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

Hello everyone. What a great site this is. Certainly full of great information and helpful people.
I tried using the dealer locator on Simplicity's web site and it does not list Canada in the country drop down list. I've never seen Simplicity snow blowers in Ontario and I am wondering, are there any dealers in this neck of the woods?
I haven't heard back from Simplicity themselves yet.

borat wrote:
Nice pics borat.
Are you in Thunder Bay?

I don't see a differential on the list of JD 1130SE features.  It actually specifies a friction wheel/disk drive.  Other than the paint job and being $150.00 less than the listed Simplicity price, looks pretty much identical. 

Here's the list I got from the JD site:

 

Powerful 4-cycle OHV Briggs and Stratton Snow Series MAX engine with 15.50 ft-lbs gross torque power 30-inch clearing width Free hand control for easy chute rotation Push button 110V electric start standard Recoil start with large mitten grip Easy Steer® drive system giving continuous power to both wheels and auto speed adjustment Friction disk drive with 6 forward/2 reverse speeds Aluminized Super Lo-Tone muffler for reduced noise Cast iron gear case Steel auger with serrated flighting Deluxe console and handlebar design Large chute opening for increased snow capacity Remote chute rotation with 200-degree turning radius in only 10 turns Remote chute deflector Heavy duty embossed auger housing Heated handgrips with two settings Offset halogen headlight for better visibility Drift cutters standard Heat-treated, reversible skid shoes 4-quart fuel tank Throttle control Fresh Start® fuel cap standard 16-inch by 6.5-inch X-Trac tires 2-year consumer warranty, 90-day commercial warranty Includes tool box and clear out brush This product is CARB compliant The John Deere Promise is not available on this product

List price: $1,549.00* (U.S.)

borat wrote:
Well, there not.  Both the brochure here :

   http://www.deere.com/en_US/ProductCatalog/HO/media/pdfs/jd_snowthrowers_brochure_eng.pdf

and the parts manual, that I can no longer find but was referred to here
recently, clearly show an object that looks very much like a differential.
They call it a clutch of some sort I think.   John Deere calls this system
Easy-Steer and says that the axle lock is automatic.  The steering
system on Simplicities and the other John Deeres are called Easy-Turn.

Paul

I checked out the brochure and now see what you're talking about.  I was confusing Easy Steer with Easy Turn.   Funny that Simplicity have never shown that feature on their spec sheets?  Nor have I heard of a Simplicity snow thrower with that feature.   Have to wonder what that's about?  One would think that an attractive feature like that would be on their own machines.  And to think, you get it for less money on the JD. 

I feel the world converging on the John Deere 1130DE as the choice for best snowblower of
2008-2009.  With maybe the Ariens 9526 DLET as a close contender.  Impossible to tell how
long they'll last, they're pretty similar construction-wise (for instance they both have the same
number of bearings, though not exactly in the same places) and each have pluses and minuses.

I guess I should add that neither machine fits my requirements and that I'm basing my comment
on interesting visible features and feedback from those that own them.

Paul

Great news... a Simplicity/Snapper dealer who's main store is about a 15 minute drive east down the highway from Guelph has opened a new location about 5 minutes from my house.
They were mainly a farm equipment dealer and have been growing their business in the home market and decided to open this new location. Talk about lucky.

They are sold out of Simplicity/Snapper but do have a few Troy-Bilt and Cub Cadet models in stock, which I won't touch. I will baby my old MTD pile of garbage the rest of this season and pick up a new Simplicity/Snapper in the fall. This gives the oppourtunity to save up the extra bucks for a L1428E. :-)

By the way borat, I recognized Loch Lomand ski hill in your photo. Best skiing in Ontario.

Krank wrote:

Wise move holding off with your snow blower purchase.  Get the best bang for your buck and the best value available.   You'll be rewarded with many years of reliable service and a machine that I find to be a delight to use.

Yeah.  That's Loch Lomond alright.  Wasn't my preference for ski hills though.  The hill to the south west, now called Big Thunder, previously named Little Norway was my favourite ski hill.   Skied for many years from Baldy to Candy Mountain.   Nice area out here despite the fact that we get more snow than in town during the winter and quite a bit hotter in the summer.    

By the way, are you aware that the Guelph area is one of the highest areas in Southern Ontario?  If I recall correctly, it was around 1100 ft. or so which is respectable when you consider the highest point in all of Ontario is only 2270 feet (Ishpatina Ridge).   The hill in my picture are around 1450 feet and my home is at 800 feet.   My camp which is 60 miles south west of the city is at 1550 feet.  I have a hill that's about five miles from camp by ATV that's just over 2000 feet and is on the boundary between the Arctic and Atlantic watersheds.  On one side, all water flows south the other north.   Here's a pic from the top of that hill looking at the lake that flows to the north.

borat wrote:
The dealer told me he has far less complaints, repairs and warranty claims on any of the Simplicity/Snapper products compared to others. A couple of dealers around here have Toros in stock but I am not going to pay the premium that they want. I will be patient.

With Guelph being up on top of the Niagara Escarpment and being in close proximity to Lakes Huron, Erie and Ontario it sure contributes to our snow fall accumulation. Usually if the GTA gets 4 to 5 cm, we will get around 10 to 12 or more.

You are really making me homesick with these photos. I would think that photo is from down somewhere around the Sandstone Lake/Northern Lights area. A good buddy of mine had a camp down that way. Fantastic pickeral (walleye) and smallmouth fishing.  You are a lucky man!

Not to drag up an old thread but I just put my name on an '09 Simplicity L1428E at the local dealer, Lush Lawn. Great people to deal with. 
Decided that I did want the bigger engine as well as Easy Turn. By the way, the '09 Simplicity's have a new 'feature', electric chute rotation. Just press the rocker switch. Talk about lazy.

Krank wrote:
Is the '09 unit still as robust as the older units? Does it have the cast iron gear case? Not that the aluminum units won't be up to the task. I'm just curious if Simplicity is begining to compromise their normally outstanding quality, as seen with the other leading snow thrower manufacturers?