tractor seat. Determining the manufacture date on a vintage Cub Cadet requires more investigative work.

  1. Locate the serial number on your vintage Cub Cadet tractor. Pre-1997 tractors have the serial number stamped on the chassis in front of the rear tires or printed on a sticker on the rear axle housing. Scrape paint or debris off the stamp, if necessary, or shine the flashlight obliquely across the numbers to show them in relief.

  2. Write your number down on a piece of paper. Look for the "U" in the number. The numbers after the "U" will be the part that indicates the year of manufacture.

  3. Log on to the Internet and check your serial number against the chart available on the International Cub Cadet website (see Resources). This chart provides the date and year of manufacture of your Cub Cadet.

  4. Contact the Cub Cadet technical support hotline at 1-877-428-2349 if your numbers or the tag have been removed. They can ask you questions about your machine to help you determine the age of your Cub Cadet tractor.

The Drip Cap

  • In the 1960s, International Harvester began manufacturing a lawn tractor line aimed at homeowners.
  • Sold under the Cub Cadet name, these riding mowers became a hit with homeowners with large lawns and semi-rural homesteads.
  • Knowing the manufacture date on your Cub Cadet is important when repairing your lawn tractor or locating replacement parts.
  • Contact the Cub Cadet technical support hotline at 1-877-428-2349 if your numbers or the tag have been removed.