How Can I Make My Cub Cadet Faster?

Do you find your Cub Cadet riding lawnmower too slow. Mowing your backyard takes up too much time, and you want to know if you can speed it up? You’ve come to the right place, for we have researched this question, and we have the answer for you.

The safest way to increase the speed of your Cub Cadet is to swap out the pulley for one with a bigger diameter. Additional modifications to speed it up include:

Replacing the air filter
Changing the engine oil
Removing the hood
Modifying the throttle

Let’s talk more about the ways to speed up your Cub Cadet riding lawnmower in the succeeding sections.

Read on!

What is a riding lawnmower?

A riding lawnmower, riding mower, ride-on mower, lawn tractor, or tractor mower is equipment that allows you to mow a large area in less time and effort.

A riding lawnmower’s operator rides on the lawnmower like a go-cart. It has grass-cutting blades between the two pairs of wheels. Most riding lawnmowers have controls that are like those of a car—it has a steering wheel and brakes.

The engine of riding lawnmowers is powerful enough to provide power to the blades and the wheels, plus a little extra. Some models can have accessories like lawn sweepers, aerators, and baggers that the engine can power, too.

The engine of a riding lawnmower can be powered by gasoline or electricity through batteries. And because there is very little to no soundproofing in them, it is important to wear hearing protection as well as eye protection and heavy footwear.

The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) recommends that only individuals that are 12 years of age or older should operate a walk-behind lawnmower. On the other hand, only individuals that are 16 years of age or older should operate a riding lawnmower.

There are several subtypes of riding lawnmowers with specific differences. Let’s take a closer look at those below.

Lawn Tractors

This is the type of riding lawnmower that most people are familiar with. It has a front-mounted engine with controls reminiscent of a standard automobile. It looks like a miniature version of a farm tractor.

Modern lawn tractors have optional accessories that can help you maintain your lawn. Since the engines in this type of riding lawnmower have extra power for accessories, you can easily modify them for extra speed.

Rear Engine Rider

This type of lawn mower is smaller, lighter, and more agile than a lawn tractor. As its name suggests, the engine is at the back of the lawnmower rather than at the front. Because it is smaller, it has narrower blades.

A rear engine rider often has its engine under the seat. This is made possible by a smaller and less powerful engine, which makes this a cheaper option. Its smaller engine has only enough power for the blade and wheels.

The downside is that it cannot expand its capabilities through add-on accessories. It is a singular-purpose lawnmower.

Zero Turn Mower

The unique feature of this riding lawnmower is that it has a different set of controls. It is a more powerful version of a rear-engine rider type.

It uses levers to control speed, braking, and direction. The different controls make it intimidating to use at first.

The levers allow it to turn 360 degrees, making it mobile and creating crisp cut patterns on the grass.

It has more powerful engines, allowing it to offer multiple add-on options and functionalities. It has better safety features than any of the other riding lawnmower types.

Garden Tractor

This type of riding lawnmower is like a lawn tractor that has a few more levels.

A garden tractor is no longer just a riding lawnmower. Its more powerful engine allows it to have accessories that expand its functionality, like plowing snow, tilling, and even towing.

How to speed up your Cub Cadet riding lawnmower?

Cub Cadet riding lawnmowers can either have the single cylinder engine or the dual cylinder engine that can produce up to 25 horsepower. Tapping the engine’s true power can easily net you additional speed.

The original pulley coming from the engine of a riding lawnmower is small. It goes to a large pulley that provides power to the blades. A riding lawnmower has multiple blades, allowing it to cut grass faster and more efficiently.

There is another pulley that goes to the gearbox to move the riding lawnmower forward or reverse.

The smaller pulley from the engine ensures that the riding lawnmower will have enough power for the blades, the wheels, and whatever accessory you decide to install. If you swap out the smaller pulley for a bigger one and then replace the pulley for the wheels with a bigger pulley, you will be able to go faster.

And don’t forget to replace the belt to match the new and bigger pulleys.

You can also swap out the rear tires for bigger ones. Although, this might require you to make other changes to the lawnmower, like increasing the clearance between the wheel and the rear fender.

How to replace the air filter on a Cub Cadet?

A bigger pulley will take all the power that the engine can give and pass it on to the wheels. To get the most out of your bigger pulley, you need to make sure that the engine is performing at its peak as well. Replace the air filter so that your engine can get all the air that it needs.

Follow these simple steps to replace the air filter on your Cub Cadet riding lawnmower.

Engage the parking brake and turn off the engine.
Remove the key from the ignition, then open the hood.
Disconnect the spark plug wire.
Remove any debris on the surface of the engine’s top-mounted air vent.
Unlock the air filter cover, then remove the air filter.
Separate the foam pre-filter from the filter.
Inspect the foam pre-filter for damage. If it has any damage, you need to replace it.
If the foam pre-filter has no damage, wash it in a solution of mild soap and warm water.
Squeeze gently, then let it air-dry completely. Never wring out the pre-filter.
Inspect the inner filter. If you see any damage or if it is extremely dirty, you need to replace it.
If it does not have any damage or if it is not extremely dirty, tap the sides on a hard surface to remove the dirt. Never use compressed air to clean the inner filter.
Reinstall the foam pre-filter, then reinstall the air filter into the air intake chamber.
Reconnect the spark plug and test the engine.

Panari 7000 series Air Filter for Cub Cadet is available on Amazon through this link.

Replace Engine Oil

It’s no secret that the engine oil keeps your lawnmower's engine well-lubricated, letting the engine parts move more freely. This allows your engine to maximize the energy that it gets from the fuel. And this allows you to get more power from the engine.

More power from the engine means more speed.

STP premium Small Engine 4 Cycle Oil Formula is available on Amazon through this link.

Remove The Hood

Removing the hood allows your lawnmower to get more air easily. This provides your engine with better combustion. Better combustion leads to more power and more speed.

Moreover, this reduces the overall weight of your lawnmower. The lighter overall weight means that the engine has more extra power that can go to making it run faster.

You can look for other non-essential parts of your riding lawnmower. Remove these parts to shave off extra pounds off the total weight to let you add more speed.

Modify The Throttle

All riding lawnmowers have a throttle limiter or a “governor.” The governor’s primary purpose is to increase the lifespan of the lawnmower's engine because it wouldn’t allow you to get the lawnmower to a very high RPM. It also reduces the amount of maintenance that the engine would need.

When you rev the motor of your riding lawnmower too high, the governor will switch it back to idle instead of allowing the engine to rev too high. The governor system is different in every riding lawnmower model.

Removing the governor in your Cub Cadet riding lawnmower will allow it to reach higher RPMs by allowing more fuel to get into the engine. This will directly result in higher speeds.

Keep in mind that getting higher RPMs in your lawnmower can make it consume more fuel and produce more heat faster. You should change the engine oil twice as often to help protect the engine from additional friction caused by higher RPMs.

Moreover, the additional modifications below can help prepare your riding lawnmower for higher speeds.

Reinforce Wheel Axle

The wheel axles of your riding lawnmower—especially the front ones—are not made for high speed. If you’re going to speed up your lawnmower, you also need to make sure that the axles will be able to handle the extra speed.

Backyards aren’t exactly as smooth as an asphalt road. The occasional bump when you’re going at high speed can damage an axle that is not ready for that kind of impact force.