# Well, this is a first for me ......



## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

This is the first time in my life I ever paid for a snowblower ... The deal was just to hard to pass up ... a pretty much brand new 524 Cub Cadet, 208cc overhead valve, zero turn power steering, one handle joy stick chute control, led light, etc.... .. Tires still have the factory nobs still on them.... not a bit of rust or any scratches whatsoever ... They were asking only 100.00, I offered 80.00 ..... its a keeper for my personal line up .... I am truly done now, this is the absolute last snowblower (til I sell some at least ..)


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

Oneacer said:


> This is the first time in my life I ever paid for a snowblower


No, that was FREE!!! Or at least it will be if you sell it. That's cheap enough to make a nice present for someone.


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

"I am truly done now, this is the absolute last snowblower". spoken like a true addict. i think you need SBA (snow blowers anonymous)!


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

is that the 1st stage of recovery????? DENIAL


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

i personally think you should just flip it. if it was a Ariens deluxe or SHO i would say keep it but a cub cadet is just a mtd machine. while i like them and you got a good deal they really aren't built that great. also the shorter chute works better at throwing snow farther. i know i had that style chute on my machine at the beginning of the season and was very disappointed with it. there is also a lot of moving parts for the trigger steering that cost lots to replace if they are not maintained.


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## brickcity (Jan 23, 2014)

Do they have B&S engines?


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## Yanmar Ronin (Jan 31, 2015)

Predator innit? Nice score either way.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Famous last words oneacer.

That is a great buy no doubt.

I agree with crazzywolfie, I would clean it up, service it and flip it for a nice profit this fall/winter. 

The MTD Cub Cadets are not great machines IMHO, and seem to break control cables and plastic parts frequently.


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

brickcity said:


> Do they have B&S engines?


no it is a powermore engine. they are pretty good engines. 


Ziggy65 said:


> and seem to break control cables and plastic parts frequently.


i don't know about that. yes there is lots of plastic parts but i haven't come accross many broken plastic parts or cables in the many machines i have pass through my hands. i know someone that has ariens with very little use and it had a $100 cable fail and the cable is only about 3ft long. i also think ariens had a lot of issues with chute deflector cables on their machines failing which is why they now connect from the top so water can not get into the cable so easily. mtd have been running pretty much the same setup for the last 20 years with no real change. i would guess this is because there is hasn't been any issues with it.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

gotta sell it........too nice for you....you like the hard cases......


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## aldfam4 (Dec 25, 2016)

Oneacer nice bargain and by the way "Never say never".


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## kemlyn (Oct 16, 2018)

Super clean and rust free…. 80 bucks ! You stole it ….where ere they headed to sell such a nice machine so cheaply…. a memory care facility?


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## Tony-chicago (Feb 10, 2021)

Super bargain! Nice. If you get bored with it...


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

You can flip that for $350-$400, more the night before a 20" snow.

One of the best buys for a new machine I've seen.


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## Dusty (Dec 13, 2018)

Powermore engines are made by Zhong Shen.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

To remove a carburetor from a Zongshen engine is terrible! You have to remove the muffler, gas tank, shrouds.


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

I have a powermore 208cc, and I thought I just had to remove the shroud to get the carb off
It wasn't fun, but not as much as you removed.


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## deezlfan (Nov 8, 2017)

Not a fan of those MTD plastic chutes and cables. You didn't hurt yourself at the price though.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Update ..... After I got it home, evicted a couple mice, then parked it ..... Got to take it apart today and go through it before I fired it up .... It had been sitting in a shed for over a year..... Carb certainly could have better access, but not bad ..float filled with gas, seam let go, I may have one or Ill order probably a new carb .... and they chewed the accessory live feed, grounding it out .... Easy repair there ....changed the oil ... I am going to lube it up, clean and wax it while I am waiting on carb.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Oneacer said:


> Update ..... After I got it home, evicted a couple mice, then parked it ..... Got to take it apart today and go through it before I fired it up .... It had been sitting in a shed for over a year..... Carb certainly could have better access, but not bad ..float filled with gas, seam let go, I may have one or Ill order probably a new carb .... and they chewed the accessory live feed, grounding it out .... Easy repair there ....changed the oil ... I am going to lube it up, clean and wax it while I am waiting on carb.
> 
> View attachment 178864


The Cub was the reason I powder coated a couple yellow







Honda's. they sold fast. With black offset they were handsome looking machines.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

The Zongshens I've had to pull off all the stuff had a top mounted choke knob. They all were Craftsman if that makes a difference. In one way I like it because I have to charge the owners more but the other I feel guilty charging them more so I upcharge just a little more but enough.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

This Cub has a Powermore 208cc, made by LCT ....... The choke knob is on the front of the heater box, but they did put some bolts in some hard to get places. I had to get to the flywheel anyways, so no big deal.

Ordered a new carb for 16.99 with free shipping ..... only needed the float, but new carb was a no-brainer at that price.


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## Yanmar Ronin (Jan 31, 2015)

Got that (approximate) same engine on my chipper, it's been good.


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## rod330 (Oct 9, 2015)

Great find, congratulations! How many are in your stable now?


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

... that makes 7 in my stable now .... I guess I can sell a few in the fall to give me back some room ..... I still have to put my circa 60's Ryan Core Plug Aerator back together ... looking good in John Deere colors ...


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

i installed the same engine on my ariens 520. works good and never really had an issue with it and have worked it pretty hard.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Also, This Cub had one elongated blue poly skid and one blue elongated metal skid... I ordered a pair of black elongated, reversible, poly skids for it.

BTW, for anyone interested, I found them real cheap, 16.00 a pair from Amazon.

Amazon.com: Rotary 5649 Pack of 2 Polymer Skid Shoes for Snowblowers: Home & Kitchen


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

i would have probably gone with the steel version of those. i feel like they last a lot longer and don't have to be adjusted as often. 








Amazon.com: AMC Parts Store Set of 2 Skids Compatible with MTD 784-05038A, 784-5038B, 784-5038B-0637 Comes with Mounting Hardware : Patio, Lawn & Garden


Amazon.com: AMC Parts Store Set of 2 Skids Compatible with MTD 784-05038A, 784-5038B, 784-5038B-0637 Comes with Mounting Hardware : Patio, Lawn & Garden



www.amazon.com


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

I stopped using steel years ago ... all my blowers have the Arnold Poly Roller skids, but they are now over 30.00 a pair. This machine came with the long skids, so Ill keep that same style for now, as 16.00 a pair is a great price.


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

Oneacer said:


> I stopped using steel years ago ... all my blowers have the Arnold Poly Roller skids, but they are now over 30.00 a pair. This machine came with the long skids, so Ill keep that same style for now, as 16.00 a pair is a great price.


I made a set of roller skids out of 1" thick uhmw over 10 years ago and they a still going strong and i've never had to adjust them after i put them on. they roll great and make the machine much easier to maneuver.


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## Marty013 (Mar 14, 2014)

rwh963 said:


> "I am truly done now, this is the absolute last snowblower". spoken like a true addict. i think you need SBA (snow blowers anonymous)!


 you take that talk of SBA back you! lol


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## Marty013 (Mar 14, 2014)

orangputeh said:


> is that the 1st stage of recovery????? DENIAL


he must be at the 2nd stage with this machine


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Marty013 said:


> he must be at the 2nd stage with this machine


clever....


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## Yanmar Ronin (Jan 31, 2015)

All he needs now is an LMC... 😎


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Update and some thoughts .....

Well, I got the new poly elongated skids and put them on, which by the way, they look so much better than the blue. I also realized on these MTD style buckets that came with the long skids, that another purpose for the longer skids is to add rigid stability to the bucket housing as well. I ordered another set, at only 16.00 a pair, and am going to put them on my 10HP Craftsman and move the poly roller skids on that over to my 724 Toro..... The Poly Roller Skids are now 35.00-40.00 a pair I see, no longer on sale. These elongated poly skids slid just great, and I really like 16.00 a pair. ...

Also, when I went to put them on, I realized the right set of augers were in reverse order, as one is wider than the other, and it was just about rubbing the impeller shaft. So I proceeded to separate the bucket and pull the auger assembly. It was actually fairly easy. I imagine it came from the store or factory this way, as it does not look like it was ever apart before, being so new. There are grease fittings on both auger shaft ends where it goes through the housing and no one ever put grease in there. Also a grease fitting on the auger gear box, and no one ever put grease in there either. Over all, I am impressed as to the structure of this Cub Cadet unit. New carb should be here tomorrow.

Amazing how someone can use a brand new machine a couple times, park it, then move to Florida and leave it sit in a shed. Thankfully it was inside out of the weather.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Carb came in today ... Maybe get it back together tomorrow .... 😊


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## Junkman (Jan 30, 2012)

Oneacer said:


> Carb came in today ... Maybe get it back together tomorrow .... 😊


Don't hesitate.. Snow predicted for the weekend
































in South America


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

All back together, repaired, cleaned and waxed.

Fired up on first pull and runs great ... I love the joystick chute control, the zero turn on each wheel, the tall chute, headlight (which I really never use) ... electric start, but I never use it. It is basically a brand new machine, only used a couple times then parked.

All gassed up, lubed, oil changed, new poly skids, ... I even ordered the clean out tool, only 15.00 at Tractor Supply. I don't need it, but the bracket is there on the bucket and it came with one new. ... All ready for snow ... yeah, it will be awhile ... 

Definitely a keeper in my line up 

Now back on to my Ryan Core Plug Aerator restore. ... thank goodness I am retired.


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## Yanmar Ronin (Jan 31, 2015)

Looks great. 🍻


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

looks good. did you do the impeller mod since you had it apart? i know most of the mtd's i have seen all have about 1/2" gap between the impeller and housing. they definitely benefit from the impeller mod. also make sure to keep the steering triggers and cables lube. i have seen quite few machines with broken triggers. i know i already mentioned it but the shorter chute throws farther. i bought one of them taller chutes hoping it would help throw farther and was disappointing.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

I have the impeller mod material on a shelf, but I really never saw a need to perform the mod on any machine I have ... I will see how this one performs this winter and make a decision then ... I am really impressed on the over all build and design of this unit, even if it is not as beefy as the older vintage machines I have.

A lot of similarities with my 10HP Yard Machines ..... But this Cub Cadet is a much newer unit, with all the newer features.


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

i guess at least you bought the clean out tool since your going to need it on the wet stuff. these thing really do need the impeller mod with how large the gap is.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

The CC cleaned up very nice and should serve you well. If it meets your expectations this winter , great, if not you can sell it for a good profit.

crazzy is right, the impeller kit will improve the throwing distance and reduce wet snow clogging on these MTD machines. The impeller gap is much larger on these machines than the older ones you have in your stable. The Ariens machines from the 60's and early 70's usually have a very small gap just over 1/8" and don't really benefit that much from a impeller mod IMHO. 

When I bought my current home, it came with an 8 or 9 year old 24" MTD snow blower. The previous owner had been using a plow service for the previous few winters, so the MTD needed some carb cleaning and love to get it running. One of the steering triggers was broken and the chute and joystick control needed some plastic repair and parts (MTD has great customer service and replacement parts are fairly priced). I did the impeller mod and it improved the performance quite a bit. Machine ran well, the auger rakes would bend from big ice chunks in the EOD pile sometimes, but you can bend them back with your hands, chute control cables would freeze up sometimes.

I have a long U shaped driveway and we can get a lot of snow, so I sold the MTD ($450.00) and got the Deluxe 28 SHO, towards the end of the first winter.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Yeah, when I was working on it, I did notice the wider than usual impeller to frame gap .... maybe I will revisit installing the impeller extensions on this unit this summer. The machine separates quite easily if need be, and I do have all the material to do it.

It is one sharp looking machine, it runs strong and smooth and I am impressed with all the features, although , as with any unit, it will require keeping on top of maintenance with all the fancy levers, pulleys, cables, etc..... thats where the simplicity and construction of the older units shine, like my Ariens 10000 series, my Yardman 7100 and my new to me Toro 724 ... all these are built like a tank, heavy gauge metal, rods instead of cables, etc.... albiet without some of the current safety features.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Well, I took another look at the impeller gap, and decided to mod the impeller, so when I was running errands, I swung into Home Depot and picked up some stainless steel hardware ... boy, that stuff is not cheap ... LOL


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## Husqvarna_10530SBE (Oct 9, 2015)

Any pictures with the impeller mod complete? I always like to see how others do it.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Here it is , I had posted it in Mod Materials thread, sry, should have put it here as well.

I used what is known as a rail pad, as I used to work for Amtrak. These sit directly under the rail, over the concrete ties. Extremly durable, firm, yet flexible, 1/4 inch thick. I used stainless hardware. I even notched out where the heads of the carraige bolts for the chute exit cover go on the inside of the housing as well as the fin welds on the back plate ...  . Works like a dream. Bring on the snow ....  .... going to be in a heat wave next week ... steady 90's to 100 degrees.

If I did not have these pads, I would have used reinforced mud flaps or belting.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Just an FYI ....

These pads are designed to control rail seat abrasion on concrete ties. The components are manufactured from high-quality engineered polymers. The rail sits on these pads and then the rail is locked in with metal clips. They take all kinds of abuse, and extreme cold and hot climates, and last for many, many years.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Oneacer said:


> Carb came in today ... Maybe get it back together tomorrow .... 😊


@Oneacer , did you have to drill those holes for those long skids? Did they come with spacers or did you have to figure out your own? I have some of these and want to install on a Honda 1132 but want to do it right. There are no holes in some buckets.

I liked the color combo for the Cub that I stole it for a Honda HS928. Powder-Coated yellow. I probably posted this before but love this machine. Notice the extension for the chuter control handle.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Yeah, so on the Cub Cadet (MTD product), there were already 3 holes on the side of bucket, which includes the bolt for the cutting edge. With all the elongated slots on the poly skids, I just used the front and rear bolt holes on the bucket , and it lined up perfect.

These skids are a great quality, reversible, and only 16.00 a pair, free shipping. These longer skids also add stability to the bucket as well. I ordered another set for my 10HP Yard Machines (made by MTD also).

I did re-use my hardware, as none comes with it. But I have all kinds of carriage bolts, washers, etc....

If that Honda was mine, I would probably be drilling the bucket, using hex (Allen) cap screws (actually bolts, similar to a carriage bolt, but with an Allen wrench hole in the cap.), or just a serrated washer under a regular carriage bolt. I would probably use the rear bolt there for the rear slot and drill one hole for a forward slot on the skids.


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## kemlyn (Oct 16, 2018)

Looks absolutely great I didn’t see a spec of rust and for 80 bucks you can flip it in the fall for a nice return. Mice are an issue for me I have a stand by house generator and in 2 years snapped over 200 mice inside it. Weatherman said this weekend we have 90 degree plus weather on the way so I test fired the central AC and got a no go on the first floor condenser. I opened the cover and a big mouse nest. I clean and cover both units in October but with the mouse population so high it’s difficult to control them they had a HUGE nest in the unit. Recently I purchased a night vision motion activated camera w tripod to to see how they were getting in the generator and fixed it with foam insulation been working so far. In Maine I actually use the generator more than the AC so infestation is a real problem. They actually chewed the wires to the 440 volt condenser and that ended their stay in the AC.
The good both my snowblowers reside in a heated vermin free environment. One less thing to pull a mouse nest and poo from .
In two hours I had both units with chewed wires rewired up and running.
No love for mice here.😂


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## Husqvarna_10530SBE (Oct 9, 2015)

Oneacer said:


> Here it is , I had posted it in Mod Materials thread, sry, should have put it here as well.
> 
> I used what is known as a rail pad, as I used to work for Amtrak. These sit directly under the rail, over the concrete ties. Extremly durable, firm, yet flexible, 1/4 inch thick. I used stainless hardware. I even notched out where the heads of the carraige bolts for the chute exit cover go on the inside of the housing as well as the fin welds on the back plate ...  . Works like a dream. Bring on the snow ....  .... going to be in a heat wave next week ... steady 90's to 100 degrees.
> 
> If I did not have these pads, I would have used reinforced mud flaps or belting.


That is certainly different. Thanks for the photos.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

kemlyn said:


> No love for mice here.


Or here... I whack about 50 a year, about half in snap traps and half in these walk-the-plank buckets. I gave a dozen of them to friends a year ago for Christmas.


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## Yanmar Ronin (Jan 31, 2015)

tabora said:


> Or here... I whack about 50 a year, about half in snap traps and half in these walk-the-plank buckets. I gave a dozen of them to friends a year ago for Christmas.


What did they do with the mice...? 🤣


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