You purchased a Cub Cadet snowblower to save yourself from the intense labor of removing your snow with a hand shovel. Keeping it running at its best includes knowing and using the right fuel to minimize downtime.

Cub Cadet snowblowers use an unleaded gas with a minimum 87 octane rating and maximum 10% ethanol content.

A Cub Cadet snowblower with a 4-cycle engine uses straight gasoline while a Cub Cadet snowblower with a 2-cycle engine uses gasoline mixed with a 2-cycle premium oil at a ratio of 50:1.

Using the right type of fuel in your Cub Cadet can minimize many of the negative effects caused by fuel. This includes clogging of the fuel system and degradation of fuel components that can prevent your snowblower from starting or cause it to run sluggishly.

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Follow all safety instructions provided in your equipment operator’s manual prior to diagnosing, repairing, or operating.Consult a professional if you don’t have the skills, or knowledge or are not in the condition to perform the repair safely.

Choosing Gas for a Cub Cadet Snowblower

Buy Fresh Gas with a Low Ethanol Content for Your Cub Cadet Snowblower

Gas can begin to break down as quickly as 30 days after purchase and become less effective. Because of this, you need to purchase fresh fuel and consume it within this time.

If you purchased more fuel than you can consume quickly, add a fuel stabilizer to make it last a little longer and reduce the harmful effects ethanol can have on the fuel system and engine.

I share more about fuel additives near the end of this guide.

Negative effects of ethanol:

Ethanol is a plant-based alternative fuel added to gasoline to make it a little environmentally friendly. Ethanol naturally attracts moisture to the fuel system.

This moisture and ethanol mixture can corrode fuel system components and gum up the fuel system resulting in a fuel restriction. This will cause your Cub Cadet snowblower to run rough, die or fail to start.

This mixture can also separate from the gasoline causing the engine to run extremely hot when the ethanol and water mixture runs through the engine. This may damage the engine.

How Do You Know If Your Cub Cadet Snowblower is 2 or 4-cycle?

Knowing the type of engine in your Cub Cadet will determine the type of fuel required. A Cub Cadet snowblower will have either a 2-cycle or 4-cycle engine.

Adding the wrong fuel for your type of engine can permanently damage it. To determine what type of engine you have, identify the number of fill ports on your snowblower; look at the fuel cap; or consult your operator’s manual.

• Number of fill ports: A 2-cycle engine will have one fill port for a gas and oil mix. A 4-cycle engine will have two separate fill ports. One fill port is for gas and the other fill port is for engine oil.
• Original fuel cap: A 2-cycle engine will have a gas pump and oil can image on it. It may also include the fuel mix ratio. A 4-cycle engine will have a gas pump image on the cap.
• Operators manual: You can find the type of engine and the fuel to add listed in the Cub Cadet operators manual.

Gas to Use in a 2-Cycle Cub Cadet Snowblower (50:1 Gas and Oil Mix)

Don’t make the mistake of adding straight gas to a 2-cycle Cub Cadet snowblower. Straight gas runs very dry and will cause the engine to seize up.

Without mixing gas with oil for a 2-cycle snowblower, the engine won’t get the lubrication it needs for the internal parts to move freely.

A 2-cycle Cub Cadet snowblower uses a gas and oil mix consisting of unleaded gasoline with a minimum octane rating of 87 and a maximum ethanol content of 10% mixed with a 2-cycle oil that is ISO-L-EGD and JASO M345 FD certified.

Briggs & Stratton and Kawasaki make a good 2-cycle oil. Read the bottle of oil to see if it contains a fuel additive to stabilize the fuel. If it does, check to see if how long it will keep your fuel stable.

It can be anywhere from 30 days to 2 years. Don’t assume the additive will keep your fuel stable for longer than 30 days if it doesn’t indicate it on the packaging.

Cub Cadet snowblowers use a gas-to-oil mix ratio of 50:1. This means 50 parts gasoline is mixed with 1 part 2-cycle oil. The chart below shows the amount of oil to mix with gas to achieve a 50:1 fuel mixture.

How to mix gas and oil for a 2-cycle Cub Cadet snowblower:

• Use the chart below to determine how much fuel mix to prepare.
• Remove the cap from an approved gas can. Add unleaded fuel (minimum 87 octane rating & maximum 10% ethanol content) to a gas can.
• Using the chart above for the amount of oil required, add the 2-cycle oil to the gas can.
• Replace the cap.
• Gently shake the fuel and oil until they are mixed.
• Add the mixed fuel to the Cub Cadet’s fuel tank.

Gas to Use in a 4-Cycle Cub Cadet Snowblower

Most Cub Cadet snowblowers you find sold at retail locations today include 4-cycle engines. These types of engines have separate fill ports. There will be one for oil and one for gas.

Cub Cadet 4-cycle snowblowers use an unleaded gas with a minimum 87-octane rating and a maximum 10% ethanol content.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when purchasing gas for a snowblower with a 4-cycle engine:

• Never use gasoline with an ethanol content greater than 10%.
• Do not mix gas with oil.
• Never use 2-cycle engine oil in a 4-cycle snowblower.
• Use a standard engine oil like 5W-30 from Briggs & Stratton.

Best Gas for a Cub Cadet Snowblower

While it is okay to use the unleaded gas mentioned earlier in the article, the best gas for a Cub Cadet snowblower is an ethanol-free fuel.

This type of fuel is a little more expensive, however, it will minimize the problems that develop from using ethanol-based gas through your snowblower.

You can find ethanol-free fuel at the pump from select fuel stations. This type of fuel is sold as REC-90 or recreation fuel. Check out pure-gas.org for a fuel station near you.

Ethanol-free fuel is also sold in canisters online and at your local hardware store. This is a more expensive way to purchase ethanol-free gas.

Add a Fuel Stabilizer to Your Cub Cadet Snowblower Gas

Because gas begins to break down soon after purchase, you need to keep the fuel stable by using a fuel stabilizer like Sea Foam Motor Treatment or STA-BIL in your Cub Cadet snowblower.

It’s hard to estimate how much fuel you are going to go through in 30 days and only purchase that amount. You never know when the next big snowstorm is coming!

This is why I add Sea Foam to every tank of fuel to ensure it stays as fresh as possible. Read more about its advantages in “The Best Fuel Additive for Your Snowblower“.