# When should I buy JD 1130se?



## jbollyn (May 6, 2010)

I am thinking about a JD 1130se, as my first snow thrower. Mostly for my home use, but when it sometimes snows heavily (Chicago), I *always* take a vacation day. So I _might_ help a few neighbors for $, in my free time, if they are nice.

I like JD in general, have one of their lawn tractors, etc. I think JD makes quality and reliable stuff...perhaps not the cheapest. I am OK with that.

Does it matter when I pull the trigger? Summer? Fall?

Thanks.


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## larrylaverne (Nov 13, 2009)

i'd say fall time and get more warranty time. make sure you got a place in garage for it.


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## jbollyn (May 6, 2010)

larrylaverne;1040955 said:


> i'd say fall time and get more warranty time. make sure you got a place in garage for it.


That is a great looking lineup. I have the baby LA 105, and am happy with it.

I almost bought a snow thrower last fall, but I held off. As it turned out, Chicago did not have that much snow, anyway. But if we get as much snow as the northeast, it would be a different story. Winter is difficult enough, without having to shovel by hand, in addition.

I might settle for something less expensive, because I don't have that much footage. I need to do my homework for the next couple months.


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## Jake_MN (May 11, 2010)

Just as an FYI, JD does not make their own walk-behind snowblower. Briggs makes them. This shouldn't dissuade you though. The past few years Briggs has made some good machines for the price point.


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## plowguy43 (Jan 2, 2008)

I thought they were made by simplicity?


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## Jake_MN (May 11, 2010)

Briggs bought Simplicity in 2004. Briggs also bought Snapper and Murray. The only Simplicity left that is still the old bullet-proof design is the Signature Pro series.

http://www.simplicitymfg.com/products/snow-throwers/signature-pro-commercial-duty-dual-stage/

The rest of the Simplicity two-stages as well as the Snapper/Murray/JD two-stages are all based on the same frame that Briggs uses for their Brute line. Good stuff, much better than MTD for example, but in my opinion not in the same category as the Ariens/Honda/Yamaha or even Toro two-stagers. The Simplicity Pro is still a sweet machine though.

Briggs sells their stuff everywhere these days. JD at Home Depot. Snapper at Sears. Brute/Murray at Menards.

I'm not down on the JD by any means. I looked in depth at the JD/Brute models last year and they've done a lot of upgrading to elevate their product. For the average homeowner a Briggs unit will last them a very long time with proper upkeep.


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## Jake_MN (May 11, 2010)

Did some looking and found where I remember seeing that Briggs bought Snapper/Simp. It's on Brigg's website.

http://www.briggsandstratton.com/corp/about_us/history.aspx

Here's an article about their acquisition of Murray

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE2DC133BF931A35751C0A9639C8B63

And they've been making the JD snowblowers since about the time they bought Simplicity, maybe they even took over for Simp, not sure on that one. JD hasn't made it's own snowblowers for a long time. They've farmed out the job to MTD, Noma, Ariens to name a few. The Ariens manufactured JDs are great machines.


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## plowguy43 (Jan 2, 2008)

We had an old Jacobsen snow blower that my Dad bought during the blizzard of 78- was a tank and ran mint till we sold our house in mass. I don't know what we did with it though?


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