Push mowers are simple devices, and most of us grew up using one. That makes it easy to fall into old habits when it’s time to change the oil or sharpen the blade, but you may be missing some new techniques that can make maintaining your Cub Cadet easier, cleaner and safer.
Increase Your Safety in a Couple Seconds
Before you do any work on your mower, take a moment to disconnect the spark plug wire. This will prevent accidental starts should you get the starter handle hung up while moving the mower around. Make reconnecting the wire the final step in the repair, and you can be sure you won’t accidentally start the engine when parts are missing.
Tilt the Deck the Right Way
Need to access the underside of the deck to get to the blade or do some cleaning? If you tilt the deck the wrong way, gas can flood the carburetor, making the mower hard to start. To avoid this, always tip the mower so the carburetor and air filter are facing up.
If the mower will be sitting on end for a while, gas and oil can seep out onto the ground. Before you do major repairs, it’s a good idea to remove these fluids.
Get a Siphon Pump
Oil and fuel can be drained from your mower by tipping it over a pan or container, but it’s a lot easier and cleaner if you use a siphon pump. Cub Cadet’s Arnold siphon pumps have tubes that are color-coded so it’s easier to get fluid moving where you want: the orange tube goes into the crankcase or fuel tank, while the black tube goes into the collection container.
Add a Fuel Stabilizer
Whether it’s “straight gas” or an ethanol blend, modern fuel degrades quickly. When you buy fuel for your mower, add a fuel stabilizer immediately. This slows down water absorption and breakdown that leads to corrosion and lacquering in the fuel system. While untreated fuel should be used within 30 days of purchase, stabilized fuel can be left in the tank for up to 90 days.
If the fuel is old, dispose of it by using it in your car. The fuel injection system will have no problem burning the fuel, and it will be diluted by the gallons of fresh gas already in the tank.
Use a Blade Removal Tool
You can wedge a piece of wood between the deck and the blade to keep the blade from spinning, but a removal tool will do a much better job. It surrounds the blade, keeping it from moving in either direction when you’re loosening the blade bolt or tightening it to the correct torque.
Lubrication isn’t Limited to the Engine
Cub Cadet recommends lubricating the crankshaft and blade adapter before installing the mower blade. This makes the blade easier to fit, and it prevents rust that can make it harder to remove the blade the next time it needs to come off.
Check the Balance
If you’ve ever ridden in a car with an out-of-balance wheel, you know how badly the vibrations can affect the ride. The same goes for the blade, which can cause your mower to shake violently if the blade’s sides aren’t the same weight.
Cub Cadet’s sharpening kit includes a balancer that shows which side of the blade is heavier, but you can also balance the blade by hanging it on a nail. If it sits parallel to the ground, it’s balanced. If it tilts, file off some metal on the side of the blade pointing to the ground.
Get the Parts You Need Delivered to Your Doorstep
Cubparts.com is a certified dealer for Cub Cadet and their engine partners including Kawasaki, Honda, and Briggs & Stratton. We carry everything to keep your mower running including blades, cables, and even OEM oil. Our site can show you exploded diagrams and factory descriptions for the parts used on your model so you can be sure you’re ordering exactly what you need. We can ship the parts and accessories you need to any location in the US. or Canada.