# Cub Cadet MAX 30inch 2X Snowblower Review



## Inthesticks (10 mo ago)

This machine replaces a 1993 Yard Machines 29cut/10,5 hp as my main blower.
It needed a valve job and a little TLC. More on that on a future post.

Here’s the review of my Cub Cadet MAX snowblower.

I Bougth it last year in December but the machine was made in 2020.
It has a lot of MTD large frame snowblower dna in it.

It is the MAX model with the 14 in augers and 4 bladed impeller. It also features tubes extending from the front tub to a bracket on the handlebars. It has the 420cc engine. It is the 30 inch cut with friction disk drive. Take note the larger 36 inch width uses an hydrostatic transmission.

My driveway is « OH shaped », meaning that I need to go around the house and I need to blow the snow twice at some places. There is also big drifts of hardpacked snow at times.

There is an Ariens Dealer close but at the time all they had were tiny snowblowers with small wheels and engines or top of the line very expensive machines. With Covid they weren’t sure when they could receive other blowers. I choose the Cub because of the 420 cc engine and I knew the dealer.

First impressions :

When putting oil in the engine they spilled the bottle on the engine and didn’t tell me. When I first used it there was a burnt smell and oil running on the sides. I kinda went paranoid as I thought there was a hairline crack or something wrong.

But the main dissapointment was that the clip retaining the axle bearing popped out twice leaving me with a useless machine. On the net there are other reviews that show this problem. I phoned the dealer and after 2 trips at the shop they fixed it right.

I phoned MTD and there is a service bulletin about this problem with the bearing C clips. I was told its called CC1086A and to talk to the dealer about it.

The problem is that when the holes are punched at the factory for the axle shaft the edges ain’t straight and level with the rest of sheet metal frame. They have an angle to them creating a wedge where the clip rest. This coupled with the fact that the bearings ain’t clamped makes the bearing turn in its hole, allowing the tiny clip to ramp up and popping out, making the wheel move out and losing aligment with the sprocket

After receiving the snowblower back from the shop for the second time I was very sceptical. So I inspected what they did as I couln’t have a talk with the mechanic.

First they stripped the sheet metal threads of the access cover. Oua, that doesn’t look good...They most likely used an impact. I despise people who use impact drills on small screws…

However upon opening the cover, It appears they used different bearings with much bigger grooves and really beefy C clips that are similar to what is found on snowmobile idler wheels.

Alright, I finished the season with it and was very pleased. I kept a good eye on the axle shafts though.

Only adjustments other than the auger and drive cables were that the shaft for the throttle lever wasn’t snug enough, preventing the engine from running full throttle. (I used a 10mm) Also the bolts for the chute were a bit too tight.


Positive things :
-Large 420cc engine, quiet and economical, easy to start
-The LED lightning is a great idea and works great.
-The yellow triggers for steering (it just unlocks the wheels) and moving the machine takes a while to get used to but is a great feature. Ex : making a sharp right turn from standing still.
-Large fuel tank
-Strong frame and gearbox
-Heated grips
-X trac tires
-Poly skids
-14 inch impeller and 24 inch snow intake heigth. ( they could have made it taller and I wouldn’t have mind.)
-Steel chute with a good angle
-Dealer service

Negatives :
-I tried it in hardpacked snow and it seemed to me that the large« unibrow » protruding from the second stage prevents moving forward in hard snow by preventing the snow from falling to get blowed. Also I find these « bowtie » style 1st stage (there are 4 of them) leave about 1 1/2 inch gaps where the snow can’t be broken off.
On this MAX snowblower they are made from heavy steel and haven’t bent yet. But on smaller, cheaper machines I’ve seen a few bent.

-No fuel shut off. The intake goes downward to the engine, unlike my old Snowking. The oil could get contaminated by fuel. I check the condition every time I start it.

-The speed gate selector is made of plastic, but the chute gate is made of metal… Go figure. It already started to wear. The slots for the speeds are almost 1/2 in but the lever tab is like 1/8. The way I adjusted it, First speed is useless as is R1 and R2 is rather slow.

-Kinda sucks that they sold me a machine that didn’t have the update already done and that they couldn’t fix it right the first time while searching for updates regarding that bearing snap ring issue. Seems to me the customers are the test guinea pigs for their product engineering. Guess its not just CubCadet.

Utopian Ideas and Future plans :
-They could have made the fuel filler neck to be angled like some lawn tractors.
Need to be carefull when refuelling.
-Its a great aidea to have tubes going from the auger drum to the handlebars. However the fact that the handlebars are 2 pieces and that they connect to another bracket before the handlebars create a lot of side movement when applying force on the handlebars.
-With the handwarmers it feels like the arc of the handles are much much bigger than that my old MTD machine. They don’t contour the shape of the handlebars very close on the edges. My hands feel tired after a while because of this.
-The location of the switch for the hand warmers is kinda bad because I find I bump regularly into it and manage to turn it off unwillingly. They could have moved it forward a bit.
-With the price they could have offered a cable operated throttle lever on the dash to slow the engine when you’re close to the house.
-I hope they install a walking path courtesy light under the dash like some Ariens.
Thats what i’m gonna do in the near future along as an hourmeter.

Also I plan on installing a piece of rubber, plastic, or sheetmetal to prevent the snow from melting from the top of the engine and going into the friction disk mechanism causing speed fadeout. 

Throwing distance
It throws the snow around 40 feet or so with regular crispy snow.
If it is windy this can go to 60 or 70 feet.
With wet snow with the 420cc engine it produces a steady stream of slushy snow (not slush) to about 8 or 10 feet, and that is stock without a paddle kit.
Also on my machine the engine seems to turn slower than 3600 rpms. I have yet to measure the rpms.
Seems to me the pulleys of the blower were geared for a compromise with types of snow. Not maximum throwing distance with dry snow.

Conclusion and final toughts
Paid 2600 Can for it. If you run into this machine make sure the axle bearings update has been done. If not this machine is worth 2 k no more in my opinion.

And yes I would buy it again.

These snowblowers are mechanical and if you’re not mechanicaly inclined, you’d be better off hiring a person opening your driveway.
I would like to add that the amount of snow this machine pumps out is far superior to the smaller generic 12 inch 3 bladed impeller machine I have. It takes a lot less time to move snow from the same area.

This machine made me a believer and admirer of large frame MTD ,4 bladed impeller snowblowers.

If you happen to have one or find one don’t scrap it. Repower it or hang on to it for someone who will appreciate its potential.

P.S My pics didn't all turned out great. Will post better ones as soon as I can.


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## Inthesticks (10 mo ago)

I clamped the side plug with some rod and a clamp.
Close up of the auger system and that unibrow i'm talking about.
Close up of the dash and hand warmer switch.


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## Tony-chicago (Feb 10, 2021)

Thank you.
Can you post a pic from the front of the auger.
Since you are so familar I assume you have gone through the speed linkage. Pic.

I hope the control panel is not a weak point. Like some of the huskys.

Also pic of the handlebar to bucket please. Hope that keeps the machine from twisting. 
A monster for sure.


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## BazookaJoe (Oct 6, 2019)

Good write up- it will be useful to someone shopping for this machine!

About the snow getting into the drive system- I previously owned a Yard Machine and a Craftsman, and both would get snow ingestion, and then the drive would slip. My current Ariens does not ingest snow nor does the drive ever slip. What Ariens does differently, is add a sheet metal plate between the engine and the frame, which extends forward into the drive area. The forward edge of this sheet metal plate is then bent like a rain gutter. which serves to route the water to the exterior of the drive housing. The length of this plate is just long enough to catch any water running down the front surface of the engine. I think it'd be fairly easy to fabricate a similar part for the MTD machines. If you use thinner material (no more than 16 gauge), I'd think the belts would not be too tight. This really something which MTD should be supplying.


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## Inthesticks (10 mo ago)

Took more photos and digged for older ones relating to the axle bearings. 
Pic of the repair with the bigger snap rings.

















Picture of the axle. The tube contains 2 separate shafts that can turn at different speeds with the trigger releases. It is held on with the center sleeve, washers plastic clips and most importantly the bearings with the snap rings at the end.

Picture on the handlebars.


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## Inthesticks (10 mo ago)

The wheels are slotted and bolted on similar to a MTD lawn tractor. The blower comes with hard blue poly shoes. The chute direction is controlled with handle behind the control panel. It turns a flexible wire to the chute mechanism.










Engine features adjustable overhead valves. You can throttle down the engine speed if you are close to people or buildings.
The speed shift mechanism is actuated with a threaded rod with a ballend tierod at the bottom, not with a cable with a return spring like on cheaper models.
The chute tilt is the same system as base models. I added some drops of engine oil inside the cables (conrol panel side) before the season. Notice the oil drain tube that conveniently extends at the back.


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## Inthesticks (10 mo ago)

Pic of control panel with wear on the shift gate. Operators view. Came with a tool to unclog the chute but I broke one of the retainers. A used car broom is a better tool to gently brush the snow. The LEDS get covered with snow but you can still see thru the thin layer of snow covering them.









Close up picture of the auger and the older heavily moded Yard Machine 29/10.5 hp it replaces. 

Please don't comment unnecessarily on my older blower as I will create a new post about it in the following days.

If you are curious, the most noticing modification on my older blower it is the auger bucket has been lifted 4 inches and the addition of rods for strenghtening the snowblower. Stock the bucket is 4 inches less tall than the Cub. Thank you for reading my post.


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