Cub Cadet

Cub Cadet is a premium line of outdoor power equipment, established in 1961 as part of the International Harvester Corporation.

During the 1960's IH initiated an entirely new line of lawn and garden equipment aimed at the owners of increasingly popular rural homes with large yards and private gardens. The first piece of equipment to be introduced was the Cub Cadet tractor, offered in 7, 10, and 12 horsepower versions. There were a wide variety of Cub Cadet branded and after-market attachments available; including mowers, blades, snow blowers, front loaders, plows, carts, etc.

Cub Cadet advertising at that time harped on their thorough testing by "boys – acknowledged by many as the world's worst destructive force!". Cub Cadets became known for their dependability and rugged construction. A cult-like following has emerged around Cub Cadet tractors, similar to the following enjoyed by Apple/Mac computers.

MTD Products, Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio purchased the Cub Cadet brand from International Harvester in 1981. Cub Cadet was held as a wholly owned subsidiary for many years following this acquisition, which allowed them to operate independently. Recently, MTD has taken a more aggressive role and integrated Cub Cadet into it's other lines of power equipment (MTD, YardMachines, YardMan, Cub Cadet, White, Ryobi, Bolens, Troy-Built). This integration has sparked displeasure amongst Cub Cadet loyalists, who overwhelmingly feel that the quality of Cub Cadets has been significantly reduced.