Cub Cadet Hydrostatic Lawn Tractor LT 1042

No company support mower in shop 3 times within the first year of services – Good on flat land not good if you have any hills or uneven area to cut Northern glass backyard I've had to repair it 3 times in one year I only have 15 hours on the mower Show details

Great machine – I've had mt LT1042 since 2010, I use it regularly for mowing 1/2 acre, never had a problem, replaced one drive belt only. Perfect for the job and gives a great lawn finish. No complaints here Show details

The lt 1042 is one of the best mowers ever made – I have 3 1042s. One for summer mowing, one for winter leaf collecting and one with no deck for pulling a trailer and 25 gallon spray attachment. I live on a small city lot and have no need for so many but I absolutely love the 1042. No belt problems as with wider decks. Yes both decks have had hangers rewelded but hey they're over 10 years old. Nothing last forever, even cold November rain. Show details

Best mower of this price range – I started with a Cub Cadet and let it go when i moved off acreage, since moving back onto acreage i have had John Deere, Toro and Husqvarna and they don't even come close to how good the Cub Cadets are. I couldn't handle it any more and bought another Cub Cadet. Best thing i did! To all those people grizzling about their Cub Cadets, if you don't want them, i take them off your hands and find them better homes :) Show details

Do not recommend this tractor – Just over one year old and I have nothing but problems with it. I have purchased this tractor with the snowblower attachment and has broke down twice in a year. The belt keeps slipping if there is more than 4” of snow. I have complained to dealer and they say the belt has stretched causing the slippage this is the second belt in one year. They had… Read more

to replace a broken shaft on now this year the gear box is stripped. With all this I have still not had to replace a shear pin so these issues are not caused from abuse. I regret purchasing this product.

Worst Mower ever built – From new this mower broke and or threw deck belts at a rate of between one weekly to one monthly. At the time at a cost of around $100 each This made it very expensive to mow the grass. I even tried to return the mower because it's a lemon only to find Cub Cadet not wanting anything to do with it. The fool on the other end of the phone at Cub… Read more

Cadet Australia told me it was for cutting grass but for mowing lawn. Obviously never lived outside the city in his life. On You Tube a gentleman from the Southern USA came up with a solution to stop the frequent replacing of belts - thank goodness for your genius as I now run a 94 inch belt under a different configuration and only break a belt every now and then as expected. Although this fixed the belt problem I am sure that they knew that they had produced a lemon and just had to get rid of it. The problems with the deck continue - being that I think it wasn't built anywhere near strong enough for Australian conditions because it has had numerous pulley's and both spindles replaced and I've had to tap a number of deck's bolt holes and replace numerous bolts. Overall I would say this is the mower to give to your most hated enemy because it really is a piece of s&$t. I will never buy a Cub Cadet or MTD mower ever again and nor would I recommend them to anyone.

Would like to try a new one 1000 series – 360hrs lt1042 done replaced steering 2x all pulleys 2x all belts 6x batteries 3x deck1x engine rattles n been properly serviced backfires when u turn after running blades replaced tierod ends engine is very hard to starr n turn over when it runs it mowed just fine until sumtn breaks  Show details

Would not buy – I would not recommend buying this mower. We have had nothing but problems out of it. Belt comes off every time it's used,has a hard time starting and even if it would start on the first go around the battery keeps getting drained even though we have 2 new batteries. Very rough ride. It beats you to death on even flat ground.  Show details

great Tractor – I bought my Cub Cadet used and have had it for 3 years at least. I leave it outside year round and just throw a tarp over it in the winter. It starts every time and cuts like a dream. I’m not sure what some of the other reviewers are trying to do with their poor tractors. Mine rocks!  Show details

Rubbish cub cadet lt1042 19hp kohler courage no good at all – Pto bearings went at 10 hrs plastic governor gear went at 38hrs so had to pull top off motor as out of warranty deck pulley went at 120hrs engine went at 138hrs plus put 2 lots of belts on it always kept oil changed even run kohler oil in it only done light work couldnt recommend at all especially considering they were over $4000 when i bought it  Show details

Great buy – I have had mine for over 5 years and it has had to work hard on just over an acre of mainly sloped and uneven ground. It has great traction even with the std tyres. It has never failed to start and never used any oil(check it every use) I have replaced a pully and the drive belt once but that is all. I have also had it serviced regularly during… Read more

the winter. I have a neighbour who goes through rideons like they're going out of fashion but he is always trying to get them to do something they were not manufactured to do. I can only conclude that those who give this machine such a low rating will get the same from all but the most robust commercial machine. Use it for its purpose and give it some respect and it will give you years of service.

There are better mowers around than the Cub Cadet – My mower is better than the one I had before, The main problem with this one is The pullys on the lift assembly are only plastic and lasted 4 lifts before the lift cables cut through th the shaft, Beside that the machine is easy to maintain and good to ride and cheap to run  Show details

commercial operator, i love it – i bought my my LT1042 new in 2008, its now clocked 518 hours of commercial use and in that time ive replaced the deck belt twice. I dont know what you guys are using yours for but i suspect all your problems are from mistreatment. Ive been using MTD and TOROS for years and I rate them super reliable and easy to service. Cheers Edwyn Thomson (Thomsons Property Maintenance 1987)  Show details

I love this machine – I've had my Cub Cadet LT1042 for 7 years almost 200hrs on it and the only thing I've ever replaced was the deck belt once. I haul wood all over my yard and neighborhood for the winter, take kids for rides in the trailer and never broke a drive belt. My yard is small only 1/2 acre but very bumpy, uneven and some hills. have the mulch kit on and… Read more

usually wait too long to cut but still no problems. seems to me if you service your machine and take care of it, it will work forever. No problems with my tractor, my father and neighbor have the same ones and they have no problems.

Don't buy it – I have bought a brand new Cub Cadet 3 years ago. The first week is was a great machine. After that start the headache. In the beginning I didn't paid for the concerts because the warranty, but after that I usually stay more time under the mower then sitting on it as always a problem, specially the belt that come off every time or even broken as… Read more

the parts are not strong enough.

Please get away of this Cub Cadet and they don't take care of their customer as the dealer I bough from was trying to do a deal with Cub Cadet and they said I probably hit something when drive and that's why I had this problem for years (they said that without even see the machine). I spent so much money with this ride mower that is not funny.

Wouldnt buy another one – Have replaced batt, three steering guide washers,2 cutting decks,7 cutting belts and all pulleys/spindles in only 5 years. Cutting decks made of soft metals and break very easy. not happy jan

I'd buy another – Having read many reviews on ride on mowers, and most of the reviews are from people who have had problems, normally people having problems is in the minority so most people would be fairly satisfied. Well I have just over a half acre of mostly level but uneven land and I find my LT 1042 a very good mower, definitely beats pushing a hand mower. I… Read more

enjoy sitting and driving the tractor and suddenly mowing has become pleasurable, I would recommend any one buying one of these mowers, as I am very happy with my purchase.

only negative was the battery being flat after my 3rd use.

Piece of JUNK!!! – My Cub Cadet LT1042 has cost me more in repairs than I've paid for it. I thought I was getting a top of the line mower, instead got the bottom of the barrel. Cheap piece of junk. Over $1500 in repairs in the 5 years I've owned it. Spindle breaks every year, - guaranteed. Highly dissatisfied. Spends more time at the repair shop - costs more $… Read more

to hire lawn service while I wait a month to get it back, only to have it happen again!! This product needs a manufacturer's recall.

Can't believe the bad ratings! – I've owned a Club Cadet LT 1042 for about 4 years and mow lawns and rougher acreage. It's better than my 2 previous popular brand ride-ons. The 19 hp Kohler motor is excellent and the deck sturdy. The replacement belts from the dealer weren't very durable but last year when I got a local Mobile Mower Repairer to replace the belt he said he could… Read more

fit a better brand. He also aligned the deck and I've had no problems since. I think Club Cadet are really good value for money. Engine always starts easily, hydrostatic responsive, deck durable, comfortable to operate. Light-weight belts from dealer.

LT1042 - Bad buy – I agree with other posters on this site. My Cub has been in the shop since the day I bought it. I should have just driven from the sales shop to the mechanic. Belts come off all the time, the deck bent with minimal mowing, constant belt replacement and other issues. Would not recommend this product. Now I just need to find someone who… Read more

would buy this so I can replace it with something better. like the color everything else.. Belts come off all the time, the deck bent with minimal mowing, constant belt replacement and other issues.

%100 Lemon - rate at zero if I could – I sadly own a Cub Cadet LT1042 and what makes it worse is the company knows they are duds but are not interested in fixing what they know are design faults. I found this when speaking with the Cub Cadet/MTD Company’s representative after mine continually kept braking down and they refused to replace the entire deck as required. The deck area is… Read more

poorly designed and inherently weak so it probably would not have corrected the problems. My lemon has not quite reached 75 hours in over just over two years and is on its sixth deck belt (and they are expensive – cheapest I’ve bought in North Queensland is $50 since our dollars gone up). I have also replaced the spindle and two spindle pulleys. It had gone through a number of genuine blades until I discovered ‘Oregon’ ‘Gator’ blades (Kudos to Oregon excellent blades). If the grass is over anywhere over 10cm tall forget using this mower – I have Buffalo Grass throughout my yard and it has a hard time with this. When we get a break in the rain over wet season the grass is sometimes as high as 15cm and this mower will not cut it easily. Although other Cub Cadet models may be good to excellent I cannot recommend the product as a whole to anyone because once bitten twice shy. It is a pity Cub Cadet didn’t own up to their mistake of producing a mower well below standard and recall the mowers, it would have saved all us who got suckered in a lot of heart ache and they may have gained a reputation as reputable instead of the s&%# they are. Good engine Made of weak pressed sheet metal, expensive parts, often breaks down, poor cutting ability, leaves cutting strip in middle, poor back up by company to dealers who look after client.