Cub Cadet (26") 277cc Two Stage Snow Blower

Kriss Schrader,
Product Expert
Snow Blowers Direct

I had a 1964 Toro single stage that I kept blowing snow for 42 years. It still ran well, but I couldn't get repair parts. (They don't make engines like that anymore!). I retired it in favor of a new MTD 8 HP Tecumseh, 26" which I used for four years before selling it in anticipation of getting a more user friendly unit. The Toro was very solid and the MTD, while not as robust, served the purpose. I just didn't like the position of the chute rotation crank and it was a hand-full to operate. (I'm not as young as I used to be.!) Based on the performance of the MTD otherwise, I looked at all of the manufacturers in the various colors and brand names and settled on the Cub Cadet based on the MTD experience and the features.

PRO's: Sheet metal construction appears to be heavier on the Cub than others in the price range. The unit is balanced over the wheels so it is easier to handle than most. I hate it that the manufacturers have done away with horsepower ratings on engines. I was almost swayed from buying this unit because I needed at least the performance of the old unit and the cub does not have an American made engine. Based on the two snow falls we had this year, the the 277 cc engine performed well and I would place the power somewhere between 8 and 10 HP. I have the power steering and, once you get used to it, can help an old man maneuver. I found that the best part of this is actually moving it around in the garage with the engine not running or when I just want to pull the unit back to make another pass. All the power steering does is release the drive on each side when you pull the triggers. It moved heavy, slushy snow without bogging down. When brand new, the snow wanted to pack in the impeller housing, but it seemed to clear up with use.

CON's: To add the "Power Steering" the drive axle is raised a couple of inches on the frame which lowers the hand grips about 4 inches. I'm 6 ft tall and this almost makes me bend at the waist to operate. You really end up bending down if you need to raise the front in a turn. Not good ergonomics. I didn't notice this until after I started using the machine. If you are taller, it could be a problem if used for an extended time. As with all snowblowers I've ever used, the reverse is so slow as to be useless. That is why I said the the trigger release helps to pull the unit back for short passes. The chute control is better than bending down to turn a crank, but doesn't work the best. The position lock doesn't work well and takes a lot of effort to move the chute while running. The headlight is important in that most snow blowing happens in the dark hours. The light on this unit is useless. Because of the power steering, the unit sits lower in the back. This points the light too high. Secondly, the chute and rotation mechanism sits in the way. You can't see where you need to go. A really bad design. I mounted a light on top of the impeller housing which works well. The worst part of this machine are the blue plastic glides. True, they don't leave rust marks on the garage floor, but they are terrible in use. They grab anything over 1/4 inch high and, because of this are quickly out of adjustment and wear quickly. It is a nightmare on un-even concrete or blacktop. They will stop you dead in your tracks. In Northern Illinois there are few driveways and sidewalks that don't have un-even surfaces due to frost heave. Terrible design. I will re-design before next winter and make something that will work.

Overall, the unit got the job done. I'm still trying to figure out how the raise the handles. It can be a killer on the back. Also, I added the heated hand grips to my machine. The retro installation is easy. Chis from this website said the grips were "Whistles and Bells" and he is correct. They make the grips fatter and can be too warm making your gloves wet. I used it once and then shut it off.

I hopes this helps with your decision! I looked for 6 weeks before settling on this machine which is probably the last one I will own. Whatever you buy, at the end of the season, clean it well, change the oil, run all of the fuel out, and oil the cylinder. It will last many years.

I had a 1964 Toro single stage that I kept blowing snow for 42 years. It still ran well, but I couldn't get repair parts. (They don't make engines like that anymore!). I retired it in favor of a new MTD 8 HP Tecumseh, 26" which I used for four years before selling it in anticipation of getting a more user friendly unit. The Toro was very solid and the MTD, while not as robust, served the purpose. I just didn't like the position of the chute rotation crank and it was a hand-full to operate. (I'm not as young as I used to be.!) Based on the performance of the MTD otherwise, I looked ... more

We've had a very mild winter and yesterday there was maybe 3 inches of the heavier spring type snow. On the plus side the machine just chugs happily away through even this type of snow, with little hiccups or complaints.

However, the distance thrown is greatly reduced to maybe 5-8 feet out, at best. Yes I know it's heavier snow. I was doing some research on the web about increasing distance, and basically it comes down to the amount of space between the impeller and the chute. So I go outside this morning and look at it and sure enough, there is a bigger than normal gap between the impeller fan blades and the chutes. My other one is much tighter clearance, the 8HP craftsman, which this is basically the same in engine size. So I think that aspect may need to be improved by MTD, but then again I've never been that impressed with MTD or the way they conduct business. Unfortunately they are the largest mfg of such types of equipment.

I may be doing some experimentation to see what happens if I minimize that gap.

We've had a very mild winter and yesterday there was maybe 3 inches of the heavier spring type snow. On the plus side the machine just chugs happily away through even this type of snow, with little hiccups or complaints.

However, the distance thrown is greatly reduced to maybe 5-8 feet out, at best. Yes I know it's heavier snow. I was doing some research on the web about increasing distance, and basically it comes down to the amount of space between the impeller and the chute. So I go outside this morning and look at it and sure enough, there is a bigger than normal gap bet... more

Had an old 8 HP Craftsman that lasted 23 years, and was still running, but it needed service and figured I'd be better off with putting that money into a new one, since sooner than later that old Craftsman would be about done.

Anyway, this was a great value overall. So far we've only had light snow, today was more of a better test as we had maybe 3-4 inches of light snow. The 526 works well, one pull start, handles easily with the power steering. Doesn't throw snow as far as the old craftsman, maybe it seems like 20-25 feet, where as the Craftsman literally would toss it 30-35 feet, seriously, and that was rated the same HP as this one. But probably has something to do with the lighter snow, as I noticed at the end of the driveway where the snowplow dumped it seemed to be better.

The one thing I don't care for is the chute seems to not rotate far enough to the left for what I'd like. To the right it comes back farther, but only about midway on the left. I'd like more range. But overall I'm happy with it, and from what I saw in the stores prior to this then I think it was a great choice. Personally, I wish they'd toss the 357 cc engine on this one, because the 30" is just too big for what I need it for. But a bigger engine would be nice. I don't think in the long run I'd have been happy with the 208 cc engine.

Had an old 8 HP Craftsman that lasted 23 years, and was still running, but it needed service and figured I'd be better off with putting that money into a new one, since sooner than later that old Craftsman would be about done.

Anyway, this was a great value overall. So far we've only had light snow, today was more of a better test as we had maybe 3-4 inches of light snow. The 526 works well, one pull start, handles easily with the power steering. Doesn't throw snow as far as the old craftsman, maybe it seems like 20-25 feet, where as the Craftsman literally would toss it 30... more