Cub Cadet 421R User Manual
Operator’s Manual
Single Stage
Snow Thrower
Model 421R
IMPORTANT: Read safety rules and instructions carefully
Warning: This unit is equipped with an internal combustion engine and should not be used on or near any unimproved forest-
covered, brush-covered or grass-covered land unless the engine’s exhaust system is equipped with a spark arrester meeting
applicable local or state laws (if any). If a spark arrester is used, it should be maintained in effe c tive working order by the operator.
In the State of California the above is required by law (Section 4442 of the California Public Resources Code). Other states may have
similar laws. Federal laws apply on federal lands. A spark arrester for the muffler is available through your nearest engine authorized
service dealer or contact the service department, P.O. Box 368023 Cleveland, Ohio 44136-9722.
CUB CADET CORP. P.O. BOX 368023 CLEVELAND, OHIO 44136-9722
PRINTED IN U.S.A.
ECO No. 1405
FORM NO.
770-10005B.fm
(6/2000)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Content Page
Important Safe Operation Practices .................................................................. 3
Assembling Your Snow Thrower....................................................................... 5
Know Your Snow Thrower................................................................................. 7
Operating Your Snow Thrower.......................................................................... 8
Making Adjustments.......................................................................................... 9
Maintaining Your Snow Thrower....................................................................... 10
Off-Season Storage .......................................................................................... 11
Troubleshooting................................................................................................ 12
Parts List........................................................................................................... 13
FINDING MODEL NUMBER
This Operator’s Manual is an important part of your new snow thrower. It will help you to assemble, prepare and
maintain the unit for best performance. Please read and understand what it says.
Before you start assembling your new snow thr ower, ple ase locate t he model pl ate on the
equipment and copy the information from it in the space provided below. The information on the
model plate is very important if you need help from our Customer Support Department or an
authorized dealer.
• You can locate the model number by standing behind the unit in the operating position and looking down at
the dash panel . A sample model plate is explained below. For future reference, please copy the model
number and the serial number of the equipment in the space below.
(Model Number)
(Serial Number)
Copy the model number here:
Copy the serial number here:
CUB CADET CORP.
P.O. BOX 368023
CLEVELAND, OHIO 44136
CALLING CUSTOMER SUPPORT
If you have difficulty assembling this product or have any questions regarding the controls, operation
or maintenance of this unit, please call the Cub Cadet Customer Dealer Referral Line at 1-(800)-528-
1009. Please have your unit’s model number and serial number ready when you call. See previous
section to locate this information. By having the model and serial numbers ready, you help your Cub
Cadet dealer give you faster service.
For more details about your machine, visit our website at www.cubcadet.com
2
SECTION 1: IMPORTANT SAFE OPERATION PRACTICES
WARNING: This symbol points out important safety instructions which, if not followed, could endanger the
personal safety and/or property of yourself and others. Read and follow all instructions in this manual before
attempting to operate this machine. Failure to comply with these instructions may result in personal injury. When you
see this symbol— heed its war ning.
WARNING: Engine Exhaust, some of its cons tit uen ts, and certain vehicle components c ontain or emit chemicals
known to State o f Calif ornia to c ause c ancer and bi rth defec ts or othe r reproduct ive harm.
DANGER: This m achine wa s built t o be opera ted acco rding to t he rule s for saf e operatio n in this m anual. As with
any type of power equipmen t, carele ssness or e rror on the part of th e operator can re sult in seri ous inju ry. This
machine is capab le of am putating h ands and feet and throwing objects . Failure to observe t he foll owing saf ety
instructions co uld resul t in seri ous inju ry or death .
Training
1. Read, understand, a nd follow all in struction s on the
machine and in the manual(s ) before a ttempting to
assemble and o perate. Keep this ma nual in a safe pl ace
for future and regular re ference a nd for orde ring
replacement parts.
2. Be familiar with pro per operat ion of al l controls . Know
how to stop the machine and dis engage c ontrols q uickly.
3. Never allow childre n under 14 y ears to o perate thi s
machine. Children 14 years and ove r should read and
understand the op eration in struction s and sa fety rules i n
this manual and should be trained and sup ervised b y a
parent.
4. Never allow adults to operate this machine without
proper instruction.
5. Thrown objects can cause seriou s personal injury . Plan
your snow throwin g pattern to avoid di scharge of mat erial
toward roads, bystanders and the like.
6. Keep bystanders, hel pers, pets and chi ldren at l east 75
feet from the machin e while it is in operatio n. Stop
machine if anyo ne enters the area.
7. Exercise caution to avoid s lipping o r falli ng, espe cially
when operating in reverse.
Preparation
1. Thoroughly inspect the area wh ere the eq uipment i s to
be used. Remove all door mat s, newspa pers, sle ds,
boards, wires and o ther foreig n object s which c ould be
tripped over or throw n by the auger/imp eller.
2. Always wear safet y glasses or eye s hields d uring
operation and while performing an adjustment or repair to
protect your eyes. T hrown ob jects whi ch ricochet can
cause serious inj ury to the eyes.
3. Do not operate wit hout wearing adequate winter outer
garments. Do not wear jewelry, long scarves or other
loose clothing which cou ld becom e entang led in m oving
parts. Wear footwear w hich wi ll improve footing on
slippery surfaces.
4. Use a grounded three wire ex tension cord and receptac le
for all units with electric start engi nes.
5. Adjust collector housing height to clear gravel or crushed
rock surfaces.
6. Disengage all cl utch levers before st arting the engin e.
7. Never attempt to ma ke any adjustme nts whi le engin e is
running, except where spec ifically recomm ended in the
operator’s manual.
8. Let engine and m achine adju st to outd oor tem perature
before starting to clear snow.
9. To avoid personal injury or pro perty damage use extre me
care in handling gasolin e. Gasol ine is e xtremely
flammable and the v apors are explosiv e. Serious
personal injury c an occur w hen gas oline is spilled o n
yourself or your c lothes which c an ignit e. Wash y our skin
and change clot hes immedi ately.
a. Use only an approved gasoline container.
b. Extinguish all cigarettes, cig ars, pipes and other
sources of ignition.
c. Never fuel machine indoo rs.
d. Never remove gas cap or add fue l whil e the
engine is hot or running.
e. Allow engine to cool at leas t two minu tes before
refueling.
f. Never over fill fuel tank. Fil l tank to no more tha n
½ inch below bottom of fill er neck to provide space
for fuel expansi on.
g. Replace gasoli ne cap an d tighten secu rely.
h. If gasoline is sp illed, wip e it off th e engine and
equipment. Move machine to another area . Wait 5
minutes before start ing the e ngine.
i. Never store the machine or fuel containe r inside
where there is an o pen flam e, spark or pilot l ight
(e.g. furnace, water heater, space heate r, clothes
dryer etc.).
j. Allow machine to cool at least 5 mi nutes bef ore
storing.
Operation
1. Do not put hands o r feet near rotating p arts, in the a uger/
impeller housing o r disc harge chu te. Cont act wit h the
rotating parts can am putate ha nds and feet.
2. The auger/impelle r clutch lev er is a safety de vice. Nev er
bypass its operati on. Doing so, makes the ma chine
unsafe and may cause p ersonal i njury.
3. The clutch leve rs must o perate eas ily in both d irections ,
and automatical ly return to the disengaged pos ition when
released.
4. Never operate with a miss ing or da maged di scharge
chute. Keep all safe ty devic es in pl ace and working.
5. Never run an engine indoors or in a poorly ven tilated
area. Engine exhau st conta ins carb on monox ide, an
odorless and dea dly gas .
3
6. Do not operate mac hine while under the influenc e of
alcohol or drugs.
7. Muffler and engine beco me hot and can cause a burn. Do
not touch.
8. Exercise extreme ca ution when operating on or cro ssing
gravel surfaces. Stay alert for hidden hazards or traffic.
9. Exercise caution w hen changi ng directi on and w hile
operating on slop es.
10. Plan your snow t hrowing pat tern to av oid disc harge
towards windows, wa lls, cars e tc. To avoid prope rty
damage or personal injury caus ed by a ricochet.
11. Never direct disc harge at c hildren, b ystander s and pet s
or allow anyone in front of t he machi ne.
12. Do not overload machine capa city by attemptin g to clear
snow at too fast of a rate.
13. Never operate this machine without good vi sibility or
light. Always be s ure of yo ur footing and keep a firm hold
on the handles. W alk, never r un.
14. Disengage power to t he aug er/impeller w hen
transporting or not in use.
15. Never operate mach ine at hi gh transp ort speeds on
slippery surfaces. Look down and b ehind an d use ca re
when in reverse.
16. If the machine sh ould start to vi brate abnormally , stop the
engine, disconnect the spark plug an d grou nd it agai nst
the engine. Inspect thoroughly for dam age. Repair any
damage before starting and ope rating.
17. Disengage all cl utch lev ers and st op engin e before y ou
leave the operating position (be hind the handles). Wai t
until the auger/im peller come s to a complete stop befo re
unclogging the d ischarge chute, m aking an y
adjustments, or inspecti ons.
18. Never put your hand in the d ischarge or colle ctor
openings. Always use a cl earing to ol to unc log the
discharge opening.
19. Use only attach ments a nd acce ssories approved by the
manufacturer (e.g. wheel weigh ts, tire c hains, cabs etc.) .
20. If situations occur which are not covered in this manua l,
use care and good judgment. Cont act your dealer or
telephone 1-800-528-10 09 for assistance and the name
of your nearest s ervicing dealer.
Maintenance And Storage
1. Never tamper with sa fety devic es. Check their prop er
operation regularly.
2. Disengage all cl utch lev ers and stop engine. Wait u ntil
the auger/impelle r come to a complet e stop . Disconn ect
the spark plug wir e and ground aga inst the engine to
prevent unintended s tarting before cleaning, r epairing, or
inspecting.
3. Check bolts, and sc rews for pro per tightn ess at fre quent
intervals to keep the machine in sa fe working conditio n.
Also, visually inspect mach ine for an y damage .
4. Do not change the engine governo r setting or over-speed
the engine. The go vernor co ntrols th e maxim um safe
operating speed o f the engi ne.
5. Snow thrower shave plate s and skid shoe s are subjec t to
wear and damage. F or your sa fety prote ction, fre quently
check all compon ents a nd replace with orig inal
equipment manuf acturer’s (O.E.M. ) parts on ly. “Us e of
parts which do not meet the original equipment
specifications ma y lead t o imprope r performan ce and
compromise safety!”
6. Check clutch controls periodically to verify they engage
and disengage proper ly and adjust, if necessary. Re fer to
the adjustment sec tion in th is opera tor’s manual for
instructions.
7. Maintain or replace safety and instruction labels, as
necessary.
8. Observe proper disp osal laws and regu lations for gas,
oil, etc. to protect t he enviro nment.
9. Prior to storing, run machine a few minutes to clear snow
from machine an d prevent freeze up of auger/i mpeller.
10. Never store the machine or fuel cont ainer inside whe re
there is an open flame, s park or pilot light such as a water
heater, furnace ,cloth es dryer etc.
11. Always refer to the o perator’s manual f or prope r
instructions on off-sea son storage.
Your Responsibility:
• Restrict the use of this powe r machine to persons who
read, understand a nd follow the warning s and
instructions in this ma nual and on the ma chine .
4
SECTION 2: ASSEMBLING YOUR SNOW THROWER
Unpacking From Carton
• Cut along corners of the carton and lay it down flat.
See Figure 1. Remove packing material.
• Remove any loose parts included with unit (i.e.,
operator’s manual, etc.).
• Roll unit out of carton. Check carton thoroughly for
any remaining loose part.
Remove loose parts
Roll unit out
Figure 1
Hardware Pack
1. Ignition Keys* (2)
*One key may be in the switch on snow thrower.
(Items 2 to 5 are illustrated in Figure 2.)
2. Eyebolt
3. Saddle Washer 5/16" I.D.
4. Hex Nuts 5/16-18 Thread (2)
5. Cotter Pin
Eye Bolt
Saddle
Wash er
Hex Nut
Cotter Pin
Before Assembly
WARNING: Disconnect the sp ark plug wire
and ground it against the engine to prevent
unintended starting.
Raising Upper Handle
• Loosen the hand knob on each side of the handle.
Remove packing material, if any.
Raise
handle
to here
Hand Knob
Figure 3
• Raise the upper handle in the direction shown in
Figure 3 till it clicks into the operating position.
Make sure not to pinch or crimp the cable.
• Tighten the hand knobs.
Attaching Control Cable
The control cable may already be attached to the
control handle. If not attached, complete the following
steps to attach it to the snow thrower housing.
• Route the control cable over the lower handle.
Insert the end of the cable into the hole in the
control housing as shown in Figure 4. Push the
plastic fitting until it locks into the control housing.
Figure 2: Hardware Pack
Items Required F or Assembly
1. Pair of pliers (not necessary, but helpful)
2. Two cycle engine oil (included)
3. Fresh gasoline
NOTE: All refere nces to left or right side of the snow
thrower is from the operating position only.
Bottom
Hole In
Control
Handle
Control
Housing
5
“Z” End
of Cable
Figure 4
Plastic
Fitting
• Lift the control handle up, and hook the “Z” end of
the contro l cable i nto th e bottom hole in the control
handle, from the outside to the inside . If necessary,
pull up on the end of the cable with a pair of pliers to
obtain slac k in order to ho ok it into the control
handle. Hold the “Z” fitting with the pliers, not the
cable, to avoid damaging the cable.
NOTE: The upper hole in th e control handle provides
for adjustment in belt tension. Refer to page 9 of this
manual for instructions.
Installing Chute Crank
• Thread one 5/16” hex nut all the way onto the
eyebolt. See Figure 5. All necessary hardware is
included in the hardware pack shipped with your
unit. See Figure 2 for more details.
• Slide the eyebolt onto the chute crank. Insert
eyebolt into the hole in the lower handle.
Chute Crank
Eye Bolt
• Secure eyebolt with 5/16” saddle washer and hex
nut. The cupped side of washer goes against the
handle. Adjust lower hex nut until the eyebolt is
positioned so that the chute crank turns freely
(does not bind).
• Move upper hex nut down against the lower handle.
Tighten lower hex nut securely.
Assembling Discharge Ch ute
The snow thrower has been shipped with the upper
chute pivoted all the way down. Assemble as follows:
• Turn the chute crank until the chute faces straight
to the front. See Figure 7.
Flat
Hand
Knob
Front
Washer
Carriage
Bolt
Hex
Nuts
Saddle
Wash er
Figure 5
• Insert the chute crank into the coupler at the top
right side of the snow thrower. See Figure 6.
• Rotate the crank to align holes, and insert the cotter
pin. Bend ends of cotter pin in opposite directions to
secure. See Figure 6.
Cotter Pin
Chute Crank
Coupler
Upper
Chute
Figure 7
• Remove the hand knob, flat washer and carriage
bolt from the upper chute. See Figure 7.
• Pivot the upper chute up so that there is no gap
between the upper and the lower chute. See Figure
8. Secure with hardware just removed.
No
Gap
Pivot
upper
chute
Figure 6
Figure 8
6
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