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

Well I am set on buying a new snow blower but I am trying to figure out which one.. I am looking at the new  Ariens Deluxe 27 and last years 27LE. Both are priced the same at the dealer $999

I am also looking at a 08/09  Snapper 1428 or a 08/09 Simplicity 1428 either one $999 as the dealers are willing to match the price of the Ariens. I ruled out the 09/10 machines from them as I am not sure of the motors for the chute rotation. Both these machines have the 305cc Snow MAx engines. I do like having the remote control for pitch  on the machine compared to Ariens not having it, it seems like a mistake by Ariens not to include it on their machines as it seems like a long reach to me to change it on the Ariens

The 08/09 27LE has the Briggs Snow Max 305cc while the 09/10 Deluxe 27" has the Briggs Snow series 250cc motor. Are there any differances between the Snow Max and Snow series engines other than the obvious of one being bigger. Are there any new design improvements to the 09/10 machine over last years model that would make me want to get the 09/10 model.

The Snapper/ Simplicity have cast iron gear boxes while Ariens has an Aluminum gear box. What are the internal differances between the insides of the units.

When you look at the units side by side on the floor its hard to tell any differances in design as far as engineering goes and most salespeople have no clue

What are the strenghts and weakness of these machines.

I was doing the same research recenlty and found more, stronger, features on the Simplicity. I just got a heavier feel from the 1428 that I ended up with, and if you can get it for $999 that is not a bad price either.  Neither is a bad unit, and until I tripped accross the Simplicity, I almost did pick up the Ariens too. The Features of the manual control also for me were an advantage. I also felt that the larger motor will be more advantagous in th elong run. One thing that I will do is over buy on something like this, who ever has said, boy that just put snow too far away, i did not want to throw it that far, The other reason for that is the EOD slush, realstically, that is what we almost all buyt these things for. if the muni's woudl avoid all our drives, then single stage woudl rule the world, but last winter I had a 4 1/2' EOD that was 6 feet from the end of my drive, never would have shoveled that, but also learned that my old Ariens just could not keep up, thus the new Simplicity.

I also put an Easy Tach on mine, to monitor RPM's and hours, great addition for the $35 that  spent

But again, I got a good deal and felt there was heavier hardware on the Simpicity, I did not want to have to do this again for 15 or 20 years.

Good luck!

Other than displacement, the main difference between a Snow and a Snow Max is the Max engines have cast iron cylinder bores. Snow engines are aluminum. In the long run, I suspect that cast iron bore will last longer and lends itself to being re-bored if and when the engine wears itself to that point. The only advantage of an aluminum bore is better heat transfer. Personally, in a snow thrower application, either engine will do just fine. Chances are, that with proper maintenance,both engines will give many, many years of solid service.

While having a cast iron maybe a selling point and comfort to would-be buyer, I'm not sure if there's a definite advantage, real or practical, of having a cast iron gear case over cast aluminum  Quite a few manufacturers now have cast aluminum gear boxes, Honda included. 

You pay your money and take your chances.   Pay or buy more if you want warm and fuzzy feel.  But why buy Z rated tires to put on a car that tops out at 125 mph.

With that said, I'd recommend going with the more powerful engine in every case.  There's no such thing as blowing too far, you can always throttle down the engine.

Just to add my piece. If you can get the bigger engine for the same price, I would go for it. The 13.5 ft/lbs of torque sure makes a difference in heavy wet snow and the EOD.
I have the new 09/10 model Simplicity 1428 and put it to use the other morning in 6 to 7 inches of heavy wet stuff. The 305cc engine didn't blink.

On March 31st, the last snow fall of the season, we received between 24 to 30" of heavy wet snow. Brutal stuff. I cleared two and a half 110' x 18' drive ways with 25' x 25' foot turn arounds at the top. I burned two full tanks of fuel in the my Simplicity with the 305cc engine. I was thoroughly impressed with the machine. I really enjoyed seeing it plaster wet snow two thirds of the way up the light poles down at the street while most of the other guys were barely getting it off the drive way with their machines. I was never much of a Briggs and Stratton fan. However, after seeing how well the 305cc engine performs and how nicely it runs getting the job done, I've learned to appreciate it.

All I can tell you is that I'm extremely satisfied with my Ariens 927Le. I purchased it last year and it was a joy to operate all winter long. Picked up snow, slush, and the odd flyer with nary a problem. The remote control for the pitch is not something I ever regretted not having, and I just look at it as one less thing to worry about breaking...
My tecumseh Sno King with 318 cc is terrific and I have nothing bad to say about any aspect of my Ariens.
As long as you maintain your engine and comply with all oil-changes..etc, I also don't believe there's any great difference between the aluminum and cast-iron gear boxes.
Hope this helps.

Well I finally bought a new unit. I bought the Snapper 2009 L1428E modle #1695681 I found a place going out of business and they wanted $1000 for there last one, I offered $800 as a starting point figuring they would counter offer but they excepted it. They are doing set up and I will be picking it up on Saturday, Bring on the snow.

btw574 wrote:

Good choice and an excellent price!

That was a great deal!  You're going to have a great snowblower.

skier1 wrote:

I am thinking about picking a L1428E Tuesday Sept 7, 2010 on a pre season sale. Coming from a Yardworks 10.5hp 28 I want to make sure whatever I get next last longer then 7 years I got out of that one, and hopefully throws snow a hell of a lot better. I have some questions about your post just wondering how the purchase has worked out for you? Also I am wondering about the Easy Tach you installed, do you happen to have a link to order them online or any links with info on them? Cheers,

Targos wrote:

These are real nice...

https://www.sendec-products.com/xcart/home.php?cat=249

+1 I use these on all my equipment. Snowmann wrote:

Targos wrote:

I am thinking about picking a L1428E Tuesday Sept 7, 2010 on a pre season sale. Coming from a Yardworks 10.5hp 28 I want to make sure whatever I get next last longer then 7 years I got out of that one, and hopefully throws snow a hell of a lot better. I have some questions about your post just wondering how the purchase has worked out for you?

 

Some comments about your post and some of the other comments above.

 

The background is for comparison to what they (Snapper) are now since being bought by Briggs a few years ago. 

 

Snapper used make a great snowblower, one of the best.  It had a great cast iron gearbox which was a match or better than any other maker.  The tractor design was excellent and the components robust along with the housing and augers. 

The company’s snowblower side was low key without mass marketing so they are not well known.  They had slighter price break builds for the 5 and7hp models but their 8hp and larger hp medium and large frame models were fantastic.  One of the best average size models ever made was their 8hp medium frame model 8265.   

 

Going by the dealer showroom models I’ve seen in the last few years the (Briggs) Snapper line has no relationship to the prior Snapper line.  The models now are straight Murrays using a base design by Murray that has been around for the last 15 years (with additions mentioned below, chute, wheel slip and gearbox).   Anything relating to the prior reputation of Snapper does not apply to post Briggs purchase of Snapper.

 

The original poster was considering the L1428E model #1695681 which he said had a cast iron gearbox.  Going by the owners and parts listing it looks like Briggs is offering two versions of their medium and large frame models.  [As an aside the medium and large fame seems to be terms left over from Snapper manuals and does not really apply to the Murray line.  The “medium duty” gearbox is the standard aluminum gearbox Murray has used for many years in 5 through 12 hp snowblowers.]  The cast iron gearbox used in the large frame units is something I’ve never seen before but looks like a Murray gearbox and beefier than their standard gearbox.  The “medium duty” is home owner grade, not the best but can easily can last 15 years of average service in central Massachusetts.   That would be reduced a bit for large machines doing huge driveways.  The cast gearbox would probably do much better.

 

The new Snapper models have electric chute drive which might be desirable but a fairly recent design.  It would be worth searching the net for owner comments by people who have owned them for a few years.

 

The intake housing and auger section is straight Murray.  The RPM rotation of the augers and impeller is not as fast as new models by other makers.  The 12 inch 4 blade impeller shoots into a very small rectangular outlet into the chute.  It’s impressive that anything comes out.  It’s not a great design for throughput or distance.  I had a 10-15 (?) year old 1233 Yard King which was an ok machine.   It was the same design as the L1428E i.e. same augers and bucket, same gearbox as the new medium duty L1428 and the same basic design in the tractor less the single wheel slip components.  [By the way, that design looks simple and effective with not much to go wrong over the years.]  It did not toss that far for a 12hp but did well.  Collecting at full 33 inches or taking a smaller 24 inch slice did not make much of a difference.  As I mentioned, distance was ok but limited by the slower RPM and design.  

 

I don’t know where you live but a Yardworks 10.5 28 is a basic MTD and would easily be capable of 15 years where I live clearing a decent size driveway say 2 car wide 10 car long driveway.  You might have to replace the friction disk once over that time.   Given whatever your area is if you burnt through an MTD in 7 years with proper use and maintenance I’d look for something above the Murray.  What crapped out on your machine?

 

As a very general evaluation the Briggs Murray medium duty would be a small step up from the Yardworks and the heavy duty a tad more.  The tractor and intake sections are identical in both medium and heavy duty from what I could make out in the drawings with only the auger gearbox in the heavy duty model being different.

 

The original poster got his for $800.  It’s a lesser machine compared to Ariens or Toro but a decent price break.  His machine will probably last many years with average home use.  For a large area to clear and living in an area with more snow than eastern MA the $800 would be tempting.   You could lessen a disappointment with an Ariens (with at lest an XS or Steel gearbox) and consider it a long haul purchase good for 15 to 20 years. 

Simplicity. The heavier chute parts and the like will hold up longer

Snapper is definitely very low-keyed on their marketing.  After walking into a dealer, I left with the feeling how did Snapper ever sell anything or say anything bad about another brand.  :)

Snapper, Simplicity, and John Deere are nearly identical at this point.  Briggs makes them all.  All three brands are decent quality.  Pick your favorite color.  You have two shades of red (and dark blue stripes), or green and yellow.

My MTDs motor blew up, the connecting rod let go.

Then I went the rest of the winter without a blower, tried getting a replacement motor a few times but they never matched up with the machine I had. So I ended up shoveling the last 6 or 10 snowfalls last year a few were pretty large snowfalls 2 to 4 feet of snow. My driveway always seems to accumulate more snow then my neighbors, it must be how the wind blows on my street.

Other then the motor going I had constant trouble with it not being able to throw our heavy snow more then 4 or 5 feet. I live in Newfoundland Canada and we can be blowing snow for 4 to 6 months of the year here.

To be honest I didn't take great care of the machine, I changed the belts every year, oil on it twice a year and used good gas thats all i ever did with it. Last summer I oiled everything up and repainted the rust with a rustcheck spray paint then the motor gives out go figure.

I don't have a shed or garage now so it was stored outdoors under a tarp, I think when I had a shed with the old house it was holding up better. Before I get my new blower I am going to construct a little storage shed just big enough to house the machine.

   It would be tough to fault MTD for a Tecumseh broken rod.  Tecumseh makes a great engine.  Finding a good second hand engine for an MTD is tough because of the PTO.   You could have taken the PTO out and used that in another 10hp with your crank cover.  You can swap out the PTO without even draining the oil.  You still have a good body so another engine is still an option.  The wear parts on those are easy to replace and fairly cheap.

   An 8hp MTD on an average driveway around here should be good for 15 years at least.   Going after 7 years with changing oil often could have just been bad luck.  You also could be over taxing the engine i.e. going in a bit too aggressively.

  Average snowfall for St. Johns is 127 inches.  Boston is 43. 

   Your average snowfall for Dec, Nov and Apr is the same as the total per year for Boston.  That makes your Jan, Feb, Mar all in access of what we get here.

   You are lifting three times the amount of snow per year than Boston and with drifting even more.  I would not know what to expect from an engine given the conditions. 

>>Other then the motor going I had constant trouble with it not being able to throw heavy

>>snow more then 4 or 5 feet

I don’t have a problem here with MTD’s.  Possibly because of where you are your snow is higher and wetter.  If your machine was setup right, belt tensioning, engine RPM and compression ok then you may just have snow that is too high & to wet more often than here.  If the neighbors are tossing and you are not then there's a problem.  I use about 10 machines a year and many MTD's.  They toss close to any other machine.

>>I don't have a shed or garage

   A decent grill cover works very well on a snowblower.  Around here you can get a heavy duty cover with a cloth lining for $10. 

With the amount of snow you get I’d lean towards an Ariens with at least an 11hp for an average size 2 car wide driveway 6 car lengths long.   You might want to consider 14 or 16 inches of impeller diameter, also  auger rotation RPM and impeller RPM.  Ariens is at 130 on the augers and 1300 on the impeller. 

I am having trouble finding much online about Simplicity. Local people around me haven't seemed to even hear of them let alone be able to comment on them.

How do they stack up against Toro and Ariens when it comes to performance and quality/durability?
I am looking at the 1428 large frame model.

giocam wrote:


Same in my situation.  Easy to find Ariens and Toro, but Simplicity?  I think there may be a dealer about 60 or so miles away.  Too bad.  I'd really like to check them out.  I've heard very good comments about Simplicity.  The thing is, you've got to consider the manufacturer's reputation, PLUS ease to getting the blower to and from the dealer for any kind of service.  Add to that the reputation of the dealer!

I have a 2006 Simplicity 305cc B&S engine 28".  Excellent machine.   Designed well and built like a tank.   Newer machines may not be as robust.  However, that can also be said about competing brands other than Yamaha and Honda.

 I  now use only  Husqvarna snow blowers ,having used others in the past..  Every Husqvarna model is well built and will last longer than  the others.   Ariens also. build a good machine  Most of the others including John Deere are just relabelled models built by MTD or Briggs and Stratton.

Stay away from ARIENS. junk. junk machine - read my overview and problems. Not worth any $$$$$. Mark

I purchased the Simplicity 1428 with cast iron gearbox, it has treated me well these past five years. No issues to mention only regular maintenance. They can handle all conditions for sure. It does blow snow really well and is build with a heavy gauge of steel. I have no regrets with the purchase whatsoever :)