First shown at last year’s GIE+ Expo, Cub Cadet’s Pro HW wide walk-behind mowers are on their way to dealers. Built for commercial use, these large mowers come with an innovative control system that makes them great for at home use as well when cutting fields and trimming around complicated landscape features.
Lower Effort for Greater Precision
If you’ve used hydraulic controls before, you know how much effort it takes to get the levers to start moving. As soon as that initial resistance is overcome and the control valve is open, the lever swings forward with ease, causing you to open the valve far too much, making the device you’re controlling leap forward. Cub Cadet has solved this problem by connecting the steering controls to ball bearing linkages. This makes it easy to apply small amounts of hydraulic power to the steering system without having the mower leap over landscape features and into buildings. For many owners, it means they can use the HW in places where they’d usually rely on a small walk-behind, cutting job times in areas with heavy landscaping.
Deck
The HW uses a 10 gauge steel fabricated deck with 7 gauge top, bottom and leading edge reinforcements. It comes fitted with a replaceable ¾ inch trim-side polymer wear guard to handle minor scrapes. The operator is protected from ricocheting debris by a control tower surrounded by 7 gauge steel plate.
The blades attach to 5 inch cast aluminum spindles. These are the first units offered by Cub Cadet to be fully sealed, making them maintenance free. The deck height is set using an assisted pedal and has 7 settings ranging from 1.5 to 4.5 inches.
Speed
All versions of the HW mower use Hydro-Gear ZT-2800 transaxles. These have a top speed of 7 mph going forward and up to 3 mph reverse. A cruise control function is built in to maintain a steady speed, even on rough terrain.
Engine
All models are powered by Kawasaki’s FS-Series engines. This proven design is a staple of top-end ZTR mowers thanks to its durability and simple maintenance requirements. It has a full pressure lubrication system with a spin-on automotive-style filter and a rotating grass chopper screen that helps keep debris out of the cooling ducts. The deck connects to the engine PTO via a Warner clutch rated at 125 lb-ft. An hour meter comes standard on all HW’s.
Models
Cub Cadet makes the Pro HW in three deck sizes with matching engines:
HW 336
36-inch deck
Kawasaki FS481v 14.5 hp engine with recoil start
HW 348
48-inch deck
Kawasaki FS541v 15 hp engine with electric start
HW 354
54-inch deck with anti-scalp wheels
FS600v 18.5 hp engine with electric start
Accessories
At top speed, operators would have to run to keep up with this mower. To get the most from this equipment, Cub Cadet offers single and two-wheel sulkies. The single wheel model is better for sharp turns, while the two-wheel model has a larger footplate, making it more comfortable for mowing long stretches of grass.
The deck is set up for side discharge from the factory, but it can also be used for mulching by adding a side discharge blocker, and mulching performance can be improved with a kit that adds baffles to seal the mowing chambers. A grass collection system is also available to pick up clippings.
The LED light kit increases visibility so you can mow in low light conditions.
Warranty
Cub Cadet covers the Pro HW with a two-year commercial warranty that has no hour limit. Kawasaki guarantees the engine for three years of use with no hour limit.
Getting Parts and Accessories For Cub Cadet Professional Equipment
From classic tractors to the latest additions to their lineup, if it’s Cub Cadet, you can get it from www.cubparts.com. We’re a certified dealer for Cub Cadet as well as their manufacturing partners including Kawasaki Engines USA and Hydro-Gear, letting us offer replacements for everything on your Pro HW mower. We can ship your order to any address in the U.S. or Canada.