# Late model Simplicity / Snapper / Craftsman / Snow-Tek single stage blowers



## chevyman_de

Colored Eggs said:


> I also notice that snow-tek made a new single stage thats simular to the older ariens 2 strokes. Wonder if anyone has any reviews on them.


 Well, that machine is available under several brand names; Simplicity, Snapper, Craftsman, Snow-Tek, Stiga, Canadiana and probably some more. They may have different equipment levels (electric start, remote chute control, lights) or different body shell colors and this year B&S introduced a smaller engine on the entry level model, but basically they’re all the same. 
Mine is labelled Canadiana and is the same as a Simplicity ss822ex. Bought in 2011 I had no chance to use my new toy last year due to no snow. A cold start after unboxing and a long wait afterwards…










Three weeks ago the forecast promised 4 – 6 inches of snow and I actually took a day off to not let that opportunity pass by. In the morning there were about 3.5 inches and in the evening it summed up to 5 inches. Of course I did not wait until evening and did my first run in the morning. But I cleared my neighbors’ driveways as well and there were some areas purposely left with the full amount of snow till the evening.

I ran the machine for a little bit more than two hours that day, so I don’t have any long time experience.
The 205cc B&S engine starts instantly at the touch of the starter button. The engine sound is not annoying. Louder than my previous electric blower, but that screaming electric motor was louder than expected and the snow seems to muffle the lower rumble of a 4-stroke better than the noise of the electric predecessor.

I am very pleased and impressed by the blower’s performance. The 22” clearing width made a big difference compared to the 16” of my electric one. The paddles cleared right down to the ground and removed the snow as fast as I could follow the machine. One of my neighbors has a 200’ x 10’ driveway; it took me less than 10 minutes to clear that driveway in 6 passes.

The blower is very easy to manoeuvre; the gull wing style handles are comfortable. Significantly bigger and twice the weight of my electric blower, but better handling. The 8" wheels are nice. Chute rotation is quick and easily controlled via a handle-mounted lever. The increments between the notches are not as fine as those of a Toro. Nevertheless I never had a problem to aim the snow where I wanted it. A snow blower’s chute is more of a shotgun than a sniper rifle, so not having the best scope has little meaning.

Temperatures on that morning have been at freezing point, maybe 2 or three degrees below. So the snow was neither very fluffy nor really heavy. Throwing distance was a good 20’ or so, I didn’t measure it. Temperatures in the evening were higher and there were some areas with an inch of pure slush at that time. Performance with pure slush is – as expected – much lower. It stills clears good, but you have to go fast to keep up a constant stream of slush and get some sort of throwing or you’re somehow reminded of a toothpaste tube. It never really clogged; I did not have to clear the chute.

And btw, the self-made headlight system did an excellent job in the evening. Don’t want to be without one.


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## Colored Eggs

Hum very interesting! thanks for the information. I'm wondering who the maker is since all these brands seem to be buying it from one company then branding it in there name. Do you see any major parts wearing out like the paddles etc. For a while i though ariens was making these but if they are all pretty much the same with just a difference with features so I'm wondering how the quality is. I'm sure they will be easy to find parts for since so many companies are using them.


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## chevyman_de

I saw this blower from Snapper and Simplicity first and at the same time. These are still the only brands that offer all feature levels of this unit. Everyone else seems to carry only one version. Both companies are owned by B&S, so I guess these are the suspects.

With only about two hours under the belt it's difficult to say something about wear. The paddles are made from TPU and should last pretty long. After cleaning 5,000 sq ft twice they don't show any signs of wear. I don't remember where, but someone wrote about the machine going through drive belts. So I stacked up on them and have three spares at hand. But the very same was said about my electric blower and I never had a problem with its belt either.
The belt is abused as a clutch on all single stage blowers, regardless of brand. So I think the user has a lot of influence on belt life. Yes, the 4 rib poly-v belt looks wimpy. On the other hand when I compare it to the serpentine belt on my truck running a supercharger it doesn't look undersized. Only time will tell, but so far no problems at all.



> I'm sure they will be easy to find parts for since so many companies are using them.


I had the very same thought, especially important when I'm on the other side of the big pond.

The machine seems to be well made. Everything fits fine, assembly of the few parts to make it ready to run was a breeze. The scraper bar's factory adjustment was right to the point. No screws came lose within the first hours. It's not the sleekest looking single stage on the market but it does its job very well.


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## td5771

you said its not one of the sleekest looking but I think its one of the nicer looking ones. you can see the engine, the add ons you made make it look like a very respectable machine. not just a shell with a handle sticking out. I know thats the norm but I like to see mechanical parts of a machine, not have them all covered up


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## chevyman_de

td5771 said:


> I like to see mechanical parts of a machine, not have them all covered up


I totally agree, and it usually makes maintenance easier as well.


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## Colored Eggs

chevyman_de said:


> I totally agree, and it usually makes maintenance easier as well.


I sort of like seeing the engine till I have to go and clean all the snow off everything. The ariens I have has the one hood on it. It takes maybe 3-5 mins to take it off but once its off you can do anything and there are no more covers to take off.


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## td5771

just to see the mechanics is cool. not snow blower related but here is an example of my mower that is all open.


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## Colored Eggs

Cheavy_de I was looking at youtube and found a video where someone got a model like this and the handles on theirs actually moved all over the place. Does yours have a lot of give to it or is it pretty solid. Maybe the one on the video had a loose bolt.


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## chevyman_de

There's nothing wrong with the handle, it is pretty solid. If the one in the video is moving noticeably I have no other explanation than a lose bolt. And the engine runs smoothly, so there are no vibrations causing the blower to spread its nuts and bolts all over the place. I checked all of them after that day and not a single one was loose.
Maybe one of the lag bolts holding the handle bars together was not properly installed (seated).

Do you have a link to that video?


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## Colored Eggs

I'm thinking something is loose or not in alignment.


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## detdrbuzzard

that snapper would be back on my van and returned to the dealer


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## chevyman_de

There's definitely something wrong, and it's neither the handlebar itself nor the bolts which will connect it to the frame. The frame is tweaked and way too soft. Maybe for whatever reason some welds on the frame are missing.
The fact that one engine mounting bolt is also missing is disappointing but should not really contribute to this problem.


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## chevyman_de

Update:
Well, I checked my blower and three engine mounting bolts seem to be normal...


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## Colored Eggs

Yea i'm thinking that is a lemon right there. If I bought a snowblower and it did that it would be returned. Imagine pushing on it in the snow and it just bending all over the place. Eventually something will break.


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## BeerGhost

*Simplicity ss922ex*

I have a 2010 model that has held up great so far. Finally needs a new scraper bar it wore motor side out first, paddles still fair. The Briggs has performed flawless so far. Chute rotation got stiff from all the grit, good cleaning it works smoother than new.
This machine has become my go to over the ccr powerlite.


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## micah68kj

Colored Eggs said:


> Snapper SS7 522 Snow Thrower Model 1696168 Review Unboxing Problems - YouTube
> 
> I'm thinking something is loose or not in alignment.


This one would be going back to the store.
They swept the floor and built one more.


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## mkd

chevyman! tell me about your homemade light system! i am contemplating adding additional lighting for my ariens.


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## rut3556

>>I have a 2010 model that has held up great so far.<<

I have the same one (2013) only with manual chute rotation. I'm amazed at how well this thing works, and am finding myself using it more than my 60" tractor mounted unit. I never thought a single stage could do so well.


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## chevyman_de

mkd said:


> chevyman! tell me about your homemade light system! i am contemplating adding additional lighting for my ariens.


Very sorry about the late response, didn't notice your posting. Winter in my area has been disappointing. 58° F yesterday, so definitely no snow here and very little thinking about snowblowers. 
There's a thread with several pictures of the light system:
http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/general-snowblower-discussion/634-let-there-light.html
Do you need any additional information?


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## rut3556

I can't speak to the problem, but that was an excellent film production!


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## DennisP

Well, instead of starting a new thread, I figured I would add into this one since the one I am reviewing is just the newest (and most powerful) model...

So, I picked up a Simplicity 1222EE about three weeks ago. Brand new, already assembled. I even got to see the oil put in it so I know it was never used before.

It has the 250cc/11.5ft-lbs Briggs engine (biggest engine in any single stage snowblower) on it. It comes with the electric chute rotation, headlight and has everything but a cable or electric deflector control.

It starts on the first pull and since I have a heated garage, I don't even have to use the choke. I used the electric start once, to try it out, and the engine starts up immediately with it.

Now, we have had a few storms already, all have been snowing at 20F degrees or lower, including overnight temps of near zero F. All have been 4-8" of snow and some have had some decent winds to give some relatively decent drifts.

All I have to say is that this thing ROCKS for a single stage snowblower. It has PLENTY of power for just about anything and I was only able to get it to drop RPMS once and that was digging into EOD ice and snow that sat overnight that was over the bucket height. It didn't stall, just dropped RPM a little as I was mercilessly using it to eat at the heavy mess all at once (ie, I was actually trying to get it to stall/get overwhelmed/overload/etc) and it worked like a CHAMP! I could not get it to stall at all, and it just powers through everything. And, like all good snowblowers, the more you feed it, the better it performs.

It threw that stiff heavy stuff 30-35ft. It shoots snow over our Nissan Sentra with the deflector up as far as possible and the chute to the side. Makes snowblowing between the conversion van and the Sentra a non-issue (I had to pitch the snow out in front of the snowblower and work with it at the end of the driveway before). This thing makes some 2-stage snowblowers seem wimpy in comparison.

I have not had a chance to use it in wet snow, things have been far too cold here. I would imagine that it would do OK as long as some built up between the paddles and the housing since this one has a gap between the paddles and housing. Which is quite a bit different from what I have noticed with the MTD snowblowers I have owned (including a brand new Cub Cadet 221 LHP last year that I got rid of because it seemed too anemic to me, even though it had a 208cc engine, it just couldn't handle stiff heavy EOD stuff).

But, all I can say is this thing would be PERFECT as a single stage if it had a remote deflector control. I enjoy using this thing so much I haven't even been tempted to get my new 2-stage beast out yet. The power in this snowblower is what most people hope for out of a 2-stage, let alone a single stage. I even take care of the snow in the street between me and my neighbors property where the group of mailboxes are with this and it handles it awesome. I may end up installing some small drift-cutters to handle taller snow banks and such, since power is not a concern.

I even borrowed it to a new neighbor that just bought a home for the first time (his hand-me down Toro 2450 wouldn't start) and it was kinda funny seeing how much snow it shoots, since if the wind is blowing and if you don't adjust the deflector and chute properly you get a bunch blowing back at you. Which makes me wonder, do they make snow cabs for single stage snowblowers??? I wouldn't have ever thought about it, but with as much snow as this thing moves and with such force, it really would be a benefit at times. (As a side note I took care of his Toro 2450, in that I pulled the plug and cleaned it off with a MAPP torch, got it started and it ran poorly and smoked really bad, so I drained the obviously bad gas and put in a tank of fresh non-ethanol 91 premium mixed with Amsoil Saber at 80:1 with some Seafoam. Got it started and the more it ran the better it sounded and it barely smoked, with most of the smoke being the old oil still in the exhaust burning off. Put it into some snow, it threw it just fine and the more I worked it the better it ran and performed, so I figure after this tankful is done it should be in top shape for him. It at least starts on the first pull and runs strong now.)

I will admit it that I noticed some other neighbors watching me use this thing and stop and just stare at how well it works. Pretty much jaw dropping performance for a single stage snowblower. Kinda funny seeing another one of them this morning getting out his bigger single stage Toro (the one that still looks like a single stage, not the newer two-stage looking ones) and trying to deal with things the way I do with the Simplicity 1222EE... No-where near the distance and volume and when he got to the EOD it was barely dribbling out of the chute when he was still in the shallow area of it and it just flat out couldn't handle it once he got into the meat of the stuff. He went back and got his two stage to finish the EOD off. I must admit, I chuckled a bit at that.

All I have to say is that they NEED to put some sort of remote deflector control on this snowblower as well as a set of drift cutters to make it perfect. But even outside of that it is HANDS DOWN the best single stage out there. Now the bigger Toro single stage units that are built like two-stage snowblowers might just have enough oomph to be somewhat decent, but there is no way it has the maneuverability and nimbleness of the Simplicity 1222EE. Honestly, if you wanted something that big you are better off just buying a two-stage.

For now, until we get really big snowfalls I am expecting the Simplicity 1222EE to be my "go-to" snowblower of choice. The dual headlamps work great, the electric chute rotator works well and it has no-where near the vibration my Cub Cadet 221 LHP had. All in all I would say it is best in class.


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## DennisP

I will add, that if you push it too fast without enough to fill the bucket you do get a bit "thrown out in front" of it. That just means you need to slow down a little. That is more user-error than anything to do with the snowblower itself.


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## nwcove

great review dennis......that sure is alot of engine for a ss !


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## LouC

I was also seriously considering one of these to eventually supplement or replace my '98 Toro 3000 GTS. Mainly because of the bigger engine and more service friendly design, where you do not have to struggle with the interlocking pain in the rear covers on the old style CCR Toros. 
For the OP it seems like the frame was missing a weld. This is why I prefer to buy any power equipment from a regular dealer who un boxes it sets it up and makes sure it runs. I will go to H/D or Lowes to look at them but always wind up buying from an actual power equipment dealer.


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## FearlessFront

The single stage Snapper snowblower, specifically the SX5200 and back, that Snapper inc. made, before Briggs bought them out was a much better machine. They had taller chutes and a long crank that came all the way up to the operator to turn the chute. The sides on the bottom of the bucket were metal including the bottom and the metal scraper bar. They are a lot harder to wear out compared to the plastic made ones now which just where out from contact with pavement. They employed a 5hp 2 cycle engine, which was more powerful. They were much more solid machines and you still see many of them out there now working 15 years after they stopped making them. In general the Snapper labeled products made by Briggs are far inferior to the real Snapper made products. Of course the real Snapper inc. is gone bought out by Simplicity in 2002, Simplicity continued to make Snappers products 2 more years, Briggs came along in 2004 and bought out Simplicity and that was that. I have a 2002 Snapper 8246, one of the last real Snapper large frame snowblowers and it is an excellent machine. The ones they are building now are inferior to what Snapper made and it is very clear to see. The only descent machine Briggs is making under the Snapper name is the 38 wide model. That appears to be a descent machine, of course that is made for professional/commercial use. But even that machine in comparison to the 11306 is weak. I would not by a Snapper product now. I am so glad I got my series 6 when I did.


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