# any thoughts on Briggs and Stratton snowblowers



## bozack (Dec 5, 2017)

local repair shop is selling them, place is highly recommended but I don't see many posts about them so not sure if the quality is worth considering? looks like they are also sold at HD and are around a grand? thanks


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## 69ariens (Jan 29, 2011)

They are basically the same as a simplicity snow blower. Briggs owns simplicity


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## SKT_33 (Sep 6, 2017)

My father in law has a 12HP 27" Briggs & Stratton that he purchased for a great price. The blower has power but he has broken many sheer pins and has only had the machine 2 winters and not much use. Not sure why the pins keep breaking.


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

the toro / Honda dealer by me use to carry snapper about three years ago, I took a look at a new 824 back then and it didn't look any better than an mtd. I guess they didn't sell well cause the dealer didn't have them on the sales floor the following year


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

Briggs & Stratton is generally considered a good and reliable brand. No real complaints about them.
We hear less about them overall than other brands because there are less of them out there, they dont have the same market share as Ariens, Toro and MTD.
also, IMO, probably because there isnt much to say about them. (which is good! people talk about problems, but say little when things are working fine)

based on everything I have seen and read over the years, I would buy one if it fit my needs..
I would have no concerns from a quality standpoint.

Scot


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## KennyW in CT (Feb 24, 2015)

The Briggs snow engines had initial problems with vapor locking due the design of the air box where the extreme heat of the muffler was boiling the fuel in the fuel line. I made aluminum foil/fiberglass heat shields for a few units that worked well/ 
Many were recalled (2000-2007) for fire hazards when primer fuel would drip out of the carb and vapors would ignite.
The biggest issue I have with them is that the carbs are jetted really lean. 
They either hunt like crazy when not under load or they run smooth as silk. I drill out jets of those I receive that can't stop hunting. 
Also the plastic spacer/heat insulator can warp if the carb mounting bolts are over-torqued and cause hunting from a vacuum leak. 
I even had one that wouldn't run with less than half a tank of fuel! (yes the carb was below the bottom of the tank for gravity feed)


If you go see one and she runs nice and smooth, you are probably good to go.


Just drain the fuel out of it at the end of the season for obvious reasons.


My .02


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## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

I wou


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## Cardo111 (Feb 16, 2015)

bozack said:


> local repair shop is selling them, place is highly recommended but I don't see many posts about them so not sure if the quality is worth considering? looks like they are also sold at HD and are around a grand? thanks



If you have read my posts you know I am Ariens biased for the most part. I and many others like their mix of quality, reasonable price for what you are getting and customer support. If you look at Amazon reviews for Briggs machines they are higher than MTD's ratings. As another member stated they also own Simplicity and Snapper (Snapper blowers are no longer available in the U.S. market). Simplicity used to be right up there with Ariens, Honda & Toro but has slipped do to quality issues with trouble prone plastic transmissions on their heavy duty series and electric chute control issues. However I still love the old school Sherman Tank build quality of their Professional Series. At the $1,000.00 USD price point I would stretch the budget a little and find that extra $200. for an Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO. It will bring you to a different league of machine, you won't regret it. All the best.


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## KennyW in CT (Feb 24, 2015)

jtclays said:


> I wouldn't pay anyone any amount of money for a Briggs OHV engine or any POS they claim to have made/assembled or packaged. Instead of extra keys dangling on the front of their worthless equipment they should have head gaskets, valve seats, push rods and starter rope. Those are my thoughts..............you asked:grin:



I didn't want to mention the keys, and the amount of snapped starter rope would be in miles and If someone says it won't start, Head Gasket every time. Bent push Rods, ya, those too.


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## bozack (Dec 5, 2017)

Cardo111 said:


> If you have read my posts you know I am Ariens biased for the most part. I and many others like their mix of quality, reasonable price for what you are getting and customer support. If you look at Amazon reviews for Briggs machines they are higher than MTD's ratings. As another member stated they also own Simplicity and Snapper (Snapper blowers are no longer available in the U.S. market). Simplicity used to be right up there with Ariens, Honda & Toro but has slipped do to quality issues with trouble prone plastic transmissions on their heavy duty series and electric chute control issues. However I still love the old school Sherman Tank build quality of their Professional Series. At the $1,000.00 USD price point I would stretch the budget a little and find that extra $200. for an Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO. It will bring you to a different league of machine, you won't regret it. All the best.


Thanks, I was actually looking at the Platinum 24 SHO as my alternate choice.


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## KennyW in CT (Feb 24, 2015)

I know it's old technology but if someone would clone the Tecumseh HSSK engines, we'd be all set. Too bad the EPA won't let us.


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## flash4o (Feb 3, 2017)

I bought this one last winter, ahead of 4-5 big storms. Briggs & Stratton 1696614 

Bought from a local power equipment dealer after a day going to big box stores and not liking the quality\feel\price.

It's been terrific. Starts by 2nd pull. Lots of power. I find it easy to maneuver. 

I summer-ized in April. Pulled it out two weeks ago, looks and run like day I got it.

Given the chance, I'd buy it again.

HTH


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

flash4o said:


> I bought this one last winter, ahead of 4-5 big storms. Briggs & Stratton 1696614
> 
> Bought from a local power equipment dealer after a day going to big box stores and not liking the quality\feel\price.
> 
> ...


Get a photo of it, i'd like to see it.


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## flash4o (Feb 3, 2017)

When I drag and drop pic files in, it shows the process quick, then stops.

Love this site, hate the pic upload "feature."


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## jben (Feb 1, 2020)

I just bought a snowblower model 1696619 2 months ago and after using it three times, the impeller was bent and off balance. Was told by Briggs, that a certified dealer had to diagnose the problem. First dealer I talked to said, you're better off fixing it yourself, briggs doesn't stand behind their warranty. Drove it to the next nearest Briggs and stratton service center 60 miles away, was told by Briggs and stratton that the warranty was denied because of customer abuse, all I used it for was snowblowing my driveway.


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

jben said:


> I just bought a snowblower model 1696619 2 months ago and after using it three times, the impeller was bent and off balance. Was told by Briggs, that a certified dealer had to diagnose the problem. First dealer I talked to said, you're better off fixing it yourself, briggs doesn't stand behind their warranty. Drove it to the next nearest Briggs and stratton service center 60 miles away, was told by Briggs and stratton that the warranty was denied because of customer abuse, all I used it for was snowblowing my driveway.


sounds like you should take it back to the store you bought it from. if that doesn't work hopefully you paid for it with credit card. them maybe you can file a dispute or something to get your money back.


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

Briggs is known for their engines, they bought Simplicity a few years ago, they own Ferris, who makes the commercial models for Simplicity, they own Snapper which is a low grade product, Murray, another low grade product, and they have ties with Generac, another company to stay away from.
The Briggs snow blowers were an extremely low grade machine, and generators with the Briggs name on them were very troublesome and did not perform well at all.
Briggs should have just stayed with their engine line and not branched out and took over all the other companies that they did, we are worried that they will "Cheapen" the Simplicity line.
I would stay away from their "Power Products" line at this time. The power units on them might hold up o.k. but the rest of the product is not built well at all, a lot is produced with the quality of the Snapper and Murray line quality, which was low grade. We don't know if they will ever improve their Power Product line or just discontinue it. The way the company is managed now, they may discontinue that line due to poor quality and construction of the products.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

And now: Shares of *Briggs & Stratton* (NYSE:BGG) lost more than 40% of their value on Thursday morning after the company reported quarterly results that were well below expectations, cut its outlook for its next fiscal year, and slashed its dividend. The results finished off a nightmarish fiscal year for the small-engine and equipment maker, which is trying to revamp its business following the bankruptcy of major customer *Sears Holdings*.


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## foggysail (Feb 21, 2015)

KennyW in CT said:


> I know it's old technology but if someone would clone the Tecumseh HSSK engines, we'd be all set. Too bad the EPA won't let us.



Yeah, the perils of ‘’big government’’ and too many people want more of it.


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## barney (Nov 21, 2017)

foggysail said:


> Yeah, the perils of ‘’big government’’ and too many people want more of it.


Yeah, it would be much better if we could just go back to the smog of the 60's, tainted beef, tainted pharmaceuticals, poisoned rivers, polluted wetlands...etc. etc.
Those govt. people are evil.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

flash4o said:


> When I drag and drop pic files in, it shows the process quick, then stops.
> Love this site, hate the pic upload "feature."


 Use the "Manage Attachments" function down below in the Additional Options section. It's much more functional.

If the picture already exists online somewhere, right click on it and choose View Image, then copy the URL. Use the Insert Image icon above the Reply area and paste the URL to insert the image at the current cursor location.


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## foggysail (Feb 21, 2015)

barney said:


> Yeah, it would be much better if we could just go back to the smog of the 60's, tainted beef, tainted pharmaceuticals, poisoned rivers, polluted wetlands...etc. etc.
> Those govt. people are evil.


OH WETLANDS!!!! Finally, the EPA LAST WEEK changed that ridiculous description to eliminate NON- NAVIGATIONAL waters. Gees..... a farmer with a wet puddle that lasted longer than a rain storm had to get environmental approval to build on that puddle when dry.

Tainted beef? Gees, I thought that era ended with refrigeration along with needed government inspection going back to the 1930’s. Yeah bring it on, MORE GOVERMENT!!!

My town recently approved at town meetings all day pre-primary ‘’education’’ for preschoolers. Yeah.....ALL DAY BABY SITTING FOR WELL OFF YUPPIES. Next they approved the hiring of a puddle lady at $60,000/year. Her responsibility to to check water drainage. There are tooo many people who believe more restrictions are better than reasonable restrictions. The presidents just forced limited ‘’enviormental studies’’ for building projects. The typical so called traffic studies involved thousands of pages that nobody even read before a highway, pipe line or any major construction project could be started resulting sometimes in decades of delay adding tens of millions of dollars to the project cost. 

From WSJ, 13 January 2020

*Getting Closer to ‘Shovel Ready’
*
*Environmental impact statements shouldn’t take 13 years and more than 16,000 pages.*


Read the above article if curious. Enough, enough, enough!!!!!!


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## foggysail (Feb 21, 2015)

Can one imagine what a the Cities of Boston and Miami would look like today if the construction rules imposed today were imposed back then?????? Both cities are BUILT IN SWAMP WATER! Boston Back Bay dirt came from local towns such as Needham, MA. My my......what about all those little fishes that perished. Gosh.....

Sorry, getting carried away here


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

Foggysail, they have to have an excuse pay those college educated people to do something besides Nostril Excavation, they are loosing too many brain cells from all the excavating work of their Nasal passageways the college educated people are doing while sitting there looking at all of their pretty looking degrees hanging on their walls, you know, the degree in "Lack of all Common Sense". But at least they get a paycheck for doing that.


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## foggysail (Feb 21, 2015)

ST1100A said:


> Foggysail, they have to have an excuse pay those college educated people to do something besides Nostril Excavation, they are loosing too many brain cells from all the excavating work of their Nasal passageways the college educated people are doing while sitting there looking at all of their pretty looking degrees hanging on their walls, you know, the degree in "Lack of all Common Sense". But at least they get a paycheck for doing that.



Yeah, you are right. I have a college degree, a BSEE that did more than hang on a wall. I earned it working a full time job while I supported my wife and 2 kids at the same time. I worked for years as a circuit design engineer and manager. There is no room for bull$h*t in physics.


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

foggysail said:


> Yeah, you are right. I have a college degree, a BSEE that did more than hang on a wall. I earned it working a full time job while I supported my wife and 2 kids at the same time. I worked for years as a circuit design engineer and manager. There is no room for bull$h*t in physics.


I like the posts you did earlier, especially the shovel ready jobs.
I wonder if the "Puddle Lady" might be one of that movie star lady Lori Laughlin's daughters, I bet the Puddle Lady has a degree in "Rowing" while she was in highschool, even though her school never had a rowing team.
I should have labeled my post more towards the "Political Science" degree types. I do have a nephew who is attending a major university and studying engineering now. His major complaint is that they do not concentrate their teaching on engineering subjects that he wants to learn, they are more concerned about teaching the students about how to fly the rainbow flag properly, and he could care less about that, but that is more important for their grades than actual engineering.
He is getting ready to drop out of that school and go to a different university that will concentrate on teaching engineering, not all the politically motivated things that are going on today.
Its sad how a lot of the people are trained in colleges today, I get to see the results every day and wonder how they tie their own shoes without looking at their computer screen videos to show them how, and these types of people are the ones making all the money being the bosses on the assembly and quality control lines.
You sound like one of the few people who EARNED their degree and you actually learned how to do things, not like a bunch of kids today with their Mommy and Daddy "Paid For" degrees.


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## Zavie (Sep 23, 2014)

Wow, crazy off topic posts junking up this thread, holy mackerel.


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## Jesse11B (Jan 27, 2020)

A recent thread by MDchanic on the forum gives a reason to be somewhat leery with B&S. He has a 2014 B&S engine that suffered from mechanical failure. The cam lobes are plastic, and had rotated out of position.

I’m no engineer, nor an expert on small engines. But I just don’t believe plastic should be inside an engine.


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## Wilson (Nov 20, 2020)

I have a Craftsman with a Briggs and Stratton 11.5 hp which was new in 2007. I'm not the type to baby 
my snow blower you can almost say I abuse it all the time, but I have to say you can't kill this thing. Best money spent in my life. 5 stars to Briggs and Stratton engines. PS... Just picked up a Honda with 
tracks. Loving it too.


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

The Briggs & Stratton snowblowers were made by Murray, which B&S owns. They were not made by Simplicity. They were of low quality and design like the Snapper line which is nothing like the old line was.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

The most important thing is how you operate and maintain a piece of equipment.

Don't get me wrong, a unit can be built sturdier than another one, but you can bet, that unit will suffer damage under the hands of someone not operating it properly or not maintaining it.

As well as less expensive models will last and run just great for a long time if operated and maintained properly.


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