The Joys Of Briggs and Stratton Snow Blowers

Although most people have heard of Briggs and Stratton, if you haven’t, don’t feel bad. They build such solid equipment that people just don’t complain about them like other brands you likely have heard of. The company became the epitome of lawnmower engines over one hundred years ago, and while they have since gone on to develop other areas, and become an American Fortune 1000 company, they are still a name that is synonymous with solid building and reliability.

Briggs and Stratton Build Quality

So, now that we’ve established the reliability of their engine build, what about the actual product? After all, we’ve all encountered cars that have solid engines but outer body’s or electrics that fall apart as soon as you look at them (people too for that matter). Looking at their snow blowers is a pretty good place to start – these are going to be used in some of the worst conditions, and although it will be suggested that you ensure you have completely dried your gear and never store it wet, this is something that so few people ever actually find time to do.

Obviously they do make a range of equipment and versions, and we really only need to look at the Briggs and Stratton 1696619 review to see that their reputation for high manufacturing standards and solid construction are well deserved. These are made of with steel, and a gearbox that is contained in an aluminum case to ensure that it is waterproof.

Although you will find a lot of snow blowers with plastic bodies on the market – and they do have their place, they to fall victim as an example of the Samuel Vimes ‘Boots’ theory of socioeconomic unfairness. Good equipment is going to last for years, cheap equipment will be replaced time and time again, meaning you spend more than if you’d just brought the decent gear in the first place. Despite this obvious disadvantage B&S still continue to make products that last, and last, and last… and their lawnmowers have a reputation for being easy to repair if they ever do stop working, they are one of the most popular small engines for a very good reason.

Just Hire The Teenager Next Door

Whether you live in an area that shuts down because of the three flakes of snow which fall every two years or an area that just carries on and barely stops to blink when a 2ft dump happens overnight, you will likely have your preferred method of removing snow from your footpath and driveway.

It’s an age of tradition for teens and youths to be able to earn a few extra dollars by clearing the path for people in the neighborhood (or see here for other innovative traditions). However, for a host of reasons, this doesn’t happen as often as it used to. For one reason, people are busy! This includes teens. Secondly, using a snow blower takes a fraction of the time, and is just so much easier. While you will have purists who object to using technology to create an easier life, there’s no reason for you to stay with the old snow shovel – unless you really do enjoy it.

How Easy Are Snow Blowers To Use?

If you’re buying a Briggs & Stratton machine brand new, you’ll likely find that the hardest part of the operation is assembling it. Although you will find some retailers will offer a service where they will assemble it for you, for most people the easy to follow video will actually be more than enough, as long as you have a few basic tools in your toolbox.

As for actually using the machine to remove snow from your driveway and paths, you will find that there are different models so make sure you are picking something that will have the power you need for your normal expected snowfall. While they are all relatively simple to use, and B&S models are generally very easy to maneuver, if you have blizzard like conditions you may want to look at something that has a bit more power, which means you will really want to make sure that it has power steering as they do tend to be a little heavier.

However, for most people this is likely to be overkill, but if you read the reviews you will be able to ensure that you are investing in a model that is easy to maneuver as you walk behind it.

You can also look at really nice to have features like an electric start motor and LED lights. While you may think that you’ll be quite happy with a pull start lightless model, think about when you are most often going to be using your blower? For most people this is first thing in the morning to clear their driveway so that they can go to work… do you really want to be doing battle with a pull start in the dark?