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

Last year I bought a John Deere 1130SE snowblower and for the most part I was extremely happy with it's performance. I love the hand warmers, electric chute rotation, easy steer and the front end weight just to name a few.  The only problem I had, which was pretty significant, was the intermittent transmission slipping.  After sealing the transmission housing with silicone and some weather stripping, the problem was completely gone.  The remainder of the winter was very pleasing and I always looked forward to using the 1130.  I also had a second snowblower that I'm trading for a new 1330SE.  So now I'll have the 1130 and the 1330.  The 1130 will be for my business parking lot.  Some of the interesting features of the 1330 is the addition of an electric deflector control and dash area integrated headlights.  So now the chute is totally electric (both rotation and the deflector).  The slipping transmission should be resolved from water getting into the rubber/aluminum disc drive.  To fix this problem, Deere added a rubber gasket between the engine mounting plate and the transmission housing.  I'll try to post some pictures in the future.
BTW, my second choice would have been an Ariens since they seem to give people on this website support from at least one poster.  I wish Briggs, Simplicity or Deere would give the same support.

Here is a picture that I had taken earlier.

Thanks Catt,

I'll say it again, that's a nice machine.  Clean, simple, and robust design.  I think Simplicity snowblowers are nice, Deere just takes it up a notch.

I have high confidence in that electric deflector.  Looks like it was thoughtfully designed and should hold up well.  It's a easy bolt-on and easy to take off for repairs or replacement.  I rather deal with that well-sealed window motor and hefty lead screws than sticky or frozen cables any day.

My 1330SE is ordered from the local Deere dealer and won't be here for a couple weeks.  I saw the same blower at Lowe's today and here are pictures of the full machine.

aa how do you feel the deflector cap cable on your honda compares with this john deere cap deflector?

mikiewest wrote:
I haven't encountered frozen or sticky cables on mine.  It is protected by rubber boots from water ingress or dirt.  Nice friction damped cable actuator that doesn't need notches to hold position.   Fast and precise.  Move the lever forward half way, the chute goes down half way and stays put.  It follows the same operation as the hydrostatic drive speed selector.  It's the best in the business for cable actuated deflector.

The Deere electric deflector seems well designed and wins kudos for convenience.    I like the idea of making chute adjustments without having to move my hands too far from the handle bars.

I like them both.

the deflector cap control on my simp pro is also very sturdy.There are no notches.It's infinitely variable.You just twist the little handle and its locked into position.The cap  cant move and its very smooth. 

mikiewest wrote:
The twist handle was probably chosen because there isn't much room on the console panel.  Probably works fine but not as intuitive as an up or down lever.

It might not be as"intuitive" as yours.But I have read on other forums where it can move if not adjusted properly.And it can feel tight.Once I twist that handle it cant move.When I move mine,the action is as smooth as silk. 

mikiewest wrote:
I haven't tried it, but I'll take your word.  It is what it is.

It is interesting to see the many options for the chute controls. It's also very hard to tell how well these work until you're actually behind the machine blowing snow.  As an example, my first reaction to the Toro was not very positive because all that I saw was a bunch of plastic.  However people seem to really like it and I haven't heard of any complaints.  I like the new Deere electric controls because I should be able to control everything with a push of a switch with each thumb.