Cub Cadet Snow Blowers – A Simple Guide for Which Option is Right for You

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Cub Cadet Snow Blowers

Winter is here and if you are like me, you are probably scrambling to figure out where winter clothes are.  You are also probably in the mindset of thinking about how you will clear the snow off your property. You might have even looked around at different snow blowers and confused about what manufacturer and what type of snow blower is right for you. So today we are going through and talking about the different stages and types of snow blowers to help you understand which one is right for you.

Overview

For this guide, we are not talking about the ways to power snow blowers and what is right for you such as gas, electric or battery-powered.  We will save that for another time.  Today we are just going to talk about stages and what option is right for you.  We are using the Cub Cadet gas power “X” as our examples. We are not going to go into the features of each snow blower but I will put links to their site so you can read more about that machine.

If you are not familiar with Cub Cadet, they have a long history in the OPE market.  They manufacturer lawn mowers, snow blowers, UTV, golf cart, yard equipment and more. Their history dates back to 1960 so they are no stranger to this business.

Why Cub Cadet is a Leader in the Market

As I said, I am not going into all the features of each machine but there are two topics I want to talk about with the Cub Cadet 2X 30″ machine which is below.

EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) – Cub Cadet uses electronic fuel injection engines on a select number of models which is crucial for so many different reasons.  First, with EFI, the engines start up so much easier than a carb engine.  Second, they are not only powerful but more fuel-efficient which is a nice saving over the lifetime of the machine. Third, they require less maintenance, which we can all see the benefit to that feature. Here is a quote from Cub Cadet about their EFI.

Electronic fuel injection (EFI) is a high-pressure fuel management system. Just like on today’s cars, EFI uses an onboard computer, injector nozzle and multiple sensors to to reliably deliver exactly the right amount of fuel to get the most performance and efficiency out of your engine. Cub EFI is an advanced electronically controlled “closed loop” system that uses real-time feedback to sense usage conditions an instantly optimize combustion to give you smooth running and exceptional starting you can count on, no matter what.

IntelliPower – IntelliPower is another unique feature exclusive to certain models of Cub Cadet.  IntelliPower is a system that will deliver more power to the machine when called for.  So if you are pushing snow and you run into a large pile or maybe a pile of snow that is compacted down, normally snow blowers would bog down.  With the Cub Cadet snow blower engine, the engine will ramp up and be able to power through those tougher snow pile areas.

The EFI and the IntelliPower are just one of the reasons that Cub Cadet is a leader and why so many people buy Cub Cadet snow blower.

Snow Blower Stages

  • Single Stage – Has a single auger that lifts the snow and throws it through the chute.
  • Two Stage – A two-stage throws the snow twice. The first auger scoops the snow and sends it to the second, faster auger that then will throw the snow out the chute.
  • Three Stage – A three-stage has two augers that scope the snow and ice and then push it to the third auger that is faster and that throws it through the chute.

Cub Cadet Snow Blower – Single Stage

Cub Cadet 1X Overview

  • Name – Cub Cadet 1X Snow Blower
  • Model – 31PS2S5C710
  • Number of Stages – 1 Stage
  • Size – 21″
  • Price – $549
  • Cub Cadet InformationCub Cadet Page

Cub Cadet 1X Features

  • Push-button Start
  • 179CC OHV Engine
  • Self-Propelled Auger
  • Intake Height – 13″
  • 90 lbs.
  • 9″ Auger Diameter

Why Consider the 1X

A single-stage is the less expensive of all three options.  They are great for smaller lots and smaller driveways.  They will be able to go through deep snow of about 12″ and below and will handle some drifts.  If you have a gravel driveway, do not go with a single stage as it will shoot the gravel all over. Since they are lighter, they are also easy to move and push around.

I have a small city lot so I use a single stage.  It works great and it’s a little more work at the end of the driveway where the plows push all the snow, but it works well.  I also get some drifts on my driveway., it’s a little work but overall, the single-stage does 95% of what I need.

Cub Cadet Snow Blower – Two-Stage

Cub Cadet 2X Overview

  • Name – Cub Cadet 2X Snow Blower
  • Model – 31AH5GVO710
  • Number of Stages – 2 Stage
  • Size – 30″
  • Price – $1,699
  • Cub Cadet InformationCub Cadet Page

Cub Cadet 2X Features

  • EFI Engine
  • IntelliPower
  • 357cc Engine
  • Trigger Control power steering
  • LED Light Bar
  • Heavy Duty Gearbox
  • 6 Forward Speed
  • 2 Reverse Speeds
  • Heated Hand Grips
  • 23″ Intake Height
  • 12″ Auger

Why Consider the 2X

A two-stage is great for gravel driveways as it doesn’t make contact with the ground.  A two-stage snow thrower is great for up to 18″ of snow and perfect for the larger driveways like the 15+ size driveways.  These will also clear the snow at the end of the drive much better than a single stage.  Two-stage is heavier but since they have speeds, you can just walk behind it and let the machine do all the work.

Cub Cadet Snow Blower – Three Stage

Cub Cadet 3X Overview

  • Name – Cub Cadet 3X Snow Blower
  • Model – 31AH5DVA710
  • Number of Stages – 3 Stage
  • Size – 26″
  • Price – $1,299
  • Cub Cadet InformationCub Cadet Page

Cub Cadet 3X Features

  • 357cc OHV Engine
  • Trigger Controlled Power Steering
  • Dual LED Headlights
  • Heavy-duty Gearbox
  • Heated Grips
  • In-dash pitch controls
  • 21″ Intake Height
  • 12″ Auger
  • Deluxe Skid Shoes

Why Consider the 3X

As you would guess, a three-stage is for larger snowfalls and work great with the heavy, wet snow.  This is great for those people who deal with snow most of the year or when they get snow, they get over 15″ per fall.  Yes, you can still use a two-stage but a three-stage is much faster and works great for ice chunks and more.

Maintenance

Always read the owner’s manual as different snow blowers require different maintenance.  Two things I do want to touch on is Air and gas.

Air – Unless you have the hard rubber tires, always make sure you have the correct air pressure n the tires.  Not only does it make your job easier but if you run it will lower PSI, then your tires can wear out prematurely.

Gas – This is the biggest maintenance to consider.  So many problems with engines are because the user uses bad or old gas.  You have to remember that gas from the gas station is designed for a car.  Car engines run hot and they don’t gum up as easily as smaller snow blower engines.  Gas from the gas station has Ethonal which is more of a filler for gas and that is what hurts these smaller engines.

If you are using your snow blower every day or twice a week, you don’t really need to do anything to the gas until your store it for the summer.  However, if you are using your gas once or twice a month, get Sta-Bil which is a gas additive. Sta-Bil will keep your gas fresh for 24 months and helps with the easier starting of these smaller engines.

If you line in an area where you need a snow blower but only use it once or twice a season, I would go with Trufuel.  It’s more expensive but it’s pure gas with no Ethanol.  But reach your owner’s manual before you treat or use gas.  Find out what they recommended.

Speaking of gas, with the Cub Cadet you don’t have to worry about Ethonal as you do with other snow blowers.  The fuel system on the 31AH5GVO710 is ethanol-resistant and compatible with gasoline fuels up to E20 (20% ethanol) blends.

Wrap Up

We get a ton of emails each winter asking us what snow blower should someone buy.  For us, it’s always hard because there are so many variables.  Today we just touched about the stages and which one is best for what job.

2 COMMENTS

  1. i have a cub cadet 2x now for the third season. used it about 3 times each season ( 6 times total). now it won’t start. I’ve drained the gas tank and filled it with fresh gas, i also changed the spark plug and gapped it to .03 a recommended. the unit turns over with both the pull cord and the electric starter. I’ve followed all the instructions in the manual and still nothing. are these snowblowers prone to failure?

    Thank you
    Bryan O’Neill

    • Usually not. But if you did have that gas sitting in there, you could gum up the carb or still have bad gas in there. You might need to run some seafoam to clean it out. That would be my best guess since it’s still new. Normally bad gas is the issue and the damage it does. But I would talk with your local dealer and get their feedback.

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