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 SteerŪ 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 think a full review of the Ariens Sno-Tek machine should be completed (in NJ of course) and then cross referenced with a Simplicity, Toro and Honda (throw in Yamaha - what the hell) and then we should be able to get at the root of the problem... Maybe we should include borat's old but very reliable and capable Craftsman single stage to be sure we cover all our bases?

I finally have my 1130 fueled back up and ready to go. Now I just need some snow.

Three years ago when I bought my 1130 I thought I was buying what was a well built reliable machine and would be the last snowblower I would purchase for along time.  I was so wrong ..... for 3 years this machine has been nothing but trouble.  Neither the dealer nor I could stop the friction disk drive slipping issue.  First Lowes came out when the machine was new and readjusted and cleaned the disk .... still slipped.  The off to the JD dealer multiple times, they installed the seal kit and varies adjustments and still would eventually slip.  I tried sealing with silicone sealant still slipped.  The other problem with the machine is the auger belt broke with frequency.  The shears pins (JD orig part) sheared once and I bet the belt broke 4 times.  Dealer tried to adjust and fix but continued to happened. 

Mass just had the blizzard of 2013 ..... JD 1130 ready to go ..... after the typical 30-40 minutes of use the drive started to slip in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, r1 and r2.   In most cases putting it into 5th or 6th would dry the friction disk enough for reverse to work and the lower ratio but not all and found myself dragging the machine backwards many time over the 5 hours that it took to clear my driveway.  In addition I could only cut 5 or 6'' of 30'' high snow each pass and the auger couldn't even throw it across my driveway with only a little wet and heavy at the bottom.  This meant that after working my way across the driveway I had to double back and clear the 3 or 4 inches that couldn't get thrown out of my driveway which is not a  full double width. 

My son plows snow but my driveway can not be plowed due to pitch and no where to push the snow.  With the machine being so fragile I can't let either of my sons use due to concerns it will break AGAIN and then I am in trouble if my truck is snowed in and snowblower is broken. 

So long story short ..... I have had with this JD product once and for all.  Yesterday I went out and bought a Honda HS1332TAS. Like I use to tell my customers when buying expensive Ski's or Bike .... once the ouch of the cost if forgotten I will be happy with the purchase for long time.

Good-bye JD..... very disappointed with the design and performance.

I found the gas cap mentioned earlier in this post for $23 here: http://www.powerequipmentmart.com/briggs-stratton-part-698109-cap-fuel-tank $10 S&H

Once again, the legendary thread continues.....

I had purchased one of thse blowers from lowes in jan 09 was in a pinch old blower giving me troubles and we were getting pounded day after day with snow so needed to do something so found this machine great deal opened a lowes credit card and got over 130 bucks off machine and so on so took it home and the problems started from the start the light wouldnt work found the wires got pulled apart when the guys loaded it on my truck and then the drive slipping started so I returned it before the 30 days was up and bought a cub cadet 930 and so far it works pretty well..it was a shame as I thought boy a john deere and I will be done monkeying around now how fooled I was!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't understand why people these days still equate once proud brand names to quality?   With most, if not all domestic snow blowers (and many other domestic OPE), the "name" is all but a ruse.  Even Toro and Ariens are watering down their equipment.  It's folly to assume that the once proud brands of old still produce the grade of equipment that made the name famous in the first place.  Sadly, it's come to the point where the only OPE manufacturers that can be trusted these days for consistent quality comes from Japan.    

Your correct borat you really have to take a look at what you are purchasing and know what you are looking at and make your decision from there, john deere quit marketing snow blowers for a rrason!!!

Your correct borat you really have to take a look at what you are purchasing and know what you are looking at and make your decision from there, john deere quit marketing snow blowers for a rrason!!!

After following the steps outlines on this post to stop the slipping clutch disc, I can't say how HAPPY I am with this machine.  It is a great snowblower and has a ton of power.  I plan on keeping mine until the day I die.  If you are considering a JD, don't let the negative posts on here sway you.  I am one satisfied customer. I admit, there was a design flaw from the factory, but now that I know how to keep the friction disc dry, it hasn't slipped since the first season I bought it back in '09. 

Basically, if you have a Simplicity or a Snapper snowblower (I've used a Snapper parts manual to order parts for my JD 1130se), this is the exact same machine....nothing wrong with JD except that the plastic belt cover would let melted snow drip on the friction disc, which is an easy fix.