Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I did a search and found a few references to this machine but no answers.  Any one have one of these?  15.5 snow max engine, heated hand grips, 30" wide.  I can't find a listing for auger diameter or impeller diameter.  I called John Deere and the guy that was suppose to be the snow thrower expert didn't know either. 

What is the Easy Steer drive system?  The literature says: 

Easy Steer® drive system giving continuous power to both wheels and auto speed adjustment

Is it similar to the Ariens auto differential? 

I've heard that the units are built by B&S which translates to Simplicity.  They do have cast iron gear cases like the Simplicity.  The chute control is different than the simplicity and so is the turning method so they are not exactly the same.  I'm trying to compare the Simplicity L1530E to the JD 1130SE.  Any help would be appreciated.

Rick

The cabs are designed to be quite a bit higher than the typical operator in case you need to tip the snowblower back, the top of the cab doesn't hit your head.  Try tipping the snowblower back about 30-45 degrees and see if you still have headroom.  If there is extra headroom, lower it as necessary. 

Catt wrote:
Great idea.  I just bought an extra transmitter for this exact purpose.  :)  I got the keychain one and will fasten it to the frame so I don't drop it in the snow. 

I put my cab on the 1130 today.  I was very surprised that I didn't need to do any significant modifications.  I'm 5'8" (and shrinking) and I have about 2" of clearance under the garage door to the top of the cab.  The cab comes with a set of extensions for tall people that I didn't use.  One of the supports is a little bit in front of the headlight but it doesn't make any difference in light output.  I adjusted the headlight in the garage with the lights off and aimed it at the garage door to be sure.  I did replace the allen set screws with thumb screws and wingnuts.  The wingnuts are to make sure the thumb screws don't vibrate out.  The thumb screws have a 5/16-18 thread pitch.  The set screw holes seem to be metric so I ran a tap through the holes and it works great.

Swoods wrote:
I used silicone spray on everything including the plastic parts.  I might use WD-40 on the auger parts just to make sure.  I really like the 1130 and look forward to more snow. 

How is everyone's 1130 working with the upgrades for sealing the belt guard?  I pulled the belt guard cover off and noticed some water in the chain case area even with these upgrades.  I decided that wasn't going to happen in the future.   I went a significant step further to make sure no water/snow gets onto the disc.  OK this is probably overkill but I was having fun playing with my Deere.  I can post larger pictures if needed.


Here is what I did...

This is 1/2" gray closed cell foam that I attached to the belt guard on the side next to the chute to seal this side.





Here is the belt guard installed with the foam attached. This was a pretty large opening before I added the foam.





I used silicone on every open hole on each side next to the tires.  I used a trouble light and looked for any light coming into the chain case. 






Under the engine are several holes which I assume are used to mount other engines.  I used silicone on these.  I was surprised how much light was coming through under the engine.  This looks like a water dripping area to me.






I used both 1/4" and 1/2" gray closed cell foam to outline the area for the lower chain case metal cover.  The front part of the lower cover has a very large gap.  Not anymore!






The lower chain case cover has several holes to drain any water.  I left these open as I want to make sure any water that gets in will have a way to drain out.





Silicone...

Catt,

Did you tip the unit onto the auger housing when you worked on the lower chain guard?  I will definetly duplicate all of your water-proofing efforts.  I already have the silicone and closed-cell foam ready to go.  I've just been waiting for my parts to come in before I take it all apart. 

I tipped it up on carpet to protect the paint and I didn't have the drift cutters installed.  When these are installed it wants to tip back down. I also pulled off the chute because it gets in the way.  I pulled the pins  for the wheels as it's a lot easier to get silicone in the holes without the wheels.   I have a heated garage so this was all pretty easy to accomplish.  I'm really interested to hear how everybody's machine is performing this year.

I forgot to add that before installing the foam and silicone, I cleaned the area with alcohol to make sure it was oil free and clean.

Catt,  it's nice to see someone take such good care of their equipment.  Most people nowadays just leave their stuff out in the rain and throw it away when it requires basic repairs. 

I too purchased the John Deere 1130 SE and have just experienced the drive problem for the first time tonight (and second, third, and fourth times).  I was able to get mine to re engage after pulling and pushing it around a few times but definately not acceptable.  All of this after my initial fuel blockage problem. 

Last year's models came with a reservoir under the gas cap for adding fuel stabilizer.  The cap on the reservoir fell off into my gas tank and blocked the fuel line.  The manager of the lawn and garden dept at Lowes told me several people have had this problem and they would have John Deere take care of it right away.  They did free of charge and I walked away happy.  This all happened prior to "The Great Drive Problem" exlained earlier in this discussion. 

Anyways, I plan on taking my blower back to Lowes (Rogers, MN) tomorrow with this entire discussion printed out.  I see a few previous posters had to pay arond $200 to get this fixed as it wasn't covered under warranty.  That is total BS that I will not tolerate.

I wil give Lowes/John Deere a chance to fix this free of charge before I get too worked up.  I will let you know what happened later this week.