# Quiet engines?



## Clifford33! (Dec 1, 2017)

Hello.

I've been reading about the Craftsman Quiet Engine snowblowers. Does anyone have experience with one of these, and are they really significantly quieter?

Can anyone recommend a SUPER quiet gas model that will work of the end of driveway mess? I'm 5'4" so I need easy maneuverability, too.

Thanks!


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## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

Clifford33! said:


> Hello.
> 
> I've been reading about the Craftsman Quiet Engine snowblowers. Does anyone have experience with one of these, and are they really significantly quieter?
> 
> ...


I've no experience with the Craftsman.

Probably out of your budget, but the quietest engine I've had so far is on a Yamaha YS1028J do to its enclosure.


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## vinnycom (Nov 6, 2017)

easier, cheaper to just buy ear plugs and/or muffs
imho


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## Clifford33! (Dec 1, 2017)

It is not my hearing I'm concerned about. My kids walk to bus stop at 6:10 a.m. and I really don't want the neighbors to hate me when I start the engine at 5:30 a.m.!


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## EdwardC (Sep 26, 2016)

Blow their sidewalk for them, I bet they won't hate you then!


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## Prime (Jan 11, 2014)

Honda engines are about the best Ive used for sound. I am also sound conscious. I have a drive way I have to clear for 5:15 am that puts me clearing mine by 4-4:15 and Im in town with neighbors all around me. I do clear them out occasionally. But most people are pretty tolerant about snow clearing. Your not normally out there every day.


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## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

My ne


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## vinnycom (Nov 6, 2017)

i just picked this up, it will wake the dead.
i just bought some ear plugs because i still had the engine noise in my head days after making this vid. its initially one step below full throttle, then i let her rip


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## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

Clifford33! said:


> It is not my hearing I'm concerned about. My kids walk to bus stop at 6:10 a.m. and I really don't want the neighbors to hate me when I start the engine at 5:30 a.m.!


or you can go the other route and let the house vibrate to the "soothing" sound of a 10hp flathead :devil:


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## Coby7 (Nov 6, 2014)

I'm 5'6'' and you won't find any quieter than the Yamaha 6-24 and it's easy to handle for smaller statured people. 

I love my http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/yamaha-snowblowers/26681-new-yamaha-yt624.html and it's a lot quieter than my neighbor's Honda


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## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

Viinn


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## CO Snow (Dec 8, 2011)

vinnycom said:


> easier, cheaper to just buy ear plugs and/or muffs
> imho


For your neighbors


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## vinnycom (Nov 6, 2017)

jtclays said:


> Viinny, I refurbed a Craftsman 11/30 a couple years ago and it was an earmuffs only machine for sure. Starting it inside the garage was not an option when testing it, sent my Lab into emergency mode inside the house:grin:





CO Snow said:


> For your neighbors


"wait till they get a load of me"
it will shake snow off the roofs.
i bought ear plugs but im thinking thats not enough.
maybe its just me , idk, but my neighbors dont talk to me as it is, i guess they will be looking at me for sure and thinking w. t. f., and im going to be using it on the first snowfall even its only 1" of snow.


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

snow itself really muffles sound !


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## 43128 (Feb 14, 2014)

honestly, predators an genuine hondas are probably some of the quietest snowblower engines you can get


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## Hanky (Nov 14, 2014)

I have found that Husky machine are fairly quiet, also you may snow blow in the evening if possiable. But then after 32 years of driving school bus quiet is different to me.


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## Prime (Jan 11, 2014)

nwcove said:


> snow itself really muffles sound !


Yes this is true.


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

Sounds like the B&S snow series engine. And I like how c-r-a--psman ripped off the joystick chute control from Toro. Or.. was it the other way around?


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## sciphi (May 5, 2014)

The Honda or Honda clone engines are fairly quiet. Tecumseh flathead engines are quite loud thanks to the muffler that isn't.


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## 69ariens (Jan 29, 2011)

I don't think that new Craftsman is any more quiet than my toro


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## guilateen02 (Nov 23, 2014)

USA available machines. The Used Honda HS724 is a quiet reliable and capable machine. Good for short stature folks. Most tall people comment on how low the handles are. Before buying used do some research. Watch out for ground down augers. The Craftsman Quiet snowblower is also pretty low on thenoise level. It's quieter than a briggs OHV snow series of it's similar size. Ive tested it side by side. As for it's snow performance I've never long term tested it but, the owner of the machine says it he is happy with it in New England storms we get.


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## 10953 (Sep 4, 2017)

the new toro loncin motor is pretty low on sound, 50 feet away it is a purr


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## man114 (Nov 25, 2013)

Ok, here is my take. I've owned one of these for a few years now, basically since it came out. It is quiet, quieter than my Roper with 8hp Tecumseh, quieter than the Powerland using a non quiet Honda knockoff. You don't need earplugs. Your hat is plenty of hearing protection.

It throws snow perfectly fine, heavy lake effect snow too.

The largest gripes are the sparkplug is hard to access due to the muffler size, it isn't easy to pull start and the choke is labeled in reverse (I don't know if this has since been corrected), no matter what you do, drain gas, use stabil, Marvel, it is always a pain to get started the following season. Once you get it started it runs perfectly fine for the rest of the season.

I run 0W-40 synthetic oil in it as I had a large quantity of it.

The build quality is the same as your other other big box cub cadets, Troy bilts and MTDs, it's basically the same blower with the different engine.

Other than the above mentioned issues I haven't had any problems with it. One of our local Sears had a few for $299 that I think they had stored on the patio and I was seriously tempted to get another, however I just bought the Powerland last year and finally sunk the cash into one for my tractor. 

The thing is depending on the sale you can sometimes get free delivery and pay the same or less for what is essentially an upgrade from the non quiet ones due to the zero turn and engine.


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## man114 (Nov 25, 2013)

jtclays said:


> My neighbor right next door has the "quiet technology" Craftsman blower. It is extremely quiet, even more so than my liquid cooled Kawasaki JD rider. I would actually call it remarkably quiet. Unfortunately, the biggest part of the engine is the muffler assembly. It throws snow like a low quality single stage with bad paddles. Maybe 10 feet in powder and frequently clogs. They are a strange couple and have been less than interested in any help with their OPE, so I have never really had a look at the impeller to tube fit, but I've offered. I have cleared their EOD several times when they were struggling with the machine, but it seemed to irritate them. I now watch them shovel the EOD and skip their sidewalks. Can't fix stupid:grin:
> Don't know if you saw this video on YT, this one seems to throw very well. My neighbors does not making me think something is not set up correctly on it, but likely will never find out.
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk8Kaz_GWJU


There should be no reason why it shouldn't throw a good far distance, I've rarely if ever had it clog. There is definitely something wrong with your neighbor's machine, belt must be slipping or something.


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## 10953 (Sep 4, 2017)

ok lets all simply admit there so no machine as loud as any brand or type of machine powered by a old flat head tecumseh, all that so called muffler was is a spark arrestor and not a good one even at doing that,


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## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

man114 said:


> There should be no reason why it shouldn't throw a good far distance, I've rarely if ever had it clog. There is definitely something wrong with your neighbor's machine, belt must be slipping or something.


I ag


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## rfw1953 (Oct 11, 2017)

Clifford33! said:


> I've been reading about the Craftsman Quiet Engine snowblowers. Does anyone have experience with one of these, and are they really significantly quieter?
> 
> Can anyone recommend a SUPER quiet gas model that will work of the end of driveway mess? I'm 5'4" so I need easy maneuverability, too.


 
I have a Honda and it runs more quiet than the old Craftsman I had. (I have never used a quiet technology Craftsman) The Honda chews right through the plow created berm at the EOD. Very happy with the machine and maneuvers very easily. 


As for SB noise and neighbors...Well, if you have to blow your driveway, others will as well. No such thing as a perfectly quiet SB. Even electrics make noise, it's just a different kind of noise. If you're really concerned about neighbor complaints, I like the idea of going the extra mile and clearing their sidewalk, or you could simply ask them if the noise bother them.


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## stromr (Jul 20, 2016)

Maybe it's me but in the two videos above I don't see a vast difference between engine noises. Course Mrs. Stromr says I have selective hearing. Whatever that is.


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## GustoGuy (Nov 19, 2012)

rfw1953 said:


> I have a Honda and it runs more quiet than the old Craftsman I had. (I have never used a quiet technology Craftsman) The Honda chews right through the plow created berm at the EOD. Very happy with the machine and maneuvers very easily.
> 
> 
> As for SB noise and neighbors...Well, if you have to blow your driveway, others will as well. No such thing as a perfectly quiet SB. Even electrics make noise, it's just a different kind of noise. If you're really concerned about neighbor complaints, I like the idea of going the extra mile and clearing their sidewalk, or you could simply ask them if the noise bother them.


I watched a video on the Sno-joe ion 2 stage electric snow thrower and it was much quieter than a comparable gasoline model. Yes there is some noise but compared to an old gasoline engine one from the 1980's or earlier it is extremely quiet. My Predator 212cc repowered MTD 5/22 is also so much quieter than the original Tecumseh 5 hp. I can barely hear it running from inside the house while the old 5hp tecumseh was much louder yet no where near as effective at throwing the snow. The new OHV Honda style engines are much quieter than the old flat head engines and they have multi baffle Honda styled muffler which is much better than the old cigar shaped loud as heck one which was on my old Briggs engine.


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## NJHonda (Feb 8, 2013)

I can tell you this.. My Toro 724 QXE snowmaster is a whole lot quieter then my Honda HS621. Both lot quieter then the old days though


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## man114 (Nov 25, 2013)

I think think if you compare it to a modern engine like a predator it's about half as loud as a similar displacement.


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## dr bob (Dec 12, 2015)

Is there a simple retrofit BAM (big-a&& muffler) that can be fitted to silence the exhaust noises? 

---

K reminds me not to go run the machine before 8am 'cuz it might bother the neighbors. I postulate that the loudest gripers about morning SB noises will enjoy it a lot more if they are out shoveling their own snow vs. watching me from the comfort of their heated family room as I do it for them. Still, a way to quiet the exhaust noise would be welcome. Short of liquid-cooling, we'll still have cylinder and head fins ringing of course, but a larger quieter muffler would be welcome if it actually worked.


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## man114 (Nov 25, 2013)

dr bob said:


> Is there a simple retrofit BAM (big-a&& muffler) that can be fitted to silence the exhaust noises?
> 
> ---
> 
> K reminds me not to go run the machine before 8am 'cuz it might bother the neighbors. I postulate that the loudest gripers about morning SB noises will enjoy it a lot more if they are out shoveling their own snow vs. watching me from the comfort of their heated family room as I do it for them. Still, a way to quiet the exhaust noise would be welcome. Short of liquid-cooling, we'll still have cylinder and head fins ringing of course, but a larger quieter muffler would be welcome if it actually worked.


It might be possible to adapt the muffler used on the quiet snowblower to similar displacement snowblower engines however....

1. The muffler, without the heatshield, is $52 from Sears. None of the bracket assembly to hold it up appears to be available meaning you'd be on your own with that. I'm not sure anyone else carries the part, MTD makes the blowers.

2. The existing gas tank on a similar blower engine will not fit and would also have to be reoriented.

I mean if you're handy, have some metal and a piece of fuel line it is probably possible.


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## dr bob (Dec 12, 2015)

Maybe stuffing the existing can with snow and dead mice from the garage will quiet things down some. Except for the fragrance... At least the neighbors would no longer gripe about the noise.


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## Bob E (Jun 9, 2014)

Seems like back when those quite engines came out I remember reading there were three parts to the equation. First being engine design (which I think is mostly OHV vs flathead, and maybe tin work), then muffler design, and after all the designing they set the engine to run at a lower rpm out of the box.


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## crosis38 (Dec 15, 2012)

My experience with "Quiet" engines was with Troy-Built. I bought it because it bragged of the engine being quiet however, for me, it was not quiet at all. I even did a sound meter test. I believe it clocked in at 70-75 dB.


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## dr bob (Dec 12, 2015)

crosis38 said:


> My experience with "Quiet" engines was with Troy-Built. I bought it because it bragged of the engine being quiet however, for me, it was not quiet at all. I even did a sound meter test. I believe it clocked in at 70-75 dB.



Measurements are good in some standard test environment. In my neighborhood that's probably the closest loudest-griping neighbor's front porch. For the most part, sound pressure readings are taken at a standard distance like six feet, and you test for the loudest reading. On mine that would be the left side, the same side that the engine exhaust exits. It would be pretty awesome if it was 70-75 dBa there, about the same as a car driving past on even throttle.

Part of the excitement over the noise is that the audience may have just decided that the silence of a snow-filled audioscape is being violently interrupted by the heathen (that would be me...) who has the raw audacity to use a snowblower to clear his own driveway. No issues if they hire a contractor to do theirs with an even louder machine, 'cuz having their driveway clear is really important.

Meanwhile, it there was an easy bolt-on solution that wasn't exorbitantly costly I'd go for it for my own peace and calm.

As it is I wear earplugs (NRR 33 3M Classics) topped with NRR 31 muffs. Same protection I wear when working around some of the gas turbines I get to visit once in a while. Per our local hearing experts, 50 years of religious use of hearing protection has payed off. Per the experts there, my mid-60's hearing sensitivity is the same as the average 25 year old's. I had to have her repeat that...

Perhaps there's an easy way to route a flex exhaust line to the bucket, and let the flying snow soften the pulses a little. That's the ticket! Maybe route some of it through the handle grips to keep things warm. Lots of possibilities!


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

I am not sure if you can get small flexible exhaust tubing; I only know of it in a four inch size. 


One of the fine members posted a muffler fix for the small engines a few days ago that involved a skinny farm tractor muffler with a tall stack and rain flapper. There is a flat gasket and an NPT threaded exhaust flange that bolts to the side of the engine exhaust port and then a pipe nipple of X length goes in next and then an 90 degree elbow and I don't remember if the base of the muffler has to be clamped to a pipe nipple or it threads into the pipe elbow.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

I have seen some testing done on engine noise of various youtube videos and a lot of times the noise is actually the valve train and internal to the engine. Better mufflers actually didn't make much difference.

As was said above though, snow is an excellent insulator and will quiet down the engine a lot.


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

Mufflers are only half the battle. These are air cooled engines. Most of the noise comes from the resonating engine itself. 

Liquid cooled engines have a water jacket that blocks a significant amount of noise. The only other option is an enclosure like Yamaha does with they yt1028j.

My 7000 watt generator sits in a small dedecated shed, lined with MLV and a extra muffler. With air flow through a baffled inlet and out an electric exhaust fan. Very very quiet.


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## dr bob (Dec 12, 2015)

Thaks for the links on the noise issues. Knocking down mechanical noise is a challenge on air-cooled stuff, since the noise travels easily through the same paths that cooling air flows through. This is probably less of a concern in the winter engines that are already working to contain heat towards the carburetor and maintain at least some cylinder heat. The fins on the barrels on the Husky LCT engine don't look big enough to allow rubber-block dampening for ringing, but I might try some of that at corners where there's room. This will be more of a science project than anything else though. I've heard no noise complaints at all this year, since we haven't received more than an inch or two at a time and it's melted off within a day.

Meanwhile I might add some MLV to the insides of a few of the engine shrouds and see if that does anything good. Again, I'm thinking "science project" rather than a full-blown development effort on this stuff.

--- 

As a brave and immortal youngster I had a mid-engine 3-liter 911 setup in a tube frame with fiberglass skin, along the lines of a lightweight dune-buggy. It was a weekend autocross car, but it had plates on it with lights and all that. Not really a comfortable road car by any stretch but OK in SoCal at the time for commuting to those events. I had the quietest mufflers I could find on it, yet it still attracted unneeded attention. A few times I was forced to visit a CHP station to demonstrate the sound pressures. Between the cylinder ringing and all the valve and cam chain noise, the cooling fan and gearbox noises, it was pretty loud. Exhaust was almost silent though. The big contributor to under-load sound pressures was intake noise. Six 12"-long trumpet intake tubes over individual throttles pretty clearly announced to the nearby world how much work the engine was doing. Big foam socks for air filters didn't really do anything to help. The inspecting officer, fortunately, was a car guy. Blipping the throttle sounded like six commercial toilets flushing in perfect harmony. He loved it enough to sign off on the exhaust noise ticket, but recommended that I find a better way to silence the intakes. I was all over that... I wore earplugs inside the helmet.


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