Cub Cadet LT42e Owner Tips.

How to operate and clean the mowing deck of the all-electric LT42e.

[@lunatik9696]

One KZbinr suggested spraying or wiping deck with vegetable oil 1st and it prevents/ reduces grass sticking.

[@BigRobChicagoPL]

2:49 wow that view! Also super cool mower. I know first hand how annoying things like carburetors and fuel filters can be as the machine ages

[@tsoleno]

Video well done. You covered the highlights really well. Hopefully we get updates on how this works out in the real world.

[@onekittyhawk63]

I have a 2020 Cub Cadet. It is recommended you clean the underside of the deck after every mowing to prevent rust. Too bad you can't use water to clean. I think I would clean it thoroughly and then keep it sprayed with Silicone spray after each cleaning. That should help in preventing the grass from sticking to the deck and keep moisture away from the metal. Use it on top and bottom of deck. It will also help in prevening dirt clinging to the top. If you wish, you can also use bedliner spray or undercoating to the underside to prevent rust. You can get those two sprays from Tractor Supply Co (TSC). It will take two spray cans of either one you choose to use. Then apply the silicone to the coating. Don't forget to spray silicone to the top of the deck and anywhere else you think it needs it. I also spray the steering wheel gears. It keeps dirt and grass from building up on the turning gears. I dont use oil or grease on these gears. They collect dirt and grass.

[@missjackie7983]

Grass gets stuck deeeeeeply inside the motor covers, so deep us regular consumers can't reach it!!

[@damianryan5]

Really cool machine. I have a 22hp gas Ariens. I clean the deck twice a year, halfway through the summer and then before winter storage.

[@172turtla]

Great Mountain View! thanks for the video, I want a battery powered mower with Li batteries, so this is on the list to check out.

[@JasonCarmichael]

I drove up to Home Depot today and the 2021's and their pretty blue bumpers are there now. I'm going back tomorrow to get the LT42E. I wish the XT1 42E (ZTR) was ready. Cub said probably around June when it shows up at the stores.

[@robertkiell]

get toro instead

[@JasonCarmichael]

@@robertkiell Does Toro make lithium-ion electric yet?

[@robertkiell]

@@JasonCarmichael strictly push mower ones but not riding ones

[@RCFiddyOne]

I just purchased a gas tractor a few weeks ago but I think this will be my next mower in 5 or 6 years. By that time, I'm sure prices would have come down significantly.

[@wildbill23c]

Yeah these electric lawn tractors are $4,000 right now ouch. I can buy 2 of the regular LT42's for that price LOL. Or buy a higher end gas model. I wouldn't mind having an electric one at some point as well...too bad they don't have a replaceable battery pack so you can pull the pack off and have 1 on the charger and another on the mower so you can extend your mowing time or chore time if you do other chores with your lawn tractor. The downside is I have to keep what I have, no way to hookup my snow blower on the electric version.

[@nheisserer13]

Good video. I just bought mine for $2500 for an open box still under warranty. Tractor has the brake rattle you described and the seat sensor often doesn’t detect me on the mower. I brought it in for service. Hopefully the techs can fix it.

[@robstu67]

I just uploaded a video on the rear rattle. Hopefully that will help.

[@CACTUS48]

What is the snow covered mountain in the background...

[@MrIMCP]

I will stick with my current gas powered riding mower for now a Craftsman T210 however I believe that in another 10 years these electric riders will be much more refined and easier to clean plus other improvements as well! It would be cool to see a electric port that can power OPE and tools such as table saws, log splitters, etc!

[@frbe0101]

I replaced my archaic John Deere L120 which was made out of parts from 3 other broken down John Deere L120 with one of these LT42e and it is a wonderful... because it replace literal oil burning, broken down junk. The LT42e has a whole bunch of design flaws and shoddiness to it I find annoying. I see nothing wrong with waiting another decade for electric lawn mowers that don't have vestigial gas mower features like a huge front hood that you now don't ever need to open anymore yet is hinged and unlockable and noticeably raddles because the mower is so silent; or a sloppy charging port cut into a non-reinforced panel; a mower deck while much easier then a pully based system could certainly have been made easier by bundling the four connectors into one, or at the very least 2; less sensitive and smoother accelerator peddle; a controller with cruise control +/- buttons, etc, etc

[@stevenmondazzi4192]

Great video, thanks- like the mower but not getting it wet seems pretty inconvenient. Saw this at Home Depot sitting out in the pouring rain so guessing that’s not good for it.

[@williamharman9120]

Bought one, love it, think it is terrific EXCEPT beware: I bent a blade on a root, and now have been waiting OVER A MONTH and still don't have a new one. As of summer '21, Cub Cadet cannot supply replacement blades for these machines. It's tough to have a $4k dream machine that is sitting in mothballs because of a blade!

[@robstu67]

Unbelievable, but I'm afraid you are just getting started. Mine died after the third mowing this year. It just shuts off after five seconds, no error code, no nothing. I took it in at my expense and they figured out the battery was bad after 10 days in the shop. That was two months ago. They have had it for nine weeks and nobody will tell me when I can get it back. Even though they have had tons of problems with these mowers, they don't stock replacement parts! My battery is being built from scratch somewhere. At first I heard "mid-June". I asked for a firmer date and was told that then I would just call and complain if it wasn't available yet. Then it was late June. That came and went. My relationship with my $4000 mower no consists of waiting on hold for an hour on the phone only to be told that they don't know anything. This is the way they are treating the early adopters of their new technology? I seriously regret this purchase. I'm moving my lawn with a bush hog and it looks like crap.

[@kharrang]

Nice video, Rob. So, almost one year later, are you glad you purchased this make and model? I'm also considering the new EGO rider, but the zero turn radius design seems odd to me, and I use a trailer a lot. Would love your hindsight. Thanks.

[@robstu67]

I am still pleased with the purchase. I've mowed twice now in 2021 and it mows just like brand new. I stored it outside under one of those Costco tarp canopies so it was exposed to the ambient temperature, but didn't net rained on. I will say that that the yellow PTO button seems like it doesn't make contact 100% of the time after sitting for the winter. It seems like it doesn't have the definite contact that it used to, so I'm not sure if there might be some moisture in there that will improve or something else.

[@nsbohn]

Great video. Where do I find more info about adjusting the rear end? Mines got a heck of a stutter.

[@nheisserer13]

I would like to see this too

[@robstu67]

I'm not sure what you mean by stutter, but I just uploaded a second video with info on how to quiet the rattle in the rear end.

[@nsbohn]

@@robstu67 I just watched it. Another solid video. I don't think the issue I'm having is the brake.

[@nsbohn]

Let me post one right now.

[@swainoe]

Thanks, dude. Very helpful.

[@telocity]

Wonder if in future you could add it to your wall power when not in use.

[@dankelly7712]

Thanks a lot for posting! Can you tell me will this machine do as well on inclines (straight up, not side to side) as a gas powered mower? I got little help from Cub Cadet on that question.

[@robstu67]

I’ve had no problem mowing up hill with this unit. It seems quite comparable to a gas version. I once tried to tow a heavy, water filled lawn roller and it was not able to pull that up a slope, but I’m not surprised. That thing is super heavy.

[@dankelly7712]

@@robstu67 Hey thanks a lot for replying!

[@wildbill23c]

@@robstu67 Did you lose traction on the hill or did the machine just not have the power to do it?

[@jbncnow]

The No water kills the deal for me, we mow wet grass year round here because it never dries out enough even in the afternoon so washing with water is a must or it looks like shit, the wet grass makes a mess. In the winter we mow leaves and the mower gets covers in dust, you have to hand wash it with soap and water its not going to be clean even with compressed air

[@matthewshepard3552]

I have the same concern but the poster is in western Washington so he sees a lot of rain.

[@mtandiz]

Were can i see / find more accessories? Websites limited.

[@donswaringen3590]

Have you seen the CUB E review by David Deboy ?? Trouble with mower and support fail with Home Depot and Cub Cadet Also, I wonder if E mower owners risk fire and loss of garage and/or home as E cars have done

[@Zachry86]

Could you note down the speed rpm and power of the motors? Have been considering trying to do a conversion of my husqvarna to a electric hybrid. Keep the engine to charge a small battery pack and then powering the blades with electric motors. Hate all the parts and belts that constantly keep breaking. Would love to know the

[@tbn22]

2:33 Now that's a gorgeous mountain far away in the distance. Where is this?

[@robstu67]

That’s Mt. Rainier in western Washington State.

[@dankelly7712]

Thanks for your help. Do you know the likely frequency and cost of battery replacement?

[@robstu67]

No idea, but I'm pretty confident that whatever the price is, it will come down in the years ahead as battery production and technology improves.

[@Odeeyu]

No idea if the manufacturer has their own replacements for a better deal, but the going rate for that much lithium battery power is in the $1600-$1700 ballpark.

[@mtandiz]

Can you attach a cart? Does it have a hitch? How much weight can you pull?

[@robstu67]

I have repeatedly towed my Bearcat chipper with this unit with no problems whatsoever. In fact, there was an occasion or two where the tiny wheels of the chipper were stuck in a rut and I didn't think the Cub Cadet could pull it out, but it had no problem. On a heavier, water-filled lawn roller, it wasn't able to pull it up a slope and the wheels were just spinning. That was a job for the Kubota.

[@emilydawn6412]

I'm disabled (have trouble walking/standing) is there an electric available with attachment for tilling? I miss mowing for myself.

[@robstu67]

I'm not aware of one like that, sorry.

[@swiper4666]

I bought one of these last May and that rattle in the rear motor drives me crazy! I did take it to a guy that did something to it and seemed to have fixed it but it came back! What was your fix for that rattle? Also, the lack of any suspension makes for a very rough ride.

[@robstu67]

The rattling comes from the small disc brake on the rear axle. Left side when looking from the rear. It’s about silver dollar size. Wiggle it. It will move and make a noise you recognize. If you slightly press the brake pedal, it will grip the disc by the right amount to make it snug. I’ll make a video update in a couple of weeks.

[@IsaiahsBabyDaddy]

@@robstu67 Would love an update!! interested to see how this thing can perform pulling a cart or working inclines. Thanks!

[@JexxVexx]

Is there a way to get one of those chute hold open parts?? It came with your tractor right??

[@robstu67]

Sorry for not replying sooner. The chute hold open part I think you are referring to is the little six inch or so metal part that came from the factory.

[@sap3055]

In Norway this electric version's are so expensive that you can get three petrol powered cub cadets for the same price so I will stick with the petrol powered version and how will you ever be able to clean that mover if you can't use water

[@robstu67]

What I ended up doing was to remove the deck at the end of the season, thoroughly clean all remnants of grass from it, and then spray paint any bare metal to prevent rust. I plan on doing that every season.

[@wildbill23c]

@@robstu67 I do the same thing with my regular XT1 as well. I just pull the deck off at the end of the season when I install the snow blower for the winter. Then I pull the blades off the deck, sharpen them or replace them if needed, clean the deck and recoat it...seems to work very well. I have gator mulching blades on my mower deck now though, does great. My only complaint is the lack of baffles on the front of the deck to keep the clippings under the deck rather than blowing out the front right side of the deck and all over the operator. The mulch plug compounds this problem. I may see if I can order a set of MTD 42" deck baffles and install them as the deck is exactly the same as every other MTD lawn tractor out there since "Cub Cadet" is technically just the yellow version the standard deck baffles should bolt on pretty easily.

[@robertkiell]

well use leaf blower on it and use water under the deck

[@sparkfire1223]

Could you share the part number, or sticker of the rear end by chance?

[@robstu67]

Part number on the rear end is 618-07415. It also says ZongShen

[@sparkfire1223]

@@robstu67 thanks man! Ended up buying one instead of trying to repair my diy mower

[@missjackie7983]

Stupid red triangle light won't go out and it won't start! Tf??

[@lukedearaujo6838]

Bought one in March of 2020 and I am already having problems with the throttle. Cub Cadet knows they are junk. Just listen to the prompts on their service line.

[@jacobthompson6403]

Why not use a lawn mower lift or ramps

[@robstu67]

I toyed with that idea, but to get under it to properly clean it you would have to get it pretty high in the air and I didn’t want to hassle with building a contraption like that. In the end I just removed the deck at the end of the mowing season, gave it a thorough cleaning, and spray-painted any bare metal showing to prevent rust. Thanks.

[@wildbill23c]

@@robstu67 Harbor Freight sells a mower lift for like $200...I've had mine for 6 years, works great and lifts the mower to almost a vertical position safely. I can do blade changes and belt replacements very easily without removing the deck. I'd highly recommend a mower lift...doesn't even have to be the Harbor Freight one of course you can spend twice as much and buy the "Mo-Jack" brand if you wish, I couldn't see paying double the price for the same thing....oh and my mower lift has doubled as a bumper installation and removal tool and a trailer receiver hitch installation tool tool, some other uses for those things besides a mower lift when not being used to lift a mower HAHA!!!

[@123MORSE]

They changed the seat this year for some reason. Arm rests are no longer standard. So dumb.

[@sparkfire1223]

100% agree

[@wildbill23c]

They never were standard, always been an option on the XT1 entry level models...mine doesn't have arm rests, and I was thinking the other day it would be nice if it had them when I'm out mowing the back 40 LOL

[@sparkfire1223]

@@wildbill23c Last years model had arm rests, also the XT1's also do not cost $4k normally.

[@mark97213]

These things are near comical

[@kuei12]

Garbage! Look up all the failures on mowers with VERY low hours.

[@mrfsavas6318]

It's rubbish

[@bigdiesil75]

The decks are junk