Dual Stage Snow Thrower

Product Description

The Briggs & Stratton 1696563 Medium Steerable Dual Stage Snow Thrower features a 29 inch wide clearing path with a 19.5 inch intake height for clearing snow from sidewalks and other outdoor surfaces. This model has the 1450 Snow Series 250 cc Engine with 14.50 foot pounds of torque to power through heavier snowfalls. This model comes equipped with electric start so when it's time to start your thrower it's as easy as pushing a button. Unit features a gear drive with a dual trigger steering and 6 forward and 2 reverse speeds and a steel notched auger. Briggs & Stratton 1696563 Medium Steerable Dual Stage Snow Thrower comes equipped with Free Hand Control and on electric deflector control. Other features include synthetic oil for easy starting, an electric chute rotation control and dual in panel halogen headlights. The Briggs & Stratton 1696563 Medium Steerable Dual Stage Snow Thrower comes with a 3 year equipment and engine warranty to protect against defects in materials and workmanship. Known for hard working, dependable, efficient products, Briggs & Stratton is the world's largest producer of gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment. Briggs & Stratton products are designed, manufactured, marketed and serviced in over 100 countries on all seven continents.

Top Reviews

UPDATE TO Briggs and Stratton 1696563
by alpinegulch (1 out of 5 stars)
January 5, 2017

Although quite happy with Amazon on this purchase see initial review below. I must say I am extremely disappointed with my purchase. This snowblower comes with a General Transmission that is driven by a CVT belt which they claim should never need replacing. Well after only using this machine perhaps a dozen times in two seasons you can see by the picture the catastrophic failure this belt suffered. I am not sure if the belt was faulty, or it was caused by the transmission locking and contributing to its failure., all I know is that I spent $1000 for a machine that gave me a very limited use before a major incident.
*********original review below *************

The Item was ordered and supposed to be delivered on time as indicated by Amazon. On the day of delivery I called the shipper to see if I could get a better idea of the delivery window as it was getting late in the day and the window provided was like 9 to 9. The shipper indicated that they did not have me on the agenda, and could not find my any reference to my order. I got hold of Amazon and they were as perplexed as I was telling me they would get back to me. Just as I was about to call back after waiting over an hour in increasing state of frustration I received a call from Amazon informing me that they did not have any idea what happened to the item and asked if I wanted to order another. I was not happy and told them I had just pretty much waited all day, we were now in snow season, and I would have to wait another two weeks. They assured me there would not be any problems and effectively gave me $200 dollars off what had been a great offer at the time. I agreed. What followed was somewhat comical as somehow the original item resurfaced, and in fact was the one I received unbeknownst to me until after delivery when the shipping company called to see if I wanted the snowblower still delivered! Of course I asked what they were talking about and they explained that two items had materialized in their shipping inventory and I was scheduled for delivery of the second snowblower the next day. Figuring that Amazon was not about to give me $200 and another snowblower for my inconvenience I told the shippers I did not want the second unit and then called Amazon again to make sure they got their machine back and that I would not be not charged for shipping for that second item.

Well I am sure you are not reading this purely for entertainment and would actually like to know what my experience has been with the snowblower.

First, it is well made. It is much heavier than my girlfriends $900 Sears Craftsman that she purchased a few years ago that I must say has so far served her well. The assembly was pretty straight forward. However the instructions are not great. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SHIFT THE UNIT when it is NOT RUNNING. You will in all likelihood damage the transmission. I attempted to move the shift lever and it would not budge. Fortunately I did not force anything and discovered that little nuance of information somewhere in the literature.

The machine runs very well and throws the snow effectively. The unit steers well, and can be operated with one hand. The servo drive chute is convenient and heated hand warmers are very warm. I used the hand pull cord to start it, and it only took a couple pulls.... probably a few more with it is being started the first time. Also, the choke setting has 3 clicks. Try putting the choke on the 2nd click instead of all the way. Fully choked seemed to take more pulls on my unit.

You will not regret purchasing this snowblower. It is a lot of machine for the $
↭ 🍁 ↭
electronic start) are useful, reliable and easy to use
by Amazon Customer (5 out of 5 stars)
January 2, 2017

Performed superbly in the most trying of conditions. Every feature and function of the unit put to the test over a two month period of heavy-to-light snow. It has performed flawlessly. Follow most other reviewer's advice read and follow the assembly directions to completion before the snows arrive. At this point I give the unit a 4.75 to almost 5.0 star out of 5.

I have a cabin on three acres of land in the high elevation mountains of Idaho directly bordering the National Forest/National Wilderness. This unit is intended to plow a 65 foot long - two vehicle wide - gravel driveway, multiple pathways surrounding the cabin and oversized garage, and a homemade ice skating rink.

The unit was put to the test quickly. December 2017 provided over 65 inches of snow (measured) at the cabin in the space of 4 weeks. Two storms produced 18 inches each. In addition to storms of 12, 8, 6 and 3 inches. The storms of 12 and 18 inches were less than three days apart (and me absent) so the blower's first big job was 30+ inches of snow.

Advantages:
1. All features (Dual Stage, rotating up/down 180 degree left to right blower, multiple forward and reverse speeds, separate control for power and blower, electronic start) are useful, reliable and easy to use.
2. Power
3. Reliable

Area for improvement
1. The ability to change the unit's clearance works as designed. So while there is good control of height, the weight of the machine and highly manual nature makes change less than a snap.
↭ 🍁 ↭
This is a nice machine I have been able to use it three ...
by BarryDee (4 out of 5 stars)
February 3, 2016

This is a nice machine I have been able to use it three times this season. I have found it has one shortcoming the opening where the snow is discharged from the impeller could be larger. The machine works well in snow but in one case we had considerable rain prior to the change-over to five inches of snow so I had to deal with some slushy accumulation. The discharge clogged several times to a point where I had to stop using it. Fortunately for me I still had my 1993 Dynamark 8HP, this machine has a much larger opening and I was able to clear the snow without the chute clogging up at all.
↭ 🍁 ↭
Put together quickly, put gas in it, plugged ...
by EELJAY (4 out of 5 stars)
February 16, 2016

Put together quickly,put gas in it,plugged it in to start and started with the snow. I noticed the unclog tool was missing and that was the only problem.
↭ 🍁 ↭
Better off getting such a huge purchase in the store
by Film buff (1 out of 5 stars)
April 1, 2018

Since it is going to snow tomorrow, we tried to assemble this. It is missing a major part making it impossible to use. It also took three weeks to deliver. This is unacceptable considering the high price tag. Now we have to figure out how to get the part or return this monster of a machine. Lesson learned. Better off getting such a huge purchase in the store.
↭ 🍁 ↭
Great service!
by J R (5 out of 5 stars)
September 9, 2019

Just as pictured.
↭ 🍁 ↭
Baby it's cold outside!
by Jack C. Slagle (5 out of 5 stars)
January 18, 2017

I need a serious snowblower, I have a large driveway and get lots of drifting snow off the lake. This machine handles it all in an excellent fashion. Love the heated grips, machine starts easily, and is easy on fuel. My son who is in the repair business and works for the most popular manufacturer off outdoor equipment he recommended this model. He related to me he has seen and repaired them all and this snowblower is the best value in his opinion...I agree. Very happy with my purchase!
↭ 🍁 ↭
Traction is great and power is more than great
by Karen & William (5 out of 5 stars)
January 2, 2017

What a machine! We have a 1,000 foot driveway with several hills and curves. Traction is great and power is more than great. Just make sure all the nuts, bolts, and screws are snugged before you use it. It's hard to find them in the snow.
↭ 🍁 ↭
I'll start with the delivery. The unit arrived on ...
by Leon Agard (4 out of 5 stars)
April 2, 2016

I'll start with the delivery. The unit arrived on scheduled delivery date. I opened the crate and it appears that there was oil in the unit but it had all spilled out all over the crate. The dip stick cap on the unit is very loose or there is a gasket missing. I decided to put the unit together and refill it with new synthetic oil. It took me approx. 30 minutes to assemble everything. the only issue was one of the knobs to tighten the handle was stripped in the tightened position with the handle down. I was able to force the handle to the upright position and finished the assembly.

As far as performance I have only had one opportunity to use the snow blower this season. It was appox 3" snow fall. The unit started right up using the electric start. After I ran it for a few minutes I turned it off and used the pull handle to see how it would start. It started on the first pull. It was a wet snow and I expected the unit to just blow through everything since it was only 3". Instead it would occasionally get clogged with the wet heavy snow. I figured with this large powerful engine it would not have any issues getting through such a small snow fall, it may have something to do with the tapered chute. wide at the base but narrows at the top. plus the wet heavy snow. I'll just have to wait unti next winter to see how it performs under different conditions. Overall though it seems to be a well built machine. but needs a little tweaking. I'm giving it 4 stars because it did not handle the wet snow as I expected.
↭ 🍁 ↭
If you get snow over 8", then you need this.
by McSpin (5 out of 5 stars)
November 26, 2017

I think this is the minimum size for easily removing snowfall of a 8" or more. Anything less than that, and I can usually shovel it by hand quicker. After a season of use it was well worth getting.

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

*If this is not the "Dual Stage Snow Thrower" product you were looking for, you can check the other results by clicking this link.  Details were last updated on Sep 17, 2024 05:11 +08.