As much as I love cutting grass, there are times when I just want the job done. If you feel the same way, have a look at Cub Cadet’s CC 600, a rear-drive mower with a 28-inch dual-blade deck. Homeowners who find that their standard 22-inch mower is a bit too small for their cutting surface, but don’t want a riding mower or tractor, may find the CC 600 a perfect fit.
Cub Cadet describes the machine as a wide-area walk mower—that’s landscaper jargon for a self-propelled walk mower with front caster wheels and engines as large as 14.5 hp. These mowers have cutting widths that range from about 34 inches all the way up to 52 inches. You’ve seen landscapers trotting behind them, particularly those who cut small, intricate yards.
Cub Cadet Cub Cadet 28 in. 195 cc 3-in-1 Rear Wheel Drive Gas Push Button Electric Start Walk Behind Self Propelled Lawn Mower
Cub Cadet Cub Cadet 28 in. 195 cc 3-in-1 Rear Wheel Drive Gas Push Button Electric Start Walk Behind Self Propelled Lawn Mower
Cub Cadet’s machine isn’t commercial duty, but it packs plenty of mower for homeowner purposes. The 195-CC engine provides more than enough oomph for normal cutting conditions. The mower can be equipped with dedicated mulching blades or blades for bagging. Both provide a good cut quality. The bagging blades provide the necessary air flow to move grass clippings into the 2.25-bushel rear bag. We found the mower to be extremely effective at picking up leaves and clippings. (Note: the mower will fill the bag and pack it tight—and then fill the blower tube. It takes some experience to find the sweet spot when you need to empty the bag before the tube is plugged.)
The mower’s many clever attributes include a push-button start that was reliable in our tests, even in cold weather. The Cub Cadet's battery is self charging, like your car's, which means you don’t need to plug the battery into a wall charger. Control the ground speed by pushing forward on the pivoting drive bar (it’s similar to the mechanism pioneered by Toro on its Personal Pace mowers). With the bar full forward, you’re moving at a brisk walk.
Controlling deck height is reasonably easy. Cub Cadet figured out the geometry of the single rear deck lever so that it’s easy to raise and lower the deck (from 1.25 inches to 3.75 inches); that’s particularly important since the mower weighs nearly 100 pounds. Both front caster wheels need to be independently height adjusted, and that takes a bit of experience to do quickly, but once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty easy. It’s also very easy to engage the spring-loaded locks for the caster wheels, which is helpful when you need to cut long, straight rows.
The mower is a blade-brake-clutch type, which is particularly useful in fall and spring yard cleanup. Stop the mower and release the drive and operator control bars. The drive system and blades stop, but the engine remains running. You can move a fallen branch out of the way or reposition some yard furniture and resume mowing without having to restart the engine. And to reduce the mower’s storage foot print, it has a spring-loaded bar that you can unlock to tip the handle to the 90-degree position.
The mower’s price tag of approximately $900 is about twice that of the average residential walk mower, yes. On the other hand, the Cub is a lot of machine that should speed your mowing to faster completion.
Roy Berendsohn has worked for more than 25 years at Popular Mechanics, where he has written on carpentry, masonry, painting, plumbing, electrical, woodworking, blacksmithing, welding, lawn care, chainsaw use, and outdoor power equipment. When he’s not working on his own house, he volunteers with Sovereign Grace Church doing home repair for families in rural, suburban and urban locations throughout central and southern New Jersey.
