# Ever seen a 2 stage Snapper with a paddle wheel (like a Bob Cat) ???



## russkat (Feb 25, 2015)

I've never seen a Snapper with this configuration before.

Anyone have any details ?


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## tdipaul (Jul 11, 2015)

no, never!

nice find

Last pic really shows how the design really stretches the length out


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## russkat (Feb 25, 2015)

True... those paddle wheel blowers do seem to be longer.


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## russkat (Feb 25, 2015)

I stopped by an equipment dealer this morning who used to carry Snapper (bought my first Snapper mower there in 1978) and the owner and his father had never seen a Snapper blower design like that before.
They were selling Snapper blowers since they first started making them.

Perhaps a short production run and only released to a small region of the country, who knows.
If you look close at the pic below, you'll see almost what looks like short fenders to the side of the tires.
At least that's what I would call them, but for what purpose? No idea !


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

There is a small firm that has been selling the same design for a hydraulic drive 2 stage snow thrower 
mounted on the front loader of a farm tractor. 

If the engine was larger and the driven sprocket for the cross auger was 3 sizes larger and the sprocket for the impeller paddle wheel was one size smaller and an impeller paddle modification was done the snow would fly across the neighborhood to the other side of the ditch and bury the mail boxes.

If you mounted the smallest Yamaha V twin on this thing kept using WD-40, Fluid Film or no stick cooking spray it would really work well and barely whimper at the amount of work it was doing.


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## Blosumsno (Dec 7, 2016)

Wow! I have the parts manuals for Snapper SB801 or SB601 ( or something like that) when I bought a Snapper shop manual binder from ebay last year and that is what's in there. Awesome to finally see one for real, will get back with the dates of the manuals as I'm at work right now.


P.S. those fender like ears were also present on the old Snapper RER mowers.


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## Blosumsno (Dec 7, 2016)

Ok, so I was off on the model # but it could be a SN501 (5HP) or SN801 (8HP). Interestingly there is only one part # for the auger bucket and as a matter of fact the only part I saw that differentiates between the two are two bolts that go from under the engine plate, otherwise it seems there was only one size machine for either engine.


My manual has a print date of 9/73. 


Here are a couple scans from it. Also I would be willing to donate a PDF scan of it to the site if I'm able to.


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## toroused (Mar 1, 2015)

I happened to stumble across another one - quite rusty - in a Milwaukee area Craigslist listing.

There's also a munchin 3HP old Snowbird in the listing as well. 

Link: https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/grd/d/3-horsepower-and-8-horsepower/6492737917.html


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## toroused (Mar 1, 2015)

And speaking of paddle style models, here is an MTD version from the 1970's. Spectrum's snowblower history page has a "Crusader" brand model that was made by MTD at the time. Yet I've never seen the MTD paddle style model in the old MTD chevy orange/red. 

Link: https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/for/d/mtd-8-hp-electric-start/6506095056.html


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

russkat said:


> True... those paddle wheel blowers do seem to be longer.


Is it yours ??
.


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## barney (Nov 21, 2017)

toroused said:


> And speaking of paddle style models, here is an MTD version from the 1970's. Spectrum's snowblower history page has a "Crusader" brand model that was made by MTD at the time. Yet I've never seen the MTD paddle style model in the old MTD chevy orange/red.
> 
> Link: https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/for/d/mtd-8-hp-electric-start/6506095056.html


That's interesting. I guess it was a design dead end due to torque losses? and/or just cheaper to run the axle down the middle. Those handle bars def. look like a weak point where they attach to the frame. Never realized how interesting snowblower designs were till I joined this forum. :smile2:


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## zbeast6 (Apr 4, 2019)

Hello I see that you are located in southern Pa an I saw you commenting on the SN801 Snapper snow blower thread. I am in south central Pa an have one of these for sale. Please see my craigslist ad chambersburg.craigslist.org/grd/d/greencastle-1970s-snapper-sn801-snow/6857736892.html. Please feel free to contact me if you are interested at all my name is Zane. 7174942307


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

Simplicity had some models with the blower assembly like that on some older models. It was an odd setup compared to today's models but worked the same. The whole auger housing was longer due to the design of the way the impeller was mounted, but was more of a straight line drive. It did not have the necessary auger gearbox with the worm gear setup to spin the auger shaft. It was a simple design with external drive belts but was long in the front end by design. It helped keep the bucket scraper bar down to dig in, but when you had to lift it, or rock the bucket back and upwards, it was a bit more of an effort due to the length ahead of the drive wheel axle.
They turned the impellers 90 degrees in the new models to shorten the overall length and make better maneuverability and take up less storage space by adding the auger gear box for the 90 degree bend in the driveline. But when they did that, they added extra more complicated parts to break, instead of just a belt drive with pulleys and bearings. But the belt could eventually get wet and slip, so the gearbox was better in the long run.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

zbeast6 said:


> Hello I see that you are located in southern Pa an I saw you commenting on the SN801 Snapper snow blower thread. I am in south central Pa an have one of these for sale. Please see my craigslist ad chambersburg.craigslist.org/grd/d/greencastle-1970s-snapper-sn801-snow/6857736892.html. Please feel free to contact me if you are interested at all my name is Zane. 7174942307


I looked at it. Nice. How does it handle the EOD after the plows have passed? Any better?


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## zbeast6 (Apr 4, 2019)

JLawrence08648 said:


> I looked at it. Nice. How does it handle the EOD after the plows have passed? Any better?


I would say it handles the more packed snow very similar. I only have one point of comparison and that is a mid 90's yard machine that has a 12 HP engine.


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## Dusty (Dec 13, 2018)

For some reason, for me the images say blocked and I cannot see them, which is a shame, because I have a few snapper snowblowers so I'm in this section more often.
I wonder why the images are blocked. Can anyone find out and let me know and correct the issue for me. Thanks


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