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

Called Briggs with the spec # on the Simplicity I am looking at . The guy was very nice!! Called me back and spent a lot of time  but couldn't find the exact # I gave him. He said he was 90% sure the spec# I gave him  is an aluminum bore engine. What he was able to give me was the Phone # for Simplicity which I couldn't get on Friday. For you Simplicity fans the #is (262)284-8669.Hit 2 on your phone after you get through to get to the tech dept. Real interesting conversation with that gentleman.

1)All the engines in the large frame line are the same except for the 13hp unit."If you buy the the 9560E,1060DLXE,1170Eor 1280E you get the same engine."

When I asked him why he said it's more cost effective to power everything with the 12hp engine than to buy different engines for each model. He was very specific about saying the engine is the 12. The stickers are different.

2)" All the engines are aluminum bore models because they are the same engine" Simplicity chose to go with aluminum bore because they run cooler and in an environment absent of dust and dirt the cast iron isn't necessary.Today"s Aluminum alloys wear very well under winter conditions according to their tests."

3)"I should consider using the Briggs synthetic oil because it doubles  the life of the warranty. There is a chemical dye in the oil that colors the internal parts of the engine. If you have a failure they check for the color and you get a replacement." Sounds like a good deal to me.

4)He suggested using Simplicity part #1704636 to lubricate the gearbox. Infomed me that it is really a Snapper lubricant and that when Simplicity bought Snapper they found it worked very well. Said it doesen't thicken in the cold as much as other gear oils.

I pressed him a little on the aluminum bore issue reminding him that Simplicity used cast iron bore Tecumsehs before Briggs bought the company. He said that the purchase by Briggs had nothing to do with it.Simplicity started using Briggs three years ago when the Snow Intek first came out. He reminded me this was before Simplicity was bought by Briggs.When I asked him why the change he said there were too many issues with the Tecumseh carburetors .

 I went to the Briggs web site and spent some time looking at their replacement engine spec. book. Sure enough there are 9,10 and 11 hp. engines of the same displacement. To further confuse/enlighten me they listed engines of the same horse power that have different displacements.And to further confuse the issue Briggs does not list a 12 hp engine. 

I have a headache,

Marc

 Richie,

If Briggs/ Simplicity is using the same engine size, just relabeled, do you think Tecumseh is doing the same?

Tec's 8 to 11Hp all have same displacement, just as you mentioned on the Briggs.

Jubol just a added thing here and to give you a Tec field test input, some of this all started for me in an extreme situation,  I was driving home and I knew my son was in the process of helping a neighbor who had been out of town for weeks.  he has a drive double wide that can hold anywhere between 16 and 20 full size cars.  In feet I can tell you I was close to 1/4 mile away, min 900 feet as I know the lot sizes, and how many houses away I was. It was asight, not only high, but a ton of volume, It stood out in between trees and highet than a lot of them.   This guy had like 14 inches and the bottom third was older and packed, like iced and heavy.  All I could see was this supposidly 8.5 hp Tec blowin the snow completely over his lower roof as it is a split level .. from where the SBwas was2 stories  garage level then living room level then another 10 feet of roof level  and 16 foot back from the gutter line and he was workin 15 to 20 feet back from the building.  I figured either something broke and it was runnin wide open or he was using someone elses monster machine, so I drove up .  The owner was on the porch with a worried look on his face, as the youngin was still on the learning curv and when he got on the side he hit up on the peak of the eves and the people inside thought he blew the roof off.  So standing beside him I did the Dad thing and said in a voice low enough so the owner couldn't hear me " What the h--- are you doing"  He just made a mistake, and said he is now under controll, and he was able to stay away from hiting the transformer out on the pole,  I turned and looked and saw it was 40 feet off the ground. And he had to try an avoid it or he would have hosed it down so to speak.There are snowblowers that will throw that high,  as you can see in the snowblowers in action thread.  But trust me not a natural 8hp. especially when it is in 4th gear against that much snow.  I know 10's and I know 8's and I know 5's in this type machine.  This thing was blowing at the strength of at least a 10 or 11 hp machine minimum.  This teen has run a lot of SB  and had I know it was going to be that wicked I woul have went up there with him as it is obvious these things can happen to someone learning a new machine.  He had used it before enough,  but  smaller amounts of snow.  The thing thru rather high then,  but nothing like it did with a full corse dinner.

I also did call the manufacturer when I first bought it, to ask why is this an 8.5 when all the other companies badge them as 8's etc.  They said it is a Tech engine built to their specs.  Didn't know what they were yada yada, closed door,  So I called Tec, They never heard of one of their engines being 8.5 They said call the Blower manufacturer back.

Ben07

We tend to look (myself included) at the engine being the most important issue in OPE. I believe Marshall was trying to make that point in a post yesterday. I am fast coming to the realization that the engine is not of primary concern to the OPE manufacturer.They are far more interested in the frame and those components than the engine.

The two units I looked at this morning had the same engine and were seperated in price by $200 on the msrp. For the difference in money you got:

1)drift cutters

2)Headlight

3)remote chute deflector

4)Power Boost

5)A completely different chasis from the deck up to the dash board-The 1060E has a welded assembly to support the handlebars as opposed to the tubular handle bars we are used to.

We could argue whether the difference is worth $200(I think it is) but the machines are definitely not the same.

Marc

Ben07

Ben,

Exactly correct.  Just like my Toro comes with an 8 HP Tecumseh, which is a HP rating designated by Toro and NOT by Tecumseh.  Also why it always seemed to come up as a 9 HP. Good point and I'm glad you mentioned it.

Marc,

Indeed, it appears that I too have a 12HP Briggs Engine on my Simplicity. The Model is 20G414 and Type is 0111E1.

It sounds like people who bought the 9,10 and 11 HP Simplicitys with the Briggs Intek engine recieved a free upgrade!!!

Knowing this, it might be worthwhile for one to pay a couple of more bucks  for the Simplicity as compared to the Ariens being you're getting a top of the line 12HP engine instead if a 8,9,10 or 11 HP Tecumseh !!!

Before I bought, I also compared the weights of the Snowblowers and it seemed there was a decent jump in weight between the 10 and 11 that you did not see between the 11 and 12. Could it be slightly heavier components? 

My brochure from 2004 says  the 1170E (270) is 25lbs heavier than the 1060E (245). The 1280E (275) is only 5lbs heavier than the 1170E (270). 

Either way...I'm still very happy with my Simplicity ...used it Monday morning and worked great.

                                                                                           Dan

 I think Tecumseh is doing the same thing,

8-11 HP engines all same displacemrnt, same weight, ETC!!

                                                                  Fred   

You are the man!

Thats the confirmation of the info from the Simplicity Tech guy.

Thanks ,

Marc

Dan ,I think the difference in the weight of the machines is the difference in the auger width and larger auger bucket.

These are the weights listed in my 2004 Simplicity catalog#040252,

9560E-230lb

1060DLXE-240lb

1170E-255lb

1280EE-265lb

I wonder what accounts for the difference in weights listed in your catalog and mine. I'll bet our catalogs are from different years. I just noticed the weights are listed as approximate.

Marc

I noticed this fall that Simplicity had lowered the weights on their snowblowers and your weights appear to be curent. 

My brochure is from August 2003 not 2004 as I had previously stated (sorry)

Perhaps the weights from 2003 are not accurate???

                                                                                                                    Dan

9 horse 10 horse ..exact same model and type numbers ...and now you say the 11 and 12 are the sameas the 9 and 10.

so are they all 12 horsepower.

the chassis on our snappers are all the same and the gear boxes are the same ,so the only difference from the 9 to the 11 is the width of the bucket.wow ,no wonder they work well.they certainly dont lack for power.

this justs keeps getting better all the time.

and briggs and tecumseh school is getting closer all the time,and i have some questions for the instructors-technical help.

later chris

 Dan,

 I think Tecumseh is doing the same thing,

8-11 HP engines all same displacemrnt, same weight, ETC!!

                                                                  Fred   

Jubol I hope what you are chicking into is close to correct, as this was my description of my 8.5 before you made that post

"I know 10's and I know 8's and I know 5's in this type machine.  This thing was blowing at the strength of at least a 10 or 11 hp machine minimum." 

The reason being, I think I was very accurate with my observation,  but I am sure there are a few who if they don't follow it close will yea  "Yeah Right" 

Thxfor your help as I am unable to do research at this time

Ben07

P s If I find out it is an 11 I will softly freak.  I won't be too loud cause my kid will find out and steal it for a go-cart