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 SteerŽ 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

I'm happy to finally report that my 1130SE disc drive is no longer intermittently slipping and I've had plenty of snow to test it many times.  I had to seal items a little more to get it to this point.  If you can keep water off the drive disc the tires will push like crazy.



This view is inside the transmission box directly below the engine.  When snow gets on the engine it melts, runs down the sides and then underneath the engine and under the engine mounting plate.  After that it runs through the open holes and into the transmission.  I've actually caught it and know for sure these need to be sealed.  I filled most of the holes with silicone but missed two dime size holes.  I didn't think these would be a problem as they weren't open all the way through.  However, I definitely saw water and one of these is directly above the rubber disc drive wheel.  This picture shows one of the dime size holes with no silicone. The hole is covered by the engine mounting plate but it still has enough space for water to get through.







... and here it is filled with silicone (top red arrow). Make sure you fill the other dime size hole (lower red arrow) and any other open holes (yellow arrows).  One open hole is a potential problem, but as you can see there are many holes.







This is just one example of several open areas where water can get under the engine.  You can see a puddle of water to the right of the open gap.







There are many places where water can get under the engine or engine mounting plate and run into the transmission







Another large gap.








In this picture you can see silicone under the engine.  The silicone was applied from under the transmission and is coming up through the hole.








When water gets on the aluminum drive disc (yellow arrow) the rubber drive wheel slips.  Eventually the spinning aluminum disc slings the water off and the drive no longer slips.  Here you can see the water that was slung from the aluminum disc (red arrows).








I truly don't know if the next item is required, but I will explain what I did and why.
This view is of the foam fix used by Deere to supposedly correct the slipping problem.  Unfortunately in my case the foam doesn't fit very tight on the left side of the machine.  Water that gets near the foam can still run under it.







Here you can see two very small trails of water that made it's way under the foam.  The water then drops directly onto the aluminum drive pulley and gets slung potentially causing a slipping problem.







I added foam as seen below.  I extended the foam down each side to make sure water can't get on the pulley when the machine is tilted.  The side foam will be covered by the plastic belt cover.







Here is Deere's foam and the foam that I added.  It seems to be water tight.







I've had snow all over the snowblower including the engine.  Everything has been working great now.




Merry Christmas!!!

Catt, Great post on keeping the water off the belt area. Your pictures are the best way to show the water problem. My 1130 did not slip after several hours of use on the big snow storm over Christmas. The weather strip that was put on per your fix did its job. This blower performed great. It was able to handle the wet snow  from the plow at the end of the driveway. I am amazed at how well it worked. I give it a "A" performance.

Speaking of problems, I had one,  the metal strap that holds the resister on the generator has failed and fell of from the vibration. I think it then shorted out, saw some sparks and the light no longer works. I would think this would be a warrant issue, wouldnt you?

I think you are referring to the regulator that is strapped to the starter.  That should definitely be a warranty repair.  I'll look at the strap holding mine to the starter to make sure it's secure.

lanningjw, you might want to check your light bulb.  The case of the regulator is grounded when strapped to the starter.  When that ground is lost the voltage will spike to much more than 12V and could have burned out the bulb.  Once it's grounded the voltage would be back to 12V provided the voltage regulator isn't damaged.  My guess is the regulator is still good and you only need a new bulb and new strap to hold it.

Catt wrote:

Ok its a regulator that is attached with the metal strap that goes around the starter. Sorry, I had no idea what they were, glad you knew what I was talking about.  So, I'll go get the correct sized strap and a new bulb, then I will see the light!

Your happy with the performance of the 1130?

I'm very happy with my 1130 now.  It blows great and and it scrapes very well.  I actually look forward to more snow.

I had my headlight burn out on the 2nd time out.  I replaced it and my new headlight only lasted one use before it too burned out.  That's two burned out headlights in 4 times out.  I checked the voltage and it is 13.3 which isn't too high.  It may be from vibration.  I noticed that the headlight bracket is bolted right to the metal of the machine.  I will try putting a piece of rubber (piece of inner tube) between the bracket and the machine to try to reduce the vibration some. 

Swoods, It wood be interesting to see what the voltage is at different throttle settings.  I agree that 13.3V shouldn't be a problem.  If I get time, I will check my voltage.

lanningjw, Let us know how yours works after the new clamp and bulb.

Catt wrote:
lanningjw, I forgot to add that I find the easy steer feature fantastic.  The 1130 is a pretty big machine, but with easy steer it seems much smaller.