Cub Cadet review: unsafe mower blades 18

Agree. Bad problem already. Bad blades. Using my 25 year old John Deere while Cub cadet down.

Agree. Buy John Deere. Using my 25 yr old JD because new cub down.

Agree!

Mtd has ruined almost every piece of lawn product buy john deere equip.

I bought a 2011 Cub Cadet LTX1045 (model 13WX9aAT / Serial 1L010H30353) in May of 2012 from Home Depot. Mower had been returned to the store due to the original owner not satisfied with the mower. I bought it for $1100 thinking that any issues could / would be fixed by Cub Cadet since it was still under warranty (had only 12 hours on it). First cut the thing threw the blade drive belt. I took it down to the local repair shop and they said they had to replace a pulley and the belt. I paid for this repair out of pocket. The belts continued to burn up about every other week of cutting. Then belt spindle froze up (apparently Cub Cadet doesn't have zertz / grease fittings on the spindles or the pulleys - great design by Cub Cadet!). I replaced the spindle and belt and paid for it out of pocket. At this time I still have less than 30 hours on the Mower. Next season (2013) the mower worked fine for the next 4 hours, then the same thing - threw the belt. Took it back to the local repair shop and I was able to inspect it visually on the rack. I discovered (not the local technician) that the pulleys were out of alignment. They referred me to the "authorized dealer" in the area. Took it to them and they had to replace several pulleys and alignment pieces, along with the blade belt. All of this was covered under warranty. Used the mower the rest of 2013 with no problems. This year the mower threw the blade belt again. Replaced the belt myself. After two more cuts the mower drive belt broke. Took it to the "authorized dealer" but I had to pay out of pocket since it is now out of warranty (3 years old). When the drive belt broke it also broke the transmission cooling fan which also had to be replaced. Finally got the mower back after 8 weeks in the shop and one cut later another pulley has seized up, billowing smoke and cutting up the belt. I must be stupid for wanting to fix this thing again, but when it runs it cuts better than any other mower I've owned. Is this a lemon or is it faulty engineering on Cub Cadet's end? I'm thinking about replacing the pulley(s) and belt and putting it up for sale. I'd like to know if anyone else has had these problems and if I have any recourse with Cub Cadet? Thanks.

when the cadet is stopped, is the deck suppose to move from side to side"(up and down)?
I can raise it and lower it just by lifting it up by hand. Is there something broken?

I just want to say that my ltx 1045 runs fine but the blades are terribly weak. The slightest imperfection in the lawn ruins them. I've gone through four sets in a season. Do they make a truly heavy duty blade for this machine?
thanks

front tire camber problem...wore out outside edge of both fron tires ..extremely poor design.(less tha a year) ltx 1045

I will never again buy cub cadet and this is why:
I bought a new ltx in 2009, unloaded it from the trailer and within 5 min a small twig had somehow wedged itself in a pulley and I had to take it back to the dealer. After it was fixed, I started in again and the mower deck kept cutting into the back tire. I went through several tires in one summer. The dealer said nothing was wrong and Cub Cadet would do nothing. The next year I decided to move the guide wheel over and away from the back tire, that fixed the problem. Soon after, the safety back-up switch jiggled off while I was mowing causing the mower to shut down and blowing out the muffler.

This summer I am selling my cub cadet and paying someone else to mow my yard. It will be cheaper than taking the tractor to the dealer everytime something goes wrong and spending all that money.

There is a problem with steering, they have. cut a few corners so as to stay proce comparative. The blades are simply too light and bend easily, I think Gator blades from Oregon Chain ate available. MTD has ruined another product.

I had to take my 1045 to the dealer for a separate problem. The dealer changed out my blades stating they were worn - 33 hours on the mower.

To the person with the "unsafe" blades. How are they unsafe? Saying the blades are worn "because of the type of yard you mow" is absurd, unless you are mowing a rock far. This is just nuts.

You either got a defective product, or you're driving too fast while mowing. Every tractor (read EVERY) has a toe-in, and a certain amount of camber. Your assertion to not buy this product bases on this (apparent) lemon has not basis.

The Cub Cadet came new with the problem, I bought it new in April of 09. I talked with the dealer about the problem and they said there is no adjustment. It is not a toe-in problem and there is an adjustment for that. This is a Camber problem, the wheels are tilted out to the side of the tractor at the top of the wheel and of course that makes the bottom tilted inward. The only way an adjustment can be made is to bend the wheel spindel but the dealer said even attempted heating and bending would break the spindel. The factory will have to come up with a different angle wheel spindel. If you would like to see the tractor I can take a picture and email it to you.

Hey J!, you're jumping to conclusions...

Check your manual on how to adjust the front end. Any tractor, of any brand (I had a 1976 Lawn Boy and a 1988 Toro until the transmissions broke), will do the same thing. It's called, appropriately, "plowing". Fixing it is a maintenance item. If you bought it used, it was probably damaged. Drive the tractor straight ahead for about 20 feet on a level driveway (gravel or flat lawn is OK too) and see if the steering wheel is off-center. If it is, a drag-link is bent or improperly adjusted. If not off-center, it probably just needs adjusting.

If you bought it new and under warranty, take it back and ask them to align it for you. If out of warranty, you can adjust or repair it yourself. Check the manual (also online). It tells you how. If unsure, a good lawn or tractor repair shop can do it for you.

If you have a "sprayed lawn" on clay (like I have) plowing can be a real problem if you try to cut when it is wet. Get the wheels adjusted and you'll be fine.

BTW, one little trick, not in the manual: If you cut on steep hills (manual specifies 15 degrees max), adjust the wheels out at the front (tow out) very slightly to help prevent tucking when you turn on the hill.

Best wishes and good luck...

DO NOT BUY THIS TRACTOR, IF YOU NOTICE THE FRONT WHEELS THEY ARE ANGLED INWARD (CAMBERED) BECAUSE OF THIS THE FRONT TIRES OUTER EDGE WILL CUT INTO THE LAWN ON TURNS. THE TIGHTER THE TURN THE WORSE THE DAMAGE TO THE LAWN. THE WHEELS OUTER EDGE WILL ACTUALLY REMOVE THE TURF ON TURNS. THE TURF REMOVED IS ABOUT 6" WIDE X THE WHOLE LENGTH OF THE TURN. I CONTACTED CUB CADET, THEY REFERED ME TO THE DEALER, AND THE DEALER REFERED ME BACK TO CUB CADET. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET MORE INFO ON THIS TRACTOR PLEASE EMAIL ME AT CLEANSWEEP6@NETZERO.COM

Overall DUE TO THE DAMAGE THE TRACTOR DOES TO THE LAWN IT IS THERE FOR NOT WORTH BUYING.