Cub Cadet brought EFI engines to the consumer market last year with the introduction of their new XT1 lawn tractors, and now they’re adding a significant boost in power with the XT2 LX42’s new V-twin. This is the first time in the industry that a fuel injected V-twin has been offered in a lawn tractor, bringing significant improvements in efficiency, power, and ease of use compared to its carbureted competitors.
A First for the Industry
Fuel injected small engines have been around for a few years, but their use has been limited to high-end commercial equipment. Cub Cadet spearheaded the introduction of consumer EFI engines last year with a new 547cc single cylinder used in the XT1 LT42 and LT46 FAB, and now they’re expanding their offerings with a bigger engine that competes with the carbureted twins at the heart of the market.
With this new 679cc motor, consumers can finally get a mower with a fuel injected V-twin that doesn’t have a price you’d expect to see on a nice used car. In fact, the XT2 LX42 EFI is the first lawn tractor in the industry to be offered with an EFI V-Twin.
Why EFI?
Carburetors use a needle that dribbles out fuel which is mixed with incoming air using a Venturi to cause a sudden drop in air pressure. Even at the best of times, this isn’t an efficient way to mix fuel, and it can’t be adjusted to deal with different conditions like altitude and temperature changes without swapping out some parts.
With a closed-loop electronic fuel injection system like the one used in this new engine, a sensor tells the computer how much air is passing into the engine. Using this data, it fires an injector which sprays a fine mist of fuel to get the exact ratio of fuel and air needed by the motor. This spraying action is more effective at mixing the fuel for better combustion, and changes to the mixture can be made on the fly to fit operating conditions, helping the motor run in any weather. This fine control and improved mixing offers several benefits:
Fuel consumption is reduced by up to 25% compared to carbureted motors.
Fuel freshness is less of an issue, so there’s no need to worry about adding stabilizers during the mowing season. When the mower is put in storage, the fuel tank doesn’t need to be drained as long as it has been treated with a stabilizer.
This engine was designed from the start to run fuel blends containing up to 20% ethanol, so there’s no reason to go out of your way to buy ethanol-free fuel. It can also run just fine on E15, which is usually less expensive than regular unleaded.
Since the fuel mix is always correct, the engine runs a lot cleaner. This not only reduces emissions, it extends the life of the oil so it needs to be changed less often.
Is this New Engine Safe to Buy?
Cub Cadet did their homework to ensure the teething problems of this design will be minimal. Bench testing was used to simulate wear and tear until the design could regularly last twice as long as a carbureted engine. Pre-production engines were then field tested in locations ranging from Alaska to Arizona to ensure these motors will work in extreme cold and heat using a variety of fuel blends to ensure they’d run well with commonly available pump gas. Add in features like a fully pressured oiling system, and you get an engine that is sure to be every bit as reliable as anything else from Cub Cadet.
Where Can I Get Parts?
Www.cubparts.com is a certified Cub Cadet dealer, so we carry parts for everything the company has built from classic tractors to this new lawn tractor engine. Our site has factory diagrams and descriptions built into the search system, making it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for, and we can ship your order to any address in the U.S. and Canada.