Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

There is talk of Hondas, and the need for tracks on steep inclines, their advantage over gravel and going through hard packed or icy snow. However, the reviews all also talk about how hard they are to steer.

The MTD Cub Cadet line has the model 726TDE. It isn't very expensive; the Cub Cadet site has it at $1200, It is only 26" wide with 12" auger and impeller. And powered by a small 208cc engine. However, it has MTD's left/right free wheel 'power steering'. Disengaging one track should let the unit turn rather easily.

Does anyone here have or have tried it?

http://www.cubcadet.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10051_14101_36804_27656_-1_600000_27658

http://www.cubcadet.com/wcsstore/CubCadetCatalogAssetStore/Attachment/sell%20sheets/residential/700_Series_Snow_Thrower_SS_2010.pdf

We have 5 or so objectives for the new machine:

1) Handle wet heavy snow. The current machine would often just fill the chute and impeller with a very wet slushy mush, as if it pressing the water from the snow.

2) Turn. The circular driveway has two long arcs and with the fixed wheels required a bit of wrestling. Free wheeling one didn't provide traction when needed. The turn at the EOD was a big arc in the street.

3) Speed it up. The 28" 10hp Tecumseh MTD would often only be able to use half the scoop width before it would have overflow on the cleared side. This is why we have been looking at 30" and large units and focusing in the volume/mass of snow they could eject. This would be our main concern with a 26" 208cc.

4) Handle the EOD/Mailbox.  The end of driveway (about 30') and the Mailbox (another 10-15') are plowed with a tall, hard, 5' wide mound of snow. The old unit struggled if it could handle it at all. It would be nice if the unit could handle it. This is the primary perceived advantage of the tracked unit. The dual freewheel has a slight advantage in releasing both for a quick backward movement. However, the same can be achieved by releasing the drive.

5) Wife can use it. I'm not always here and she needs to be able to get out when it snows. Her favorite story is when I caught the flu the afternoon before a large storm. If the Deere had the Ariens handlebars, we may have gotten it. However, the left/right freewheel will probably be easier for her to turn. She couldn't handle the Deere, but in the store had no problem with the Ariens. The nose weight was a little heavier in the Deere presumably because of the cast iron gearbox, but the real difference was that the Ariens hand grips were much further behind the rear wheels. She really liked the electric chute adjustment.

6) Reliable. Maintenance requires getting parts and possibly going to a repair facilty paying for the pickup/delviery. My guess is the Ariens, B&S Deere/Simplicity, Toro, and Husqvarna are all pretty similar there; they all have basically the same engine and drive components. However, is it a concern for MTD? As indicated, we had some failures do to springs and cables failing.

We have 5 or so objectives for the new machine:

1) Handle wet heavy snow. The current machine would often just fill the chute and impeller with a very wet slushy mush, as if it pressing the water from the snow.

2) Turn. The circular driveway has two long arcs and with the fixed wheels required a bit of wrestling. Free wheeling one didn't provide traction when needed. The turn at the EOD was a big arc in the street.

3) Speed it up. The 28" 10hp Tecumseh MTD would often only be able to use half the scoop width before it would have overflow on the cleared side. This is why we have been looking at 30" and large units and focusing in the volume/mass of snow they could eject. This would be our main concern with a 26" 208cc.

4) Handle the EOD/Mailbox.  The end of driveway (about 30') and the Mailbox (another 10-15') are plowed with a tall, hard, 5' wide mound of snow. The old unit struggled if it could handle it at all. It would be nice if the unit could handle it. This is the primary perceived advantage of the tracked unit. The dual freewheel has a slight advantage in releasing both for a quick backward movement. However, the same can be achieved by releasing the drive.

5) Wife can use it. I'm not always here and she needs to be able to get out when it snows. Her favorite story is when I caught the flu the afternoon before a large storm. If the Deere had the Ariens handlebars, we may have gotten it. However, the left/right freewheel will probably be easier for her to turn. She couldn't handle the Deere, but in the store had no problem with the Ariens. The nose weight was a little heavier in the Deere presumably because of the cast iron gearbox, but the real difference was that the Ariens hand grips were much further behind the rear wheels. She really liked the electric chute adjustment.

6) Reliable. Maintenance requires getting parts and possibly going to a repair facilty paying for the pickup/delviery. My guess is the Ariens, B&S Deere/Simplicity, Toro, and Husqvarna are all pretty similar there; they all have basically the same engine and drive components. However, is it a concern for MTD? As indicated, we had some failures do to springs and cables failing.

One change Ariens made this year was to reorient the cables so that the end of the cable points down instead of up, thereby minimizing the chance of moisture getting into the cable and settling in the low spot of the cable where it could corrode and cause cable hangup/failure.  That's the reason why the cables look so funny looping up the way they do.

BTW, it looks like many others have done this too... 

slinger wrote:

Beginning with which models? Does the 921020 with the Subaru from last year have this?