A snow blower is a significant investment, so you want to make sure that you’re getting a machine that suits your needs. The Cub Cadet® X-Series has a snow blower for many different extremes, but you first need to identify what your extreme is.
Start by researching how much snow your area gets annually. The more snow you project to be clearing on a regular basis, the more you’ll need out of your snow blower — a bigger engine, larger clearing width and more stages. Cub Cadet® single-stage models are ideal for up to 6” of snowfall, 2-stage units are ideal for up to 12” of snowfall and 3-stage units are ideal for up to 18” of snowfall. For extreme conditions, the 2-stage or 3-stage MAX are engineered to clear up to 23” of snow. You can learn more about the various snow blower stages here.
Units with larger engines generally have more power and can plow through deeper snow conditions. However, it’s not always a good idea to get a bigger unit/engine for an average driveway. Be sure to pair the right sized engine with your area’s annual snowfall and driveway size.
Second, look at the conditions you’ll be clearing snow in. You may not get a lot of snow, but if you’re regularly clearing snow over stone or gravel driveways, or want to avoid damaging stamped concrete, consider a model that features adjustable skid shoes and shave plate or a model with a track drive. All Cub Cadet® 2-stage and 3-stage units are designed with the ability to adjust the height of the auger housing depending on the type of surface you’re clearing snow from. This lifts the scraper bar above the gravel and stone, helping to prevent it from scraping against the surface or picking up debris.
Traction also is an important factor to consider when clearing uneven surfaces or inclines, and units with a track drive help provide reliable traction, allowing you to steadily clear your driveway.
Finally, throwing distance is an important specification to consider. A shorter distance works for a small driveway, but you’ll need to throw snow further to move it away from the clearing area if you have a wider driveway to avoid making more passes. Cub Cadet’s single-stage snow blower is designed to throw snow up to 30-feet, the 2-stage and 3-stage units are designed to throw snow up to 40-feet.
The Cub Cadet Ultimate Snow Blower Buyers Guide can help further narrow down your search, and don’t forget to take into account helpful features that can make your job even easier. Once you’ve identified the specifications you can use our product finder to help pair you with your ideal snow blower. Because whatever your extreme, Cub Cadet has a snow blower that can handle it.
