I thought it was a good idea to write a buying guide about the best Briggs and Stratton snow blowers that are available online. It might help you to decide which one of these snow blowers are the best for your driveway and weather conditions. I discuss the selection of either a single-stage or a two-stage machine before reviewing a handful of Briggs & Stratton snow blower models.
How To Choose Snow Blowers: Important Factors
Selecting the ideal snow blower for your requirements will make it simple and quick for you to clear away all of that recently fallen snow. Determining whether a single-stage or two-stage device would be the greatest match for your property is the first step in selecting a snow blower.
You need to consider things like how much snow you anticipate getting and whether it will be heavy and moist or light and fluffy.
The size of the entire area that has to be cleaned should then be taken into account. Do you have a wide driveway or a modest one? What is the length of the sidewalk that has to be cleaned up in front of your house? The driveway might have either a pavement surface or a gravel surface. By just posing a few questions to yourself and providing your own answers, you may avoid purchasing the incorrect snow blower.
Selecting One-Stage Snow Throwers
Remember that light to moderate snowfalls, usually 8 inches or fewer deep, are best cleared using single-stage Briggs & Stratton snow blowers. For cleaning walkways and modestly large paved driveways down to the pavement, a single-stage snow thrower is sufficient. In a single action, the rubber auger collects the snow and ejects it via the chute. A single-stage snow thrower’s small size, ease of movement, and straightforward controls are its key advantages.
Selecting Two-Stage Snow Blowers
Briggs & Stratton two-stage snow blowers are ideal for dealing with all sorts of snow on any surface. As a result, two-stage snow blowers are the best option for gravel driveways, since they do not make direct contact with the ground like single-stage snow blowers do. In reality, the auger housing contains movable skid shoes that keep gravel stones from being scooped up by the auger and scraper bar. Additionally, two-stage snow blowers are self-propelled machines that make it easier for the operator to handle the unit while removing snow from slopes and big spaces.
A two-stage snow blower features two different phases of snow removal, as opposed to a single-stage snow thrower. The auger gathers the snow and then moves it to the middle of the mechanism, where the impeller rotates quickly to throw the snow up and out of the discharge chute.
Briggs & Stratton 22-Inch Single-Stage Snow Thrower
There are quite a few 22-inch gas-powered Briggs and Stratton snow throwers to choose from. Nevertheless, they look quite similar. So what makes them different from each other? Which 22-inch snow thrower should you choose?
Let us consider the features that these 22-inch Briggs and Stratton snow blowers have in common before we look at the differences.
First, they all have a 22-inch wide snow cutting path and a 12.5-inch intake height. They have a single-stage system with an auger and snow chute, but without an impeller. These snow throwers get their power from a gasoline engine. They are suitable for small to medium driveways with a paved surface because the auger clears right down to the pavement. Therefore, do not use it for clearing snow from gravel surfaces! They can handle light to moderate snow, but definitely not heavy snow.
Now we can consider the differences. We will look at the following model numbers: 1022, 1022E, 1022ER, 1022EX and 1222EE. It seems like a lot of model numbers for basically the same 22-inch single-stage snow thrower!
The 1022 models have the 208cc Briggs and Stratton 950 Snow Series gasoline engine. The 1222 model has the 1150 Snow Series 250cc engine. The 950 Snow Series engine has a displacement of 208cc with a gross torque (ft-lbs) of 9.50 for spinning the auger blade. It has a 0.8-gallon fuel tank capacity. The 1150 Snow Series engine has a 250cc displacement with 11.50 gross torque and is obviously more powerful.
The 1022 model is the only snow thrower of the series which does not offer the convenience of an electric starter. The other models all have electric start.
The older models (1022, 1022E, 1022ER) have a thermal plastic urethane auger blade. The 1022EX and 1222EE seems to have the basic plastic auger, but it also includes a snow shredder steel auger with multiple serrated surfaces for better snow shredding performance.
Finally, the chute controls differ from snow thrower to snow thrower. The 1022 and 1022E has manual chute rotation, which means you have to grab it with your hand and turn it. The 1022ER and 1022EX has a remote chute crank, which you turn from behind the handlebars to rotate the chute either left or right. The 1222EE model is the only one that offers a button on the control panel for remotely rotating the chute.
Anyway, all the different model numbers and features are starting to make my head spin and whine like an auger blade. The pertinent question that needs answering is which 22-inch Briggs and Stratton snow blower is the best?
If you are going to get a 22-inch Briggs and Stratton snow thrower, then buy the Briggs and Stratton 1222EE because it offers the most features. It has the snow shredder auger, the 250cc engine, electric start, electric chute rotation and a headlight (buy on Amazon).
Briggs & Stratton 24-Inch Two-Stage Snow Blower
I will compare two 24-inch Briggs and Stratton dual-stage snow blowers: model number 1696610 and 1696614. They both have a 24-inch clearing width with a 12-inch steel scroll auger. The wheels and auger are powered by the 950 Snow Series 208cc gasoline engine with electric start.
There are a few small differences between these snow blowers that I will quickly point out. The Briggs and Stratton 1696610 has a chute crank located on the left side, but a manual deflector knob. The Briggs and Stratton 1696614 has both a chute rotation and chute deflector control on the dashboard panel. It also has an LED headlight.
Which 24-inch snow blower would I choose? We would probably buy the Briggs and Stratton 1696614 because it has the dash-mounted chute rotation and chute deflector controls (purchase on Amazon).
Briggs & Stratton 27-Inch Dual-Stage Snow Blower
I am going to consider two 27-inch dual-stage snow blowers: the Briggs and Stratton 1696619 and the 1696156.
These 27-inch snow blowers are made for medium duty snow throwing. They get their power from the 1150 Snow Series gasoline engine, which has a 250cc engine displacement and electric start. These snow blowers also have headlights.
The Briggs and Stratton 1696619 has a friction disk drive type a 12-inch steel scroll auger. It has a dash-mounted chute rotator and a remote chute deflector.
The Briggs and Stratton 1696156 has a gear drive with dual-trigger steering. It has a steel notched auger, electric chute rotation and a remote chute deflector.
What is my choice? I think that the Briggs and Stratton 1696156 is the 27-inch snow blower that has the best combination of features such as the trigger steerable transmission and electric chute rotation (check price on Amazon).
Briggs & Stratton 29-Inch Snow Blower With Two Stages
The last machine I am going to consider is the Briggs and Stratton 1696563 which has a 29-inch clearing width. It obviously needs more power for this wider clearing width. Therefore, it has the 1450 Snow Series 306cc gasoline engine with electric start.
Furthermore, it has gear drive with dual trigger steering for maintenance-free non-slip gearing performance. There are six forward speeds and two reverse speeds. Its 16-inch tires provide plenty of grip in the snow.
The Briggs and Stratton 1696563 has electric chute rotation and a deflector control right on the dashboard. It has a pair of halogen headlights to illuminate the working area. The handgrips also seem to be heated.
When it comes down to 29-inch gas-powered snow blowers, the Briggs and Stratton 1966563 is certainly a contender. It definitely has a few advantages, such as the dual trigger steerable transmission, electric chute rotation, and deflector control located on the control panel (shop now on Amazon).
Conclusion
Which is the best Briggs and Stratton snow blower for you? This depends on a few factors, such as the size and type of surface you want to clean. The type of snow, light or heavy, also plays a part in making a decision. The depth of the fallen snow also has an impact on the desired intake height of your chosen snow blower. These factors might determine whether you get a single-stage or two-stage snow blower.
The 22-inch single-stage gas-powered snow throwers are suitable for clearing light, dry snow from small to medium size paved surfaces. The dual-stage gas-powered snow blowers with clearing widths of 24 to 29 inches are the best for medium to large size driveways. The surface can be either paved or covered with gravel because the dual-stage machines have adjustable skid shoes on either side of the auger housing. Moreover, the two-stage system can also handle heavier and deeper snowfalls.
Thank you for reading my buying guide for Briggs & Stratton single-stage and dual-stage snow blowers.