I remember about ten years ago, a few of the big American zero turn brands tried to introduce stand on mowers to the Australian market with little success. Now, in the last few years, stand on zero turns are gaining massive popularity in the Australian market and many of the big American brands are releasing their newest stand on versions over here. Cub Cadet is one of these adding the PRO X 648 to their commercial line up and it has some great features.
The PRO X 648 is fitted with a 48-inch fabricated deck constructed from 10-guage steel with 7-guage top and bottom reinforcements. Access to the top of the deck is quite good with the deck dropped down allowing for general maintenance procedures. The two outer spindle covers remove easily without tools and have open ends at the bottom of the cover which results in less accumulation of debris around the pulley and belt.
A neat even cut was achieved with the grass being expelled well, conditions were dry and medium grass length. Powering the PRO X 648 it the ever reliable and proven Kawasaki FX691v that produces 22HP and is fitted with a dual stage canister air filter. Access for maintenance on the engine is excellent with ample room to remove spark plugs and oil filter, although the quick drain oil hose is a nice feature, it could be a little longer to easily drain into a container. Separate 12cc Hydro pumps and 240cc Parker wheel motors, drive the machine to a top forward speed of 16km/h and reverse of 8km/h.
The controls are smooth and responsive creating a nimble machine which was easy to guide around obstacles and tight situations but also great in a large open park area at speed, where we also tested. A front and rear solid bar either side of the control levers enables the operator to form a solid grip whilst driving and manoeuvring, with the control arms resting on the from bar when in full forward position.
From the operators position everything is in easy reach; the deck lift arm and height adjustments which is a simple side pin system. The fuel gauge on the left is easily seen and the throttle, hour metre/service digital panel and blade engagement are at your fingertips on the dash.
The battery is stored under the right-hand side cowl which is easily removed without tools and the cowl has a phone/storage compartment and bottle holder in its top. The operator’s platform has an adjustable suspension system with three settings of varied strength to suit any operator with a lever on the left-hand side beside the engine allowing the simple adjustments.
| SPECIFICATIONS | |
| Engine | Kawasaki FX691v |
| Output | 22 Hp |
| Cutting width | 48 Inches |
| Fuel Capacity | 28.4 Litres |
| Cutting Heights | 1.5-5 Inches 0.5 Inch increments |
The cushioned operators leaning pad is very comfortable and has three height positions allowing the operator to adjust to suit, no tools are required for this adjustment and when removed completely it gives excellent access to the hydraulic oil reservoir and hydraulic oil filter. When removed it also gives excellent access to the underside of the dash which is often a problem spot. Below the leaning pad is another removable panel that also gives excellent maintenance access to the hydraulic pumps and enabling simple tool-less disengagement of drive if needed.
Large 24-inch rear tyres are fitted for good ground clearance although the rear platform did come into contact with the gutter whilst carefully curb hopping. The front castor wheels are flat free design, which is always a nice touch I think, reducing any down time.
I found the Cub Cadet PRO X 648 to perform well; a nimble, comfortable, and solidly constructed machine which is backed by a very impressive warranty. Cub Cadet offer a three-year commercial warranty on both the engine and the machine and a five-year warranty on the deck.