Between the Bookends

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Pair of new releases covers the range from Cub Cadet to Big Bud

If you're a Cub Cadet fan, you can skip the flu shot: You're more likely to succumb to "yellow fever." If that's the case, Oscar H. Will's new book, Cub Cadet: The First 45 Years, is just what the doctor ordered.

Will, a regular contributor to Farm Collector, has compiled what is unquestionably the most deeply researched, authoritative and handsomely illustrated tome to date on the spunky yellow-and-white garden tractor. The book was clearly a labor of love: Will's passion for the Cub Cadet shines through on every page.

Cub Cadet is organized in four logical sections. The first traces the history and evolution of the line, including never-before-published details on the Cub Cadet's purchase by Modern Tool and Die Co. The second section includes a chapter covering a galaxy of attachments and special duty implements, running the gamut from garden-variety to highly collectible (like the Haban Sickle Mower), from ordinary to rarified (like the sprayer/fogger and golf ball retrievers). Section 2 also gives no-nonsense restoration advice, including sound tips on what's worth buying and what's not, and how much to pay. Section 3 provides a wealth of specifications in a comprehensive field guide, and section 4 delivers serial numbers.

Cub Cadet fans are sure to be enthralled by the history of the product's beginnings, including amazingly detailed information on prototypes and experimental models - and even the present whereabouts of a handful of unique pieces. For the true collector, background like that can't be beat. Is there a cure for yellow fever? Not yet. In the meantime, Will's new book is darned good therapy.