Cub Cadet 2X 528 SWE Snow Thrower

This is not something I wanted to buy. I’ve been avoiding it for, pretty much, a full year. Obviously, I knew the snow would eventually return and that I’d be forced to drive off to Tractor Supply or Home Depot to shell out a wad a cash, but I figured that if I waited long enough, somehow the grand I would drop would be easier to swallow. Well…not really. Spending money like that is never fun.

If you remember back about eight months, I mentioned that I needed three things before this winter rolled around. I said I needed new windows for the log cabin room, a wood stove and a snow blower. Well, earlier this summer, I purchased and installed both the windows and the wood stove. I never did get around to purchasing that snow blower.

Funny thing – yesterday, while Laura and I were checking out our grocery items in the Skowhegan Hannaford, I asked the bagger if there were more people in the store than usual. She replied that there were, because of the holiday and because of the storm. Wait – what? What storm? That’s when a few more folks chimed in Maine style. “Oh yeah, there’s a storm rolling up the coast (you stupid, stupid boy).” They knew. I didn’t know. Apparently over a foot of snow is getting ready to fall upon us. I really should get on top of these things.

I really didn’t think too much of it. I figure that Laura and I would shovel out of the first few snow falls and then I’d bite the bullet and spend some change. Then, as I was sitting at my computer yesterday around 4:30 in the afternoon, I remembered what last winter looked like. Click the following links to read some of my previous posts.

Another Foot and a Half of Snow
Digging Out From Thursday’s Snow Storm
Another Snow Storm
Nighttime Snow Pictures
The Snow Storm, the Woodpecker and the Orange Cat

I think you get the idea. Basically, I thought that if we screwed up the shoveling and didn’t do a good job, we’d be messed up until May. It would snow then slightly melt and then freeze and then we’d be sitting on a ice cube that not even a plow could move. That’s when I called Tractor Supply to see what snow throwers they had in stock. Luckily, they had the one I wanted. It’s larger than my last one, but that’s good because if I remember back correctly, that one was slightly too small for New England. While it did a good job, there was some bogging down in the deeper snow. That made for some slow going. Also, this new snow blower not only adds some CCs in the engine (277cc), it also adds four inches to the front scoop area. I used to have 24 and now I have 28. I think this one should take care of things.

Take a look at the pictures of my new Cub Cadet 528 SWE snow blower. I haven’t used it yet, but when I do, I think I’ll make a video of some snow removal and post it here. That should be fun.