Cub Cadet CC600 (28") 195cc Electric Start Wide Area Self-Propelled Lawn Mower

I did a good deal of research on wide mowers before I purchased the Cub Cadet CC600. I had it narrowed down to 3 mowers (Cub, Troy-Bilt, & Craftsman) until I found out that they are all basically the same model. What sold me on the Cub vs the others was the bagger and the caster wheels.

With the large size of the mower, I wanted the one that turned with ease and bagged grass. Once the mower was home and unpacked, I noticed that the cheap, plastic wing nuts used to hold the caster wheels in place was already broken. Now I knew that they were cheap plastic and had planned on purchasing metal wingnuts in the future, but not right out of the box. So when you decide to get this mower, pick up two 1/4-20 metal wingnuts or knobs ahead of time.

I went with the knobs for ease of use. I then started to assemble the bagging unit and noticed that the deck stud used to secure the bagging tube was completely painted over. Do not try to hand tighten the knob onto it! I did and the stud completely snapped off! I'm not the type of person to put it back in the box and take it back immediately, so I sought another solution. I drilled out the remainder of the snapped stud, sprayed the area with clear enamel paint, and used a zip-tie to secure the tube. It works great... Not as good as the original design, but that did work either...

Then it was time to change the blades to the "high lift" versions for bagging grass per the one line in the instructions... Now not a problem for me, but I can see a potential problem for those who don't have big tools. You need a 15/16th (that's almost 1 inch!) socket or wrench to remove the nut for each blade. If you don't have one, pick it up when you get those wingnuts...LOL. Everything else is great with the mower!

It cuts great and is very fast too. It is very easy to turn with the caster wheels, and you can leave them unlocked and still mow perfectly straight lines. My mowing time went from 1 hour down to 20 minutes with the Cub Cadet! I noticed it was a time saver in the amount of time I needed to dump the bag, versus the extra 7 inches of deck width, although that did help too! I like that the bagging tube throws the grass clippings to the top rear of the bag so that it fills completely. Be aware that the full bag of grass will weigh significantly more than the bag of a smaller mower, approx 50-60 lbs worth...

And the best part is how all the neighbors will come over and stare at your new machine because it's got the looks! I love to show off the beast and show them how easy it is to tame. So even though I had some minor issues at first, I would still highly recommend this mower to anyone looking for a larger mower than a standard 21 inch, but not want a riding mower. I will update this review if anything goes wrong.

P.S., It DOES come with the battery charger!

I did a good deal of research on wide mowers before I purchased the Cub Cadet CC600. I had it narrowed down to 3 mowers (Cub, Troy-Bilt, & Craftsman) until I found out that they are all basically the same model. What sold me on the Cub vs the others was the bagger and the caster wheels.

With the large size of the mower, I wanted the one that turned with ease and bagged grass. Once the mower was home and unpacked, I noticed that the cheap, plastic wing nuts used to hold the caster wheels... more

Update number 3. Had the following issues (note this is the first year made model) 1. battery went dead and will not charge per the owners manual running the engine keeps the battery charged. 2. Mulch door will not stay shut while mulching. Grass dams up against door and pushes it open allowing clumps of grass to fall out. 3. Will not start using electric start. 4. Catcher flops open at the bottom allowing grass to fall out. 5. Hard to start using pull rope.

Took in for ware to repair. Took 3 months to get mower back. They said choke was not adjusted correctly causing the start problems. They replaced the battery. They replaced the mulching door. Mower will now start with 2 pulls of rope, still will not start using electric start. It tries to start but does not. Overwhelming gas smell indicated engine is flooded. Once the mower is running it cut good. Bags good and self propel works good. I hope the newer year mower has these issues corrected. I do not know.

Weird thing about the starting with the electric start per the owners manual it says to engage the blade while cranking the engine. I think this is in error? Puts a strain on the starter and battery.

Update number 3. Had the following issues (note this is the first year made model) 1. battery went dead and will not charge per the owners manual running the engine keeps the battery charged. 2. Mulch door will not stay shut while mulching. Grass dams up against door and pushes it open allowing clumps of grass to fall out. 3. Will not start using electric start. 4. Catcher flops open at the bottom allowing grass to fall out. 5. Hard to start using pull rope.

Took in for ware to repair. Took... more

Well I purchased this mower in April and since the weather has gotten in the 60's the mower will not start using the electric starter at all. I have to use the pull rope to start and it will never start with the first or second pull of the rope. If it is 90 plus degrees outside the mower will usually start easier but in the cold not so much.

Maybe 10 pulls then wait 15-20 minutes then try again. Another problem is the battery will not charge up with the engine running. The battery is either bad or the charging system does not work anymore. Another problem is the mulching door will not stay closed when mulching as the grass causes the door to open and clumps of grass comes out so mulching is pretty much useless.

I have taken the mower in for repairs under the start guarantee and the mower guarantee for repairs. I will see what happens.

Well I purchased this mower in April and since the weather has gotten in the 60's the mower will not start using the electric starter at all. I have to use the pull rope to start and it will never start with the first or second pull of the rope. If it is 90 plus degrees outside the mower will usually start easier but in the cold not so much.

Maybe 10 pulls then wait 15-20 minutes then try again. Another problem is the battery will not charge up with the engine running. The battery is either... more

Bought this mower early this summer and have been very happy with it. The power is fantastic, the self pace handle and technology is great, and the overall handling and maneuverability is great.

The bagger is a decent size and holds quite a bit before needing to be changed. Right now I have one mulching blade and bagging blade on the mower and it helps make things easier by creating higher wind and forces the grass clippings in to the chute and bag with a little more strength. The height adjustment of the front wheels only takes a minute but once you find your desired length you won't have to worry about this. The zero turn ability of the wheels is a great feature as well!

Some people have said the chute clogs easily but during dry conditions it doesn't. Under dew morning conditions I can see how but the one tip I can give owners is use Rain-X spray and the day before and day of, spray the chute and let it dry. It helps repel the water and definitely helps prevent grass blades from clogging the chute. I did it today and the grass was slightly covered in dew and it worked brilliantly. I also use Rain-X on the under side of the cutting deck which also helped speed cleanup!

I'd def recommend this mower but would say if you're a set it and forget it mower who doesn't take care of your mowers then maybe get something cheaper. If you take care of this one, clean it after each use, and use some preventative measures you'll actually be excited to do the lawn like me.

Bought this mower early this summer and have been very happy with it. The power is fantastic, the self pace handle and technology is great, and the overall handling and maneuverability is great.

The bagger is a decent size and holds quite a bit before needing to be changed. Right now I have one mulching blade and bagging blade on the mower and it helps make things easier by creating higher wind and forces the grass clippings in to the chute and bag with a little more strength. The height... more

I have had this mower for 3 months now. Thought it time to make a review. I have mowed using both mulching & bagging set-ups. Overall I am very happy with the product so far.

1. My biggest fear on this mower was that it would be under powered. I am happy to say that has not been the case here. The similar Toro was considered under powered when it first came out with the 190cc engine, so they upped it to the 220cc version. I was afraid the CC at 195 would also be under powered. While I have not had super tall or heavy grass, it has handled my normal mowing needs well along with climbing a moderate slope. Certainly not underpowered from my experience so far.

2. While in bagging mode with the blade for bagging, the mower really vacuums up the grass clippings well. My grass has been dry during all of my mowing, but when I bagged it, the bagging blades threw the clippings completely into the bag and filled it to the top. While heavy, it was nice to see it filled completely.

3. I really like its maneuverability. It’s very easy to turn & pull backwards as needed. The front swivel wheels were the main reason I chose this over the similar Toro. My prior mower was a Snapper with swivel wheels, so I really wanted to keep swivel wheels. This mower is a lot easier to turn & move over that prior 26" Snapper.

4. The electric start has worked well for me so far. However when the engine is hot & you turn it off (say to empty the bag) it struggles to turn it over for start-up again. But a quick pull of the rope & it started right up. That is only when it is hot, cold it has cranked right up. Yes I know you can leave it running and the blade stops, but I have a hard time leaving an unattended mower running with kids around. Sorry I just will not do that.

5. The MySpeed self propelled mechanism has worked well so far. I would like it to go a little faster, but that is just me as I walk fast when I mow. I find myself trying to push it faster while I mow, which of course is not preferred.

6. Prior comments about the cheap plastic wing nuts appear to be fixed. Mine were metal.

OK so here are my negatives / criticisms:

A. Weight & Balance. The overall weight of the mower is centered too far backwards. Even when in mulching mode (no bag attached) the machine is back heavy. It always wants to do a wheelie when you engage the self propelled mechanism. Even starting out slow the front wheels want to rise-up. With the bag attached and even half full it is extremely back weighted & very hard to keep the front wheels down while mowing. You have to push harder (forwards /upwards) on the handle to keep that front down.

B. Mulching chute can allow things to be ejected out. I had a piece of bark mulch come flying out while mowing in mulch mode. While the spring on the chute appears very stout, it still allowed an item to be ejected out of the chute. This should be an easy fix for CC. Simply redesign the plastic chute cover to use the screw studs you already have in place on both sides of the mower deck. Use wing nuts or knobs to secure it.

C. The mower deck has openings on the underside around where the blade spindles are mounted, thus grass clippings go up above the mowing deck to where the belts & pulleys are. This is just poor design or poor quality of manufacturing. CC, should be able to cut the deck holes to perfectly align with those blade spindles. In fact that would probably gain a little more strength or rigidity.

My complaints are all very minor and overall I am happy with the mower so far.

I have had this mower for 3 months now. Thought it time to make a review. I have mowed using both mulching & bagging set-ups. Overall I am very happy with the product so far.

1. My biggest fear on this mower was that it would be under powered. I am happy to say that has not been the case here. The similar Toro was considered under powered when it first came out with the 190cc engine, so they upped it to the 220cc version. I was afraid the CC at 195 would also be under powered. While I... more

Cut my mowing time about a 1/3rd.

I have a large yard (1 acre), and have been using riders for the last 12 years. But over that time we have put in many trees and garden beds, and the riders have become just too difficult to use. I bought the Cub Cadet CC600 with the intent of being better able to navigate all the difficult areas and so far it's been superb. It's very easy to use, and gives me lots of options on grass height, mulching vs. bagging, and the zero turn front wheels are a godsend.

The only criticism so far is that the machine is a bit light in front, so on any incline engaging the auto drive will cause the front end to "jump", forcing me to back up and re-mow the area. Not a huge deal, but on a big lawn with lots of hills, it happens a lot. I'm hoping to figure out how to avoid that over time. Bottom line, I'm very happy with the CC600.

I have a large yard (1 acre), and have been using riders for the last 12 years. But over that time we have put in many trees and garden beds, and the riders have become just too difficult to use. I bought the Cub Cadet CC600 with the intent of being better able to navigate all the difficult areas and so far it's been superb. It's very easy to use, and gives me lots of options on grass height, mulching vs. bagging, and the zero turn front wheels are a godsend.

The only criticism so far is... more

The mower does have a 28 inch deck but it is diagonal. This takes away about 3 inches.
The actual width with the chute hose attached is 33.5 inches. I bought the 2017 toro timemaster to replace this. I think the toro is a far better mower. Just be sure to get the 2017 model it is much better than the previous ones.

I have used my cc600 multiplr times and very disappointed with the fact its an 800 dollar machine and that I have to stop every 100 ft to clear the bagger cause of the defect in the bagging design I would not spend the money this machine ever again

I have had this mower for a few months and here are the problems.....
1. Mower hard to start even using the rope pull or the electric start. Seems to flood engine very easily. Instruction manual says to engage blade handle when starting. This seems odd as it puts extra strain on the starter, battery or your arm if pulling the starter rope.
2. The side discharge chute becomes dislodged if the chute rubs against a bush or other object, so be sure when mowing up against anything you do it with the other side of the mower.
3. Front wheels a pain to adjust the level. I leave them at the highest setting and just adjust the back wheels.

GOOD THINGS...
1. Plenty of engine power when even mowing in tall grass using the side discharge feature.
2. Bags grass like there is no tomorrow if the high lift blades are installed. Very impressive.
3. Self propelled works great even on steep hills. Never have to help self propelled by pushing.
4. Very easy to maneuver mower around obstacles with the swivel front wheels. I never use the mower with the front wheels locked in place.
The major problem with this mower is starting when engine is cold. If this was fixed then the other problems could be easily over looked

I have had this mower for a few months and here are the problems.....
1. Mower hard to start even using the rope pull or the electric start. Seems to flood engine very easily. Instruction manual says to engage blade handle when starting. This seems odd as it puts extra strain on the starter, battery or your arm if pulling the starter rope.
2. The side discharge chute becomes dislodged if the chute rubs against a bush or other object, so be sure when mowing up against anything you do it with... more

Initially, I could not start the engine using the electric start and it took about 1/2 hour of pulling the cord. However, the electric start fired up on the first push the next time I used the machine.

The self propel mechanism is easy to use and plenty powerful.

WARNING: The side discharge and grass catcher is defectively designed. If you have healthy grass, the grass will become lodged in the side chute after about 25 feet. I am not talking about 4-5 inches of grass. Anything over two inches long will become lodged and will be forced to shut down the mower and clear the chute. I am returning this mower. It simply is not practical.

Initially, I could not start the engine using the electric start and it took about 1/2 hour of pulling the cord. However, the electric start fired up on the first push the next time I used the machine.

The self propel mechanism is easy to use and plenty powerful.

WARNING: The side discharge and grass catcher is defectively designed. If you have healthy grass, the grass will become lodged in the side chute after about 25 feet. I am not talking about 4-5 inches of grass. Anything over... more