Briggs and Stratton snowblowers

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Are B&S snowblowers any good? Do hey make them or is it a MTD built machine? Im debating of selling my MTD 8hp and getting a new machine. My Dad has a Poulan Pro with a B&S engine and I like it. That Briggs will destroy the old Tecumseh.
 
I tend to favor the Briggs engines over the Tecumsehs. The old Tecumsehs can be reliable if maintained correctly, but the Briggs OHV engines always start first pull for me and have gobs of power.

I'll throw this idea out there:

What about purchasing a couple year old used Ariens or Toro with a Briggs engine? The build quality on the Ariens and Toro is far superior to anything you can find at the big box stores. I know with a new one you get a warranty, but I've had many customers who have spent weeks fighting with the stores for warranty coverage while their machine sits broken unable to move snow.

Sometimes if you scan Craigslist you can find awesome deals on gently used machines from people moving south or who have decided to hire a plow service. I helped my neighbor find a 1 year old Ariens on Craigslist that was used twice before the person decided to move south. The machine was garaged and he paid much less than he would've for a new cheaper made unit from Lowes.
 
Originally Posted By: FastLane
Are B&S snowblowers any good? Do hey make them or is it a MTD built machine? Im debating of selling my MTD 8hp and getting a new machine. My Dad has a Poulan Pro with a B&S engine and I like it. That Briggs will destroy the old Tecumseh.


They are cheap ones made by some off shore company I was told.
frown.gif
 
Hes asking about B&S snowblowers not engines.
https://www.briggsandstratton.com/na/en_us/products/snow-blowers.html


Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
I tend to favor the Briggs engines over the Tecumsehs. The old Tecumsehs can be reliable if maintained correctly, but the Briggs OHV engines always start first pull for me and have gobs of power.

I'll throw this idea out there:

What about purchasing a couple year old used Ariens or Toro with a Briggs engine? The build quality on the Ariens and Toro is far superior to anything you can find at the big box stores. I know with a new one you get a warranty, but I've had many customers who have spent weeks fighting with the stores for warranty coverage while their machine sits broken unable to move snow.

Sometimes if you scan Craigslist you can find awesome deals on gently used machines from people moving south or who have decided to hire a plow service. I helped my neighbor find a 1 year old Ariens on Craigslist that was used twice before the person decided to move south. The machine was garaged and he paid much less than he would've for a new cheaper made unit from Lowes.
 
I've fixed and maintained snowblowers on the side for 14 years now. The engine is rarely the problem compared to maintenance and initial build quality. All engines will have issues if they are run low on oil or have old fuel left in them, no matter what brand.

An Ariens with a Chinese engine will last longer before it is a piece of junk compared to a Home Depot machine with a Briggs. The Briggs engine doesn't do much if everything on the snowblower itself falls apart.
 
From what I've seen in person and what the website looks like, Briggs took over some of the Murray, Snapper and Simplicity designs. I own a Briggs "designed" Snapper commercial 21" mower from ~2011. Some cheaper components than when it was all Snapper.

Long story short, the snowblowers look like Murray machines to me, so they are not MTD or Husqvarna group. I've worked on some Murray snowblowers and they're OK. I'd rate them above an MTD in my opinion.
 
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