Cub Cadet 125 - caught fire

dhermesc · Jun 13, 2023

My Cub 125 has been sitting for a about 8 months. Went to start it and the battery was dead. Swapped another battery in and it seemed to be drawing a current. Turned the key and the cub fired up and was running. After about 30 seconds I noticed a light down low - leaned to the right and could see a fire down low. It kept burning and getting bigger. One of the headlights came on... Turned it off and unhooked the battery connections. Poured some water on the fire and put it out.

The main wiring harness appears to run down the right side of the frame and hooks up to the starter generator and the fire appeared to be right where the loom turns up and runs up the side of the grill to the voltage regulator and headlights.

I just want to put this thing together and sell it. How many wires are inside the loom?

R Bedell · Jun 14, 2023

dhermesc:

Sounds like the tractor is a victim to the mouse problem.

DoubleO7 · Jun 14, 2023

Likely still had has the old cloth jacketed wiring.

dhermesc · Jun 14, 2023

I sat and thought about and I believe I have at least two issues. A short where the fire was and either another short behind the dash before the keyed switch - or the keyed starter switch is not
shutting power off.

With the keyed switch off - there was strong draw on the battery. Last night when I touched the battery cable to the battery post it tossed some sparks - more than it should have, I should have
stopped then and investigated but it was getting dark and I wanted to see if it would start. I had assumed that was the short up front where the fire was - but to create that draw was my keyed switch
not shutting off? Or do I have another short behind the dash too - before the keyed switch?

I had thought the original battery had a short - when I attempted to hook up the battery charger a week ago it maxed out the charge then clicked off (again with the key switch off). I did this cycle
a couple times and I assumed the 5 to 7 year old battery had created a dead short over the winter (froze in the unheated shed) and that a new battery would solve the issue. The little excitement last
night told me otherwise.

dhermesc · Jun 14, 2023

It does. And the short up front was where the wiring had been kinked by the way a previous owner had bolted the PTO control arm on. I can't remember the details now but I remember taking it apart 5
years ago to put in a new PTO clutch and was a bit surprised the wiring wasn't giving me an issue.

DoubleO7 · Jun 15, 2023

On our 125, every time we needed to work on the pto, usually a new carbon button, we just bent the pto engagement handle enough so it would bypass the forward stop.
Had it for 25 years or so.

Cub Cadet 125 - caught fire

dhermesc

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R Bedell

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DoubleO7

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dhermesc

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dhermesc

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DoubleO7

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