How To Start A Cub Cadet Snow Blower

Do you want to know how to start a Cub Cadet snowblower? A Cub Cadet snowblower is pretty straightforward to operate. If you are not familiar with how to start a snowblower, then here are the step-by-step instructions.

How to start a Cub Cadet snowblower:

  1. Insert the key into the ignition. Make sure it's pushed all the way through.
  2. Locate the throttle slider (which is usually underneath the key) and make sure the throttle is halfway up.
  3. Press the primer bulb a few times to pump a small amount of fuel into the carburetor. It's a big, red button that's right above the throttle slider.
  4. Turn the choke knob to the choke position. It's the red knob above the primer bulb.
  5. There are two ways to start a Cub Cadet snowblower. you can hook up an extension cord and push the start button or use the pull cord and start it like a lawn mower.
  6. Once the snowblower is started, turn the choke knob to the running position.

So you just purchased a new Cub Cadet snow blower, and now what? Read on as we tell you what you need to know to get started, some basic maintenance tips to keep your Cub Cadet running in top shape, and a few troubleshooting tips that will help you fix common starting problems you might encounter along the way.

Operating a snow blower to clear thick snow at the driveway, How To Start A Cub Cadet Snow Blower

Operating a snow blower to clear thick snow at the driveway, How To Start A Cub Cadet Snow Blower

Operating a snow blower to clear thick snow at the driveway, How To Start A Cub Cadet Snow Blower

Common Reasons Why a Cub Cadet Snowblower Won't Start

When you live in a place that gets a lot of snowfall, the last thing you want to deal with is the snow piling up and making your driveway impassable.

But there's something worse than this: when your snowblower acts up when you need it the most and you don't know what to do!

Operating a snow blower to clear thick snow at the driveway, How To Start A Cub Cadet Snow Blower

Here are the most common reasons why your Cub Cadet snowblower won't start:

1. Old gas or empty fuel

One of the most important things to keep an eye on when it comes to snowblowers is ensuring that they have enough fuel. Otherwise, you could end up in a situation where your snowblower has a hard time starting.

Old gasoline that is stored in the off-season can also cause your snowblower not to start. The shelf life of gasoline is determined by the length of time the gasoline is unused and stored.

The longer gasoline is stored, the lower its combustibility becomes. Gasoline that doesn't have enough combustibility will lose its ability to ignite. 

Man clearing his driveway with a snow blower due to heavy snowfall

2. Damaged or dirty spark plug

Dirty spark plugs don't allow the spark to ignite the mixture of fuel and air within the combustion chamber of the snowblower's engine. In addition, a worn or damaged spark plug will not generate the spark needed to ignite. 

What to do when the spark plug is dirty?

Remove the spark plug using a 14 mm spark plug socket and check for carbon buildup. If it's dirty, use sandpaper to clean it up. Fold the sandpaper so you can fit it through the electrode gap and sand it well.

The electrode gap is where the spark (arcing) occurs. Any dirt that comes between the ground and the center electrode will prevent the spark plug from sparking.

What to do when the spark plug is damaged?

If, on the other hand, the spark plug does not show any signs of heavy carbon deposits, check the overall physical condition of the electrodes. You can easily tell how worn your spark plug is by comparing it with a good one.

Check out this spark plug socket on Amazon.

3. Bad ignition system

Your snowblower may not start because of a bad ignition system. There are many things that can go wrong with the ignition system that can prevent a snowblower from starting.

The parts of the ignition system that are most likely to fail are the following:

Ignition key

A Cub Cadet snowblower's ignition key is made of plastic, so you can easily tell if it has gone bad or not by simply looking at it. Inspect your ignition key for any cracks, deformities, or anything that does not look right. 

Check out this selection of snowblower ignition keys on Amazon.

Ignition coil

The ignition coil in a snowblower is what provides the voltage necessary for the spark plug to initiate a spark, which in turn ignites the fuel and starts the combustion process. 

Normally, ignition coils produce blue sparks when the snowblower is cranked up. If you see something different colors other than blue (most likely orange), then you have an issue with the ignition coil.

Check out this ignition coil on Amazon.

Ignition control module

In general, an ignition control module is a circuit board that controls the timing of sparks in an engine's ignition system. It is responsible for controlling the flow of electricity to the ignition coil to generate a high-voltage pulse to fire the spark plug.

A defective ignition module can cause the ignition timing to be too early or too late. This can result in the snowblower engine running rough or misfiring

Check out this ignition control module on Amazon.

Contact breaker

A contact breaker is another device that controls the timing of the sparks of the engine's spark plugs. Contact breakers are designed to turn on only at the precise moment when the air/fuel mixture is in the state of compression.

Contact breakers are typically adjustable to allow the timing of the spark to be adjusted to meet the requirements of the engine. 

A bad contact breaker will give you the same exact symptoms as a bad ignition control module. This is because the two work hand in hand to control the timing of the spark. 

Condenser

The main purpose of a condenser in an ignition system is to slow down the degradation of contact breaker points. It also improves the quality of the sparks produced by the spark plugs by making them crispier.

We've already discussed above how a contact breaker works, so we should be able to see the importance of a good condenser in an ignition system.

Homeowner clearing the garden with a snow blower

Again, you might also have the same recurring symptoms as those with a bad contact breaker and a bad ignition control module. Always check these three components whenever your snowblower engine is hard starting or sputtering.

Secondary components of the ignition system 

Other components that you might want to check when your Cub Cadet snowblower is not starting are the following:

  • Throttle slider
  • Primer bulb
  • Choke knob
  • Pull cord

Perform a thorough ocular inspection to ensure that all of these components are in good working order. If any of them are found to be faulty, you will need to replace them. 

4. Clogged carburetor

Carburetors are responsible for controlling fuel flow to the engine. It mixes fuel with air to create an explosive mixture that is then ignited by the spark plug to start the combustion process and make the engine run. 

If the carburetor is clogged, the fuel flow is restricted and the engine may struggle to start or may not start at all. You can clean a clogged carburetor with a carb cleaner.

If you want to clean the carburetor yourself, then the video below will show you how to remove a Cub Cadet carburetor.

Check out this carb cleaner on Amazon.

Proper Care and Maintenance of Cub Cadet Snowblowers

Snowblowers are heavy, bulky machines that are only used a few times per year. Since you don't use this machine that often, it's easy to forget about it and the fact that it has moving parts that need to be lubricated to prevent corrosion. 

Man using a snow blower to clear his driveway

The good news is that the maintenance required for these machines is not overly complex. Here are some tips on how to take proper care of your Cub Cadet snowblower: 

  • Change engine oil after the first five hours of use.
  • Clean the exhaust area and check your engine oil levels after every five hours of use. You may lose a small amount of engine oil since it is circulated and burned by the engine, and this is normal. 
  • Inspect the spark plug and lubricate the gear shifter after 25 hours of use (seasonal).
  • Change engine oil after 50 hours of use (seasonal).
  • Replace the spark plug after 100 hours of use (seasonal).

Man using a snow blower to clear the driveway

In Closing

As we all know, snow removal is a huge hassle and it usually requires you to invest quite a bit of time and effort. However, snowblowers can help reduce the amount of time and effort that you need to spend when clearing the roads.

If you've ever used a lawn mower before, then there's no reason for you not to be able to use a snowblower as well. Now you know more about how to get the most from your cub cadet snowblower!

If you found this article helpful, you might also like:

Can I Shovel Snow Into The Street?

How To Tighten Drive Belt On Cub Cadet?

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