# * Updated* Briggs & Stratton



## 06honda (Oct 16, 2016)

Noticed this blower on sale until end of the month at my local Lowes, $300 off, new sale price $699.99 Seems too good to be true, didn't find many reviews online about this model.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

Yep. Ad says $300.00 off. I don't know a daggone thing about them though.


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## Zavie (Sep 23, 2014)

Not a bad deal. Briggs makes nice stuff. This looks to be basic, but you get remote chute, light, etc. You could spend more and get worse.


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

*Are you talking about that cub cadet??????? because if you are they look pretty cheap if you ask me.k:k:k:k:k:*


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## 06honda (Oct 16, 2016)

No,Cub Cadet is a different Model than this one.


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

The link doesn't bring up the snowblower you are talking about..
it has a Cub Cadet on it..

Scot


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## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

sscotsman said:


> The link doesn't bring up the snowblower you are talking about..
> it has a Cub Cadet on it..
> 
> Scot


+ 1 here.
All I see for snowblowers on the link is the Cub Cadet with the $300 off.


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## ctdave (Sep 11, 2015)

brought up the briggs for me. looks nice


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## 06honda (Oct 16, 2016)

I messed up the link in the original post. Deleted it and uploaded an image.


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

It shows up now! thanks..
Briggs is one of the lesser-known snowblower brands, they have only been making snowblowers under the B&S name since 2005.
But they now have the Simplicity, Snapper, Murray, Brute and Briggs brand names for snowblowers. (and they were the last to make John Deere snowblowers..the Deere snowblower line was dropped a few years back)..But they always seem to be fine machines! never heard anything bad about them..I think there is just less of them out there than "the big three", Ariens, Toro and Honda, so we just hear less about them..but thats not necessarily bad.








30 customer reviews on Amazon..looks good! mostly positive.
the only 1-star review says "Briggs and Stratton is the worse company to do business with, very insensitive"..which is a useless review.
One review says "This snow blower is made in China"..it isnt..the snowblower is made in the USA, the engine is made in China.
(as is every 2-stage snowblower engine now, on all 2-stage snowblowers by all manufacturers)

so, we dont know a lot of about Briggs snowblowers on this forum, but what little we do know is positive.
If you like it and you like the price, I would say "go for it"

Oh..and speaking of price..dont be swayed by "$300 off" 
$699 is probably the "regular" price for it!  its not necessarily actually worth $999 and you are getting a great bargain at $699.
$999 is just the MSRP price..most things dont sell for MSRP..its just a marketing trick that every company uses.
So just consider it a $699 snowblower and compare it to other $699 snowblowers..ignore that $999 price.

Scot


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## Scuba_Steve (Oct 26, 2016)

sscotsman said:


> It shows up now! thanks..
> 
> <snip>
> 
> ...



Further emphasizing that point, the current price on Amazon (with Amazon as the seller) is $629 with free delivery, with a standard price of $708. Other Amazon sellers have higher prices, but most of them are selling it for well below $999.

But the Amazon reviews do look decent, for what that is worth.


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## 06honda (Oct 16, 2016)

Great point on the pricing, never really thought about it which I think is the point to the marketing. Thanks for the input.


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

*Nice color on the frame, not crazy about the red blades though.k:k:k:k:k:*


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## bad69cat (Nov 30, 2015)

OR..... you could find a guy like me selling a bunch of like new blowers for a whole lot less and still take the wife out for a staycation on the savings...... just sayin'! lol

Depending on where you live - good used ones without a lot of hours on them should be readily available. I have never owned a new one and don't regret it....but I'm cheap like that!


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## DuffyJr (Oct 15, 2015)

$617.99 at amazon and free shipping.


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## Ezekial (Dec 30, 2016)

Looks like Amazon has been in the low to mid $600s then.

I just ordered the 1696614 for $639 shipped. I have a small 2 car driveway and say 80ft or so of sidewalk. Don't need anything to crazy, and don't get that all much snow in Philly to go with a high end unit. The one thing I need though for the big snows, is some grunt to move snow around at the end of the driveway, which is why I want a slightly larger/mid unit like this.

For the price, I narrowed it down to this unit or the TroyBilt at Lowes for $599. This one includes a light, larger skids, metal shoot, and nicer hand controls. Plus since I don't have a truck or SUV at my disposal, free delivery saves me a bit of time and cost for a $20 hour rental. Also using Discover, for December all Amazon purchases get back 5% so basically break even.

I looked locally for used, but people are really proud of their stuff in this area, and without a truck, makes it a bit of a pain  One guy really close stood me up 3 times already as well from CL.


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## LouC (Dec 5, 2016)

Could this be a Simplicity in Briggs colors, we saw some Briggs versions of the Simplicity single stage....


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

Before I spent 699 on that......I'd get a $$50 Ariens 10000 series with a blown Tecumseh, bolt a $99 Predator on it....and have a lifetime machine......Put an impeller kit and stand back!


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## Stang (Mar 28, 2015)

cranman said:


> Before I spent 699 on that......I'd get a $$50 Ariens 10000 series with a blown Tecumseh, bolt a $99 Predator on it....and have a lifetime machine......Put an impeller kit and stand back!


Seconded


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## skutflut (Oct 16, 2015)

My son bought the bigger, 29 inch B&S unit and it has worked well for him so far. This is the second winter, and about 5 uses so far. 

It has a bigger engine, heated grips, and electric chute controls (i am a bit leary about those little motors lasting over the long term) but it powers thru all the junk at the EOD no problem.


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## Blosumsno (Dec 7, 2016)

Looks interesting. I figured they would have rebadged a brand they acquired with a few cosmetic tweaks but can't recognize it.

Parts availability should be decent I would think.


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## JayzAuto1 (Jul 25, 2016)

About that Briggs/Snapper/Simplicity.....Scot is correct, as I have seen that same machine in various trims/colors. I had 2 in this week, both bought at end of winter of 2014, by 2 different owners. Both came in with complaints of hard/no start. Essentially would not start before the rewind spring broke and left the rope hanging on the ground. Compression test on both revealed 30 and 40 psi......and were pulled until the spring gave up the ghost. Engines junk. Very disappointed owners. I also have 4 of the larger Briggs models (Inteks), that have valve sealing issues and expensive Nikki Carb issues. So all 4 of those machines are waiting for owners to make decisions. That's 6 that came in in 2 weeks......6 dead soldiers. Tonight the landlord brought in a (Yes, you guessed it) A 2 y/o Snapper M924e. Didn't look at it yet...Complaint of hard starting, stalling, no power and traction control issues. It has the 9 hp Briggs and expensive Nikki Carb, But electric start, so the starter rope is still intact. Can't wait to tell them the good news. They bought 2 of these units at the same time. They both have the General Transmission, Vari-Drive (I think that's the name, But It's definitely a GT 300). I put a transmission in the first one a week after they purchased it new (the dealer wouldn't/couldn't touch it for a month). They were using it commercially to clean roofs during the heavy storms 2 years ago and couldn't wait for the dealer. There were no other machines to be had in MA at that time. SOOOOO, I personally would stay away from those. Not recommended by Jay......unless of course, you enjoy doing engine work often. DEFINITELY not the same heritage of the older 826 series 5's that are still going strong. Buyer Beware. GLuck, J


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## LouC (Dec 5, 2016)

Sad to hear that ..... My 2011 Briggs generator has a Vanguard engine made in Japan and has been great. Are all these newer Briggs units made in China?


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## LouC (Dec 5, 2016)

This is why I stuck with my 98 Toro with the Suzuki 47p 2stroke. Even though the parts price is high the basic quality of those engines is great. Wish I could find a mower with the same engine love 2 strokes....


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

LouC said:


> Sad to hear that ..... My 2011 Briggs generator has a Vanguard engine made in Japan and has been great. Are all these newer Briggs units made in China?


Briggs engines, yes, all made in China now. (For snowblower engines anyway, not sure about other products) The Briggs snowblower bodies, everything except the engine, still made in the USA.

I believe Briggs is/was using two different ancestral product lines that they absorbed: Simplicity DNA for the Pro series, and Murray DNA for the "consumer grade" units. But as time goes on and evolutionary changes and updates are continually made, the old bloodlines get more and more diluted..it's now been a decade, so we are getting to a point where referring to Simplicity or Murray patterns, in current machines, is probably no longer relevant.

Scot


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## BeerGhost (Dec 17, 2013)

Scot
When were the last of the usa made briggs snowblower engines made?


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

BeerGhost said:


> Scot
> When were the last of the usa made briggs snowblower engines made?


2013. Details here:
http://gold.mylargescale.com/scottychaos/ariens/Page9.html

Scot


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## DriverRider (Nov 20, 2016)

skutflut said:


> My son bought the bigger, 29 inch B&S unit and it has worked well for him so far. This is the second winter, and about 5 uses so far. It has a bigger engine, heated grips, and electric chute controls (i am a bit leary about those little motors lasting over the long term) but it powers thru all the junk at the EOD no problem.


Glad to hear that. Not abusing machinery is key to its longevity. When someone purchases machinery at the bottom end of the price spectrum common sense dictates that one will baby the machine to get its maximum potential.

A couple posts ago folks were bashing the B&S line taking lower end machinery and using it for commercial purposes winding up with broken equipment.:wacko: You get what you pay for and using equipment like that it should be no surprise. Buy a new one and move on or buy the correct machine to start with.

The B&S blower has a three year warranty and should serve the typical homeowner well with reasonable care and don't know why an owner would be taking a blower to be fixed at retail when it can be done free under the warranty:excl:


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## DriverRider (Nov 20, 2016)

JayzAuto1 said:


> I also have 4 of the larger Briggs models (Inteks), that have valve sealing issues and expensive Nikki Carb issues. SOOOOO, I personally would stay away from those. Not recommended by Jay......unless of course, you enjoy doing engine work often. DEFINITELY not the same heritage of the older 826 series 5's that are still going strong. Buyer Beware. GLuck, J


The B&S engine is standard on all truck mounted (non hydraulic) Swenson salt spreaders. I have eight of them with no problems.

Home


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## JayzAuto1 (Jul 25, 2016)

GEvening, I didn't say ALL the Briggs engines were bad, Just All the units brought to the shop, for repairs. It's a rare customer that brings a properly running unit in for a 'maintenance tune-up'.... Most are in for service, usually an engine performance issue. I certainly agree that maintenance is essential and many consumers buy on price, not on the unit that will serve their needs. Next, I'll set the table on the 'Warranty Repair'..... Two years ago in Boston area, was 100" of snow near the end of the winter. My landlord (for the shop) Owns a roofing company. They are typically slow in the winter, except for 2 years ago..... Due to so many roofs collapsing, they were taking on snow removal jobs for commercial roofs. There was a shortage of new snow blowers, due to the long winter and heavy snowfall in the area. They bought the last 2 Snappers and the last little MTD from a dealer that had ANY left. 3 days after using it (10 hour days, so about 30 hours), the transmission failed. They called the original dealer, and was told, "Sorry, I'm so busy, I don't even have room for it". They were told a similar story by several dealers.......not what they wanted to hear, but every dealer and small engine shops were overloaded. It was tough to get some parts too..... couldn't get them fast enough. So I was asked to look at it. Found the Trans Axle defective. Talked to an engineer at General Transmission about it. Was told it's a sealed variable drive unit (no service), and it may have not been set up properly, or cables weren't adjusted correctly. I removed the T/A, opened it up, and found a gear slipping on a shaft, took a video, and sent it to said engineer. He suggested ordering a unit, as it was 'A new robust design', no parts available yet. Gave the good news to the owner, my landlord, they said "just fix it, we are desperate for it, and will deal with warranty after the winter"!!! I was asked by landlord to provide emails and video of repair to/from GT Engineer. Ordered unit, installed it, billed landlord, was paid and praised. They made a bundle removing snow. IDK what happened on the claim. It may have been denied, since I'm not an authorized repair center. But the landlord said that they had their best year ever that year, and the non warranty repair did not affect their bottom line. If you are in the snow removal biz, then you realize that snow only lasts so long, ESP, 3' sitting on a roof. If you don't have the equipment to do the job, some other company does and will finish it for you. That piece of snow equipment, that's finished in April, didn't make you any money, and surely lost out on other jobs as well. So, being the astute business people they are, weighed out a $450 bill from J, against a 'Free Warranty Repair' and decided it was cheaper in the long run to pay now and possibly collect on it later. IDK, it's their money..... That's why they have it and I'm talking about it. Diffr'nt Strokes for Diffr'nt Folks, I guess. J


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## Ezekial (Dec 30, 2016)

Some good feedback here. This will be my first snow blower, have been against buying one just due to cost and the variable amount of snow we get in Philly. I don't mind shoveling a few times a year, but those heavy wet snows... **** that noise! 2 neighbors have snow blowers, so I have been fortunate they helped me out. Welp, here's to hoping the unit will work fine for me. 

Not to terribly concerned due to the limited use I will need, though I may end up helping a couple neighbors, though they also have small 1-2 car driveways and limited sidewalk. Noted so far I need to be sure and use some stabilizer for the fuel, of course I'll do an oil change soon (any recommended timeframe of use?), probably start it up a couple times a year (spring, summer, fall). Any thoughts on maybe adding an actual fuel filter if it just has a screen in the tank? Oil in the spark plug hole doesn't sound like a bad idea, but for that, it would be best I assume to run the engine/carb dry of fuel first. My "older" (circa 2005) push mower isn't to picky, whereas the snow blower engine appears to be picky. In fact, it just set for about 1.5yrs and it started right up after about 15-20 pulls with some priming. I keep up with yearly oil changes, air filter, and plug changes, along with a once over. Except for this last period of sitting


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## Ezekial (Dec 30, 2016)

Got the B&S unit in a couple weeks back. Assembled it, drove it around the yard, waiting for snow 

Took about 2 hours to assemble, fairly straightforward. Was shipped from Amazon.com within about a 2 week window by Pilot freight services. and yes.... Made in China 

Seems to be pretty well made, mostly all metal except for the control panel.

As mentioned in other posts in this thread, this is my first snow blower and I don't really have all that much to area to manage (small 2 car driveway and 80ft of sidewalk). 2 stage was needed so I can move the heavy snow around at foot of drive. Without a truck or SUV, I don't want to go shopping around for an older unit, so this was a click away and showed up at my door for $640.


Briggs and Stratton 1024MD / 1696614


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## Smolenski7 (Nov 24, 2010)

Congrats.

B&S is a decent name. I have had no problems with any of their engines. Just take care of it, and it should take care of you.


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## Shaw351 (Nov 15, 2016)

Hi all.....

I just repowered an older version of this b&s blower for a friend of mine that had issues with his. To be honest he was hard on it, the stainless dog bowl that made it to the impeller was the first " Accident " , then the few small 2x4's that just about destroyed the auger tines was the 2nd " Accident ". But the final thing that killed it was the yellow oil plug on the base of the engine vibrated loose and it spewed all the oil out.... then seized up the connecting rod to the crank. Unfortunately this happened in the 5 minutes he left it running after clearing his driveway while he was shoveling the stairs. 
I had a 72 tecumseh 7HP engine laying around that i freshened up and installed on it. While up on the operating table i went through the whole machine, lubricating & adjusting everything. I was impressed with the locking axle setup on this machine, similar to Ariens, just a bit different. 
What i found disturbing was the condition of the gearbox, granted This One had a rough life but I dont believe what I found was due to abuse. I didn't take pixx as i went, but typical lithium grease issues in aluminum gearboxes. Upon opening the halves of the box i found NO grease on the gears working contact surfaces, but plenty Next to all the parts. So I removed old grease, cleaned up area and installed 00 grease in its place.
After an hour of love, a hammer & vice I got the impeller and tines looking like they should. Sanded the axle shafts, cleaned & greased, reassembled them. Overall this b&s machine was a clone or almost an exact copy of an MTD unit. 

If you own one of these machines I'd suggest that as a precaution these few things should be done asap even if you show no signs of problems. 

1. Remove both wheels and grease generously the axle shafts.

2. Remove gearbox plug, take a flat screwdriver and clear a passage through the plug hole into the hard lithium grease, then squeeze in as much 00 grease as you can.

3. Tighten those two yellow oil plugs on the base of the engine.

Hope these findings and suggestions help those who own these machines.


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## guyl (Jun 12, 2016)

sscotsman said:


> But they now have the Simplicity, Snapper, Murray, Brute and Briggs brand names for snowblowers. (and they were the last to make John Deere snowblowers..the Deere snowblower line was dropped a few years back)..But they always seem to be fine machines! never heard anything bad about them..


Well, they're the brands that have that horrible plastic CVT transmission that's known for breaking within a couple of years.

You even acknowledge that in this thread:

http://www.snowblowerforum.com/foru...aftsman-professional-transmission-issues.html

Unless they changed their design significantly, I'd avoid those.


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## JayzAuto1 (Jul 25, 2016)

GAfternoon Gents..... Shaw, I've seen that Lithium grease in quite a few of that style gear box...Up close, as I'm replacing the Brass Gears. Engineering guys got that one right, as it lasted through the warranty period!!!!

Ezekiel, Is that a grease fitting attached to the top of the gear box? Whwerethere is normally a plastic plug? If so, did you install that? I can't get enough resolution to see it. Thanx, Jay


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## Ezekial (Dec 30, 2016)

JayzAuto1 said:


> GAfternoon Gents..... Shaw, I've seen that Lithium grease in quite a few of that style gear box...Up close, as I'm replacing the Brass Gears. Engineering guys got that one right, as it lasted through the warranty period!!!!
> 
> Ezekiel, Is that a grease fitting attached to the top of the gear box? Whwerethere is normally a plastic plug? If so, did you install that? I can't get enough resolution to see it. Thanx, Jay


Yes you saw correct. That is a grease plug that was installed at the factory. I don't recall seeing this on many of the blowers I glanced at recently at local big box/home improvement stores. So at least it has that going for it


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## Ezekial (Dec 30, 2016)

FYI, posted my story in new member introductions: http://www.snowblowerforum.com/foru...107425-new-snow-blower-1st-member-philly.html


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## Ezekial (Dec 30, 2016)

I finally got to the bottom of the design source of this unit. It appears to come from Brute.
The auger drive is the same, the front housing, the engine, the controls, and the LED light are all the same. I also think the shoot is the same, just can't tell.

Brute - 1696616
http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/brute-24-gas-dual-stage-snowblower/6000196389080
https://www.brutepower.com/content/...s/banners/BruteUSEN_Products_Snow1366x267.jpg

Also according to this link, it's possible it may also by a Murray model as well, though I can't find any photos. 
https://www.jackssmallengines.com/j...ge-snowthrower-2017/decals-group-6966ybudecal


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## unknown1 (Dec 13, 2015)

Some bad news on these machines I'm afraid
If it's the 100% China model see the notes at the bottom of this post
The bad reviews started to roll in as the weeks went by
http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/1269082-post261.html


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