Head to head
Cub Cadet 2X 28 IntelliPOWER vs Cub Cadet 3X 28 IntelliPOWER
vs
Quick take: The Cub Cadet 2X 28 IntelliPOWER costs $220 less.
| Spec | Cub Cadet 2X 28 IntelliPOWER | Cub Cadet 3X 28 IntelliPOWER |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$1,679 | ~$1,899 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Two-Stage Gas | Three-Stage Gas |
| Power | 272cc Cub Cadet IntelliPOWER 875-SU | 357cc Cub Cadet IntelliPOWER |
| Clearing Width | 28" | 28" |
| Intake Height | 21" | 23" |
| Throw Distance | up to 40 ft | — |
| Weight | — | 279 lb |
| Starting | Push-button electric + recoil | Push-button electric + recoil |
| Heated Grips | Yes | Yes |
| Drive & Handling | Six forward and two reverse speeds through a friction-disc all-wheel drive, with trigger-controlled power steering on both handles and a remote overhead crank for the 200-degree chute. | Six forward and two reverse speeds with power steering. The third stage is an accelerator spinning perpendicular to the augers, feeding the impeller roughly ten times faster than the augers alone. |
| Warranty | 3-year residential, 5-year auger gearbox | 3-year residential, 5-year auger gearbox |
Pros & cons
Cub Cadet 2X 28 IntelliPOWER
- ✓All-wheel drive genuinely helps on slopes and loose surfaces where one driven wheel spins
- ✓Trigger power steering on both handles makes a 28-inch machine turn like a smaller one
- ✓Heated grips and dual LED headlights included rather than optional
- ✓Five-year auger gearbox warranty
- ✓200-degree remote chute crank works from the dash mid-pass
- ✗Cub Cadet publishes no weight for it anywhere, which makes it hard to judge against rivals
- ✗40-foot throw is ordinary for a 28-inch machine — the Ariens Platinum 30 SHO throws 15 feet farther
- ✗Rated to about 12 inches of snow, so a deep berm still needs layering
- ✗Street price varies widely, from roughly $1,499 at retail against a $1,679 list
Cub Cadet 3X 28 IntelliPOWER
- ✓The accelerator genuinely changes how the machine handles packed plow ridges
- ✓23-inch intake swallows drifts the 2X 28 has to take in layers
- ✓357cc is a significant step up from the 2X 28's 272cc
- ✓Heated grips, power steering and LED lighting all standard
- ✓Five-year auger gearbox warranty
- ✗279 lb, and the extra stage adds a wear point a two-stage does not have
- ✗$220 more than the 2X 28 for a benefit that only shows up in packed snow
- ✗Cub Cadet does not publish a throw distance for this model
- ✗Pointless on a driveway that never gets plowed in