# Cub cadet 2X 30" MAX Snow Blower or Toro Power Max® HD 1232 OHXE (38842)



## PackerHawk (Sep 28, 2020)

First time buyer. Set on 2 stage but deciding between these two. Seems like cadet is a little less $ Unless I go trac. I have a slightly sloped drive that curves in a half circle down.
I like that toro advertises no shear pins however cc seems to provide a savings. Looking for a machine to last me 20 years with low maintenance. Want to be able To go out and plow as fast as possible. I live in Minnesota and new home so no idea what winter is like yet.
thanks everyone enjoy reading posts as I researched.


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## Mountain Man (Oct 14, 2018)

If it was me, one only these 2 choices, I'd go Toro.

The cub cadet is a MTD machine. It has flashy paint, lights, big tires, but has a small set of augers. 

The Toro gives you Toro reliability, sevice, and they do through pretty far. The toros usually have smaller engines, as part of the anti clog design, they meter the snow into impeller. That can slow down how fast you move largestorms. 

I'd think the Toro might be faster than the cub, and definatly has a stronger track record.


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

Buy the narrower Toro 12 horse power unit, snow chains and spray cans of fluid film and a brush can of neversieze and remove the wheels and the cross augers and coat the stub shafts with the neversieze or you will never be able to separate the wheels or open augers without a oxy-acetylene torch


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## PackerHawk (Sep 28, 2020)

Thanks. why Apply the fluid film and never seize? protects from the salt and rust prevention?


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## PackerHawk (Sep 28, 2020)

leonz said:


> Buy the narrower Toro 12 horse power unit, snow chains and spray cans of fluid film and a brush can of neversieze and remove the wheels and the cross augers and coat the stub shafts with the neversieze or you will never be able to separate the wheels or open augers without a oxy-acetylene torch


also why narrower? Isn’t 30 inch better for getting more snow and faster?


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

Exactly ! You are a good student.


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## jerryvvv (Apr 23, 2020)

i dont think you would be disappointed with either,

my personal preference would be the cub cadet,


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

The never sieze is used to coat the wheel stub shafts and the shafts supporting the augers and it will prevent them from rusting together.

The fluid film is used to coat everything that contacts snow in at least brushed or paint mitt coats to prevent sticking and premature rusting at the metal seams and spot welds.


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## 140278 (Aug 27, 2020)

leon

with a powermax you don't have to worry about coating the axle shafts as they love to shear off the 1/4 inch bolt holding the wheel to the axle there by self cleaning the shaft
how do i know? i own one of them and every time i go out i keep a pair of 7/16 wrenches and 2, 1/4x20 x 1.5 grade 8 bolts and locking nuts with me . i don't know why just that they keep shearing off when turning every few hours


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

Hello Captchas,

I am wondering out loud whether a 1/4 lynch pin was actually what was ment for the snow mule you have and the 
assembler just substituted the bolt and nut in their place?

Is your boat still in the water?? The Rag Baggers and Putt Putters have been enjoying the weather here on Cayuga Lake 
and I would imagine they will not be pulling the boats out anytime soon even though September is almost gone.
.


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## Mountain Man (Oct 14, 2018)

captchas said:


> leon
> 
> with a powermax you don't have to worry about coating the axle shafts as they love to shear off the 1/4 inch bolt holding the wheel to the axle there by self cleaning the shaft
> how do i know? i own one of them and every time i go out i keep a pair of 7/16 wrenches and 2, 1/4x20 x 1.5 grade 8 bolts and locking nuts with me . i don't know why just that they keep shearing off when turning every few hours


Wow, that's interesting. Not exactly easy to break a grade 8 bolt :O


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

If you are sheering an axle bolt, something seems wrong. That has never happened to me in 10 years of powermax use.


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## Mountain Man (Oct 14, 2018)

RIT333 said:


> If you are sheering an axle bolt, something seems wrong. That has never happened to me in 10 years of powermax use.


No kidding ! I just looked up tensile strength of 1/4 20 grade 8 bolts, and proof loading is almost 2 tons !!! And tensile is higher than that. So it has to be repeated high shock loading, or something.


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## 140278 (Aug 27, 2020)

the max i have is a 2016 38801 928 ohxe with trigger steering , toro ships with a 2 inch long grade 8 1/4x20 bolt using a spacer under the nut between the wheel hub, when turning it seems the side thrust makes the bolt side shear off .
i have made it happen less by eliminating the spacer and use a 1 1/2 inch long bolt ,right now i have hard to find grade 9 on it, US Fasteners - Hex Cap Screws - Coarse Thread Hex Cap Screws - F911 - Yellow - 1
leon
have not tried a lych pin yet as the one from a powershift does fit, never had one break on a ps. 
mountain man
i think you are 100% correct as they have sheared only on repeated trigger turning . and more only with the 1/4 inch long spacer in place, IMM toro uses the spacer to make a bolt act like a shear pin,


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## BazookaJoe (Oct 6, 2019)

PackerHawk said:


> also why narrower? Isn’t 30 inch better for getting more snow and faster?


Wider width bucket may not equate to less time clearing the snow. Some brand blowers do not ingest the snow completely, leaving a row of snow spilling out the side of the machine. You will have to do another pass to clear this snow after you've done the initial runs. My previous machines (see your other thread for details) were horrible for this. My Ariens does a good job of clearing the full width. I would estimate I clear my driveway in half the time with the Ariens compared to the previous machines because the Ariens cleans the driveway in just one path. 

Back to your choices.. If those are your only choices, then absolutely Toro. 

Again though, both of your choices are pretty big machines and you may not need that much capacity. Depending on what you're doing, it might be more work to horse around the large machine, negating the additional capacity. But also, I'd suggest to focus on warm winter clothes rather than trying to get the job done quicker.


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## DRZ1050 (Dec 14, 2019)

Mountain Man said:


> The cub cadet is a MTD machine. It has flashy paint, lights, big tires, but has a small set of augers.


This is true for the lower end Cub models, but not the Max series. Those are made with heavier gauge bucket steel and 14" impellers. Pretty sure the gearbox is beefier as well. The Toros are good blowers, jussayin so are those Cubs


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## Clutch Cargo (Dec 27, 2015)

FWIW, I chose the Toro in your survey because every MY 2010+ Cub I've seen doesn't even have a fuel shut-off valve and no real estate to install one. Secondly, the build and material quality of most MTD brands has gone downhill in the last 25 years. You would think that the money saved by not making 10 differnt brands of identical snowblowers (except for colors) would be put into making a better product, but sadly it hasn't.


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