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Clay


Location: Wis
Joined: Dec 3, 2008
Points: 111

John Deere 1130 SE
Original Message   Jan 7, 2009 1:07 pm
I did a search and found a few references to this machine but no answers.  Any one have one of these?  15.5 snow max engine, heated hand grips, 30" wide.  I can't find a listing for auger diameter or impeller diameter.  I called John Deere and the guy that was suppose to be the snow thrower expert didn't know either. 

What is the Easy Steer drive system?  The literature says: 

  • Easy Steer® drive system giving continuous power to both wheels and auto speed adjustment
  • Is it similar to the Ariens auto differential? 

    I've heard that the units are built by B&S which translates to Simplicity.  They do have cast iron gear cases like the Simplicity.  The chute control is different than the simplicity and so is the turning method so they are not exactly the same.  I'm trying to compare the Simplicity L1530E to the JD 1130SE.  Any help would be appreciated.

    Rick

    Replies: 1 - 333 of 333View as Outline
    MacLorry27


    Joined: Dec 23, 2008
    Points: 54

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #1   Jan 7, 2009 1:20 pm

    Here’s info on the John Deere 1130SE . The 15.50 ft-lbs gross torque translates into about 10.5 HP, but they like to round up for the model number, and thus, the 11 in 1130SE.

    This message was modified Jan 7, 2009 by MacLorry27
    Clay


    Location: Wis
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Points: 111

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #2   Jan 7, 2009 1:30 pm
    So the drive is the same as the Simplicity, at least apples and apples there.  That doesn't surprise me.  What is currious is how they describe it in the literature as "giving continuous power to both wheels and auto speed adjustment"  Pulling a lever and removing power from one wheel does not sound the same to me as continuous power to both wheels and that is what prompted the question. 

    Any ideas on auger or impeller size as well as the number of vanes in the impeller?

    Has anyone tried the chute rotation?  What do you think of the system?

    Simplicity L1530 E locally for $1450, JD 1130 SE for $1499 with a bigger engine and heated grips.  Both will be serviced at local tractor supply companies with on site staff and good turn around times.  What would sway you one way or another.  I will make this decision today since both are still in stock.  One will come home today.

    Rick

    rukey


    Joined: Jan 7, 2009
    Points: 3

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #3   Jan 7, 2009 2:12 pm
    I have been reading posts on this board for some time, but have not contributed as I have primarily been learning from the rest of you. Just wanted to say 'thanks' for all of the useful info. Now onto the intial question posted...

    I purchased the JD 1130SE from Lowes in Canada earlier this fall, so I can hopefully answer some questions related to this machine.

    • What is Easy Steer? Unfortunately, JD has not provided a great deal of info on this feature to help consumers, but I can tell you that there are no triggers on this machine. Each wheel is independently powered, so steering is very easy. I can't comment if this is the same as the Ariens differential as I have never used one of those machines
    • Chute control? The chute control uses the more traditional hand crank connected to a type of worm gear located at the bottom of the chute. Mechanism appears robust, but takes 5-10 cranks to move from left to right.
    • Auger/Impeller? Auger is listed as 14", and impeller as 12", but I have not measured.

    Let me know if there are any other details I can provide.

    Clay


    Location: Wis
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Points: 111

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #4   Jan 7, 2009 2:23 pm
    rukey wrote:
    I have been reading posts on this board for some time, but have not contributed as I have primarily been learning from the rest of you. Just wanted to say 'thanks' for all of the useful info. Now onto the intial question posted...

    I purchased the JD 1130SE from Lowes in Canada earlier this fall, so I can hopefully answer some questions related to this machine.

    • What is Easy Steer? Unfortunately, JD has not provided a great deal of info on this feature to help consumers, but I can tell you that there are no triggers on this machine. Each wheel is independently powered, so steering is very easy. I can't comment if this is the same as the Ariens differential as I have never used one of those machines
    • Chute control? The chute control uses the more traditional hand crank connected to a type of worm gear located at the bottom of the chute. Mechanism appears robust, but takes 5-10 cranks to move from left to right.
    • Auger/Impeller? Auger is listed as 14", and impeller as 12", but I have not measured.

    Let me know if there are any other details I can provide.



    So how is it to turn?  I do a lot of turning in my application. 

    Has the Worm gear either slipped for you or frozen up?  They use to use that type of application on machines years ago, but they were durable.  With all of the turning I do flip the chute often as well.  It looks like the handle for the crank is on the operatoring dash board for lack of a more concise term.  I use a snow cab so I have to have something that I can reach while inside of the cab.

    The John Deere rep sent me a piece of literature in an email that shows chains like a bike chain for the drive.  Not sure about the desireability of the chain vs a belt.  My uneducated first impression is that the chain would not slip, but your shear pins better work. 

    Are there grease zerts on the auger shaft?  The Ariens unit did not have them.

    Are the auger pivots bushings or bearings?

    Thanks for all of the quick help.

    Rick

    MacLorry27


    Joined: Dec 23, 2008
    Points: 54

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #5   Jan 7, 2009 2:51 pm

    I have the JD 928, which is the 1130’s little brother. It also has 14 inch auger and a 12 inch 4 blade impeller. The chute rotation is the same as on the 1130, which is done by a worm gear turning against a ring gear mounted to the bottom of the chute. Once I adjusted mine it works good and is likely more reliable that many of the other schemes.

    As for the Easy Steer® drive system, the 928 doesn’t have it and I was assuming the 1130 uses the same system as the equivalent Simplicity. With only $200 difference in price between the 928 and the 1130 and given the larger engine, and hand warmers on the 1130, I would be worried about the robustness of some really cheap differential that might be used on the 1130. I would go the JD dealer and have them explain exactly what it is.

    rukey


    Joined: Jan 7, 2009
    Points: 3

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #6   Jan 7, 2009 3:43 pm
    Turning? I consider the machine relatively easy to turn for its size, I do however need to mucle the machine a bit. If you get the opportunity to handle the machine at a dealer, you will be able to judge the amount of force needed to turn. Whether the machine is running or not, it takes the same amount of force to turn it. 

    Chute rotation? I did need to properly grease the chute, as Lowes only had a squirt of grease on it. Once I correctly greased the chute and the worm gear, the rotation is effortless.

    Grease zerks? There are grease zerks on both augers (left / right)

    Bushings / bearings? The friction disk definately turns on bearings (from manual). The auger appears to turn on bearings, but I would check with JD to verify.

    Differential? I am hesitant to comment on the robustness of this feature. It works well so far, but I have only use the machine for a couple of months, and have no other machine for comparison. If JD sent you a brochure, the inside of the machine is pictured at the top of the second to last page.

    A subtle difference between the engine on the 928 and 1130 other than size is that the 1130 is the Snow Series MAX which has throttle adjustment.

    Clay


    Location: Wis
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Points: 111

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #7   Jan 7, 2009 5:27 pm
    Here is a link to the JD snow thrower literature that has a picture of the Easy Steer mechanism.  http://www.deere.com/en_US/ProductCatalog/HO/media/pdfs/jd_snowthrowers_brochure_eng.pdf

    I was able to talk to the service depart at the local John Deere dealership that spoke very highly of the 1130SE even though they don't have any to sell in the store.  They have been sold out for months.  What was funny is that Lowes pays the JD dealership to come to Lowes and set these units up.  Lowes employees don't set up the JD products like the Home Depot employees set up the Ariens products.  The JD dealership also provides local service for the unit and the service manager said that they have had no return on the product and it has been a trouble free unit.  That was nice to hear.  The Easy Steer was a popular option the manager said. 

    While the chute rotation isn't quite as convenient as some models of quick turn cables etc, I would have to agree that the design with the worm gear, while not being high tech is probably very durable. I haven't seen anything that makes this JD a no go product.  While I won't likely be able to tell the difference between the Briggs snow max 14.5 and the 15.5 bigger is usually better.

    Rick

    Clay


    Location: Wis
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Points: 111

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #8   Jan 7, 2009 8:17 pm
    Bought the John Deere 1130se.  Chute rotation isn't bad at all and it turns as good as an Ariens in the short run that I took it on in the driveway when it came home.  I think that it is a winner.  I aked for a better price on the unit from Lowes and while he said that they are still selling 20 units a day after a good snow fall and wouldn't be able to discount the unit he did give me a coupon worth $50 of any purchases over $500.  $1450 and I am officially Green now.

    Rick

    pvrp


    Joined: Nov 14, 2008
    Points: 151

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #9   Jan 7, 2009 9:16 pm
    That certainly looks to me like it could be a differential.  This
    would be interesting since Simplicty doesn't offer one to my
    knowledge.

    You can buy a engine block heater as an accesory.  First time
    I've heard of that on a snowblower.

    You know Clay, I think you've found the perfect strategy.  If you
    keep it up you'll have had a different machine for every storm
    and all you'll have to do is return the last one and the winter
    won't have cost you anything

    Paul

    This message was modified Jan 7, 2009 by pvrp
    Clay


    Location: Wis
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Points: 111

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #10   Jan 7, 2009 10:45 pm
    pvrp wrote:
    That certainly looks to me like it could be a differential.  This
    would be interesting since Simplicty doesn't offer one to my
    knowledge.

    You can buy a engine block heater as an accesory.  First time
    I've heard of that on a snowblower.

    You know Clay, I think you've found the perfect strategy.  If you
    keep it up you'll have had a different machine for every storm
    and all you'll have to do is return the last one and the winter
    won't have cost you anything

    Paul


    I'm driving my wife crazy.  I have never returned this much stuff in my whole life and this is not standard operating proceedure.  My old snow thrower  lasted 21  years and I didn't want something that wouldn't be around.  Truth is for under a grand that Craftsman 14.5 is still a heck of a machine.  This was 50% more than the first one.  The problem is that each machine has become more expensive.  The first one was around a grand, the second one $1200 and the third one $1500 after tax.  By the way Lowes does have a 30 day return policy and if this thing treats me like crap or I have 3 service calls in 3 weeks you don't even have to guess where it will end up.  So yes, I will take all of the ribbing anyone wants to give me.  I have had a very unique selection process but I don't recomend it to anyone else.  The first unit I bought out of state, but was able to return it locally, the second unit was bought out of state and returned out of state and the third unit was bought about 30 miles away.  Luckily gas prices have been down too.  The first unit I did an oil change with synthetic oil and lubed up the wheels with grease etc.  While it might sound fun to some, this has been a royal pain in the rear.  I just want a machine that works and I can get parts for after the warranty ends.  Is that really too much to ask for $1500 of my money?  If I wasn't going through this myself and I was reading my threads, I would be laughing my rear off at me, so I don't mind the friendly poke in the ribs.  I probably deserve it.

    I did turn on the heated grips and they made me smile tonight.  More to follow after we get some snow and I can play with it for real.

    pvrp


    Joined: Nov 14, 2008
    Points: 151

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #11   Jan 7, 2009 11:00 pm
    So how does it turn ?    

    Paul
    Clay


    Location: Wis
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Points: 111

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #12   Jan 7, 2009 11:47 pm
    pvrp wrote:
    So how does it turn ?    

    Paul



    I'm very happy with how it turns and I don't have to pull a lever.  I was also very happy with pulling a lever on the Craftsman 14.5, which turned with power to one wheel and it let you choose which wheel had the power unlike the Simplicity which always releases power to the left wheel so that the right wheel is under power.  In other words with the JD, you can turn to your left or to your right with similiar ease.  I like it. 

    Truth is that it is still too new to tell.  Give me a couple of 8 to 12" snow falls and I can write a better review with very realistic thoughts.  I don't want to say it is the greatest thing since sliced bread, because I really haven't even used it in the snow yet, just running it up and down the side walk.  I'm looking at taking that B&S snow max with 15.5 pounds of torque and 342cc and seeing what it will do with a heavy snow and lots of it.  Proof will be in the pudding as they say.  Until then, I have a positive outlook with a sense of reality as well.  I just like that the local service place told me that they can turn around most jobs in 2 to 3 days if the part is on hand and if not about a week with parts shipping.  When it takes 3 weeks minimum to get your machine looked at, I don't call that much of a warranty. 

    Price is good and construction looks impressive and I have local service.  I'm betting on all of that being a winning combo.

    Clay


    Location: Wis
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Points: 111

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #13   Jan 9, 2009 12:28 pm
    About 8" of snow fell between last night and this morning which gave me a chance to run this unit for real for the first time.  The engine was powerful and quiet.  I was concerned or had questions about two areas.  One was the chute control since it was not a quick move kind of chute control and was a worm gear instead, the second was how the unit turns.  The chute control was both smooth and worked fine and I feel that it will be more durable in the long run than some of the quick turning mechanism that I have seen up close and personal lately.  The turning was a pleasant surprise and turned as easily as the Ariens 1130 DLE that I had the opportunity to try.  The heated handgrips along with the snow cab made it a pleasant stroll in the park to do the work this morning.  I was having so much fun playing with the new toy that I did 5 houses next to me.  Just couldn't stop blowing snow.  Hopefully the neighbors will be happy.  The next door lady already brought me over cookies and some home made Kahlua coffee liquor.  Life is good in Wisconsin with the John Deere.

    One interesting thing happened when I was removing snow from the driveway and parked the car in the street.  Two plows came by in tandem, one right after the other and plowed in the car in the street.  This would have taken hours in the old days with the 5 horse.  I walked right through that stuff and the engine was so powerful I blew the snow from the center of the street, over the car and into my front yard.  The job was done in minutes.  Very happy with the 15.5 torque rated snow max engine. 

    Rick

    borat


    Joined: Nov 10, 2007
    Points: 2692

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #14   Jan 9, 2009 1:09 pm
    If your JD is the same as my Simplicity 9528 for build quality, you will see that the impeller has very close tolerance to the impeller housing.  I looked at mine and it looked to be about 1/16" of an inch.  That in itself will promote good snow ejection.   Your engine is the 305cc right.  if it is, it's the same thing I have.  I like the way it gets on the torque when you put a load on it.  I like to watch my electronic tach when the machine is put under heavy load.  It will go from 3600+ down to 3550 or 3500 hundred rpm and just keep chewing.  I was never a big fan of B&S nor Tecumseh before buying this machine.  I always respected the old Tecumseh's for their durability but never felt it was in the league of the Japanese brands.  I never had much experience with B&S engines because I'd buy equipment with Japanese engines to avoid them.  This new B&S has changed my views somewhat.  I now view the brand  with a little higher level of respect than I had in the past.   If it holds up as well as my Japanese engines, it will garner full respect. 
    MacLorry27


    Joined: Dec 23, 2008
    Points: 54

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #15   Jan 9, 2009 1:52 pm

    According to the Briggs & Stratton web site, the Snow Max 16.5 and 15.5 torque engines are 342cc. The 14.5 and 13.5 torque engines are 305cc. My JD 928 uses the 305cc 13.5 lbs torque Snow series engine.

    Paul7


    Joined: Mar 12, 2007
    Points: 452

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #16   Jan 9, 2009 2:36 pm
    Clay wrote:
    I'm driving my wife crazy.  I have never returned this much stuff in my whole life and this is not standard operating proceedure.  My old snow thrower  lasted 21  years and I didn't want something that wouldn't be around.  Truth is for under a grand that Craftsman 14.5 is still a heck of a machine.  This was 50% more than the first one.  The problem is that each machine has become more expensive.  The first one was around a grand, the second one $1200 and the third one $1500 after tax.  By the way Lowes does have a 30 day return policy and if this thing treats me like crap or I have 3 service calls in 3 weeks you don't even have to guess where it will end up.  So yes, I will take all of the ribbing anyone wants to give me.  I have had a very unique selection process but I don't recomend it to anyone else.  The first unit I bought out of state, but was able to return it locally, the second unit was bought out of state and returned out of state and the third unit was bought about 30 miles away.  Luckily gas prices have been down too.  The first unit I did an oil change with synthetic oil and lubed up the wheels with grease etc.  While it might sound fun to some, this has been a royal pain in the rear.  I just want a machine that works and I can get parts for after the warranty ends.  Is that really too much to ask for $1500 of my money?  If I wasn't going through this myself and I was reading my threads, I would be laughing my rear off at me, so I don't mind the friendly poke in the ribs.  I probably deserve it.

    I did turn on the heated grips and they made me smile tonight.  More to follow after we get some snow and I can play with it for real.

    Clay, I for one will not poke fun at you.  You just want to make sure you get what you want for the money. 

    I, on the other hand am truly messed up.  I have an unhealthy infatuation with outdoor power equipment.   When I got married I was young and so broke I couldn’t even afford to buy a lawnmower...had to borrow one from neighbors.  I lived in an area that got lots of lake effect snow and had to shovel a long double wide driveway because I couldn’t afford a snow thrower.  And I had a big garden that I had to till by hand.  I used to say that someday I’m going to be able to afford power equipment.

    Well its years later and I made my money.  Now I have a big 2 stage 11.5hp Ariens snow thrower...and I just bought a 7hp Ariens single stage blower for lighter snows.  What’s messed up is that I have a small driveway and I now live in an area that rarely gets snow.  We’ve only had two plow-able snowfalls in the last 4 years.  But if a storm like the Nor’easter of 1996 ever comes through again. I’m READY. 

    To make matters worst I have a John Deere rider, a Snapper Ninja SP mulching mower and three Ariens SP walk behind mowers (one is a commercial Ariens) all to mow a yard about the size of a postage stamp.  And to top off the insanity I have 4 tillers...a Troy-bilt, a Sanpper rear tine, an Ariens front tine, and an Earthquake mini tiller...all ready to go in case I actually decide to put a small garden in someday. 

    So yeah...I know it’s twisted...but my local outdoor power equipment dealers love me.
    Clay


    Location: Wis
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Points: 111

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #17   Jan 9, 2009 4:44 pm
    Paul, my wife doesn't even want me to talk to you.  You have it bad man, I LIKE IT! 

    Borat, McLory has it right in that the 15.5 is a 342cc engine. 

    embury


    Joined: Jan 11, 2009
    Points: 8

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #18   Jan 11, 2009 9:03 pm
    Has anyone had problems with their units losing forward or reverse drive?   I Purchased one from Lowes (Model 1130SE).  Within ten minutes of first using it in 10 Inches of light powdery snow, the unit would no longer move forward.    I promptly returned it to Lowes.   They did not have another unit, so I stopped by one of our small local Deere dealers.   I spoke to their service tech who said some of the units in our area were shipped without the correct  belt cover shield that mounts on the  engine.  OK,  that sounded logical.  So I decided to purchase another 1130 from the local dealer who installed the shield before the machine was delivered.    I used my new 1130 today, and It has the same drive problem as the first one.  Any time the chute is aimed to the right snow accumulates on the belt cover and frame.  After about 5 minutes both forward and reverse drive fails.   I believe there is a major design problem with the 1130 SE.   It will be interesting to see what B&S and John Deere will do to rectify this problem.
    pvrp


    Joined: Nov 14, 2008
    Points: 151

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #19   Jan 11, 2009 10:24 pm
    embury wrote:
    Has anyone had problems with their units losing forward or reverse drive?

    Looks like there's some sort of plague hitting snowblowers this year.

    You're probably not in the mood to hear someone talk about this lightly
    but there's sort of a club forming here made up of owners who have
    lost partial or total drive to their new machines.  There are various
    suggestions to solve the problem.  Mine is to take the machine indoors
    to a heated place and let it dry thoroughly then perform all adjustments
    in your user's manual before trying again.  Do the work yourself so you
    can be sure it was done properly.

    Paul
    Clay


    Location: Wis
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Points: 111

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #20   Jan 12, 2009 8:33 am
    embury wrote:
    Has anyone had problems with their units losing forward or reverse drive?   I Purchased one from Lowes (Model 1130SE).  Within ten minutes of first using it in 10 Inches of light powdery snow, the unit would no longer move forward.    I promptly returned it to Lowes.   They did not have another unit, so I stopped by one of our small local Deere dealers.   I spoke to their service tech who said some of the units in our area were shipped without the correct  belt cover shield that mounts on the  engine.  OK,  that sounded logical.  So I decided to purchase another 1130 from the local dealer who installed the shield before the machine was delivered.    I used my new 1130 today, and It has the same drive problem as the first one.  Any time the chute is aimed to the right snow accumulates on the belt cover and frame.  After about 5 minutes both forward and reverse drive fails.   I believe there is a major design problem with the 1130 SE.   It will be interesting to see what B&S and John Deere will do to rectify this problem.



    Embury, there are two adjustments that control drive engagement that I know of on the John Deere 1130SE.  One of them is an adjustable idler.  This is easily accessed if you remove the plastic belt cover with two bolts.  The pulley that is closest to the engine can be loosened and repositioned to allow more tension on the drive belt.  My unit was slipping slightly and I asked the local service department since I didn't want to take any time in a service call, he just told me to put more tension on the belt.  Many units don't have an adjustable idler these days and all parts are fixed.  I took a screw driver to apply pressure to the pulley while I secured the pulley after first loosening it up and repositioning. 

    Their is also a linkage length adjustment on cable that actuates the drive lever.  If you look at the bottom of where the cable comes off of the drive lever you will see different holes that adjust for different length.  If this is too loose it won't engage the drive either. 

    These are both assuming that your drive belt is not broken but can be easily checked when you check the pulley. 

    Hope that this helps and again, I am very happy with my JD 1130 SE. 

    trekguy


    Joined: Jan 12, 2009
    Points: 7

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #21   Jan 12, 2009 11:01 pm
    Drive problems here, too.  Brand new machine.  Can stop at anytime.  Starting forward or starting reverse... or even while in the middle of a long straight... it will just stop.  I'll pull it and push it, fiddle with a bit,  try forward and reverse a few times... then it will go again.  No pattern that I could pick up on.... random stoppage.  I was clearing an easy 3 inch fluff today... should have been an easy job.... but I was dead tired after wrestling with the thing to get it moving over and over and over.

    The drive engagement cable was a bit sloppy, so I adjusted it to the next hole.... didn't help a bit.  Something is obviously slipping in there... can't believe it could be the friction disk, unless there's some grease or oil on there from the manufacturing/assembly process. ??  The traction drive belt has a spring tensioner pulley... no adjustment there. ??

    I'm willing to try a couple of things before I bring it in. 

    Any ideas?

    Disappointing. 
    trekguy


    Joined: Jan 12, 2009
    Points: 7

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #22   Jan 12, 2009 11:13 pm
    Clay wrote:
    Embury, there are two adjustments that control drive engagement that I know of on the John Deere 1130SE.  One of them is an adjustable idler.  This is easily accessed if you remove the plastic belt cover with two bolts.  The pulley that is closest to the engine can be loosened and repositioned to allow more tension on the drive belt.  My unit was slipping slightly and I asked the local service department since I didn't want to take any time in a service call, he just told me to put more tension on the belt.  Many units don't have an adjustable idler these days and all parts are fixed.  I took a screw driver to apply pressure to the pulley while I secured the pulley after first loosening it up and repositioning. 

    Their is also a linkage length adjustment on cable that actuates the drive lever.  If you look at the bottom of where the cable comes off of the drive lever you will see different holes that adjust for different length.  If this is too loose it won't engage the drive either. 

    These are both assuming that your drive belt is not broken but can be easily checked when you check the pulley. 

    Hope that this helps and again, I am very happy with my JD 1130 SE. 


    OK,  I read this again.  I haven't opened up the machine yet... but from the pictures in the manual... I don't see how that idler/tensioner can adjust... or even if it would matter.  The pulley swings on that arm... and the tension is supplied by the spring, right?  Would it even matter if the pulley could be moved one way or the other.... the tension is still supplied by the spring.  ??

    Help... I'm feeling quite stupid at the moment. 
    pvrp


    Joined: Nov 14, 2008
    Points: 151

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #23   Jan 12, 2009 11:16 pm
    If this problem is due to some property of the friction disk it would explain why it occurs to both
    Simplicity and Ariens models as they use the same disk.  Maybe the rubber recipe was changed
    or something.  Or maybe the coating or texture on the drive plate is the culprit.

    I'm waiting for Snowmann to put forth an opinion on this matter.  I realize that in a lot of cases
    slippage could be due to misadjustment but if it persists even when the everything is set right
    then it seems to me that there'll have to be some sort of company provided fix.

    Paul
    trekguy


    Joined: Jan 12, 2009
    Points: 7

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #24   Jan 13, 2009 12:08 am
    The weird thing is... it will go great guns for a while.  The scraper will dig into a ridge, or whatever,  and the tires will start digging like an 11 hp machine should.  Then, two minutes later, it will slow to a stop for no apparent reason.  Then it will go strong again.  Makes me think that the cause is external... snow/water getting in and disrupting things.  However, considering what the thing is supposed to be used for... that would be probably the most disappointing conclusion.
    Snowmann


    Joined: Dec 3, 2003
    Points: 494

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #25   Jan 13, 2009 12:40 am
    This may or may not help depending on if this is the problem or not.

    Briggs' engines have a lot of bosses and standoffs on their PTO cover (behind the belt cover). The Tecumseh PTO covers were always very flat. Are all of the apparent problem units Briggs powered?

    It's probably fair to say that nearly all contemporary 2 stage snow blower transmissions were designed with Tecumseh in mind. Even the Simplicity large and intermediate frame transmissions (and John Deere derivatives) are largely Murray in origin and pre-date both Briggs' latest snow engines and the acquisition of Simplicity Manufacturing (i.e. Simplicity and Murray used to use Tecumseh before they were acquired). That said, a Briggs powered snowblower may require special accommodation for sealing voids near the engine to keep moisture from penetrating to the drive plate and friction disk (especially for units that use an integral drive plate/pulley, which is most). As mentioned in this forum and elsewhere, similar problems may include Toro, Simplicity/John Deere, Ariens, and perhaps others. If a similar problem is experieinced, I would recommend checking parts manuals and with dealers to ensure that any intended accomodations are present and functioning.

    Someone did mention some type of shield on the John Deere model. I'm not familiar with this shield, but the latest Ariens' model 921010 ST27LE and a few other models do have such special accomodation.

    I hope this helps.
    Clay


    Location: Wis
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Points: 111

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #26   Jan 13, 2009 1:21 pm
    trekguy wrote:
    OK,  I read this again.  I haven't opened up the machine yet... but from the pictures in the manual... I don't see how that idler/tensioner can adjust... or even if it would matter.  The pulley swings on that arm... and the tension is supplied by the spring, right?  Would it even matter if the pulley could be moved one way or the other.... the tension is still supplied by the spring.  ??

    Help... I'm feeling quite stupid at the moment. 



    I wish that I could post pictures on this board directly without going through a 3rd party .  I would be glad to email you a picture of the exact pulley and it's adjustment if you want to send me a PM through the board I will get it out.  If anyone here wants to help out I could send you the picture and you could insert it in this thread.  Sorry, not very computer literate.  Rick

    I took a look in my owners manual for the John Deere 1130 SE.  Look on page 28, item "K" to see the pulley that is adjustable.  It made a big difference when it was adjust tighter on my machine.  Page 32 of the manual speaks to adjusting the friction wheel.  I will call John Deere and see if they have an owner's manual on line for this unit.  So far, I have been unable to locate one. 

    Called JD in the middle of this response and just got off of the phone with them.  While they don't have the owner's manual for this unit available on line, the nice customer service person emailed me a pdf file of the owners manual.  I like to search for things electronically besides having the hard copy available.  You can request a copy of the pdf by calling 888-228-3068 and asking for it to be emailed to you. 

    After I asked for an electronic version of the owners manual I asked about what makes some of this units slip to see what the snow thrower specialist thought.  They said that the friction wheel needed adjustment and that the directions for that are available on page 32 of the manual. 

    I hope this was of some help.

    borat


    Joined: Nov 10, 2007
    Points: 2692

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #27   Jan 13, 2009 1:47 pm
    I'm in agreement that it's likely snow getting into the drive area.  I noticed my machine begin to lose a bit of forward bite after a large amount of snow falls over the intake housing and onto the engine.  It never stops, but it will not drive forward as aggressively as it normally would when up against a lot of resistance.  I'm doing some experimenting to see if I can seal the areas where snow might be getting in.  Will report results and how to if It works. 
    trekguy


    Joined: Jan 12, 2009
    Points: 7

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #28   Jan 13, 2009 6:40 pm
    Clay wrote:
    I wish that I could post pictures on this board directly without going through a 3rd party .  I would be glad to email you a picture of the exact pulley and it's adjustment if you want to send me a PM through the board I will get it out.  If anyone here wants to help out I could send you the picture and you could insert it in this thread.  Sorry, not very computer literate.  Rick

    I took a look in my owners manual for the John Deere 1130 SE.  Look on page 28, item "K" to see the pulley that is adjustable.  It made a big difference when it was adjust tighter on my machine.  Page 32 of the manual speaks to adjusting the friction wheel.  I will call John Deere and see if they have an owner's manual on line for this unit.  So far, I have been unable to locate one. 

    Called JD in the middle of this response and just got off of the phone with them.  While they don't have the owner's manual for this unit available on line, the nice customer service person emailed me a pdf file of the owners manual.  I like to search for things electronically besides having the hard copy available.  You can request a copy of the pdf by calling 888-228-3068 and asking for it to be emailed to you. 

    After I asked for an electronic version of the owners manual I asked about what makes some of this units slip to see what the snow thrower specialist thought.  They said that the friction wheel needed adjustment and that the directions for that are available on page 32 of the manual. 

    I hope this was of some help.


    Yep, I see that pulley in the picture... but my question is, if there is a spring pulling on that arm/pulley, providing the tension on the belt... then doesn't that arm that's holding the pulley just swing free... which would allow the spring to put tension on it?  And, if it is swinging free, then what adjustment could there be?  I'm sure that it will make more sense when I actually can get a look at it... but it was -30 last night, and cold again today.  I'm going to wait for it to "warm up" a bit before I take a peek.

    I will check the friction wheel adjustment, as well.

    But... but.... IF they are not adjusted correctly, would it NOT drive properly all of the time??

    Hmm, more and more, I'm thinking it's snow causing the slippage.  Heck of a deal, considering what it's designed for! 
    trekguy


    Joined: Jan 12, 2009
    Points: 7

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #29   Jan 13, 2009 6:42 pm
    borat wrote:
    I'm in agreement that it's likely snow getting into the drive area.  I noticed my machine begin to lose a bit of forward bite after a large amount of snow falls over the intake housing and onto the engine.  It never stops, but it will not drive forward as aggressively as it normally would when up against a lot of resistance.  I'm doing some experimenting to see if I can seal the areas where snow might be getting in.  Will report results and how to if It works. 

    I will be waiting for your report. 
    rukey


    Joined: Jan 7, 2009
    Points: 3

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #30   Jan 13, 2009 8:08 pm
    I have noticed some slippage on my machine also on two separate occasions. The symptoms are similar to what others have stated, generally the machine works fine until snow accumulates on or around belt cover / engine then some slippage occurs, moving the gear selector between speeds for a moments usually solves the problem. After the second occurance I took a look at both the cable attachment form the control panel, and the belts, but both appeared fine. I then tilted the machine on the auger housing and removed the bottom panel, to my surprise there was a considerable amount of oil/grease/water on the drive plate and friction disk. I cleaned this with solvent and the problem went away until the next time snow accumulated on or around the engine.

    I believe Snowman is onto something because the amount of oil/grease/water on the drive plate cannot simply fall from the belt cover opening alone onto a vertical drive plate, but rather must contact some oil/grease on the way down. The rubber on the friction disk appears to be quality and the grip on a clean drive plate is considerable. If anyone has an approach for how this leakage can be solved I'm all ears.

    rooney


    Joined: Jan 16, 2009
    Points: 1

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #31   Jan 16, 2009 10:55 am
    I have the John Deere 1130 and right away I had  problems with the drive in reverse and forward (especially the lower speeds). I took it to a dealer and they said that they have had to replace the friction disk in all of these because the original had rubber that was too soft. They replaced the disk and it worked great for two snowfalls. I have a large area to clear and it takes about 11/2 hrs., during  that time it will act up intermittantly and then correct itself over and over. If not for this problem it's a great machine.
    Ozzie


    Joined: Dec 29, 2008
    Points: 10

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #32   Jan 17, 2009 6:08 am
     i think Snowman is right, take a look at the space between the cover and engine, i have the john deere 928e and have the intermitant drive problem, there is more than a 1/4 inch space in some areas, take a flash light and you can see  the belt and part of the pulley, the cover can't sit flush against the engine becuase of the bosses on the front cover, i'm going to try installing some foam strips on the cover and engine to fill in the gaps and see if this helps, i'm pretty sure it will,  i haven't talk to john deere about this yet, but i bet there will be a recall, with a newly designed belt cover
    embury


    Joined: Jan 11, 2009
    Points: 8

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #33   Jan 17, 2009 9:32 pm
    My 1130 has the new belt cover kit that Briggs is sending to the dealers to correct the drive problem, But it still did not correct the problem.   I spent a big chunk of change on this snowblower.    This is totally unacceptable.  I don't believe John Deere or Briggs did any field testing of these units.  This is a huge engineering defect.   I have no choice but to return this unit and get my money back.   
    magoomba


    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Points: 1

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #34   Jan 18, 2009 3:29 pm
    I'm having the same problem with my drive.  I read this whole thread just before going out to clear some snow, as I needed to adjust the auger belt and I never received an owner's manual with my machine.  A google search had this forum as one of the top items. 

    I was able to figure out how to adjust the belt for the auger, but not for the drive.  I sprayed some belt dressing on both belts.  It definitely helped the auger belt, as there was zero slippage on that.  It was really loose beforehand.  However, my drive was slipping quite a bit, and it was very early in the job.  It does seem a little loose, but not really bad. 

    There was no snow falling onto the engine or the cover, nor was it raining or snowing outside.  It started to slip within about 60-70 feet on my first pass.  I was discharging the snow forward and to the left, in about the 10 o'clock position, if that helps any of you to further diagnose.  It did it a bunch of times early on, then not as much later, but I was using higher speeds.  It seems to happen more in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear and not nearly as often in 4th and I don't think ever in 5th or 6th.

    borat


    Joined: Nov 10, 2007
    Points: 2692

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #35   Jan 18, 2009 4:01 pm
    magoomba wrote:
    I'm having the same problem with my drive.  I read this whole thread just before going out to clear some snow, as I needed to adjust the auger belt and I never received an owner's manual with my machine.  A google search had this forum as one of the top items. 

    I was able to figure out how to adjust the belt for the auger, but not for the drive.  I sprayed some belt dressing on both belts.  It definitely helped the auger belt, as there was zero slippage on that.  It was really loose beforehand.  However, my drive was slipping quite a bit, and it was very early in the job.  It does seem a little loose, but not really bad. 

    There was no snow falling onto the engine or the cover, nor was it raining or snowing outside.  It started to slip within about 60-70 feet on my first pass.  I was discharging the snow forward and to the left, in about the 10 o'clock position, if that helps any of you to further diagnose.  It did it a bunch of times early on, then not as much later, but I was using higher speeds.  It seems to happen more in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear and not nearly as often in 4th and I don't think ever in 5th or 6th.



    Next time it slips, reach down and pull on the drive cable with your hand.  See if that gets it moving.  If it does, there's a good chance the problem is your drive cable not being properly adjusted. 
    This message was modified Jan 18, 2009 by borat
    redsox


    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Points: 5

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #36   Jan 18, 2009 5:37 pm
    e suggested snow Hello,

    Thanks for all the good suggestions I have same problem as everyone, did the adjustments, wiped of the friction disk and wheel all to no avail. But I hope you guys get lucky like I did this is what worked for me. I looked at the spaces from the belt cover both front and back and like many have suggested  water and snow was getting in. I used metal duct tape that is like a thick tin foil with a sticky side. Took my time and really sealed the area good on both sides. Today 8 inches snow no poblems, and when I was done lots of snow on the tape that would have gone in. It worked for me Not the best look but until a better fix is in place I will go with it.

    Don

    hirschallan


    If it aint broke don't fix it !!


    Location: Northern Hills of NY
    Joined: Aug 25, 2005
    Points: 327

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #37   Jan 18, 2009 6:08 pm
    Hi guys
    I don't have this problem but can only envision the gap you guys speak about but, don't really know how big or small.

    Check out this site http://www.mcmaster.com

    Take a look at pages 3408,3409,3410. You can also look at 3468 which should give you a good idea of functionality from a material perspective.I use this stuff from time to time depending on the situation and can only say I had great success.

    Allan
    This message was modified Jan 18, 2009 by hirschallan


    pvrp


    Joined: Nov 14, 2008
    Points: 151

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #38   Jan 18, 2009 9:51 pm
    magoomba wrote:
    I'm having the same problem with my drive.

    I'm going to retract my suggestion that the 1130 SE be Snowblower of the Year.

    Which leaves the Ariens 9526 DLET...

    Paul
    borat


    Joined: Nov 10, 2007
    Points: 2692

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #39   Jan 18, 2009 9:57 pm
    pvrp wrote:
    I'm going to retract my suggestion that the 1130 SE be Snowblower of the Year.

    Which leaves the Ariens 9526 DLET...

    Paul


    You're joking right? 
    pvrp


    Joined: Nov 14, 2008
    Points: 151

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #40   Jan 18, 2009 10:00 pm
    borat wrote:
    You're joking right? 

    I believe the 9526 DLET is the only machine that hasn't gotten any bad reviews.

    And then there are the Hondas...

    Paul
    Jackanybear


    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Points: 1

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #41   Jan 18, 2009 10:44 pm
    Just returned my John Deere 1130 SE to Lowes today.  Boy did they fight me on the return, and refunding my money.  I guess, after spending $ 2000 dollars on a power tool, and returning it in a few days, they don't like taking the loss.  Mine would slip in forward and reverse, only after an hour or so.  Then it would dry out in a heated garage, and work " gangbusters" again, and then it would start slipping again.  After returning it, a repairman at Lowes said he worked on the belt tension, and wanted me to come and buy it back from them again.  He said he adjusted cables, and dried everything off, and now it was working, but he didn't try it in snow.  When I spend this kind of money, I shouldn't have to get everthing adjusted every couple of hours of use.  Plus I spent  $250 dollars on a 2 year extended warrenty.   I went
    down the road to a Husqvarna dealer, spent less money for the same 1130 SB machine, was given a 3 year factory warrenty, given 2 free tune ups, and for $ 50 dollars was given another 2 year extended warrenty, (Thats a 5 year warrenty).  I have been working this thing to death, in hard packed snow, "NO PROBLEMS", No Adjustments, No Slippage.  The idea of the customer fixing the problem, with aluminum tape, to stop the leaking, is absurd, and asinine.   HEY JOHN DEERE, here is a solution, FIX THE PROBLEM       Obviously not happy, with the way I was treated, after being a longtime customer at LOWES
    Santaclause


    Location: northern NY
    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Points: 48

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #42   Jan 18, 2009 11:17 pm
    I also have noticed the problem with machine I am really regretting making this purchase but was under the gun my old toro didnt want to run and I said to heck with it and went to get a new blower went to lowes tojust look at the deere and seen the price was amazed was 1499.00 but 10% off sale plus sign up for lowes card get another 10 off so saved 260.00 knew I wasnt going to beat the deere dealer down that much or any other dealer in the middle of January so I bought it ,got it home light didnt work so I looked around found that was unplugged so no big deal then used it heated grips didnt work so found broken wire so I fixed that now the drive thing am begining to think I should have gone and bought the cub cadet i already paid the lowes card,I love the way the briggs run nice and quiet and the thing blows snow well but the drive thing pisses me off really i didnt think much of the wires I saved so much I said what the hell just fix it and shut up but now.Not what I expected out of a Simplicity built machine thats for shure...
    mondoe


    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Points: 1

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #43   Jan 19, 2009 12:12 am
    Just bought my JD 1130 se today from lowes, here in n/e ohio its a hit or miss for snow fall here and lately its been a hit! After digging my car out that barely made it into the driveway last night I was off to home depot to check out some possible snow blowers. Arrived at the depot to find a cheesy little 2 stage unit for 999.00 and 3or so single stage units way overpriced. At this point was becoming content with the shovel situation, oh and by the way they had 2 stacker shelves loaded with all the lawn mowers one could imagine, MID January!?! Well after my subway sandwich decided to check out lowes not so far down the road. The very 1st thing I saw as I entered the store was a line of JD snow blowers ready to do some damage. Decided on the JD 1130 SE with the 20% off and an extra 10% if you get the lowes credit card for a total of 30% off 1499 my unit cost 1074 before tax fully assembled and out the door.

    Now lets put my impulse purchase to the test. Got home and unloaded unit, adjusted guides, filled tank, figured out that the pin had to be installed to start and whalla! she fired up.had a good 8 to 10 Inches in driveway with some drifts over 2 feet. This thing ate up everything I could throw at it not a single hiccup, did occasionally rev lower under load as expected, also did several neigbours driveways and the unit worked flawlessly. Still getting used to it since ive never operated a snowblower before, been long overdue!

    Is it just me or am I an old person now, the shovel was a nice work out but any more theres just not enough time in the day.. whats next ED??
    Santaclause


    Location: northern NY
    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Points: 48

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #44   Jan 19, 2009 12:18 am
    no drive issues?reverse ocasionally not work or whatever?
    mml4


    Snow is good,
    Deep snow is better!


    Joined: Dec 31, 2003
    Points: 544

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #45   Jan 19, 2009 5:47 am
    Sounds to me like JD is having the same kind of set up issues at Lowes that Ariens is having at Home Depot. With Snow Blowers it's all about the set up. If you can read and execute simple instructions it is a BIG advantage to take the machine home in the box and do the set up yourself. It's no more difficult than putting together most childrens toys.

    Unfortunately set up at a big box store sometimes = molestation,

    Marc

    This message was modified Jan 19, 2009 by mml4


    SnapperV210P,Toro22177,TroyBilt42010Snowthrower,Craftsman Shredder,American Turbo Pressure Washer HondaGX200,Stihl011Saw,EchoPas260Trimmer Edger,EchoPB602Blower,EchoHCR150Hedge Clipper
    redsox


    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Points: 5

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #46   Jan 19, 2009 8:30 am
    Hello,

    Let me say that a consumer should not have to put metal duct tape on a machine, but Lowes gave me 20% of for my problems final cost 1200.00 in New Hampshire. I also bought the John Deere cab for another 140.00. To the poster who said they bought a husky and is very happy with it good for you and good luck. But please do not compare the Husky to the Simplicity/John Deere. I will live with the tape. These machines are not apples to apples Cast Iron gear box JD Briggs Engine still in business. The JD has 1550 torq not sure about husky but I'M sure its not more. I do understand that many consumers would not be happy with tinkering with a new purchased product and should not have to but for 1200 its a steal. Another poster got it for under 1100 that is a real winner of a bargain. Just my thoughts anyone else think the JD is worth the extra work or am I crazy. I also own a Husky Lawn Tractor and am very happy with it but just does not seem to be as sturdy as JD.

    Don

    Clay


    Location: Wis
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Points: 111

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #47   Jan 19, 2009 9:13 am
    mml4 wrote:
    Sounds to me like JD is having the same kind of set up issues at Lowes that Ariens is having at Home Depot. With Snow Blowers it's all about the set up. If you can read and execute simple instructions it is a BIG advantage to take the machine home in the box and do the set up yourself. It's no more difficult than putting together most childrens toys.

    Unfortunately set up at a big box store sometimes = molestation,

    Marc



    In my area Lowes contracts out to the local John Deere dealership, who is sold out of snow throwers to do the final assembly on their snow throwers.  Not even close to Home Depot final assembly.  Problems can happen anywhere these days and some Home Depot guys can do a good job too, but I liked that the JD dealership put mine together.

    Rick

    Santaclause


    Location: northern NY
    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Points: 48

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #48   Jan 19, 2009 10:28 am
    went out this am to use blower and started up wouldnt move gave cable a tug pulled tighter on it and still nothing finnaly acted like it was going to start to drive like it should what a machine looks like theres going to be a trip back to lowes with it ........What a bad purchace I made here never ever again from a big box store
    nibbler


    Joined: Mar 5, 2004
    Points: 751

    Wet Friction Plate Shouldn't Be a Problem
    Reply #49   Jan 19, 2009 10:42 am
    I've been reading this thread off and on for some time and it seems that the manufacturers are missing the point.

    Engaging rant mode, put on fire retardant eyeglasses.

    Snow blowers work in wet, cold conditions, snow gets into everything and can melt. Repairs are sometimes done outside of a warm dry shop, it may even be blowing snow and/or sleet while a belt is changed. That is the nature of the environment that the machine must work in. Saying that the whole thing is dependant on a particular part staying dry is the equivalent of saying "we make trash". It simply must work in a cold wet environment, duct tape, adjusted plastic covers whatever are band aids that don't solve the root cause of the problem, the friction disk must work while wet end of story, full stop. If it can't be made to work then you come up with another, maintainable, robust solution.

    End of rant.

    I have used my machine with the cover off while adjusting the auger belt tension. I would "do a line of snow" to test it and then possibly readjust to get it "just right". I never had a problem with the traction drive just stopping. I have had to adjust the tension on the traction drive cable a few times over the years but so far I consider it normal wear and tear on a machine that regularly does multiple driveways and on occasion clears 1/2 metre snow an 75M of gravelled driveway.

    One final comment. If the friction disk is turning at any reasonable rate I would expect any water to fly off due to centripetal force.
    mml4


    Snow is good,
    Deep snow is better!


    Joined: Dec 31, 2003
    Points: 544

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #50   Jan 19, 2009 11:13 am
    Clay wrote:
    In my area Lowes contracts out to the local John Deere dealership, who is sold out of snow throwers to do the final assembly on their snow throwers.  Not even close to Home Depot final assembly.  Problems can happen anywhere these days and some Home Depot guys can do a good job too, but I liked that the JD dealership put mine together.

    Rick



    Rick- Can we agree that all the outlets are not the same? None of the Home Depot or Lowes outlets in my area send anything out for setup. In addition the local shops (those that are left) had to be forced to do  warranty work by the manufacturers for box store bought machines. The best and most successful shop gave up its Ariens Dealership as a result of the 2 stage units being sold in Home Depot. They now sell only Toro. They make a point of telling Ariens repair customers to take it back to Home Depot. 

     While I agree that you can get a properly prepared machine from the big box stores I also know the # of returned units on display as "reconditioned" speaks volumes about how these units are set up. My point is that no matter where you buy a blower you are better served by setting it up yourself for the reason you will be more familiar with the machine. All of them are going to need adjustments and what better way to prepare for that event then setting up the machine from new. By the way I am not especially fond of small dealership set up either. For the most part they flip up the handle bars, connect the linkages, oil level,start her up and try the auger and drive. They don't have the time to take off the belt cover and check all the clearances and linkage adjustments etc. I don't blame them because they can't make a living spending 2 hours setting up each and every machine.

    Setting up a machine when new is important and certainly not rocket science which is why I advocate doing it yourself.

    Marc

    This message was modified Jan 19, 2009 by mml4


    SnapperV210P,Toro22177,TroyBilt42010Snowthrower,Craftsman Shredder,American Turbo Pressure Washer HondaGX200,Stihl011Saw,EchoPas260Trimmer Edger,EchoPB602Blower,EchoHCR150Hedge Clipper
    Clay


    Location: Wis
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Points: 111

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #51   Jan 19, 2009 11:45 am
    I've been on the phone for a while today with this issue.  I've called Lowes, John Deere Corporate, John Deere Customer service and talked to the local John Deere dealer who does the service on these units.

    First things first - MONEY.  These units are on sale locally at Lowes today for 10% off and they have another 10% off with a credit card purchase.  They told me since I bought my unit on the 7th that the would give me the sale price.  An extra 20% off is a good thing - yeah.

    I like my unit.  If anyone has read any of my posting, I'm not shy about returning snow throwers, this is my third unit this year - ha.  I'm not ready to return this unit yet.

    John Deere corporate is closed because of Martin Luther King day.  Customer service is open.  I actually had the customer service rep on the phone and on this web site at the same time.  I even told Kelly that it would be wonderful to hear from a John Deere employee on this thread.  Don't know if anyone will respond, corporate lawyers get their panties in a bundle these days over something like that (my words not the JD reps comments).  Kelly is taking the information from this site up the ladder and said that she would call me back today.  When I get some feedback from her, I will post it.

    Talked to the local JD dealer service manager.  Brian said that he looked up the technical information that is posted on the JD dealer network for the 1130 SE.  The only bulletin that is out on the drive unit is that some units had grease on the friction disk and the metal disk that the friction disk makes contact with.  He said the service bulletin says to remove it with brake cleaning fluid.  I specifiically asked about replacing the friction disk because of a problem with the rubber from which it was made and he said there is nothing about that in the service bulletin section.  I then asked about a new cover for the engine and he also said there is nothing about that on the JD service bulletin either. 

    I will call B&S and ask about a new engine cover.  That might be something that is a B&S issue and not on the JD service bulletins.  Two more points, one is when I have dealt with automotive mechanics and searching for service bulletins.  Some times the information is out, but the service rep either doesn't do the search in the same way in which it was entered or can't find the information that is available.   Some companies make it difficult to find this stuff.  The service manager said that he would look at the unit for me and it would be about a day and a half turn around time.  Now that is what I think is damn good service.  Remember Sears said 21 days minimun at one point this year and I don't know what it is now. 

    I'm still digging, BUT I for one, am not ready to throw the baby out with the bathwater.  At least not yet.  I might get there,

    I'll post back soon.

    Rick

    redsox


    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Points: 5

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #52   Jan 19, 2009 3:14 pm
    Rick,

    Excellent post, I am frustrated, but Lowes took 20% off my cost is now 1200.00. Cast iron gearbox 15.50 torque the machine is built like a tank and is covered under warranty. I still think its the best bang for the buck out there. I for one will be very interested on your upcoming post you seem like a person that is a doer and is going to get to the root of the problem with solutions thanks for your help.

    Don

    Clay


    Location: Wis
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Points: 111

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #53   Jan 19, 2009 4:23 pm
    No return call yet from JD. but I wanted to make another point that I just sent to someone else in a PM.  I have been in a fortunate or unfortunate situation this year in that I have owned a Craftsman 14.5, and Ariens 1130 DLE and this JD.  Guys the Craftsman lost it's drive for me, the Ariens with the Tecumseh L head lost it's drive and so does this JD, but only very occationally.  I'm taking my in to service tonight and let them look at it in the service department and see what they say.

    Don, I also just came back from Lowes where they have 10% off on the unit and another 10% off when you use their charge card and I had a $50 off coupon for use on my next purchase over $500.  $1169 before tax and I am a happy camper.  Go find a 15.5 foot pound of torque machine with heated grips under $1200 and I think that is a rare animal.

    borat


    Joined: Nov 10, 2007
    Points: 2692

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #54   Jan 19, 2009 6:54 pm
    I've had my Simplicity 9528 for over a year.  It's on it's second season of service and believe me, we have had lots of heavy snow fall.   My machine hasn't been totally immune to drive slippage.  However, it never stops unless it's up against an immovable  object like a curb or brick wall.  If the machine didn't have snow falling down over the intake housing and onto the engine, the wheels will spin.  It seems that once a fair amount of snow fall down onto the engine area, the wheels will drive until the machine makes contact with something immovable then there will be some slipping.  If I move the machine onto an area where it can move freely, it will go.  I did notice however that if I applied pressure to the drive cable when the slipping starts it will put more pressure on the drive wheels and the wheels will spin when up against an immovable object.  So, it would appear to me that moisture on the drive system is likely having an effect.  Adding more pressure to the drive wheel, in my case will overcome the moisture and immediately provide full drive power.  The amount of tolerance for the drive adjustment is very slim.  Too much adjustment will keep the drive engaged.  It has to be just right.   The stock adjuster on the Simplicity doesn't provide enough adjust-ability.  If I go to the next hole, it will keep the drive constantly engaged.  I have since made an external adjuster that I use if I encounter drive slippage.    
    Clay


    Location: Wis
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Points: 111

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #55   Jan 19, 2009 8:46 pm
    Talked to the JD rep again late in the day.  While I didn't get any answers yet, Kelly informed me that the guy tec support guys that deal with the nuts and bolts of the unit are working on it.  Let's see what happens tomorrow. 

    I did drop off this machine at the local JD dealer tonight.  I dropped it off close to 5 pm and expect to pick it up about Weds.  I want to see how this shakes out too.

    More to follow.

    Borat, I saw the pictures that you posted of the custom adjuster that you made for your Simplicity.  Neat mod.

    Bill_H


    Location: Maine
    Joined: Jan 12, 2008
    Points: 354

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #56   Jan 19, 2009 9:13 pm
    Nice Work, Clay/Rick!

    I don't have a dog in this particular hunt, but I do see all the posts with the same problem and I'm following it closely out of some weird mechanical curiosity.

    If you manage to get this straightened out at some sort of corporate level, you'll probably end up fixing the problems of another half-dozen or more folks here, and who knows how many others. If someone like JD goes to B&S and tells them "there is a problem, fix it", the B&S guys will have to. They can then apply that solution to the other similar machines (Snapper, Simplicity) with drive problems.
    Still gotta wonder if the Ariens drive problems are related. Symptoms are the same.

    Who the hell let all the morning people run things?
    Clay


    Location: Wis
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Points: 111

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #57   Jan 20, 2009 1:53 pm
    Well no answer from B&S  by noon so I started calling JD.  One the people that is suppose to know "what is what"  I  left a message on his answering system.  The other JD contact was a customer service rep that I spoke to, and he opened a customer complaint for me on this unit and wasn't able to find any info in their system about these issue of drive problems.  Even though the rep said that my complaint was a priority, from other experiences in life, the more people that complain,  it increases the chances that something gets done. 

    So I need your help at this point.  I would like everyone with a John Deere with drive problems to call 1/800-537-8233 and file their own complaint on this issue with John Deere.  I am also going to start a thread for all Briggs and Stratton built machines, like Simplicity, John Deere, the B&S unit that has the Briggs and Stratton name plate and any others that B&S produces (not sure if they make snapper or not) to call the B&S toll free number and log a complaint. at 888/228-3068. 

    While I have no great skills as a mechanic, I can be a professional complainer and stir the mud if the need arises.  With your help maybe we can get some kind of response.  The JD customer service guy said that they should respond to me by Monday at the latest - well see how accurate that is.  I am too old to believe everything that people tell me these days.  If they do respond by Monday, I will make sure to give them applause for good follow up.  If not I will also report on that. 

    Rick

    This message was modified Jan 20, 2009 by Clay
    Clay


    Location: Wis
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Points: 111

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #58   Jan 20, 2009 4:17 pm
    So 3 pm local time, B&S calls me back.  I spoke with a technician named Matt.  Matt said that the belt cover is not the issue most of the time but can be in a very rare instance.  He said that if the unit starts out fine and then after blowing snow and alot of it comes back on you often some times the issue can be the cover.  There is another cover available but it would only be appropriate if your unit starts out with good power and then develops a problem after a lot of snow falls on the unit.  If you were in a snow cab the cab would be constantly getting smacked with snow.  Again, he said that this is very rare.  My issue is when I first start out and this isn't my case buy may be yours.

    He told of another issue that happened very rarely too.  A spacer under the disk was shy in production.  This spacer allowed the proper pressure to be applied by the disk to the plate.  It was nice of him to admitt an issue in production.  He said that it was very rare but did happen. 

    The third and most likely issue he said is that they went from greasing the hex shaft that the friction disk is part of to an oil that is better suited to extreme temps.  Even though they didn't have any real issues at operation of negative 15 and below they wanted to use the best product for that application so they went from a grease to an oil.  While this oil is better for extreme cold and no real problems presented themselves with the grease, the oil comes off of the hex shaft and gets onto the friction disk and plate and causes problems.  He said that they totally clean up the friction disk and plate with 120 grit sand paper, my local JD dealer said they have used brake cleaner which would be less agressive.  After the surfaces have been cleaned the oil would be removed and replaced with a LIGHT coating of grease which would stay put better. 

    The tech from B&S also called my local JD dealer and spoke with the service manager about the machine that I have in service right now.  At this point I am happy with the response that I got from B&S.  Some companies don't even return the call.  My recent adventure with Ariens that was the case.  They didn't return numerous calls.  I even wrote a letter to Ariens and they haven't responded yet. 

    So far B&S and JD have both proven responsive to my needs as an end user.  The real pruff will be when I get my machine back and it works or it doesn't.  Again, am pleased with what has happened so far and I hope these finding help others with the same issue.

    Rick

    ccginmn


    Location: Saint Michael, MN
    Joined: Jan 20, 2009
    Points: 5

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #59   Jan 20, 2009 5:29 pm
    Thanks Clay!!  I just purchased this model last week.  About one month ago I purchased the Troy Built 30" model.  I liked everything about it but the chute control.  The joystick just wouldn't work at 90 degree angles.  Lowes took it back without an arguement.  They even knocked $100 off of the John Deere 1130SE.  I haven't gotten a chance to try the John Deere out yet but am tempted to load it up and bring it to a local lake to see if I have similar issues.  This thread is making me nervous.  I'll report back what I find out.
    embury


    Joined: Jan 11, 2009
    Points: 8

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #60   Jan 20, 2009 10:00 pm
    B&S called me back today.     It's a rare thing today to actually speak to a human being in this country about service issues.   I gave them all the details and showed them the link to this site.   I have decided not to return my unit yet.   I'm going to see what they are going to do to correct this design flaw.   They did inform me that they are aware of this problem.  They will be contacting me with more information shortly.  So,   For now I cleaned the friction plate with carb cleaner,  sealed the frame holes and the bottom of the belt cover backer plate with a rubberized sealer.  I also put a piece of weather stripping along the front of the plastic belt cover.   This should take care of the problem until they have a factory kit to fix this.   Once the sealer dries I will test it and post my results here.  
    embury


    Joined: Jan 11, 2009
    Points: 8

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #61   Jan 20, 2009 11:00 pm
    FYI:

     Here are the part numbers for the parts that are missing from the John Deere 1130 SE


    1. Shaft Seal  1733898   http://www.lawn-parts.com/detail.asp?id=1733898   $1.95

    2. Seal Plate 1733868A  http://www.lawn-parts.com/detail.asp?id=1733868A  $5.95

    3. Seal Strip  1733897   http://www.lawn-parts.com/detail.asp?id=1733897  $1.95


    I found these in the parts manual for a Snapper model 1530SE.   It is very similar to the JD 1130SE except for the Chute control.
    Clay


    Location: Wis
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Points: 111

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #62   Jan 21, 2009 11:05 am
    Just finished up a phone call with a very pleasant and customer oriented gentleman in North Carolina who works in the marketing department at John Deere.  Talked to him about some of the mechanical issues with the snow thrower and then spoke about loosing sales over these issues with some people returning units.  If those units were returned and sales were lost because a $3.50 part was used instead of a $3.75 part being used, who did that benefit?  The numbers that I choose are just relative numbers and not exact but if one plastic cover fixes the issues, they should be using that cover on all machines not just the ones where people have the patience to take the unit into the service department.  Some people just get their money back and buy a competitive unit. 

    I did tell him that many have noticed how Ariens machines are set up at Home Depot and many customers have not been happy with how their units were delivered.  I thought that John Deere was doing the right thing in that Big Box stores are a reality, but having a true John Deere service tech set the unit up was a good thing.  He was responsive to my needs as an end user and said that he would investigate further. 

    I've been very pleased with the response that I have recieved from all of the John Deere reps.

    Rick

    This message was modified Jan 21, 2009 by Clay
    hirschallan


    If it aint broke don't fix it !!


    Location: Northern Hills of NY
    Joined: Aug 25, 2005
    Points: 327

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #63   Jan 21, 2009 12:17 pm
    I can only say I frequent Lowes and have seen the JD dealer truck parked there several times. At least now I know why. Last week I have been there and they just had five or six new JD 1130SE models assembeled parked in a row one behind another. I figured I must compare these against each other and now is my chance. So I picked on the chute control only because what else can you compare on a non runing machine. Results were as follows:
    On all them the deflector portion worked both ways without hanging up. In the rotation part of the comparison they were all over the place. Only one worked flawlessly whatever you did with it. Another one did not work at all because the gear that comes in contact with the teeth on the chute was so far out in reality why and how could it work. The rest of them were all getting stuck and getting tough to move somewhere in the rotation due to IMPROPER adjustments made to them. So now we know its not a big deal to get home and spend some time and get it right but, if they brag that JD is behind the machines in lowes then I would expect much more when your not going to get it.
    In 2005 I bought my Ariens in the big box store of "HD" and only in an unopened box due to the following. I was in the market for a blower and stopped by my local HD one evening about 9 pm only to have witnessed two part timers in they're late teens racing against each other assembling a couple of skids of boxed blowers. I observed lots of forcing,bending and to say the least they were using power tools which gives very little feedback of whats going on when you have'nt a clue. I watched for a while and nobody came to check on them so what are the chances of those machines being trouble free.

    Allan
    This message was modified Jan 21, 2009 by hirschallan


    Clay


    Location: Wis
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Points: 111

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #64   Jan 21, 2009 5:06 pm
    hirschallan wrote:
    So I picked on the chute control only because what else can you compare on a non runing machine. Results were as follows:
    On all them the deflector portion worked both ways without hanging up. In the rotation part of the comparison they were all over the place. Only one worked flawlessly whatever you did with it. Another one did not work at all because the gear that comes in contact with the teeth on the chute was so far out in reality why and how could it work. The rest of them were all getting stuck and getting tough to move somewhere in the rotation due to IMPROPER adjustments made to them. So now we know its not a big deal to get home and spend some time and get it right but, if they brag that JD is behind the machines in lowes then I would expect much more when your not going to get it.

    Allan


    Allen, I initially had a concern about the chute control as well.  As you noted some in the stores were smoother than others.  Remember that it is a worm gear that meshes with a PAINTED GEAR.  When I used mine a couple of times it smoothed out very nicely indeed.  The other thing about the chute control that concerned me was that it wasn't a super fast rotation between one side and the other.  That is no issue for me at this time and I really like that there are no cables on this connection.  The chute rotation is a solid shafter with a knuckle linking the two portions and not a hi tech cable or other wiz bang thing that keeps freezing up on people.  I really like low tech on this because I think it will be durable.  I wish that I could post pictures on this site and I have some up of this connection.  It might not be for everyone and I am not saying that none of them were put together incorrectly of the ones that you looked at, just that my particular unit smoothed out very nicely with a little use between the worm gear and the painted gear.
    hirschallan


    If it aint broke don't fix it !!


    Location: Northern Hills of NY
    Joined: Aug 25, 2005
    Points: 327

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #65   Jan 21, 2009 6:19 pm
    <BR> Clay wrote:
    Allen, I initially had a concern about the chute control as well.  As you noted some in the stores were smoother than others.  Remember that it is a worm gear that meshes with a PAINTED GEAR.  When I used mine a couple of times it smoothed out very nicely indeed.  The other thing about the chute control that concerned me was that it wasn't a super fast rotation between one side and the other.  That is no issue for me at this time and I really like that there are no cables on this connection.  The chute rotation is a solid shafter with a knuckle linking the two portions and not a hi tech cable or other wiz bang thing that keeps freezing up on people.  I really like low tech on this because I think it will be durable.  I wish that I could post pictures on this site and I have some up of this connection.  It might not be for everyone and I am not saying that none of them were put together incorrectly of the ones that you looked at, just that my particular unit smoothed out very nicely with a little use between the worm gear and the painted gear.<BR>
    Clay,
    Its not the paint that was the problem, as you have mentioned there were not one but two knuckle joints which means that what I have on my Ariens in one long rod was on those machines 3 individual rods. That being the fact you have more to fiddle with to get it right and none of them (non working) had it right. Besides, the teeth on the chute are very small which makes the gear lineup much more critical. Take a look at your chute I think only two teeth are in contact so not much room for error.

    Allan
    This message was modified Jan 21, 2009 by hirschallan


    Clay


    Location: Wis
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Points: 111

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #66   Jan 21, 2009 9:22 pm
    Fair enough Allen, I didn't see the machines that you were looking at I just know that my machine was stiff to rotate and not very smooth the first time that I used it and now it is as smooth as butter. 

    I did pick up my machine today from JD at the promised time (day and a half total in the shop) and I am a happy camper.  When Matt from B&S Tech services called the local JD dealer for me to explain the possible solutions to my issues he had the local techs not only remove the oil from the hex shaft, friction disk and friction plate areas and replace that oil with a very think coat of grease that would stay in place better than the oil but he had them actually rough up the pressure plate area with 120 grit sandpaper to that the friction dsik has a better surface to make contact with.  They thought that the plate might be too smooth. 

    When I picked up the unit I didn't load it up right away but rather went to the first area of the parking lot that had not been plowed.  There was 18 to 24" of snow that was HARD in this area.  I went right at it and while the pile of snow did stop of the forward motion the wheels did not stop spining.  With the full weight of the machine on the wheel and the forward progess stopped the wheels still turned.   I did find some loose snow and she plowed through it very nicely with no hesitation.  The forward motion was positive indeed.  Now, this unit just came out of a heated shop and not my frozen garage.  I ran it around the parking lot for a few short minutes.  What will make me feel better is using the unit at my house in a good 8 to 12" snow fall in which I plan on doing all of the neighbors drives and walks to put it through a good test.  After I do a couple of these and it behaves, I will feel better. 

    I know I sound like a broken record, but good response time, good customer service and the problem SEEMS to be fixed.  Life is good and I feel like buying a John Deere hat.

    Rick

    hirschallan


    If it aint broke don't fix it !!


    Location: Northern Hills of NY
    Joined: Aug 25, 2005
    Points: 327

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #67   Jan 21, 2009 9:30 pm
    Clay wrote:
    Fair enough Allen, I didn't see the machines that you were looking at I just know that my machine was stiff to rotate and not very smooth the first time that I used it and now it is as smooth as butter.  </p><p>I did pick up my machine today from JD at the promised time (day and a half total in the shop) and I am a happy camper.  When Matt from B&amp;S Tech services called the local JD dealer for me to explain the possible solutions to my issues he had the local techs not only remove the oil from the hex shaft, friction disk and friction plate areas and replace that oil with a very think coat of grease that would stay in place better than the oil but he had them actually rough up the pressure plate area with 120 grit sandpaper to that the friction dsik has a better surface to make contact with.  They thought that the plate might be too smooth.  </p><p>When I picked up the unit I didn't load it up right away but rather went to the first area of the parking lot that had not been plowed.  There was 18 to 24&quot; of snow that was HARD in this area.  I went right at it and while the pile of snow did stop of the forward motion the wheels did not stop spining.  With the full weight of the machine on the wheel and the forward progess stopped the wheels still turned.   I did find some loose snow and she plowed through it very nicely with no hesitation.  The forward motion was positive indeed.  Now, this unit just came out of a heated shop and not my frozen garage.  I ran it around the parking lot for a few short minutes.  What will make me feel better is using the unit at my house in a good 8 to 12&quot; snow fall in which I plan on doing all of the neighbors drives and walks to put it through a good test.  After I do a couple of these and it behaves, I will feel better.  </p><p>I know I sound like a broken record, but good response time, good customer service and the problem SEEMS to be fixed.  Life is good and I feel like buying a John Deere hat.</p><p>Rick
    Rick
    While your at it get the gloves too.

    pvrp


    Joined: Nov 14, 2008
    Points: 151

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #68   Jan 21, 2009 10:33 pm
    Clay wrote:
    Fair enough Allen, I didn't see the machines that you were looking at I just know that my machine was stiff to rotate and not
    very smooth the first time that I used it and now it is as smooth as butter. 

    If I were you I would check that the bottom of the chute, underneath, is packed with grease.   It wouldn't be so bad
    if you had a heated garage but you say it's freezing in yours.  What can happen is that if you blow some wet snow
    it can build up around the base of the chute and then freeze solid when it gets really cold.  Then the chute will no
    longer turn.  I had this happen to me last year and I had to use a hair dryer everytime to thaw out the base of the
    chute before I could start using the machine.


    I did pick up my machine today from JD at the promised time (day and a half total in the shop) and I am a happy camper.  When
    Matt from B&S Tech services called the local JD dealer for me to explain the possible solutions to my issues he had the local
    techs not only remove the oil from the hex shaft, friction disk and friction plate areas and replace that oil with a very think coat
    of grease that would stay in place better than the oil but he had them actually rough up the pressure plate area with 120 grit
    sandpaper to that the friction dsik has a better surface to make contact with.  They thought that the plate might be too smooth. 


    To me this is a bit like tires on a race car.  In wet conditions they need grooves to let the water squeeze out so the
    rubber makes contact.  In your case you're putting the grooves in the plate which has the same effect.  But there's
    less traction to be had with grooves (or dimples or whatever) than there is with a completely smooth surface. 
    Racecars use treadless slicks for dry conditions as this offers the most traction.  My older Ariens has a completely
    smooth aluminum plate, kept dry by the design, and it has great traction.

    A rough surface on the plate will also cause the friction disk to wear faster, especially in the low gears which includes
    reverse. As far as oil goes, a rough surface will do nothing if you don't let oil get on the disk in the first place.

    Rough surfaces and pulley covers are band-aids needed because they moved the drive plate outside the box.

    Paul
    This message was modified Jan 21, 2009 by pvrp
    Santaclause


    Location: northern NY
    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Points: 48

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #69   Jan 24, 2009 10:21 am
    Well I just got done changing the oil and stuff and I cleaned the drive plate with brake clean and disk also took the cable up one notch I will say I think I got a more positive feel when I tested it out hopefully we will get a signifigant snow so I can try it out reverse still feels a little weak but forward seems really strong .....
    Ozzie


    Joined: Dec 29, 2008
    Points: 10

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #70   Jan 24, 2009 10:58 am
    good morning, like i said in previous posts, my 928e has the intermittant drive issue, talked to john deere and explained what i did with blocking the snow from getting on to the drive pulley, which made a big difference with the slipping issue, the service department said that it wasn't needed, and that it was a set up issue, i told them that they were the ones that set it up, and that i had to readjust it after i brought it home, the cable was sagging right out of the gate, they made an appointment for me to bring it into the shop this morning, explained to the mechanic what was happening and that it was intermittant, went in the front while he worked on it, looking arround at the 4 prepped machines sitting on the floor, i asked the service manager if these were ready to go and he answered yes, i asked him if he was joking? all 4 had the cables sagging, the small wheel the cables go over were to tight, would not turn, i told him that was the way my machine was delivered, he looks at the machines, looks at me, goes back to his office gets a note pad and starts to write down the things that i point out to him, at this point the mechanic comes in,and tells me my machine is ready, he had it for 20 minutes, asked what was wrong with it, answered the cable  was out of adjustment and he had to clean the drive disc.  i told him again that it was intermittant, and that i had done that , and it did not solve the problem, but that i would give it a try, back my truck up to the door, hook up the ramps, start it up, put it in 1rst geer, drive it accross to the door, hit the ramps and it stops dead in its tracks, wiil not go up the ramps, the wheels dont even attempt to try, i look at him, he looks at me, i ask what he thinks the problem is,  he goes and talks to the service department, i walk back in the front to the parts department counter and wait, the service manager come over and tells me they had this problem on 2 out of the 60 machines they sold this season, it was the friction disc and they would replace it right now, 1/2 hour later no problem going up ramps, so hopfully it is fixed, waiting for the next dump of snow to find out, now if it turns out to be the friction disc, which i think is possible, was this only during a certain point of production, all those with this problem, take a look at the bottom right corner of the back of the machine, the production date is there, mine was built 062608, maybe we can nail this down to a certain production period?
    thanks, Gary
    Snowmann


    Joined: Dec 3, 2003
    Points: 494

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #71   Jan 24, 2009 1:05 pm
    Does the friction disk say "Made in Canada"? Should be stamped on the metal part.

    PK
    Ozzie


    Joined: Dec 29, 2008
    Points: 10

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #72   Jan 25, 2009 8:09 am
    all i can see on it are the #'s 05d290   underneath that is 1501435, if it is written made in canada it would have to be hidden by the flange, the rubber on it seams to be softer than the original, but that might be me being optimistic,
    Santaclause


    Location: northern NY
    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Points: 48

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #73   Jan 25, 2009 8:55 am
    well we are getting blasted today lake effect snow should be about 12" when all said and done  so we are going to see if the brake clean and adjustment worked...
    embury


    Joined: Jan 11, 2009
    Points: 8

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #74   Jan 25, 2009 1:53 pm
    Mine is working 100%.  I will add the details for what I did later today.   No more drive problems!!!!!  
    hvac_01453


    Joined: Jan 26, 2009
    Points: 2

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #75   Jan 26, 2009 12:54 am
    I too like the most of you picked up the 1130 SE JD from Lowes.  It was setup by the JD dealership. Like mentioned earlier, the cable was loose. I was pissed that it cost be $25  to get it home only to have to pay another $48 for a home service call.  I drove mine about 40' and it stopped. One thing I wasn't use to is all the leakage of snow dusting around the shute. It seems to fly all over the place. Power wise this thing throws my snow into the neighbors yard and sometimes onto their roof.  I ran an Atlas 22" for 15 years without doing anything to it really except shearpins, oil chages... Still has the original belts from 1993, and will run circles around the JD as far as drive goes.

    My 1130 SE slipped in forward and reverse after 40' of operation, it remained motionless . I shifted it to higher speeds and side to side motions forward and back then it would start again, but usually only in the higher gears.  JD Dearlership came down adjusted the cable, cleaned off the disc wheel of spent rubber, and adjusted the linkage one spot. Not the way the manual says (3-3.375") of spring stretch. but it ran great while he was here. His testing was always just the drive. Not with the blower throwing snow... Is it possible the thing is forming ice on the traction plate?. How is snow getting in there anyway?  This should be a sealed environment in there anyway, except for maybe a weep hole... I did notice snow flying all around the units shute and thought this odd.  Snow was all over the engine.  This never happened to the old machine.  The dealership was told after the next storm, its doing that slippage again.  He sent the mechanic to change the friction disc.  Next storm,,, same thing. Called JD told him it still slips, mechanic came to house and fiddled with it and told the wife This machine will never drive like the power of the old 5 HP unit I use to have....WHAT!!!!! It sounds like hes throwing up his hands.  I was considering getting a JD tractor, but after this ordeal, I think I'll look to the Japaneese for quality products.  I only bought the JD because of the name, only to find out, they only painted the unit and apply the decals! They better come up with a realistic fix for this quick.. A class action lawsuit looks promising!

    This message was modified Jan 26, 2009 by hvac_01453
    Paul7


    Joined: Mar 12, 2007
    Points: 452

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #76   Jan 26, 2009 1:48 am
    hvac_01453 wrote:

    My 1130 SE slipped in forward and reverse after 40' of operation, it remained motionless . I shifted it to higher speeds and side to side motions forward and back then it would start again, but usually only in the higher gears...  

    ...This never happened to the old machine.  The dealership was told after the next storm, its doing that slippage again.  He sent the mechanic to change the friction disc.  Next storm,,, same thing. Called JD told him it still slips, mechanic came to house and fiddled with it and told the wife This machine will never drive like the power of the old 5 HP unit I use to have....WHAT!!!!!  It sounds like hes throwing up his hands.  I was considering getting a JD tractor, but after this ordeal, I think I'll look to the Japaneese for quality products.  I only bought the JD because of the name, only to find out, they only painted the unit and apply the decals!


    I'm knocking on wood as I type this because so far I haven't had this problem with my Ariens.  But if I did I'd get it fixed just so I could drive it over a cliff...then hire a plow service.

    The snow blowers I used many years ago had a gear drive instead of the friction wheel.  One even had a totally sealed Peerless brand geared transmission.  They were reliable in any weather conditions. I could be wrong but I think that all North American companies now use the friction disc-o-matic drive these days.  Honda uses a hydrostatic drive but I have no experience with them.  All I know is that wet snow, blowing snow, icy snow or in a rainstorm...when one put their snow blower in 1st gear and engages the drive lever it's supposed to move forward. Period.
    embury


    Joined: Jan 11, 2009
    Points: 8

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #77   Jan 26, 2009 8:15 am
    These units were shipped without all the hardware to seal the belts and friction plate.  As soon as some snow accumulates on it,  The unit loses it's drive.   Below is the list of the parts.   

    1. Shaft Seal  1733898   http://www.lawn-parts.com/detail.asp?id=1733898   $1.95

    2. Seal Plate 1733868A  http://www.lawn-parts.com/detail.asp?id=1733868A  $5.95  (This closes the back of the plastic belt cover)  Why this was not installed who knows!!

    3. Seal Strip  1733897   http://www.lawn-parts.com/detail.asp?id=1733897  $1.95 

    I also sealed the front of the plastic belt cover using black foam weather stripping.   For the seal plate I used  "Henry # 212 Clear Elastomeric roof patch"  It is clear, flexible and adheres very well at any temp.  Instead using seal strip #1733897,  I ran a 1/2" bead along the engine frame where it meets seal plate.  I sealed any holes/gaps on the engine frame as well.  There is also one small hole on the top of the belt cover near the plastic hinge. Seal that too.

    On the inside I cleaned the friction plate with some carb cleaner applied on a rag.   I removed all the excess oil and grease from the hex shaft and friction wheal assembly.  On the hex shaft I used a very light coating of chainsaw bar and chain oil.  This will prevent oil splatter from getting on the friction disc and plate. 
     

     I used the unit for several hours and the drive problem has been resolved.
    Santaclause


    Location: northern NY
    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Points: 48

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #78   Jan 26, 2009 4:24 pm
    Paul7 wrote:
    I'm knocking on wood as I type this because so far I haven't had this problem with my Ariens.  But if I did I'd get it fixed just so I could drive it over a cliff...then hire a plow service.

    The snow blowers I used many years ago had a gear drive instead of the friction wheel.  One even had a totally sealed Peerless brand geared transmission.  They were reliable in any weather conditions. I could be wrong but I think that all North American companies now use the friction disc-o-matic drive these days.  Honda uses a hydrostatic drive but I have no experience with them.  All I know is that wet snow, blowing snow, icy snow or in a rainstorm...when one put their snow blower in 1st gear and engages the drive lever it's supposed to move forward. Period.


    I have one of these it is a toro powershift model1332 roughly 11yrs old worked great some things are getting worn on her now slips out of reverse once in awhile but the main reason for getting the JD was she doesnt want to run and have messed with it all winter long and just keeps snowing here so had to make a purchase could not be caught with pants down while the toro was at a dealership getting fixed .......
    redsox


    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Points: 5

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #79   Jan 26, 2009 4:29 pm
    Thanks for the info.

     I guess my question is if the 1130se was shipped without these parts even though its a inexpensive fix shouldn't they be provideing these parts at no charge. As mentioned earlier I used metal duct tape looks like tin foil but much thicker sticks good in cold or hot applications. I taped both in front of plastic belt cover and back and the problem went away. Like another poster mentioned these are bandaids. John Deere should send out parts to consumer for free. My problem they have 2 year warranty but you have to bring the blower to them or pay in home service call on a snowblower with little hours on it. Management at lowes took 300.00 off my machine so my cost is 1200. I will live with the tape knowing I have a machine second too none at that price.

    Don

    embury


    Joined: Jan 11, 2009
    Points: 8

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #80   Jan 26, 2009 7:31 pm
    You are correct.   Briggs who makes the 1130 has a kit that they will send to the dealer free of charge. They sent some to my dealer.  I don't think they know that the cover can leak where there is a small hole for the flexible hinge.  
    hvac_01453


    Joined: Jan 26, 2009
    Points: 2

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #81   Jan 28, 2009 5:30 pm
    Well, I tried to snow blow again today, only this time I thought I would try something EMBRY said... He mentioned trouble started when blowing off to the right, This is my main direction as well. I thought to try blowing to the left as much as possible and it reduced the slippage 70%. Another side note from that was there was 80% less accumalated snow on top the engine this time, a rareity... Looking closer at this I noticed when the impellor discharges the snow,  it rather slings it to the right side a bit, in its natural momentum. Some of it is coming straight up and it is never guided by the chute in its direction because the base of the chute is open... From the operators position, I can see the snow going straight up without touching the chute, this causes the snow to spray about. On the other hand, when discharged to the left it reverses the throwing direction of the snow by the impellor, and  it discharges cleanly. Some kind of sheet metal or plastic colar would likely clean up this spraying of snow all about....your thoughts!!!!!!!!
    Santaclause


    Location: northern NY
    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Points: 48

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #82   Jan 30, 2009 8:07 am
    Yes I noticed the same thing about blowing right and you wear most of the snow ,I noticed also no slippage problem when blowing in forward position I go out to end of driveway and then blow across the eod and dont seem to have issues but start making passes up and down and the slippage will start so I am going to call local JD dealer and ask about what they are doing for the fix I got this machine at lowes so dont know how receptive to helping they are going to be but we will see and then might just order the plate and seal deal and fix myself and see what happens ..... 
    Brrr


    Joined: Jan 30, 2009
    Points: 1

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #83   Jan 30, 2009 10:34 am
    I just bought a JD 928E at Lowes. The only complaint the I have is that, intermittently, the drive slips in any gear as soon as any real load is put on it. It is a pain to drag or push it to get it going again. Is this is going to be ongoing problem?  If so, I think I will return it. (Otherwise, it is great - thing can really throw some snow; also, the B&S starts first pull everytime and runs flawlessly.)
    Santaclause


    Location: northern NY
    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Points: 48

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #84   Jan 31, 2009 6:44 pm
    yes sir you will have issue probably  I returned my Jd 1130 today and bought a cub cadet 930 from a dealer not a big box
    Uconn411


    Joined: Feb 3, 2009
    Points: 3

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #85   Feb 3, 2009 10:58 am
    Hello Everyone.  I've been following this discussion b/c I have a 928E that has had the same slippage problems, and for around $2 in weatherstripping, I have a simple solution that might help.

     I was clearing my driveway in the last snowstorm, and it was raining/sleeting at the same time.  I almost immediately lost my drive.  Took it back into the garage, and removed the belt cover.  The problem is, the rear of where the cover seats, is where the metal from the snowblower frame dips down.  Water was going down this metal, and guess what?  The friction disc is right below.  It gets wet = loss of drive.  Once you take off the cover and see the relationship between the edge of the frame and position of the friction disc, you will understand why it so easily gets water on the disc.

    So I dried up the water and cleaned up the friction disc using brake cleaner.  Then, I used a strip of weather stripping that I attached to the frame.  It is a little tricky putting this weather stripping in there, it goes behind the pulleys and the spring, and just lies flat on that metal edge that dips down.  Make sure it does not touch the engine.  Once on, it will help block water from simply falling onto the friction disc.  It works fine now, and the friction disc is able to do its job w/o getting wet and slipping.

    It is part #46 in this diagram (but I just used regular weather stripping):  http://www.partstree.com/parts/?lc=snapper&mn=E115328E+(1695096)+32%22+11.5+HP+Two+Stage+Large+Frame+Snow+Thrower+Euro+Series+8&dn=11122

    As mentioned in this thread, this part should of came standard with our blowers, but it didn't.  I suspect JD is fully aware of this problem, but doesn't want to pay a repairman to come out and apply a $2 piece of weather stripping.  There should be a better way to protect the friction disc from getting wet.  JD could have put a slight lip on the edge of the metal, to prevent water from just falling in.
    This message was modified Feb 3, 2009 by Uconn411
    natf


    Joined: Feb 3, 2009
    Points: 1

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #86   Feb 3, 2009 3:03 pm
    I need a new snow blower.  Most dealers have sold out of snow blowers in the area (southern NH) and are now stocking spring equipment.  Up until now I've gotten by with a 1970 Ariens 7HP 24" model.  A local dealer quoted me out $230 just for the part that has broken with a potential $500 more if the augers or drive shaft break while they try to get them apart (they have rusted together).

    While looking for a new snowblower I came across the John Deere 1130SE at a local Lowes.  They had several left but most had repair tags for "wheels slipping".  They supposedly have been fixed (the sales rep mentioned the oil/grease on the friction disk but did not mention the melting snow leaking onto it).  Now to the point - they offered to sell me a John Deere 1130SE for $1,000.  They went right to that price so I suspect there may be even more wiggle room than that.

    Given the problems with this model, and what appears to be a known fix (install the missing parts or weather stripping) what do you think is a fair price for this snow blower?  Would you buy one for $1,000?
    This message was modified Feb 3, 2009 by natf
    redsox


    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Points: 5

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #87   Feb 3, 2009 6:36 pm
     Hello natf,

     I own the 1130se and was able to talk the management down to 1200.00 after mine had drive problems. I thought that was a steal 1,000 is a true winning price. Look at my previous post I sealed with tape problem gone. You will not find a blower with this kind of motor and torque for less than 1500.00. Just my thoughts others would rather pay 1700.00 and not put a small fix to there new blower. I do understand that some people feel you pay good money and there should be no problems.

    Don

    Bill_H


    Location: Maine
    Joined: Jan 12, 2008
    Points: 354

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #88   Feb 3, 2009 7:18 pm
    Aside from The Great Drive Problem, this appears to be one of the better machines out there. If you're willing to tinker a bit - or perhaps even talk the dealer into replacing the "missing" Part #46 mentioned above - that's an awesome price.

    But if you're willing to tinker a bit you might consider taking one of the slipping-drive-repair-tagged ones at the dealers off his hands for, say, $700 or so. Find one that's otherwise as-new, fit the weatherproofing, and you'll have a hell of a machine for just over half price.

    I'm not in the market for a blower at this time, but if I were I'd grab one that somebody hates because "they got a brand new machine with problems" - then fix it for a few bucks.

    Who the hell let all the morning people run things?
    blackjack3


    Joined: Jan 14, 2009
    Points: 2

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #89   Feb 24, 2009 2:39 pm
    Any updates on this drive problem?Has Deere provided any info to anyone on providing a free  upgrade on a kit to correct the problem?
    speedraser


    Joined: Mar 16, 2009
    Points: 1

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #90   Mar 16, 2009 12:17 pm
    I had the same drive issues on my brand new 1130SE and i have done 2 things and now awaiting any other snowfalls to test out..  

    1.  i bought a small sheet of aluminum and made a small shield that  i bolted to the location of that gastet part # 46 in above referenced diagram.  it acts as both a snow deflector, and i sealed underneath it with silicone.  ( also put some weatherstripping on the bottom of the belt cover ends which essentially seals all the way across that end of the cover now).     this should eliminate the water dripping down from the snow melting on the engine issue.

    2.  i did look at the hex shaft and there did seem to be a significant amount of lubricant which i could see could cause the issues as well.  I cleaned the shaft and drive plate with brake cleaner and re-lubricated the shaft with bearing greese which is much thicker and shouldn't fly off.  When i sprayed brake cleaner to clean the black residue from the drive plate, it came right off, which would lead me to believe the slippage could have been caused by the lubricant as well, (lubricant mixing with the rubber drive wheel on that plate causing the rubbery black residue on the drive plate ).  

    so whether it was water dripping causing the slipping, or lubricant flying off the hex shaft, I addressed both and now am waiting to see if i get any more snow.

    Brian
    trekguy


    Joined: Jan 12, 2009
    Points: 7

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #91   Apr 7, 2009 6:45 pm
    Local dealer called, and requested that I bring in the 1130Se asap for some retro fix for the drive problem.  I didn't talk to him, so I don't know exactly what that will be.  He said he wants them ALL taken care of before mower season starts.  Anyway, if you haven't been contacted yet... you may want to give them a call... apparently, there is a fix, and you may as well let them do it.  I'll report back when it's finished.
    dean


    Joined: Apr 26, 2009
    Points: 1

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #92   Apr 26, 2009 10:51 am
    trekguy wrote:
    Local dealer called, and requested that I bring in the 1130Se asap for some retro fix for the drive problem.  I didn't talk to him, so I don't know exactly what that will be.  He said he wants them ALL taken care of before mower season starts.  Anyway, if you haven't been contacted yet... you may want to give them a call... apparently, there is a fix, and you may as well let them do it.  I'll report back when it's finished.

    Hi trek, did you get your machine back?

    I just picked one of these up at my local Lowes store yesterday for $800, ($890 on seasonal closeout with 10% coupon) new, never started. If the two that were sitting there were not sold by next weekend the guy said they would go up on a shelf until this Fall.

    Do you guys think I should just ring my local JD dealer on Monday, or should i go with calling B&S or JD directly? Looks like a beast of a machine, just hoping to see if there is a service bulletin out yet and if there really is a kit to fix it that can be provided to the JD dealer.


    trekguy


    Joined: Jan 12, 2009
    Points: 7

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #93   May 2, 2009 4:10 pm
    Got it back with a different plastic cover.  I think they double-checked adjustments, as well... and cleaned the disk.  My retired Dad had time to spare, so he ran it to the dealer... I didn't talk to them myself.  Guess I won't know for sure til next winter, whether or not the problem is fully resolved.  The dealer said to let him know how it goes.  They are fully aware of the problem, so I wouldn't hesitate to give your's a call... they should know exactly what's what.  I will say again that besides that drive hiccup, the machine throws snow like nobody's business!  The last storm we had dumped 22 inches of heavy, wet snow in my yard..... the 1130 went through it like it was nothing.
    mikkel


    Joined: Sep 28, 2009
    Points: 2

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #94   Sep 28, 2009 10:28 am
    Hi Everyone,

    I am looking at an 1130SE for this winter and came across this thread. I realize the posts are from last season, but I am thinking of purchasing one (from new stock) very soon. Does anyone know if John Deere has made any changes yet to solve the friction drive problem?

    I am trying to decide between the 1130SE and the Toro 1028OXE. Each has advantages over the other, but the JD has a much better price point for a larger engine.

    Thanks for any input,
    Mike
    LennyB


    Joined: Sep 28, 2009
    Points: 9

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #95   Sep 28, 2009 9:39 pm
    mikkel'

    I had the friction drive problem last year - sometimes.

    I racked my brain and came across this site. I read the pages and could see some very interesting progress being made.

    I figured the parts were missing on my 928E as everyone else was having the same experiences with their 1130SE.

    Finally my local Lowes in Hamilton, Ontario started selling the snowthrowers again and I popped in to take a look at them this weekend.

    Sure enough, the correct parts have been installed to stop the water seepage onto the friction disc on the new models (both 928E and 1130SE). So it looks like this years models will be fine.

    I asked the sales staff about the model I purchased last year and they directed me to my local John Deere dealer who is now ordering me a kit to install myself. They did however offered to install the parts free of charge - nice.

    Once the kit arrives, I'll post the results and hopefully be able to post pictures.

    As for the Toro 1028OXE I can't comment.  I can however say that the JD is a brute and has impressed me like no other.

    Len
    mikkel


    Joined: Sep 28, 2009
    Points: 2

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #96   Sep 30, 2009 10:39 am
    Thanks LennyB for your reply. I really appreciate it; sounds like the friction drive problem has been solved for sure.

    Couple more questions for anyone:
    1) Regarding the electric-powered chute rotation: is this system robust? Does anyone think snow and ice will freeze the operation up, or is it shrouded well enough?
    2) Is the Easy-Steer system similar to a limited-slip diff? How does it actually function? The dealer cannot really explain to me how the system works, although I did operate the blower on a cement floor and it seems to work seamlessly.

    Thanks again,
    Mike
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #97   Oct 8, 2009 2:01 pm
    I just purchase the JD 1130SE. I called the JD dealer and he knows nothing about the "Retro fix" for the Drive slippage problem.  The Sevice guy started to laugh when I told him that I was getting my information from the internet. He was not interested in what people were saying and said that he checked and found nothing about a cover or anything from B and S.

    Well, I will have to wait until the snow flys in Minneapolis to find out if it slips and has problems. Maybe this is a isolated incident. If you can supply me with the "Fix" that your dealer did for you I can follow up with the dealer.

    Jim

    This message was modified Oct 9, 2009 by lanningjw
    LennyB


    Joined: Sep 28, 2009
    Points: 9

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #98   Oct 10, 2009 12:07 am
    lanningjw,

    I have ordered my kit from the dealer and I have not heard anything yet. It's been about 14 days. I'll give them a little more time before I start nagging again.

    Like I said, once I get the kit I'll post back with the results, a few  photos, and the part numbers.

    Hopefully that information can help everyone else.
    borat


    Joined: Nov 10, 2007
    Points: 2692

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #99   Oct 10, 2009 12:54 pm
    lanningjw wrote:
    I just purchase the JD 1130SE. I called the JD dealer and he knows nothing about the &quot;Retro fix&quot; for the Drive slippage problem.  The Sevice guy started to laugh when I told him that I was getting my information from the internet. He was not interested in what people were saying and said that he checked and found nothing about a cover or anything from B and S. </p><p>Well, I will have to wait until the snow flys in Minneapolis to find out if it slips and has problems. Maybe this is a isolated incident. If you can supply me with the &quot;Fix&quot; that your dealer did for you I can follow up with the dealer.</p><p>Jim

    Sounds like your dealer is tuned out. I find it annoying as hell when dealers of anything scoff at the idea of information from the internet. I personally think it embarrasses them. Particularly when they are proved wrong. I've had that experience with motorcycle shops and OPE shops. The difference is that I do my homework thoroughly before I go in. When they start feeding me BS and arguing that the internet info is wrong, I challenge them on it. After all, fifty unbiased opinions from participants of forums must account for something vs. the very much biased opinion of the dealer. Put it in their face and keep it there. I find that their argument rapidly deteriorates in the presence of research, facts and the reported experience of others.
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #100   Oct 16, 2009 8:57 am
    I was at a Lowe's store a couple of weeks ago looking at the 1130SE.  They had both last year's and this year's versions of the Deere 1130SE on the floor.  The old version had the plastic belt cover where I could stick my finger through openings on the engine side of the cover.  The new model has additional plastic that has no opening what so ever.  It also seems more robust on that edge.  You might want to ask the "service guy" why Deere spent money tooling up a different cover.  He's an idiot.

    Here are the differences I saw between the two models.

    1) Belt cover is completely sealed from what I can tell versus last year's model with gaping holes.
    2) Electric chute rotation now versus the hand crank.
    3) Engine exhaust cover is now made of heavier gauge metal.   This doesn't bend as easy.
    4) The hand control cables for blower and wheel engagement don't cam around the black plastic rollers anymore.
    5) The upper chute hinge no longer uses a spring on top of the chute.  It's now a compression spring arrangement on the side of the chute.
    This message was modified Oct 16, 2009 by Catt
    borat


    Joined: Nov 10, 2007
    Points: 2692

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #101   Oct 16, 2009 6:09 pm
    LennyB wrote:
    lanningjw,<BR><BR>I have ordered my kit from the dealer and I have not heard anything yet. It's been about 14 days. I'll give them a little more time before I start nagging again.<BR><BR>Like I said, once I get the kit I'll post back with the results, a few  photos, and the part numbers.<BR><BR>Hopefully that information can help everyone else.<br type="_moz"/>

    Although my Simplicity didn't suffer too bad from snow getting inside and onto the drive system, I did have it happen once or twice in exceptionally deep snow. I made a seal/shield from a piece of inner tube that I glued and riveted to the engine side of the belt cover. Not the prettiest fix in the world but it does the job. It's good to go. Just waiting for some snow now.
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #102   Oct 16, 2009 6:42 pm
    I bought last years 1130 for $850, so I guess if I have to mess around with with a getting cover from a dealer who has no idea what I am talking about it is worth the effort. I should not have to use the JD until Nov. Hope I can get that part number before we get snow. Maybe I can use duck tape and tin foil and wrap it around the cover until I get the fix kit number.<BR><BR>BTW Last night I sold my Simplicity 8/28 Snowbuster. It was a really clean machine with the big orange snow cab.
    This message was modified Oct 16, 2009 by lanningjw
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #103   Oct 16, 2009 7:08 pm
    lanningjw, that is a fantastic deal!  You can get the newer belt cover and with that great price you'll be set.  You might get the part number from the newer version.  I ordered the newer version 1130SE and should take delivery in a week. It cost a lot more than $850.  I'm in Minnesota too.  Maybe when I take delivery from the Deere dealer I can get a part number.
    This message was modified Oct 16, 2009 by Catt
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #104   Oct 17, 2009 3:40 pm
    Catt where at you in MPLS? I started mine up and it fire right off w/o the electric start. Its a huge machine and its the mean green machine. It should throw snow 40 feet and I think we are gonna get some this winter and we are gonna have it made. I can say this so far it moves soooooooo much better than My last 2 stage. Easy to turn and handles well.

    Do you have a large driveway? Jim

    Ozzie


    Joined: Dec 29, 2008
    Points: 10

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #105   Oct 18, 2009 8:04 am
    lanningjw wrote:
    I just purchase the JD 1130SE. I called the JD dealer and he knows nothing about the "Retro fix" for the Drive slippage problem.  The Sevice guy started to laugh when I told him that I was getting my information from the internet. He was not interested in what people were saying and said that he checked and found nothing about a cover or anything from B and S.

    Well, I will have to wait until the snow flys in Minneapolis to find out if it slips and has problems. Maybe this is a isolated incident. If you can supply me with the "Fix" that your dealer did for you I can follow up with the dealer.

    Jim


    i had the same problem with my JD 9/28 bought new in december 08, these machines were shipped with 3 parts missing by the belt cover, my dealer laughed at me as well till i had him look up the parts diagram for the belt cover and pulley, it showed a shaft seal, a seal plate and a seal strip, then i took him over to a machine sitting in the show room, and sure enough these parts were not installed, if you go back to post #77 of this thread, the part # are there, but i think these are simplicity part #'s, your dealer has to do this repair on warranty
    good luck
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #106   Oct 18, 2009 1:33 pm
    lanningjw, I'm in Saint Paul.  My driveway isn't huge but I like big toys.  I plan to put a cab on the 1130 as I've gotten tired of having snow blow at my face.  Can't wait to get delivery and run it around the driveway.  I'm really looking forward to the easy steer.
    This message was modified Oct 18, 2009 by Catt
    JasonSmits


    Joined: Oct 23, 2009
    Points: 3

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #107   Oct 23, 2009 7:57 pm
    Just bought the New 1130SE from a John Deere dealer in my home town. I have spent all day reading the manual and checking the machine. I found that everything was inplace and assembly and all parts were there. The only problem I found was that there was way too much oil in it. The delivery man started the machine a couple of times for me to show me how it worked. I got the extra oil out and checked for any blown seals but all seams fine. Just a note that if you buy one to check the oil before you start.

    The Auger is 14in

    I haven't gotten into the gut of the machine yet but the Easy Steer system works great. Both wheels turn one faster then the other to accomplish the turn. The regular guy that deals with the snow blowers was in the States for traning so I didnt get much info.

    The electric shoot rotation is really cool... but I think there is potential for a jam in the snow. Im looking forward to the first storm.

    Jason
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #108   Oct 26, 2009 8:32 pm
    Still waiting for some concrete info on parts for the update on the 08 1130....Any update to share?
    LennyB


    Joined: Sep 28, 2009
    Points: 9

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #109   Oct 27, 2009 4:43 pm
    I have no update yet on my 2008 928E as I am still waiting for my "kit".

    I have nagged my dealer a few times and they replied that there has been no delivery of my parts yet.

    It's been 30 days and that seems a while for $9 worth of parts.

    I'll keep you posted.

    Len
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #110   Oct 29, 2009 10:59 am
    See below
    This message was modified Oct 29, 2009 by lanningjw
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #111   Oct 29, 2009 11:06 am
    Finally a dealer who knows about the updates for the 1130 SE.

    Both updates are warranty issues.

    A) Water Seal Kit or waterproof kit retro kit, Part number (in CAN) assuming its the same US, BS 1687300 (SM) The kit came out in Jan of this year.

    B) Clutch lever kit update for slippage.....BS 1687452YP (again CAN number) Hope it the same US. This update came out late spring.

    I just placed a call to my JD dealer and will speak to him soon, I hope.
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #112   Oct 29, 2009 11:27 am
    Just called the dealer spoke with a different guy who I should of spoke the first time and he said drop it off and well take care of it. He was not aware of the later clutch lever kit fix and said he would get it done.

    He said we have been selling these things for 25 years and that they have had had snow leaking in the parts......Kinda like why fix something that is not broken answer. I told him that Its better to have the updates installed NOW before it snows.

    I think they hate it when you know more than you do.....
    Knowledge is power.....
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #113   Oct 29, 2009 9:54 pm
    I talked to my dealer today.  My 1130SE should be here mid to late next week.  My neighbors will be wondering why I'm driving it around with no snow.  I can't wait to try it out!
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #114   Oct 29, 2009 9:58 pm
    BTW, have you seen this video?  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3CCOUHb3Jo
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #115   Oct 31, 2009 8:43 am
    Catt wrote:
    BTW, have you seen this video?  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3CCOUHb3Jo



    The 1130SE "ROCKS" I am getting excited for winter.

    A little more info on the problems with the 08 model. The problem is they use to use the Tecumseh motor that was flat on the side where the belt cover was. They dont make a snow blower engines any more. So, the BS engine is not flat on the side where the belt cover goes and this has caused problems with snow leaking on the belts. 

    Ozzie


    Joined: Dec 29, 2008
    Points: 10

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #116   Nov 4, 2009 7:10 am
    Does anyone know what this clutch lever update is? is it worth nagging my dealer about it?
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #117   Nov 6, 2009 7:12 pm
    I finally received my 1130 SE...  I went through it with a fine tooth comb to make sure everything was adjusted properly because it wasn't when I got it home.  I thought the dealer should have done a much better job.  After getting everything greased, oiled and adjusted I drove it around the driveway.  This seems like a fantastic snow blower and I can't wait to try it out this winter.  The electric chute works great and the hand warmers will be very nice.  I haven't fully decided about a cab just yet.

    As I was going through everything, I removed the lower metal chain case cover.  Now I can see why the earlier version was slipping when it got snow between the engine and the plastic belt cover.   It's a very short direct path to the aluminum disc.  I mean it sits right below the plastic belt cover and there really isn't any where else the melted snow can go. In addition, when you engage the wheels, the aluminum disc tilts slightly giving it even more of a direct path to become wet.. Another thing I noticed was the minimal lube on everything including the chains.  I guess they are now trying to make sure that lube doesn't get splattered onto the disc.  This was all different than my 25 year old Simplicity pro series.  My old Simplicity disc was in a different location and everything was lubed to the max.  The Simplicity disc also didn't tilt for engagement.  But I think the JD is better because the axle is much further back giving more downward force up front.  This should cause the front end to dig down more.  But in the end, I would definately get the updates for the belt cover if I had last year's model.

    While apart I looked at the "easy steer" differential.  This thing is pretty slick.  If you rotate one tire and hold the other stationary it will turn the shafts and chains.  It doesn't matter which wheel you rotate and hold stationary, you will get the same result.  so it works exactly like an automotive differential and must be planetary gears of some sort.  I believe the differential can semi lock and unlock too depending on wheel load versus drive torque.  In other words when the wheels are pushing hard they will lock together, although I'm not sure how to fully test it and how much they lock.  I did notice how the wheels seem to lock when I drove it down the trailer ramp.  Either way it looks like a very good feature to me and is probably one of the main reasons to buy this snow blower.

    This message was modified Nov 7, 2009 by Catt
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #118   Nov 7, 2009 9:08 pm
    Catt, congrats on your JD, glad you like what ya got.

    Got both of the updates done at the dealer this week. I almost $#%* when the girl said $197..... I said, but this was warranty work. She said I will get the service guy. He confirmed it was warranty work updates with no charge. Didn't give me any paper work, said you don't need it.
    Service guy asked if JD contacted me about updates? I said nope, got the info from a blower forum.
    I could tell this pissed him off, then he said why did I get them done if I had not used the blower? I said would you get them done, I don't want this thing slipping around.
    He said out of all the JD blowers they sold last year not one came back with a slipping problem. I said last year we did not get alot of snow but maybe we will this year and I don't want to have to throw this thing in the back of my pickup. I want it to work with out a problem, that why they have the updates. He was like why fix something that was not broken.
    I do not like doing business at the stealer, I mean dealers.

    Hope every guy with a 2008 JD 1130 gets his updates. You deserve them, that right!
    Jim
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #119   Nov 7, 2009 9:30 pm
    lanningjw, You did very well.  You got a great price and the updates.  It kind of pi_ _es me off how this has been handled.  Only people that b itch get the update.  This will be a problem eventually for anybody without the updates, but you won't know it until the right conditions occur.  I saw several machines at Lowe's without and the sales people had no clue.  Now I'm going to look forward to winter and I have a new toy to play with.  Good luck with your 1130.  I'm sure you'll have many years of great service and good job making sure you have the latest revisions.
    This message was modified Nov 7, 2009 by Catt
    Ozzie


    Joined: Dec 29, 2008
    Points: 10

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #120   Nov 8, 2009 6:19 am
    Good morning, Ianningjw good for you, hopefully you won't have any problems now that you have had the updates done,  where did you find out about the clutch lever update? now that it has had the update, could you tell the difference from the original lever to the updated one?
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #121   Nov 8, 2009 7:01 am
    Ozzie, I took the JD from the driveway up into the grass and back to the shed. I thought it was kinda warm out to be playing with the blower. I cannot tell any difference with the updates.

    Why not get them done?
    LennyB


    Joined: Sep 28, 2009
    Points: 9

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #122   Nov 8, 2009 11:29 am
    Sorry about the delay, but I have an update on my 928E that I had talked about earlier.

    I really wanted to have the retro kits (water proofing, and clutch lever kits) in my hands so I could snap a few shots and post them here but the dealer talked me into having the parts installed by him so as to maintain my warranty, blah, blah, blah.

    Looking back, I suppoose it didn't cost me anything nor did I have to spend the time installing the parts.

    Anyway, he told me the seal kit sits right behind the cover to stop the water from sneaking down into the friction disc, and as for the clutch lever, he mentioned that this kit was an update to stop the oil and or grease from contacting the friction disc as it has been mentioned earlier on this thread. Apparently the original hex shaft on the drive wheel was oil impregnated and had to be replaced to halt any contamination onto the friction disc.

    As I said, sorry for not being able to post the photos, but if you have the issues that the other members have experienced, contact your John Deere dealer and start the ball rolling.

    I also want to thank everyone here for making this process so much easier as Lowes did not inform me of any update nor did they offer any assistance in getting my issues resolved. It was the diligence of the people here that made the difference.

    Thanks again guys,
    Len
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #123   Nov 14, 2009 7:57 pm
    I replaced the original gas cap with a cap fuel gauge for my Deere 1130 SE.  Now I can see how much gas is in the tank with just a glance.
    blackjack3


    Joined: Jan 14, 2009
    Points: 2

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #124   Nov 15, 2009 4:57 pm
    LennyB, What JD dealer did they send you to for the upgrade?I am in the Hamilton area and plan on getting the update for my 08 model.
    LennyB


    Joined: Sep 28, 2009
    Points: 9

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #125   Nov 15, 2009 7:16 pm
    Blackjack,

    I got my machine serviced at Agraturf in Smithville.

    Very easy people to deal with.

    Catt,

    Where did you pick up the fuel gauge, that's a great idea.


    Len
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #126   Nov 15, 2009 7:49 pm
    This gauge is made for the Briggs Intek engine.  It works great and the red matches the other red controls.

    I ordered mine from here and they shipped it very quick:

    https://www.mowpart.com


    Model Number: 698109



    LennyB


    Joined: Sep 28, 2009
    Points: 9

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #127   Nov 15, 2009 8:50 pm
    Thanks Catt.
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #128   Nov 21, 2009 6:53 pm

    Can someone post pics to show what the updated parts looks like?  I have last year's model and am not sure if it has the update installed yet or not.

    Also, on the engine it says 1650.  I thought these only came with the 1550 engine?  It is definitely a 1130se.  Did last year’s model have the 16.5 lb torque engine?


    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #129   Nov 21, 2009 7:18 pm

    Try sticking your finger through any opening on the engine side of the plastic belt cover.  If your finger can go through than it doesn’t have the updates.  There should be absolutely no openings on that side. 

    Go to page 8 of this document and look at the items listed below.  These are the belt cover seal updates from the Simplicity site which are pretty much identical.

     

    http://bsintek.basco.com/BriggsDocumentDisplay/default.aspx?filename=fmlwzJT.-FzXFix2

     

    0380 -  Foam Seal

    0390 – Plate Seal

    0400 – Foam Seal

    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #130   Nov 21, 2009 7:25 pm
    I'm not sure about your engine.  The Deere 1332PE uses the 1650.  I can only guess they put in the 1650 due to availability or the labels are incorrect.  Both the 1550 and the 1650 are 342cc engines.
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #131   Nov 21, 2009 9:04 pm
    Catt wrote:
    I replaced the original gas cap with a cap fuel gauge for my Deere 1130 SE.  Now I can see how much gas is in the tank with just a glance.


    This cap? http://www.mowpart.com/p312481/Cap-Fuel-Tank/product_info.html
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #132   Nov 21, 2009 9:34 pm
    Yes, it shows part number 698109 and that's the fuel cap I ordered.
    This message was modified Nov 21, 2009 by Catt
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #133   Nov 23, 2009 5:03 pm
    I tried talking to my local John Deere dealer about having the update done to my 1130 SE and he said that it is not warranted work, but they can do it for a cost.  Does anyone have a person at John Deere that I should talk to?

    Here is what he told me:

    Hello Sean,

    I checked with the manufacturer and found that the water seal kit is probably not necessary so John Deere chose not to include it in the 1130SE model.  It is available for purchase for $47.61 plus $9.50 freight.  Installation is charged out at $82.00 per hour.  We have never received a request for this item.

    The clutch lever kit would be a warranty repair if your 1130SE is experiencing drive slippage that can not be corrected with an adjustment of the drive system.

    Let us know if you are interested in installation or warranty work. 

    This message was modified Nov 24, 2009 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    borat


    Joined: Nov 10, 2007
    Points: 2692

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #134   Nov 23, 2009 6:56 pm
    $82.00 an hour? To fix a snow thrower? Incredible! There has to be an OPE repair shop in your area that will do it for half that. When I see service charges like that, I'm very thankful that do my own work.
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #135   Nov 24, 2009 11:58 am
    Was the 2008 model the first year of the 1130SE?  Mine has a 1650 engine and I am trying to find out more about why it doesn't have the 1550 engine.  I had my dealer run the serial number and the engine has never been replaced.  Also, it has a silver metal cage (similar to chicken wire) over the muffler rather than the black heat shield. 

    If John Deere won't pay to have the waterproof kit installed, I will see if they will at least give me the parts so I can install them myself.  It looks like a pretty simple add on. 

    I just hate the idea of knowing that the machine has a big gap where snow and water can go into the belt system and the JD dealer doesn't want to do anything until it causes a problem.  There is a good chance it will be out of warranty by then. 

    Sean Woods
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #136   Nov 24, 2009 12:21 pm
    embury wrote:
    FYI:

     Here are the part numbers for the parts that are missing from the John Deere 1130 SE


    1. Shaft Seal  1733898   http://www.lawn-parts.com/detail.asp?id=1733898   $1.95

    2. Seal Plate 1733868A  http://www.lawn-parts.com/detail.asp?id=1733868A  $5.95

    3. Seal Strip  1733897   http://www.lawn-parts.com/detail.asp?id=1733897  $1.95


    I found these in the parts manual for a Snapper model 1530SE.   It is very similar to the JD 1130SE except for the Chute control.


    Has anyone tried these parts on the 1130SE?
    This message was modified Nov 25, 2009 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #137   Nov 24, 2009 2:40 pm
    By the way, I found the parts manual for the 1130SE if anyone is interested.   It does not show the waterproofing parts.  The Engine diagram looks exactly like the Snapper and Simplicity diagrams I have seen. 

    Parts Manual

    This message was modified Nov 24, 2009 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    Ozzie


    Joined: Dec 29, 2008
    Points: 10

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #138   Nov 25, 2009 6:29 am
    Swoods wrote:
    I tried talking to my local John Deere dealer about having the update done to my 1130 SE and he said that it is not warranted work, but they can do it for a cost.  Does anyone have a person at John Deere that I should talk to?

    Here is what he told me:

    Hello Sean,

    I checked with the manufacturer and found that the water seal kit is probably not necessary so John Deere chose not to include it in the 1130SE model.  It is available for purchase for $47.61 plus $9.50 freight.  Installation is charged out at $82.00 per hour.  We have never received a request for this item.

    The clutch lever kit would be a warranty repair if your 1130SE is experiencing drive slippage that can not be corrected with an adjustment of the drive system.

    Let us know if you are interested in installation or warranty work. 


    How can they refuse to supply and install the parts? the 2008 928e and the 1130 were shipped from the factory with the 3 parts missing, how do they figure they are not necessary? it's a seal kit to stop the water from getting on the friction disc and platter, it is a warranty issue, the parts were never installed due to inventory problems at the factory at the time of production, my dealer told me this after i showed him a parts diagram and the gap behind the cover.They first replaced the friction disc, saying it was inpregnated with oil,still had the problem, called them and was told they would get back to me about the missing parts, a couple of weeks go by and i give them a call and the service guy tells me about the inventory problem at the factory, and there was a kit availlable to rectify the problem, but was 7 weeks back order, at this time we were the middle of Febuary , and by the time they would receive the kit, winter would be over, told him i would see him in the fall, took it in last week, had the kit installed, at the same time, i showed him my muffler gaurd was cracked, and how come this years model was a more heavy duty one like the 1130? he looked at mine, took a new 1130 into the back, and switched out the gaurd for me no problem,  took less than 2 hours for the kit and gaurd to be installed, now just waiting for the snow to try it out.

    ps, the parts manual you have, doesn't show the 3 parts that are missing, use the Simplicity 1 in the previous post, and show them that 1,  be polite, but perstant, if all else fails, call John Deere customer service, in Canada the # is 1-888-3068 not sure where you are, but if you are in the States, look in your owners manual for the #
    or go to Simplictiy and order them there, it's like $15 for the 3 parts and instal them your self
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #139   Dec 3, 2009 11:43 am
    Me and my bud from work both bought the JD 1130SE from lowes, I took mine tot he local JD dealer for repair $196 of warrant work. My bud 1130 warranty work came to $256. Isn't that strange! Got the new gas cap on the way! Let it snow....
    Uconn411


    Joined: Feb 3, 2009
    Points: 3

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #140   Dec 7, 2009 9:45 am
    I too have the same problem with these 3 parts missing, and got the run around from John Deere earlier this year, and wanted to try to fix it properly.  So I bought the parts myself (shaft plate, seal and strip).  I installed them all, but now my cover doesn't fit correctly.  It is as if the new plate is a little too big for the cover.  So I set out to Lowes, to look at the new 928's to see what I could find out, and took these pics.  Pictures have explanations in them.  If anyone runs into the same issue with the cover fitment, please let me know how you fixed it!











    Uconn411


    Joined: Feb 3, 2009
    Points: 3

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #141   Dec 8, 2009 10:14 pm
    I played with adjusting the cover some more, and was able to finally get it popped on correctly with some pressure.  It doesn't go on as smoothly as the new models @ Lowes, but it is on.  Hoping now that the water is properly deflected, I think the plate being in place will make all the difference...
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #142   Dec 9, 2009 12:04 am
    Tomorrow morning I fire up the 1130 and start blowing snow for the first in it's life.  I can't wait to see how it performs.
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #143   Dec 9, 2009 12:00 pm
    Maybe the bolt holes on the belt cover need to be "reemed" out a bit to compensate for the seal plate that is now being fit in.  I ordered my parts and am just waiting for them to come in.

    Has anyone had any luck with adding a cab?  I went out yesterday for the first time and had a bunch of snow blown back on my face :)  Great machine though! 

    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #144   Dec 9, 2009 1:26 pm
    I added a cab to my last snowblower and I ordered a cab for my 1130 from ebay.  These are made specifically for the Deere.  Just be aware you have a headlight off to the side and some cabs won't work well with the light.  Another thing to look for is an easy way to remove the cab.  Some cabs bolt on with no easy way to remove it.  Do a search on ebay for Deere snow cab .
    borat


    Joined: Nov 10, 2007
    Points: 2692

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #145   Dec 9, 2009 1:48 pm
    Classic Deluxe make an excellent product for a very good price. I have one and really appreciate it's convenience. It's very well built and has quick release. Here's a link...http://www.classicaccessories.com/product_detail.aspx?pid=112&cid=0
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #146   Dec 9, 2009 11:29 pm

    This is a better price than I received from eBay for a cab.

     

    http://www.rungreen.com/search.asp?keyword=LP91967&www=Submit

    This message was modified Dec 10, 2009 by Catt
    borat


    Joined: Nov 10, 2007
    Points: 2692

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #147   Dec 10, 2009 9:52 am
    Yo Catt: Does that cab have quick release capability. The Classic Deluxe is secured by two quick release pins.
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #148   Dec 10, 2009 10:16 am

    Borat,  It's supposed to have quick release pins,  but I haven't received it yet.  It's also supposed to be made by Classic with a custom fit for the Deere.

    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #149   Dec 10, 2009 2:48 pm
    Catt,  I just ordered the same cab from the Rungreen.com website that you mentioned.  I like that it has the pockets inside.   I had the headlight burn out already.  When I went to the store to get a new one, it turns out it is a foglight bulb. 

    I just wish I had a bigger driveway now.  At least I can keep it in 1st gear to make the job last longer :)  I love mowing (with 2 cycle Lawn Boys), and this is the next best thing.

    This message was modified Dec 19, 2009 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #150   Dec 11, 2009 6:32 pm

    My cab was delivered today.  It was definitely made by Classic.  I assembled the cab and now need to mount it on the 1130.  I think I'm going to make a couple of modifications because it seems a little high and I'm not very tall.  It will depend if it easily fits under the garage door.  I may re-locate the headlight too.  It has a somewhat easy off system but uses set screws.  I will most likely change these too.  Overall I think it will work very well for me.  Next I need to get an extra garage door opener for the included pouches.

    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #151   Dec 12, 2009 9:16 am
    Catt,

    Let me know about your modifications.  I love tinkering around with things to fit my own purpose.  I will probably have to lower my cab too.  I'm 5'9" and the pics I have seen make it look like it's 7' tall.  On another note, I have begun using WD-40 for rust prevention.  I bought a gallon can and a spray bottle.  I sprayed the auger and down the shoot as well as all the bare metal parts of the machine.....bolts, rods, etc.  I also waxed all of the painted surfaces. 

    How is everyone's machines doing now that winter is upon us? 


    Sean Woods
    aa335


    Joined: Nov 29, 2008
    Points: 2434

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #152   Dec 12, 2009 12:17 pm
    The cabs are designed to be quite a bit higher than the typical operator in case you need to tip the snowblower back, the top of the cab doesn't hit your head.  Try tipping the snowblower back about 30-45 degrees and see if you still have headroom.  If there is extra headroom, lower it as necessary. 
    aa335


    Joined: Nov 29, 2008
    Points: 2434

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #153   Dec 12, 2009 12:18 pm
    Catt wrote:

    Next I need to get an extra garage door opener for the included pouches.


    Great idea.  I just bought an extra transmitter for this exact purpose.  :)  I got the keychain one and will fasten it to the frame so I don't drop it in the snow. 
    This message was modified Dec 12, 2009 by aa335
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #154   Dec 12, 2009 12:55 pm
    I put my cab on the 1130 today.  I was very surprised that I didn't need to do any significant modifications.  I'm 5'8" (and shrinking) and I have about 2" of clearance under the garage door to the top of the cab.  The cab comes with a set of extensions for tall people that I didn't use.  One of the supports is a little bit in front of the headlight but it doesn't make any difference in light output.  I adjusted the headlight in the garage with the lights off and aimed it at the garage door to be sure.  I did replace the allen set screws with thumb screws and wingnuts.  The wingnuts are to make sure the thumb screws don't vibrate out.  The thumb screws have a 5/16-18 thread pitch.  The set screw holes seem to be metric so I ran a tap through the holes and it works great.













    This message was modified Jan 22, 2010 by Catt
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #155   Dec 12, 2009 1:09 pm
    Swoods wrote:
    On another note, I have begun using WD-40 for rust prevention.  I bought a gallon can and a spray bottle.  I sprayed the auger and down the shoot as well as all the bare metal parts of the machine.....bolts, rods, etc.  I also waxed all of the painted surfaces. 

    How is everyone's machines doing now that winter is upon us? 

    I used silicone spray on everything including the plastic parts.  I might use WD-40 on the auger parts just to make sure.  I really like the 1130 and look forward to more snow. 
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #156   Dec 14, 2009 7:55 pm
    How is everyone's 1130 working with the upgrades for sealing the belt guard?  I pulled the belt guard cover off and noticed some water in the chain case area even with these upgrades.  I decided that wasn't going to happen in the future.   I went a significant step further to make sure no water/snow gets onto the disc.  OK this is probably overkill but I was having fun playing with my Deere.  I can post larger pictures if needed.


    Here is what I did...

    This is 1/2" gray closed cell foam that I attached to the belt guard on the side next to the chute to seal this side.





    Here is the belt guard installed with the foam attached. This was a pretty large opening before I added the foam.





    I used silicone on every open hole on each side next to the tires.  I used a trouble light and looked for any light coming into the chain case. 






    Under the engine are several holes which I assume are used to mount other engines.  I used silicone on these.  I was surprised how much light was coming through under the engine.  This looks like a water dripping area to me.






    I used both 1/4" and 1/2" gray closed cell foam to outline the area for the lower chain case metal cover.  The front part of the lower cover has a very large gap.  Not anymore!






    The lower chain case cover has several holes to drain any water.  I left these open as I want to make sure any water that gets in will have a way to drain out.





    Silicone...

    This message was modified Jan 22, 2010 by Catt
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #157   Dec 14, 2009 8:29 pm
    Catt,

    Did you tip the unit onto the auger housing when you worked on the lower chain guard?  I will definetly duplicate all of your water-proofing efforts.  I already have the silicone and closed-cell foam ready to go.  I've just been waiting for my parts to come in before I take it all apart. 


    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #158   Dec 14, 2009 8:36 pm
    I tipped it up on carpet to protect the paint and I didn't have the drift cutters installed.  When these are installed it wants to tip back down. I also pulled off the chute because it gets in the way.  I pulled the pins  for the wheels as it's a lot easier to get silicone in the holes without the wheels.   I have a heated garage so this was all pretty easy to accomplish.  I'm really interested to hear how everybody's machine is performing this year.
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #159   Dec 14, 2009 8:49 pm
    I forgot to add that before installing the foam and silicone, I cleaned the area with alcohol to make sure it was oil free and clean.
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #160   Dec 14, 2009 10:00 pm
    Catt,  it's nice to see someone take such good care of their equipment.  Most people nowadays just leave their stuff out in the rain and throw it away when it requires basic repairs. 

    Sean Woods
    ccginmn


    Location: Saint Michael, MN
    Joined: Jan 20, 2009
    Points: 5

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #161   Dec 15, 2009 12:28 am
    I too purchased the John Deere 1130 SE and have just experienced the drive problem for the first time tonight (and second, third, and fourth times).  I was able to get mine to re engage after pulling and pushing it around a few times but definately not acceptable.  All of this after my initial fuel blockage problem. 

    Last year's models came with a reservoir under the gas cap for adding fuel stabilizer.  The cap on the reservoir fell off into my gas tank and blocked the fuel line.  The manager of the lawn and garden dept at Lowes told me several people have had this problem and they would have John Deere take care of it right away.  They did free of charge and I walked away happy.  This all happened prior to "The Great Drive Problem" exlained earlier in this discussion. 

    Anyways, I plan on taking my blower back to Lowes (Rogers, MN) tomorrow with this entire discussion printed out.  I see a few previous posters had to pay arond $200 to get this fixed as it wasn't covered under warranty.  That is total BS that I will not tolerate.

    I wil give Lowes/John Deere a chance to fix this free of charge before I get too worked up.  I will let you know what happened later this week. 

    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #162   Dec 15, 2009 9:47 am
    ccginmn wrote:
    I too purchased the John Deere 1130 SE and have just experienced the drive problem for the first time tonight (and second, third, and fourth times).  I was able to get mine to re engage after pulling and pushing it around a few times but definately not acceptable.  All of this after my initial fuel blockage problem. 

    Last year's models came with a reservoir under the gas cap for adding fuel stabilizer.  The cap on the reservoir fell off into my gas tank and blocked the fuel line.  The manager of the lawn and garden dept at Lowes told me several people have had this problem and they would have John Deere take care of it right away.  They did free of charge and I walked away happy.  This all happened prior to "The Great Drive Problem" exlained earlier in this discussion. 

    Anyways, I plan on taking my blower back to Lowes (Rogers, MN) tomorrow with this entire discussion printed out.  I see a few previous posters had to pay arond $200 to get this fixed as it wasn't covered under warranty.  That is total BS that I will not tolerate.

    I wil give Lowes/John Deere a chance to fix this free of charge before I get too worked up.  I will let you know what happened later this week. 



    Welcome to the forum CCGINMN, Go up to http://jddealer.deere.com/scharber/ across 101 from Lowes. They can fix your machine. They did the fix to mine and my friends 1130SE. Tell the service MGR that its slipping and you want both updates! My 1130SE blows snow great, but it has slipped 3 times so far even with the updates. It only lasted a few seconds but WTF is this all about. It slipped after about 1 hour of use in the first storms snow. It was only slipping in 2 gear and was not a issue because it worked after I moved it up to the 3 gear. I love the way this blower is able to scrap the driveway down to tar. Talk about torque, this motor in the deep compacted snow really seems to be more than able to take care of business. I took the blower down the road after the plow came through, down to the mail boxes. It kicked ass in the heavy snow. Seems to like to drink the 93 unleaded no ethanol. Went through almost a gallon with several uses. I did get the gas cap that shows gas level. Easy to move around while under power, Like that you can reverse in free wheel and pull the blower back. The reverse gearing is slow and weak.
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #163   Dec 15, 2009 10:10 am
    What does the clutch update consist of? 

    Sean Woods
    ccginmn


    Location: Saint Michael, MN
    Joined: Jan 20, 2009
    Points: 5

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #164   Dec 15, 2009 10:43 am
    I just called the local John Deere dealership (Schaber & Sons) and they are aware of the problem and will fix it under warranty for free.  The dealer was even aware of the multiple posts on this website. 

    I do love this blower when it is working properly.  It's just the right size to muscle around -another 50 pounds and it would be too big.  I am actually looking forward to our next significant snowfall.  Hopefully it doesn't happen for a week or so as mine will be in for repair.  I will let you know if I run into any more problems as I am very good at belly-aching.

    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #165   Dec 15, 2009 10:48 am
    I'm not too surprised the slipping is still occuring.  Although Deere significantly improved the belt cover seal on the engine side, there is still a significant opening on the chute side.  When I removed my belt cover to see if water was getting into the belt area I definitely saw water and I know some of it was coming from that side.  If it gets on the pulley that drives the auger it will sling it around.  In addition, under the engine are many holes for mounting other engines.  I don't know if these are causing a problem but my concern would be melting snow running down the engine, getting underneath and then dripping into the chain case area.  At the very least my suggestion is to add the 1/2" foam on the chute side of the belt guard.  Beyond that, time will tell if other holes need to be closed.  I fully believe this can be solved, but it would have been better if Simpicity/Deere would have solved this.  Since I closed nearly every available opening, I will let everyone know if I have any slipping.  I just need it to snow so that I can play with my toy!



    This message was modified Jan 22, 2010 by Catt
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #166   Dec 15, 2009 10:56 am
    Catt, you know, although the water seal problem is a bit of a pain in the a*#, it is sort of fun trying to solve it on our own.  Do you know what the clutch update is?  Someone previously mentioned that there are 2 updates.  I assume that the water seal kit is the one, but what is the other, clutch? 

    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #167   Dec 15, 2009 11:19 am
    Swoods wrote:
    Catt, you know, although the water seal problem is a bit of a pain in the a*#, it is sort of fun trying to solve it on our own.  Do you know what the clutch update is?  Someone previously mentioned that there are 2 updates.  I assume that the water seal kit is the one, but what is the other, clutch? 

    Swoods, I agree totally.  I'm not sure what the clutch update is.  Maybe Lanningjw can help with this question.
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #168   Dec 15, 2009 12:10 pm
    Catt wrote:
    I'm not too surprised the slipping is still occuring.  Although Deere significantly improved the belt cover seal on the engine side, there is still a significant opening on the chute side.  When I removed my belt cover to see if water was getting into the belt area I definitely saw water and I know some of it was coming from that side.  If it gets on the pulley that drives the auger it will sling it around.  In addition, under the engine are many holes for mounting other engines.  I don't know if these are causing a problem but my concern would be melting snow running down the engine, getting underneath and then dripping into the chain case area.  At the very least my suggestion is to add the 1/2" foam on the chute side of the belt guard.  Beyond that, time will tell if other holes need to be closed.  I fully believe this can be solved, but it would have been better if Simpicity/Deere would have solved this.  Since I closed nearly every available opening, I will let everyone know if I have any slipping.  I just need it to snow so that I can play with my toy!





    Catt, I am gonna do that fix also with the weather strip on the auger side, I can see the belts through it now, gotta be leaking snow in that area. Seems like a good idea. Did you put the glue side on the plastic or metal? Love the gas cap you showed in a earlier post. OEM parts work great. The blower start on the first pull, have not use the electric start. Will change oil when it gets the 5 hours on the engine, are you going with synthetic oil? I think it snowed more on the western edge of the TC than STP. Thanks for the picture,
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #169   Dec 15, 2009 12:57 pm
    lanningjw wrote:
    Catt, I am gonna do that fix also with the weather strip on the auger side, I can see the belts through it now, gotta be leaking snow in that area. Seems like a good idea. Did you put the glue side on the plastic or metal? Love the gas cap you showed in a earlier post. OEM parts work great. The blower start on the first pull, have not use the electric start. Will change oil when it gets the 5 hours on the engine, are you going with synthetic oil? I think it snowed more on the western edge of the TC than STP. Thanks for the picture,

    lanningjw, I used a black marker to draw a line on the plastic belt cover for reference.  Then I removed the cover and attached the foam glue side on the plastic.  I thought that if I need to replace the foam in the future, that I can take off the plastic belt guard and it might be a little easier to replace.  I will definitely use synthetic oil when I replace it.



    This message was modified Dec 15, 2009 by Catt
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #170   Dec 16, 2009 7:37 am
    I mounted my cab last night.  I got the same JD branded model that Catt has.  It seems to be of good quality and should last a long time.  The hardest part  was properly adjusting it once it was on the machine.  In some positions the mounting brackets would get in the way of either the rod used to move the shoot or the carb choke knob.  I mounted mine a bit lower down the handles for my height.  I also mounted it pretty vertically so I can comfortably lean the machine back and it won't hit my head/face. 

    I will probably spray it down with silicon spray.  The kind used to waterproof fabric/shoes. 

    Does anyone know of silicon spray that doesn't cost $6.99 a can like the special kind for fabric?  Is there another type of silicon spray that is cheaper?  Catt, what type of silicon did you use to spray down the rest of your machine?  Maybe I'll use Rain-X on the windows too.  I just have to be a bit careful that I don't use anything that will damage the windows.  I don't want them to turn yellow or anything. 
    This message was modified Dec 16, 2009 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    borat


    Joined: Nov 10, 2007
    Points: 2692

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #171   Dec 16, 2009 10:15 am
    Not sure why you think you need to spray and coat the cab. I've had the Classic Deluxe quick release model for almost three years now. Never put anything on it and it's doing fine. If the snow thrower/cab is stored inside, it's very unlikely to require any coatings. The sun isn't beating on it and any snow accumulated on it will soon melt and run off it it's warm enough. As far as snow sticking to the windows, when that happens, I just give them a tap to knock the snow off. I've never had condensation issues on the interior either. If you guys really want to do something effective with your machines, I suggest you line the chute with a piece of hard, durable, slippery plastic like Krazy Karpet. It will save wear and tear on the inside of the chute, prevent rusting and snow sticking. It doesn't hurt snow throwing distance either. I've done it to mine and so far, it's held up very well. I'd say it's probably good for ten or more years.
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #172   Dec 16, 2009 10:28 am
    I'll check out that plastic for the chute.  Where did you buy it from?  As far as silicon on the cab, I tend to "extra protect" everything that I like....such as this snowblower.  I plan on using this snowblower for the rest of my life and I love going the extra mile to keep it nice.  I just get a lot of satisfaction by taking good care of it. 
    This message was modified Dec 19, 2009 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #173   Dec 16, 2009 12:01 pm
    I have an hour meter coming and plan to mount it on the underside of the handle bar control panel.  I had considered an hour meter /  tachometer combo,  but I see many of these use an internal battery to keep time.  Some are not replaceable.  I didn't want to take a chance of losing the hours once the battery went dead and I couldn't tell if they were using EE memory to retain the hours.  I ordered it from ebay for $12.99 with shipping.
    borat


    Joined: Nov 10, 2007
    Points: 2692

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #174   Dec 16, 2009 1:58 pm
    I have a Tiny Tach to keep track of hours and watch engine rpm. Not only do they have a battery, it cannot be replaced. So, effectively, I paid around $50.00 for an instrument that might only last me five years. We'll have to see how long it holds up. Stuff like this really aggravates me. Why not make it so the battery can be replaced? That's pure b.s. When it craps out, I'll probably go to a straight hour meter. Not that it's essential either. The machine seldom sees over 25 hours of work/year and gets an oil change after the end of every season so I don't really need to know when to change the oil. It would be interesting however to know how many total accumulated hours are on the engine.
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #175   Dec 16, 2009 2:14 pm
    Ebay has some new old stock dial-type hour meters that might be a good choice.  Some of them are the small 2 - 2/1/4" diameter.  It would be cool to get an old NOS John Deere hour meter that was supposed to be in a tractor. 

    Sean Woods
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #176   Dec 17, 2009 10:33 pm
    I took off my lower housing cover plate from the bottom of the machine and sealed up all of the extra engine mount holes and put the stick-on foam on the front part where it seals against the housing.  I also siliconed all around the edge of it once I mounted it back on. 

    I just ordered the fuel gauge/cap that Catt recommended.  I ended up ordering it from Jacks Small Engine.

    Catt,  I think we're going to end up with the same machine after we both get done with the modifications.  Let me know what you're going to do next :)
    This message was modified Dec 19, 2009 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #177   Dec 18, 2009 8:57 pm
    I saw where borat put a plastic liner in his snowblower chute and decided I would like to add this to my 1130.  The problem I had was getting plastic to curve in two different planes at the same time.  There is a curve going up/down and a "U" shape from side to side.  I also wanted the plastic fairly thick to protect from rocks as my last blower had a couple of dents in the chute.  I decided on a compromise where I would target the back portion of the chute but would leave the sides without plastic. 


    I bought a plastic trash can from Walmart.  The plastic was very smooth inside and the thickness was .068". 


    I cut two pieces of plastic from the trash can.  One for the chute and the other for the chute deflector.





    I really don't like drilling holes in my equipment unless absolutely necessary.  In this case I decided it was needed to keep the deflector plastic in place.  I put masking tape on both the inside and outside of the deflector before drilling to avoid scratching the paint with burrs.  I used a stainless steel bolt with a round head.  The lower plastic is held in place with an existing mounting bolt.


    I used a round phenolic knob with a metal insert on the top side of the deflector.  The knob looks fine, but I'm sure there would be many other options.


    Mounted on the 1130.  I'll test it when the next snow comes.

    This message was modified Jan 22, 2010 by Catt
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #178   Dec 18, 2009 9:49 pm
    Looks great!  Very innovative.  Guess I have to get myself some plastic :)  By the way, I just got another LawnBoy Mower.  That makes 4.  It's not running, but I figure it will be a good Christmas project when I have family over. 

    Sean Woods
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #179   Dec 19, 2009 2:13 pm
    Well,  my drivetrain is starting to slip.  A few days ago I lost 1st gear.  Today, I lost both reverses and 1st gear.  It wouldn't work when I pulled the cable either.  I could smell rubber burning as the friction disc slipped.  It started working a little while later after letting it sit.  I brought it to the local John Deere store here in Elburn.  I have not put the water seal parts in yet for around the belts.  Hopefully the John Deere dealer will do this for me.  Before Briggs told him they wouldn't have it done when it wasn't slipping.  Well, it's slipping now.  My dealer also mentioned the clutch update.  The new 1130SE he had on the showroom floor did have the seal parts on it from the factory.  
    This message was modified Dec 19, 2009 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    borat


    Joined: Nov 10, 2007
    Points: 2692

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #180   Dec 19, 2009 5:33 pm
    Catt: That should protect most of the chute. The sides don't see the abuse that the back does. I used one of the plastic sheets that kids use to slide down hills. I think they're called Krazy Karpets around here. Picked it up at Canadian Tire. I managed to put an entire insert into my chute by forming the piece inside the chute and clamping it in there with a piece of 2x4 in order to draw the lines to cut off the excess. Once I had the shape inscribed on the plastic, I trimmed it accordingly. After that, I took the plastic and bent it over the same piece of 2x4 holding it there with clamps. Then I heated the corners with a torch to get them pliable and take the shape of the 2x4. Once cooled down, it retained the shape and fit nicely into the chute. I didn't drill any holes in the chute. I used the holes that were already there. For the deflector, I drilled and riveted a piece of stainless steel to the underside. I thought that the deflector might take more of a hammering than inside the chute hence the stainless steel. My insert has held up nicely now for two seasons. It has a bit of scuffing in around the centre portion but far from wearing through. I'd say it's probably good for ten to fifteen years.
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #181   Dec 19, 2009 7:00 pm
    Swoods, I sure hope this gets resolved for you.  I'm pretty confident that if these updates aren't on the machine it will slip.  They should be doing a 100% recall.
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #182   Dec 19, 2009 7:05 pm
    borat, I think this will work pretty well, but I'm going to keep an eye on the exposed sides.  If I see problems, I will be going to rev B and get more plastic in the chute.  I did look for crazy carpet, but I could only find it online.  I found orange and blue... no black.  
    borat


    Joined: Nov 10, 2007
    Points: 2692

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #183   Dec 19, 2009 9:42 pm
    Catt wrote:
    borat, I think this will work pretty well, but I'm going to keep an eye on the exposed sides.  If I see problems, I will be going to rev B and get more plastic in the chute.  I did look for crazy carpet, but I could only find it online.  I found orange and blue... no black.  


    It's probably marketed under different names as well. Slippery slider, Magic Carpet etc. or something like that. This time of year, they should be common.
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #184   Dec 20, 2009 11:55 am
    Borat,  are you talking about plastic saucers?  Go to fullsize image

    I can't find Magic Carpet, Crazy Carpet, or Slippery Slider, or anything else like that.  
    This message was modified Dec 20, 2009 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #185   Dec 20, 2009 1:34 pm
    This might be a good option for shoot liner plastic.  It is green.  Or, a green storage tote could probably work too.


    http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xr5/R-100278536/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
    This message was modified Dec 20, 2009 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #186   Dec 20, 2009 1:42 pm
    Here is an update to the plastic chute liner.  The upper deflector plastic has a problem with only one bolt.  Snow hits the leading edge of the plastic and causes it to bend out and then it catches a lot of snow causing it to bend even more. It looks like a mess of snow coming out of the chute.  So I replaced it with metal similar to what borat used and still used the one bolt.  I only had aluminum available but it's pretty thick.  This should make it more durable.  I'm still using plastic on the lower section of the chute.  It looks like it will work, but we had a very small amount of snowfall today (1"-2") so I'll need to try it again at a later date when we get a larger amount.





    I think this is similar to the crazy carpet sled borat was referring to.
     
    http://www.canadiandesignresource.ca/officialgallery/toys/hello-world/
    This message was modified Dec 21, 2009 by Catt
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #187   Dec 20, 2009 4:00 pm
    Here is a picture of my 1985 828 Allis Chalmers that I was using today.  It was made by Simplicity and is essentially their Pro series.  I use it at my office building and it still works fantastic.  My 2009 Deere 1130SE is also made by Simplicity.  Maybe I should just be buying Simplicity blowers.

    borat


    Joined: Nov 10, 2007
    Points: 2692

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #188   Dec 20, 2009 5:14 pm
    Whacky Carpet now? How many names can a piece of plastic have? That's the stuff however. I chose it due to it being designed for winter use, is super slick on one side and appears to be very durable. Too bad, some outfit didn't make pre formed inserts.
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #189   Dec 21, 2009 11:03 am
    My 1980 8/28 snowbuster snowb
    This message was modified Dec 21, 2009 by lanningjw
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #190   Dec 21, 2009 11:32 am
    lanningjw, is that original condition?  Looks very nice.  I like the factory cab. 

    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #191   Dec 21, 2009 2:43 pm
    lanningjw, I like that!  Next we'll need to see Swoods lawnboy mowers.  You can never have too many engines.
    This message was modified Dec 21, 2009 by Catt
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #192   Dec 21, 2009 2:45 pm
    Catt, that's what I keep telling my wife!  I'll try to put them together for a family picture :)
    This message was modified Dec 21, 2009 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    aa335


    Joined: Nov 29, 2008
    Points: 2434

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #193   Dec 21, 2009 2:59 pm
    Anyways after Swoods post his Lawnboy mower family, I'd like to see who's got the largest fleet of snowblowers.   Can you ever have too much snowblowers even though it's only used 20 days out of the year?
    This message was modified Dec 21, 2009 by aa335
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #194   Dec 21, 2009 4:22 pm
    My dealer pulled through!  They told me they ordered the parts from Briggs and Stratton and will put on the clutch update and the water seal parts under warranty.  Said it should take 3-4 days for the parts.

    Sean Woods
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #195   Dec 21, 2009 8:05 pm
    I bought the Snow Buster 4 years ago on CL. Its all original, replace a few a few stripped bolts and fixed the tires but thats about it. Sold it a few months ago on CL for $400. Worked good but not as good as the 1130. Photobucket
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #196   Dec 22, 2009 1:07 pm
    Did you other 1130 guys lower your skids, I kinda forgot to to this. Man does it scrap nice on the tar driveway. I guess I should get a paint stir stick and fix that before we get the foot of snow thats heading towards the Twin Cities!
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #197   Dec 22, 2009 1:50 pm
    I put mine up about  a 1/8".  You're right this thing will scrape like crazy.  My older Simplicity would try to ride up on any snow that had been driven on.  The 1130 scrapes right through it.
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #198   Dec 22, 2009 4:49 pm
    The dealer just called and my snow blower has the 2 updates done!  I just brought it in Saturday, so that was pretty quick considering they had to order the parts. 

    A little off topic, but what does everyone think about putting an old  lawn tractor hydrostat transmission into an 1130?  The main housing that holds the drivetrain parts is very similar to the housing on a lawn tractor.  This can probably be had for next to nothing from an old junk lawn tractor and might make a stronger drivetrain. 

    This message was modified Dec 22, 2009 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #199   Dec 23, 2009 3:22 pm
    Wow!  I really like hydrostatic transmissions and I have it on my John Deere garden tractor, but that would be more than I would tackle.  I also believe the rubber disc is a pretty good drive for a snowblower although in our case it's been a bit of a challenge due to water getting on the disc.  My other snowblower is a 1985  and it has never been a problem with the disc.  If it were me, I would probably get the hydrostatic drive and build a monster blower.  A walk behind with a 47"+ width would be impressive. 
    aa335


    Joined: Nov 29, 2008
    Points: 2434

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #200   Dec 23, 2009 4:03 pm
    Catt wrote:
     If it were me, I would probably get the hydrostatic drive and build a monster blower.  A walk behind with a 47"+ width would be impressive. 

    Trust me, you would not want to handle a 47" width bucket for any length of time.  Unless turning is power assisted and the tracks or wheels width are pushed out as wide as the bucket, that bucket generate a rotational torque around the engine as it catches on cracks and bumps on the ground.  The monster snowblower will be taking you for a walk, not fun if the ground you're standing on has low traction.  You won't have enough traction to generate turning force to steer it.  :)  It's possible if  your handlebars are 8-10 feet behind the bucket.

    That's just me, speaking from experience.   I have a 32" wide bucket with 24" track width.  Now I just want a 28" wide bucket with a 27" track width.

    Not that it can't be done, but if you are determined, I would gladly be interested in seeing how it turns out.
    This message was modified Dec 23, 2009 by aa335
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #201   Dec 23, 2009 5:17 pm
    I just got my snowblower back.  The dealer put the water seal kit on, the clutch update (which is a different clutch handle) and a new friction disc.  All we have in the driveway is wet slush so I wasn't able to really give it a work out. It's been raining all day here.  Converting it to hydrostat would be a fun project someday if I ever came across a hydrostat trans from a free tractor with a blown engine or something. 

    Sean Woods
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #202   Dec 23, 2009 5:24 pm
    Does anyone know how to post pictures that are saved on my computer?  I clicked Insert/edit image, but it asks me for a url.  The pictures I posted before, I just dragged and dropped from off of the internet. 
    This message was modified Dec 23, 2009 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #203   Dec 23, 2009 6:23 pm
    Swoods wrote:
    Does anyone know how to post pictures that are saved on my computer?  I clicked Insert/edit image, but it asks me for a url.  The pictures I posted before, I just dragged and dropped from off of the internet. 


    http://www.abbysguide.com/ope/discussions/25867-0-1.html
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #204   Dec 23, 2009 8:28 pm
    For some reason my pics won't post on here when I put the url of where they are on flickr into the insert/edit image.  At least the links are below if you wanted to see my newest Lawn-Boys.  Although they are actually my oldest ones based on when they were made.  I have two more that are from the '90s. 

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/40835651@N05/4209402245/in/photostream#preview

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/40835651@N05/4210166486/in/photostream/

    This message was modified Dec 23, 2009 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #205   Dec 25, 2009 10:53 am
    I'm happy to finally report that my 1130SE disc drive is no longer intermittently slipping and I've had plenty of snow to test it many times.  I had to seal items a little more to get it to this point.  If you can keep water off the drive disc the tires will push like crazy.



    This view is inside the transmission box directly below the engine.  When snow gets on the engine it melts, runs down the sides and then underneath the engine and under the engine mounting plate.  After that it runs through the open holes and into the transmission.  I've actually caught it and know for sure these need to be sealed.  I filled most of the holes with silicone but missed two dime size holes.  I didn't think these would be a problem as they weren't open all the way through.  However, I definitely saw water and one of these is directly above the rubber disc drive wheel.  This picture shows one of the dime size holes with no silicone. The hole is covered by the engine mounting plate but it still has enough space for water to get through.







    ... and here it is filled with silicone (top red arrow). Make sure you fill the other dime size hole (lower red arrow) and any other open holes (yellow arrows).  One open hole is a potential problem, but as you can see there are many holes.







    This is just one example of several open areas where water can get under the engine.  You can see a puddle of water to the right of the open gap.







    There are many places where water can get under the engine or engine mounting plate and run into the transmission







    Another large gap.








    In this picture you can see silicone under the engine.  The silicone was applied from under the transmission and is coming up through the hole.








    When water gets on the aluminum drive disc (yellow arrow) the rubber drive wheel slips.  Eventually the spinning aluminum disc slings the water off and the drive no longer slips.  Here you can see the water that was slung from the aluminum disc (red arrows).








    I truly don't know if the next item is required, but I will explain what I did and why.
    This view is of the foam fix used by Deere to supposedly correct the slipping problem.  Unfortunately in my case the foam doesn't fit very tight on the left side of the machine.  Water that gets near the foam can still run under it.







    Here you can see two very small trails of water that made it's way under the foam.  The water then drops directly onto the aluminum drive pulley and gets slung potentially causing a slipping problem.







    I added foam as seen below.  I extended the foam down each side to make sure water can't get on the pulley when the machine is tilted.  The side foam will be covered by the plastic belt cover.







    Here is Deere's foam and the foam that I added.  It seems to be water tight.







    I've had snow all over the snowblower including the engine.  Everything has been working great now.




    Merry Christmas!!!
    This message was modified Dec 26, 2009 by Catt
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #206   Dec 26, 2009 9:50 am
    Catt, Great post on keeping the water off the belt area. Your pictures are the best way to show the water problem. My 1130 did not slip after several hours of use on the big snow storm over Christmas. The weather strip that was put on per your fix did its job. This blower performed great. It was able to handle the wet snow  from the plow at the end of the driveway. I am amazed at how well it worked. I give it a "A" performance.

    Speaking of problems, I had one,  the metal strap that holds the resister on the generator has failed and fell of from the vibration. I think it then shorted out, saw some sparks and the light no longer works. I would think this would be a warrant issue, wouldnt you?

    This message was modified Dec 26, 2009 by lanningjw
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #207   Dec 26, 2009 10:33 am
    I think you are referring to the regulator that is strapped to the starter.  That should definitely be a warranty repair.  I'll look at the strap holding mine to the starter to make sure it's secure.
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #208   Dec 26, 2009 10:58 am
    lanningjw, you might want to check your light bulb.  The case of the regulator is grounded when strapped to the starter.  When that ground is lost the voltage will spike to much more than 12V and could have burned out the bulb.  Once it's grounded the voltage would be back to 12V provided the voltage regulator isn't damaged.  My guess is the regulator is still good and you only need a new bulb and new strap to hold it.
    This message was modified Dec 26, 2009 by Catt
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #209   Dec 26, 2009 11:25 am
    Catt wrote:
    lanningjw, you might want to check your light bulb.  The case of the regulator is grounded when strapped to the starter.  When that ground is lost the voltage will spike to much more than 12V and could have burned out the bulb.  Once it's grounded the voltage would be back to 12V provided the voltage regulator isn't damaged.  My guess is the regulator is still good and you only need a new bulb and new strap to hold it.



    Ok its a regulator that is attached with the metal strap that goes around the starter. Sorry, I had no idea what they were, glad you knew what I was talking about.  So, I'll go get the correct sized strap and a new bulb, then I will see the light!

    Your happy with the performance of the 1130?

    This message was modified Dec 26, 2009 by lanningjw
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #210   Dec 26, 2009 2:31 pm
    I'm very happy with my 1130 now.  It blows great and and it scrapes very well.  I actually look forward to more snow.
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #211   Dec 26, 2009 6:15 pm
    I had my headlight burn out on the 2nd time out.  I replaced it and my new headlight only lasted one use before it too burned out.  That's two burned out headlights in 4 times out.  I checked the voltage and it is 13.3 which isn't too high.  It may be from vibration.  I noticed that the headlight bracket is bolted right to the metal of the machine.  I will try putting a piece of rubber (piece of inner tube) between the bracket and the machine to try to reduce the vibration some. 

    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #212   Dec 26, 2009 11:24 pm
    Swoods, It wood be interesting to see what the voltage is at different throttle settings.  I agree that 13.3V shouldn't be a problem.  If I get time, I will check my voltage.
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #213   Dec 26, 2009 11:25 pm
    lanningjw, Let us know how yours works after the new clamp and bulb.
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #214   Dec 26, 2009 11:34 pm
    Catt wrote:
    I'm very happy with my 1130 now.  It blows great and and it scrapes very well.  I actually look forward to more snow.

    lanningjw, I forgot to add that I find the easy steer feature fantastic.  The 1130 is a pretty big machine, but with easy steer it seems much smaller.
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #215   Dec 27, 2009 9:41 am
    The Easy steer really helped me to be more effective, because I can go down the middle of the drive way, and then do a 180 tight turn while staying under power and continue blowing snow.  

    The 1130 has a big powerful engine, the blower weights in at 250 lbs and seems to be able to dig down into the snow because of the balance of the wheels and the front end. I am happy and so are the folks that live around me.

    I did raise the skids with the paint stir stick, but it seems to be to high and leaves alot of snow on the driveway, any advise? 

    This message was modified Dec 27, 2009 by lanningjw
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #216   Dec 27, 2009 10:02 am
    As far as adjusting height, I used a piece of steel I had in the garage (about 2/3 thickness of a paint stirrer), under the auger housing next to the height adjuster.  You may just be able to sand down one end of your paint stick to around 2/3 thickness and it should be about right.  At this height, I leave a pretty clean path on my asphalt driveway.  The one thing I wish it had was some sort of a skid towards the front of the auger housing.  When I go down the sidewalk, the machine bangs into the uneven sections.  It probably wouldn't be too hard to fashion some sort of a skid or something. 

    By the way, when I checked the voltage of my headlight wire, it was at full throttle.  This gave me the 13.3 volts.  I would assume that full throttle would be the highest voltage, but I could be wrong.  I can check it later and rev the engine up and down to see if it gets higher.  I did end up mounting some rubber between the headlight bracket and the machine last night.  I had some really thick rubber from an old tractor inner-tube.  I cut two pieces the same size as the bracket (doubled them up for extra thickness) and drilled a hole in the center for the bracket bolt.  I'll try to get another headlight today to see how it works. 

    Sean Woods
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #217   Dec 27, 2009 11:27 am
    <<<under the auger housing next to the height adjuster>>> I was ajusting the height by placing the stick under the scrapper.  I like your way better, will try this out and let you know the results, thanks Jim
    ccginmn


    Location: Saint Michael, MN
    Joined: Jan 20, 2009
    Points: 5

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #218   Dec 28, 2009 3:34 pm
    Catt wrote:
    I'm happy to finally report that my 1130SE disc drive is no longer intermittently slipping and I've had plenty of snow to test it many times.  I had to seal items a little more to get it to this point.  If you can keep water off the drive disc the tires will push like crazy.



    This view is inside the transmission box directly below the engine.  When snow gets on the engine it melts, runs down the sides and then underneath the engine and under the engine mounting plate.  After that it runs through the open holes and into the transmission.  I've actually caught it and know for sure these need to be sealed.  I filled most of the holes with silicone but missed two dime size holes.  I didn't think these would be a problem as they weren't open all the way through.  However, I definitely saw water and one of these is directly above the rubber disc drive wheel.  This picture shows one of the dime size holes with no silicone. The hole is covered by the engine mounting plate but it still has enough space for water to get through.







    ... and here it is filled with silicone (top red arrow). Make sure you fill the other dime size hole (lower red arrow) and any other open holes (yellow arrows).  One open hole is a potential problem, but as you can see there are many holes.







    This is just one example of several open areas where water can get under the engine.  You can see a puddle of water to the right of the open gap.







    There are many places where water can get under the engine or engine mounting plate and run into the transmission







    Another large gap.








    In this picture you can see silicone under the engine.  The silicone was applied from under the transmission and is coming up through the hole.








    When water gets on the aluminum drive disc (yellow arrow) the rubber drive wheel slips.  Eventually the spinning aluminum disc slings the water off and the drive no longer slips.  Here you can see the water that was slung from the aluminum disc (red arrows).








    I truly don't know if the next item is required, but I will explain what I did and why.
    This view is of the foam fix used by Deere to supposedly correct the slipping problem.  Unfortunately in my case the foam doesn't fit very tight on the left side of the machine.  Water that gets near the foam can still run under it.







    Here you can see two very small trails of water that made it's way under the foam.  The water then drops directly onto the aluminum drive pulley and gets slung potentially causing a slipping problem.







    I added foam as seen below.  I extended the foam down each side to make sure water can't get on the pulley when the machine is tilted.  The side foam will be covered by the plastic belt cover.







    Here is Deere's foam and the foam that I added.  It seems to be water tight.







    I've had snow all over the snowblower including the engine.  Everything has been working great now.




    Merry Christmas!!!


    Catt,

    This is the best tutorial I've seen to ensure this slipping problem is fixed.  Briggs & Stratton should be paying you to audit their engineering dept.   I'm definately going to add your suggestions to my 1130 this summer.  I just got my blower back from John Deere with both updates.  Randy at Schaber & Sons told me that B & S sent the updates out this past summer.  I personally think it should have been a recall.  Anyways, it worked great on the last snowfall so I'm happy again.  In fact, I have a new appreciation for decent equipment in general (read below).

    Yesterday I tried my Dad's three-year old MTD Yardman 8hp snowblower ($800) out on 12" of snow.  Granted this isn't an apples to apples comparison as my John Deere 1130 is 10.5 hp and costs $400 more.  The MTD's wheels began slipping after about ten minutes.  It progressively got worse until it only worked about half the time.  After violently shaking it and letting it sit for 30 seconds, the wheels would engage for five more minutes before I had to repeat over and over again.  The chute had a tremendous amount of snow that came out of the backside and the adjustment is down by your knees.  Also, it only threw the snow 8 - 12 feet.  I was blowing with a good wind so this meant I started on one side of the driveway and worked my way to the other side.  Everything I threw on the first three passes landed on the other side of the driveway meaning I had to blow the same snow twice.  My little brother just purchased a 5 year-old Simplicity 924 for $600.  He also has twice the blower as compared to the MTD, although he doesn't have the bells and whistles of the 1130.  My point is that it is WAY better to buy a decent used machine than a new piece of junk. 

    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #219   Dec 29, 2009 7:53 pm
    ccginmn,
    Thanks!  I hope everyone is happy with their Deere this year.  Mine is working great now and it's had a good workout with the amount of snow we've gotten. A lot of winter to go too!
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #220   Dec 30, 2009 8:22 am
    Catt wrote:
    lanningjw, Let us know how yours works after the new clamp and bulb.



    I replaced light and clamp, all works well. About $7.50 for the new light, so it was no big deal. I think one of the screws that hold the starter motor on has also fallen out.....

    Also I think I need to tighten up the cable that engages the drive, If that doesnt work I am taking it back to the JD dealer. Seems only 3rd gear really has any power. Reverse is bad and 1 and 2 dont have any power.

    This message was modified Dec 30, 2009 by lanningjw
    hirschallan


    If it aint broke don't fix it !!


    Location: Northern Hills of NY
    Joined: Aug 25, 2005
    Points: 327

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #221   Dec 30, 2009 1:26 pm
    Hi, I don't have the JD but it sounds like you need to make adjustments as per your manual.This is very typical when gear a selector is off.

    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #222   Dec 30, 2009 1:57 pm
    I tried adding my weatherstripping underneath the factory strip.  Apparently, mine is too thick and the guard would not sit with both layers of foam.  I can see it working just as effectively with my thicker foam, but only using the 2nd add-on strip that Catt used here and not using the factory foam.  If it is thick enough, it should be good enough to seal it up.  Thanks for the pic, Catt.

    Also, (using Catt's pic again :)  ) The foam I used between the belt guard and the auger housing was too thick.  It pressed the belt guard into the belts and wore some marks into the plastic.  Something to look out for. 


    Mechanically, mine has been working pretty good after the updates.  I do notice that it gets very slow in 1st gear after running for a while.  This could be slippage, but it is hard to tell.  It goes perfect once I put it into 2nd gear.  Another thing I noticed is that it will jump into a higher gear by itself.  I think this is more of a problem with the spring and lever assembly.  I will have to look under the dash to see if I can tighten up whatever holds the gear selector into the notches. 

    I did find some inexpensive LED headlights for $9 including shipping on eBay.  They may hold up better to the extreme vibrations our machines make. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SMD-5050-13-LED-894-881-Car-Foglight-Light-Bulb-White_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem25560bb97dQQitemZ160357398909QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories


    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #223   Dec 30, 2009 3:30 pm
    Another thing I noticed is that it will jump into a higher gear by itself.  I think this is more of a problem with the spring and lever assembly.  I will have to look under the dash to see if I can tighten up whatever holds the gear selector into the notches.

    You are exactly correct.  There is a bolt with a spring that needs tightening on the gear shift lever under the dash.  It will hold it in the proper gear when adjusted correctly.
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #224   Dec 30, 2009 3:33 pm
    Update on my transmission changing gears on its own:  Under the gear selector there are 3 13mm nuts that hold the gear selector in place.  I tried just tightening the tension bolt for it (one that has the spring), but that didn't help.  If you loosen the 3 13mm nuts it allow you to move the gear selector into the gear selector notches on the dash tighter.  You have to take the bolt that adjusts the tension on the shoot height adjuster to get to one of the nuts.  If you look under the dash, you will see what I mean.  It works much better now and really holds itself in the proper gear.  Catt: thanks for mentioning those dime-sized holes under the engine.  I didn't know those could leak.  They are all sealed up now.  I also took a hair drier to the belt cover to soften it up a bit and pulled it out so it won't rub the belts.  Hopefully it is enough.  I don't think it was a problem with the thicker weatherstripping as much as it was that the plastic belt cover was a bit bowed-in.

    My headlight has lasted 2 times after putting rubber between the headlight bracket and the machine and is still working.  It may be just a fluke with the other bulbs.  I didn't look at the original one that burned out very closely, but the last one the burned out has a little white spot on the bulb.  Maybe I accidently  touched it and caused it to burn out. 

    Catt: Thanks for posting all of those pics.  I took my belts and pulleys off and forgot where a washer came from.  Luckily you had a picture showing where it went.
    This message was modified Dec 30, 2009 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #225   Dec 31, 2009 11:33 am
    I think I solved the problem of my headlight burning out.  Today when I was using the snowblower, the headlight wasn't working.  CRAP, NOT AGAIN!  A bit later I noticed that the headed handgrips weren't working either.  I thought there might be an in-line fuse that blew.  When I was done snowblowing, I was looking at the wires and thought I saw in-line fuses by the starter.  They were just connectors that looked like in-line fuses.  I followed the wires around and found one of them was broken.  It is a wire that goes from the starter to under the carb and through the engine.  Luckily it had broken off with just enough room for me to put a heatshrink crimp connector on.  Problem solved.  It must have been broken just enough to keep burning my headlights out, but not broken enough to cause it to quit sending power completely. 

    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #226   Dec 31, 2009 7:58 pm

    Good job Swoods!
    If you still have problems with the belt cover you can add a piece of angled sheet metal for strength.  Mine was rubbing slightly and I added the galvanized sheet metal with two stainless steel screws.  It doesn't flex now.  Just make sure the sheet metal isn’t too big or it might interfere with the belts and pulleys.



    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #227   Dec 31, 2009 8:21 pm
    This message was modified Jan 1, 2010 by Catt
    embury


    Joined: Jan 11, 2009
    Points: 8

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #228   Jan 3, 2010 10:15 am

    I’m happy to say that my 1130 is working flawlessly.   I got in Dec 2008.   It started slipping within 5 minutes when it first was delivered.    The addition of the correct parts from JD (Back Plate), some weather stripping on the front of the belt cover, and clear roof patch over all the holes and behind the bottom of the back plate resolved all the issues.  It has not slipped at all this winter.  What I can’t believe is that JD and Briggs shipped the units this year with the same problems.  Very poor management and quality control!   Hopefully they will get off thier butts before the go out of business. 

    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #229   Jan 7, 2010 9:37 pm
    It's really too bad that Deer, Briggs or Simplicity didn't get the transmission water problem solved from the start on the 1130.  Because now that mine is sealed, this is a very good snowblower.  I used it again today and it's a joy to use.
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #230   Jan 8, 2010 12:35 pm
    Catt:  I sent you a private message through here.  Not sure if it gets emailed to you or anything. 

    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #231   Jan 8, 2010 4:09 pm
    Swoods wrote:
    Catt:  I sent you a private message through here.  Not sure if it gets emailed to you or anything. 

    Swoods,
    You've got mail.
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #232   Jan 8, 2010 5:09 pm
    Catt and I have been discussing adding weight to the front of our 1130's as we both added cabs.

    I thought others might be interested to hear what we came up with and would like to hear other suggestions/comments.

    SWoods

    Adding weights?
    Today 11:34 am

    Have you thought about adding some weight to the front of the 1130 to compensate for the cab?  Most of the time it digs down to pavement, but some places (car's tire tracks, etc) it will ride up unless I pull up on the handle bars.  20#s up front couldn't hurt, but I wonder what would work but still look good.  Maybe hang a 10# round weight painted green (like for a weight lifing bar) on each side of the auger housing would do the trick.  It is better balanced with the cab, but I think it loses some of it's effectiveness from the weight loss up front.

    By the way, mine is working great now too after sealing everything up.  I just haven't had deep enough snow to use the drift cutters!  You're up in MN aren't you?

    Catt


    Joined: Oct 15, 2009
    Points: 88

    Re: Adding weights?
    Today 12:20 pm

    I've thought about adding some weight too.  My other snowblower has a cab too and it needs a lot more weight and is significantly more of a problem than the Deere.  I've seen people add lifting weights to the front of the machine, but I think it looks terrible.  The link below is an Ariens weight for this very purpose.  I've also thought about adding weight by changing the drift cutters to much thicker steel since these are way out front.  Maybe 3/8" thick would work.  I'd paint these black just like the existing cutters.

    http://www.snowblowersdirect.com/Ariens-724065/p806.html


    I live in Minnesota around 10 miles from the Mall of America.

    Catt


    Joined: Oct 15, 2009
    Points: 88

    Weight
    Today 3:08 pm

    Swoods,
    I think we have a couple options for additional weight.  One is to add a weight similar to the Ariens.  The 1130 already has a bolt hole for the auger support.  We could use that same hole and add a steel weight at that location.  The other option is steel plates which replace the existing drift cutters.  The weight of the cab is 10-15 lbs. but keep in mind some of that weight is closer to the wheels than the weight we would be adding. 

    Here are some calculations for these, but dimensions can be changed if necessary.

    Ariens Steel Plate or similar mounted with auger support bolt:
    Length = 22.5"
    Width = 4"
    Thickness = 3/8"
    Weight = 9.56 Lbs.

    Drift cutter weights (This weight would be further forward):
    Length = 22"
    Width = 2.25"
    Thickness = .375"
    Weight (two total) = 10.5 Lbs.

    SWoods              

    Re: Adding weights?
    Today 3:54 pm

    I imagine I can make something just like that steel plate.  It would look better mounted to the underside of the auger housing where it can't be seen as long as it doesn't interfere with the auger and snow movement.  I would hate to spend $70 on a piece of steel :) 

    The heavier drift cutters is a good idea.  Unfortunetly, I leave mine off to make it a bit easier to move around the garage since the most I have snow blowed is 8" deep anyways.  But hey, I could just aim them down out of the way (straight down along the edge of the auger housing).  That is a dang good idea you had.  I noticed on the new 1130's they are held on with wing nuts, isn't our's with a single bolt?   I have seen one snow blower that had very large wing nuts holding them on.  The kind you can grab with your whole hand.  That would be ideal if we were going to put on heavier driftcutters on and wanted the ease of movement without needing a tool.  Just like these on Lawn-Boys http://cgi.ebay.com/LAWNBOY-New-Handle-Wing-Knob-Nut-607544-LAWN-BOY-Mower_W0QQitemZ400095363298QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5d278ac0e2

     

    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #233   Jan 8, 2010 5:52 pm
    I think the first thing is to actually determine the exact weight you want.  Try hanging a weight from each drift cutter bolt if possible.  Drift cutter size can be calculated once the weight is determined .
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #234   Jan 15, 2010 9:03 pm
    Darn!  It hasn't snowed in around 2 weeks.  Maybe I should just move to Alaska during the wintertime. 

    Sean Woods
    ahhhh3


    Joined: Jan 19, 2010
    Points: 1

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #235   Jan 19, 2010 12:04 pm
    Hello, I had been following this forum with regards to buying the 1130 (of course I found the forum AFTER I bought it) :) Anyhow, this thing is amazing...got 8" of (extremely) heavy wet snow yesterday and I had no problems...save the 1 shear pin. Oh and my drive was slipping a bit...both reverse gears and the first couple of gears. I tried 6th gear and it went no problem, then back to the lower gears, and had no further problems. What I did... Wife needed to get out, so first thing in the morning I snow blew (past tense)? No problems except the one shear pin. I knew the snow was going to continue, so I had done the bare minimum, and waited until early afternoon to finish. Second attempt was when I had some drive problems. This is the 2009 model, with the heated handgrips and such...and I had read on these forums (or I thought I had), the water leakage was fixed on the new models? This is the second time I have used it, bought it a month ago new from Lowe's. Any suggestions? Mentioned it to the JD dealer where I got replacement shear pins yesterday, and he knew nothing about it, and suggested I go through Lowe's warranty. Issue is, I don't have a vehicle for carting around the blower. Thanks! Josh
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #236   Jan 20, 2010 8:32 pm
    The JD stores are the ones who service the units.  Lowes doesn't service them so I don't think it would do much good to bring it back there.  They would just end up sending it to the JD dealer anyways.

    Here is what you need to tell the JD dealer:

    I spoke to a John Deere dealer in Minnesota (Scharber & Sons, Inc) who I was told has corrected a lot of the machines that had slippage.  The service department told me that there are a few things that they have been doing to fix the problem.
     
    First off, they clean the friction disc with brake cleaner to get any oil/grease off.  Next they add the updated clutch lever parts (clutch update) and readjust the cable.  Finally, they have been putting the water seal parts on.  He said the Briggs and Stratton has been covering all of this under warranty.  He said he was a bit hesitant that it would all be covered, but every warranty claim has gone through just fine for all of the updates to be done. 
     
    He told me there are 2 service bulletins on Briggs and Stratton's website on the problem.  I tried looking, but it must be on a dealer-access website.

    ahhhh3, send me your email and I will send you a big document that I compiled of all of the people on this forum's comments that are related to slippage and how it was corrected.
    This message was modified Jan 20, 2010 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #237   Jan 22, 2010 1:56 pm
    I finally installed my hour meter.  I mounted it under the control panel out of sight and where it's a little more protected from the elements.

    I made a steel bracket with opening for the meter and two mounting holes. The steel is .055" thick.



    Painted with meter mounted. This meter has a compression fitting on the back to hold it in place.



    Mounted under the control panel with two existing holes that were already on the 1130.



    Another view.  It looks a little tilted in the picture, but it's just an optical illusion.
    This message was modified Jan 22, 2010 by Catt
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #238   Jan 22, 2010 10:09 pm
    Another great modification, Catt.  By the way, I got another Lawn-Boy last weekend.  It is a 1989 model with the F engine.  Started up on the first pull after a shot of starting fluid even though it hadn't ran in around 12 years.  I keep a wanted ad on Craigslist looking for free Lawn-boys. 

    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #239   Jan 22, 2010 10:15 pm
    Wow another Lawn Boy!  I might try that too. 
    lanningjw


    Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Points: 29

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #240   Jan 31, 2010 11:02 am
    Just change 5 hour break in oil to Mobile one synthetic. I think the BS engine is running smother and quieter now with the new oil! Starts on the first or second pull after hitting the primer a couple of time. I only have to crank the choke one click and the engine fires up.
    This message was modified Jan 31, 2010 by lanningjw
    unrulee


    Joined: Feb 3, 2010
    Points: 1

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #241   Feb 3, 2010 11:55 pm
    This is my first post here, hello to all!

    I'm a mechanic at a JD dealership and I purchased a 1130se this year.  I have good luck with my machine, but like many of you, it would occationally slip in the lower gears (F or R). 

    From what I have seen at my location in central ND, Deere doesn't have anything for solutions.

    After reading the info posted here I sealed up the gearcase underneath the engine.  I used JD "combine sealant" (yes, that's what it's called).  I used it since it matches the green paint and it costs less than $10.  Once we finally got some snow I am happy to report that the slippage problem is gone.

    Locally we have come up with another solution for the slippage problem.........there are two springs that actually press the rubber drive wheel into the steel wheel.  The are located at the very bottom of transmission housing.  Remove those two springs and take them to your local hardware store and match them up with replacement springs that have a larger wire diameter (they will be stiffer and will press the wheels together tighter), but are still the same length.  To get the springs installed you may have to remove the engagement cable (I did) and re-adjust the length of the cable once you get the new springs on.  The handle will be slightly stiffer, but not horrible.  Total cost for this mod is less than $5.

    Hope this helps!

    This message was modified Feb 4, 2010 by unrulee
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #242   Feb 4, 2010 1:05 am
    Welcome unrulee!  I also considered changing these two springs if the sealing hadn't solved my problem.  I never tried it but was wondering if the extra pressure would help.  I'm going to leave mine with only the sealant  since it's been working great, but here's a picture to help if anyone else want's to try unrulee's spring suggestion.  These springs are the limiting factor for the amount of pressure the aluminum disc applies to the rubber drive wheel. 


    This message was modified Feb 4, 2010 by Catt
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #243   Feb 4, 2010 1:48 am
    I've been doing a little experimenting with the chute.  I wanted to see if I can cut down on the amount of snow that drops on the machine from the chute.  The idea is to keep the snow stream going up the chute rather than some of it flying out due to momentum from the impeller rotation.  I'm not sure how well this will work especially with slush, but if it's a problem I can remove it.  I used the same plastic that I used to line the back of the chute.



    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #244   Feb 4, 2010 1:16 pm
    Swoods,  I got a new toy!  I didn't find a Lawn Boy mower, but I did find a Billy Goat Outback brush mower with a 13HP Honda engine.  It's in really good shape, but I'll probably go through it and maybe put on some new paint where needed.  It's also green!
    This message was modified Feb 4, 2010 by Catt
    aa335


    Joined: Nov 29, 2008
    Points: 2434

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #245   Feb 4, 2010 1:45 pm
    Catt wrote:
    I've been doing a little experimenting with the chute.  I wanted to see if I can cut down on the amount of snow that drops on the machine from the chute.  The idea is to keep the snow stream going up the chute rather than some of it flying out due to momentum from the impeller rotation.  I'm not sure how well this will work especially with slush, but if it's a problem I can remove it.  I used the same plastic that I used to line the back of the chute.


    Looks good.  Hope you see some improvements.  My snowblower also drops snow on the side next to the chute as well.  It doesn't do it all the time, mostly with the light powdery stuff.  I think the atomization of the light snow slows down the velocity as it leaves the chute, then falling back down.
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #246   Feb 4, 2010 3:16 pm

    Interesting… I see that Yamaha has something similar on the chute of their snowblower. 

    Take a look:
    http://www.abbysguide.com/ope/discussions/32052-0-1.html

    aa335


    Joined: Nov 29, 2008
    Points: 2434

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #247   Feb 4, 2010 3:41 pm
    I think the principle behind the plastic lining is to act as an insulator.  When the snow hits the metal chute, the heat is conducted away the snow, and refreezes on the metal surface.  Think of sticking your warm tongue on a cold flag pole.  Don't try it.  :)
    borat


    Joined: Nov 10, 2007
    Points: 2692

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #248   Feb 4, 2010 5:34 pm
    Yo Catt: Let us know how that chute mod works out. I might be inclined to try it myself.
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #249   Feb 5, 2010 10:15 am

    Chute Update (I’m not sure what to call this lower piece of plastic that I added to the chute)  -  Please keep in mind that my testing is limited and results may vary with different snow conditions.

    Today we had around 3” of medium weight snow.  The snow coming out of the chute pretty much looks identical weather blowing to the left or to the right.  Snow dust will still accumulate on the blower which in my case was mostly blow back coming from a slight wind.  I also had some snow dust  that drops from the upper part of the chute.   I can say that no snow drops out of the lower portion of the chute onto the snowblower.  I can’t say just yet if it is worth a large effort to put it on a machine, but I’m planning to leave it on my machine. I may try a taller size in the future just out of curiosity.

    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #250   Feb 8, 2010 3:19 pm
    Today I was blowing about 4" of snow.  It was windy and snow was blowing back into the machine.  Here is a view of snow going up the chute with the plastic added to the lower chute.  When watching snow go up the chute it looks like a solid stream of snow and little snow drops out early.  This picture looks different as you only see a snapshot in time while in reality it looks like a solid stream, but it still gives you an idea of what is happening. 



    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #251   Feb 10, 2010 8:01 pm
    I just changed the oil for the first time.  I replaced the original oil with Mobil 1 Synthetic 5W30.  The manual says it holds 26-28 ounces.  For those of you that don't know (I had to look it up myself) that is a hair over 8/10th of a quart bottle.  So just use about 3/4 of the bottle and then fine tune it the rest of the way by measuring with the dipstick. 

    I'm thinking about adding a small red trailer light to the back of the machine.  I will probably mount it to the top of the cab facing backwards.  Sometimes at night when I blow at the end of my driveway, I turn around in the street.  With the roar of the engine and trying to focus on the machine, I get concerned about cars coming up behind me. 

    I suppose I could always add reflective tape instead of the light.  If I did add a light, I wonder how I could make it blink?  I would most likely need some sort of a blinking mechanism. 

    Another cool modification would be to add a very small light facing down on the dash.  Sometimes at night it is hard to see what gear I am selecting.  A tractor dash light like this would be perfect: URL for Light.
    This message was modified Feb 10, 2010 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #252   Feb 10, 2010 8:41 pm
    By the way, I made a maintenance record chart for all of the common things that need done for the 1130 so I can keep track of what I have done and when. 
    This message was modified Dec 24, 2011 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #253   Feb 10, 2010 9:10 pm
    I love the red light idea!  I'll probably do the same with mine. 
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #254   Feb 10, 2010 9:22 pm
    If we do end up mounting a light on the top of the cab, we can run the wires through the frame to hide them. 
    This message was modified Feb 10, 2010 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #255   Feb 10, 2010 9:28 pm
    I just looked at ebay.  They have 24 and 48 red LED brake lights that look interesting.
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #256   Feb 10, 2010 9:31 pm
    LED would probably be better.  I noticed that the headlight does dim a bit anyways when I turn up the heated grips.  Adding another light wouldn't help any.  It could probably use a LED headlight too to reduce the draw on the power as well. 

    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #257   Feb 10, 2010 9:35 pm
    I just ordered the 24 light version.  It was $6.94 with shipping.
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #258   Feb 10, 2010 9:37 pm
    Can you post the link for the one you ordered?  I'm on eBay now.

    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #259   Feb 10, 2010 9:38 pm

    Here's what I ordered.

    http://cgi.ebay.com/24-LED-Car-Red-Third-Brake-Stop-Tail-Light-Lamp-12V_W0QQitemZ170419659112QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Car_Parts_Accessories?hash=item27adcda168

     

    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #260   Feb 10, 2010 9:40 pm
    Now I'll get the mount ready and wires routed while I wait for this thing to be sent from China.
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #261   Feb 10, 2010 9:47 pm

    I’m also going to use this connector in case I want to remove my cab..

    http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3870003

    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #262   Feb 10, 2010 10:05 pm
    OK.  I ordered the light too.  I think I see a way to run the wiring through the frame of the cab.  It looks like I will have to drill a hole in the bottom of the vertical part of the frame (at the bottom where it is welded onto the horizontal part of the frame) to open it up so the wire can be fed up into it though.  I guess the best way to get power is to pigtail off of the headlight wire. 
    This message was modified Feb 10, 2010 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #263   Feb 10, 2010 10:19 pm
    I ordered one of the connectors too.  eBay

    Now I just need to find where I put my extra trailer light wire from when I rewired my boat years ago. 
    This message was modified Feb 10, 2010 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    Clay


    Location: Wis
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Points: 111

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #264   Feb 11, 2010 9:49 am
    I started this thread on Jan 7th last year but haven't check in this whole season.  The reason why I haven't checked in is that the machine is running so well I haven't had any issues.  It is a true brute.  Some of you might not remember but I first bought a Craftsman unit, then an Ariens and finally ended up with the John Deere all within a few weeks.  The JD is a keeper.  It's been fun to read through the posts that I have missed and see the mods that have been done to the machines and how everyone is enjoying their machine.  If I had to do it all over again the JD would still be my machine of choice. 

    Rick

    Paul7


    Joined: Mar 12, 2007
    Points: 452

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #265   Feb 11, 2010 12:03 pm
    Clay wrote:
    I started this thread on Jan 7th last year but haven't check in this whole season.  The reason why I haven't checked in is that the machine is running so well I haven't had any issues.  It is a true brute.  Some of you might not remember but I first bought a Craftsman unit, then an Ariens and finally ended up with the John Deere all within a few weeks.  The JD is a keeper.  It's been fun to read through the posts that I have missed and see the mods that have been done to the machines and how everyone is enjoying their machine.  If I had to do it all over again the JD would still be my machine of choice. 

    Rick


    Glad to hear that your JD turned out to be a keeper.  The way you were going I figured that by now you traded it in on a Simplicity...and then a Honda or Toro...and then perhaps a Yamaha by now...LOL.   

    Goodness help us if the Germans ever decide to engineer a snow thrower and make the selection process even harder.    Say, why doesn't Germany manufacture a snow thrower?
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #266   Feb 11, 2010 12:30 pm
    Here's your German Snowblower!  A Unimog :)

    This message was modified Feb 11, 2010 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #267   Feb 11, 2010 12:34 pm
    By the way, I have a tip that I would like to share about applying grease to tight places.  I bought the largest livestock syringe I could find and filled it full of grease.  I always add a drop of grease to bolts when I put something back together.  It keeps them "free" so they don't rust up and I can take it apart later on easily.  This makes it a lot easier.  It is also great for getting into tight places.....hinges, etc.  I ground down the tip so it isn't sharp anymore.

     

    Sean Woods
    Clay


    Location: Wis
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Points: 111

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #268   Feb 11, 2010 1:33 pm
    Paul7 wrote:
    Glad to hear that your JD turned out to be a keeper.  The way you were going I figured that by now you traded it in on a Simplicity...and then a Honda or Toro...and then perhaps a Yamaha by now...LOL.   

    Goodness help us if the Germans ever decide to engineer a snow thrower and make the selection process even harder.    Say, why doesn't Germany manufacture a snow thrower?



    I have another snow thrower that I did consider for a while.  This is my next unit.  Now just to find a place to park it???

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exBrz5aQ9Hg

    Paul7


    Joined: Mar 12, 2007
    Points: 452

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #269   Feb 11, 2010 2:10 pm
    Swoods wrote:
    Here's your German Snowblower!  A Unimog :)


    See now that's what I'm talking about.  Dual chutes...wouldn't expect anything less from German engineering.
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #270   Feb 13, 2010 6:17 pm
    Swoods,
    Today I tried putting a 2" diameter LED light mounted to the 1" tubing on the rear of my cab.  This would make it pretty easy to run the wiring inside the tubing.  I may still use the 24 LED on the upper portion of the cab in addition to these.  Let me know how you mount your light.

    Here is one mounted on the cab.  I'll mount a second light on the other side.





    Here are the parts I used to make the assembly.
    * 1 1/2" ABS end cap with drilled hole and machined for the light to fit inside.
    * 1/2" CPVC fitting machined to fit inside the 1" metal cab tubing.  Threads were also shortened.  Wires are routed through the CPVC fitting.
    *  Metal nut which is used for electrical fittings.
    *  2" diameter LED light from the automotive department at Mills Fleet Farm for $4.95.




    This message was modified Feb 14, 2010 by Catt
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #271   Feb 17, 2010 3:38 pm
    That's a pretty slick installation of lights.  I'm still waiting for my light to come in.  I'll probably just bend a couple of brackets and paint them black and bolt it to the top frame of the cab.  My quick disconnect came in though. 

    Sean Woods
    aa335


    Joined: Nov 29, 2008
    Points: 2434

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #272   Feb 17, 2010 4:57 pm
    Wow, that snowblower is almost street legal, or DOT legal. 
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #273   Feb 17, 2010 8:37 pm
    HAHA.  You should rig up a turn signal switch.  Actually.....is there a switch for hazards?  That would be perfect for those small round lights. 

    Sean Woods
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #274   Feb 18, 2010 11:12 pm
    This isn't a Lawn-Boy or a JD 1130se, but it is still pretty cool. I picked it up for $20, plus I gave some metal files, a hacksaw, and a wood saw. The prop is nearly like new. It is painted the same color as the rest of the machine so hopefully this is an indication that it hasn't been run much.

    It hasn't run since 1986. It does need a new rope. I will hopefully get one tomorrow and see if she fires up.

    By the way, it is a 1950 Martin "40." 4 1/2 horsepower. Now I just need a wooden boat to put it on! 





    This message was modified Jan 21, 2011 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #275   Feb 19, 2010 8:02 pm
    Swoods, I think that motor spent most of it's life in the garage.  Very nice find!
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #276   Feb 19, 2010 10:42 pm
    I put a new pull rope on it and resprung the spring.  It fired up on starting fluid.  I didn't have any 2 cycle to test it out for real though.  I also need to rig up a trash can to submerge the lower unit to test it. 

    Sean Woods
    Paul7


    Joined: Mar 12, 2007
    Points: 452

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #277   Feb 19, 2010 10:53 pm
    Catt wrote:
    Swoods, I think that motor spent most of it's life in the garage.  Very nice find!

    I agree.  I rent a boat every year when we go to the Maryland shore.  And every time I mess up the propeller by getting hung up on sand bars and the rental place makes me pay for a new one.  That propeller barely looks like it has a scratch on it. 
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #278   Feb 20, 2010 10:32 am
    What about this?




    This message was modified Jan 21, 2011 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    Paul7


    Joined: Mar 12, 2007
    Points: 452

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #279   Feb 20, 2010 1:06 pm
    Swoods wrote:
    What about this?




    Very unique concept but check out this item someone has for sale in my area.  An 8" in blade...it would take me a day to cut my lawn.

    http://lancaster.craigslist.org/grd/1608707059.html
    snowmachine


    Location: Washington State
    Joined: Nov 12, 2008
    Points: 268

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #280   Feb 20, 2010 2:25 pm
    That's a sweet old motor. My dad has an old '40 or '41 4-stroke Lauson motor in similar shape. IIRC it is maybe 2HP. I thought it was interesting that it was 4-stroke from that era. I guess they got bought out years later by Tecumseh. Swoods wrote:
    This isn't a Lawn-Boy or a JD 1130se, but it is still pretty cool. I picked it up for $20, plus I gave some metal files, a hacksaw, and a wood saw. The prop is nearly like new. It is painted the same color as the rest of the machine so hopefully this is an indication that it hasn't been run much.

    It hasn't run since 1986. It does need a new rope. I will hopefully get one tomorrow and see if she fires up.

    By the way, it is a 1950 Martin "40." 4 1/2 horsepower. Now I just need a wooden boat to put it on! 

    Tate


    Joined: Dec 1, 2010
    Points: 6

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #281   Dec 1, 2010 1:37 pm
    Greetings all .... I am new to the forum but have been reading it for sometime.  I live in New England where we get a good bit of snow, purchased the 1130 last year and put up with the clutch slipping problem all season.  The machine just went to the JD dealer today so we will see how this plays out over the next week or so.

    It has been very informative reading through all the posts.  I think when I get it back from the dealer I am also going to seal up as many holes, gaps and openings with silicone.   Overall the machine is great. I hope it last as long as my Bobcat did which I believe I bought in 1971 and got rid of last year, the cast iron sleeve BS engine would always start 1 or 2 pulls even on it's last day with me.

    I misplaced my owners manual and was wondering if anyone had an ecopy of it or knows where I can download one of purchase online.  The JD site wants a "Decal model #" but not sure what that means, I tried using 1130, 1130se without success.

    Thanks in advance!

    Tate
    Shryp


    Location: Cleveland, OH
    Joined: Jul 26, 2010
    Points: 532

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #282   Dec 1, 2010 2:17 pm
    There should be a long string of numbers on a sticker down where the handles connect somewhere.
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #283   Dec 1, 2010 3:44 pm
    I'm not having any luck finding the Decal Model Number, but I did find the part's manual http://ipl.ordertree.com/ipl/861/1130_IPL%202008.pdf

    Sean Woods
    Tate


    Joined: Dec 1, 2010
    Points: 6

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #284   Dec 1, 2010 4:00 pm
    Sean thanks for the link on the parts manual.  I did find that earlier but the only sites that reference owner manuals seem suspect and want a monthly fee subscription.... not.

    Tate
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #285   Dec 1, 2010 4:06 pm
    A comparison picture of a little Toro compared to the 1130se. My dad used to make me use a Toro like this was a kid and I hated it. I found this one for $50 and thought it would be easier than pulling out the big one for light snows and the sidewalk.
    This message was modified Jan 21, 2011 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #286   Dec 2, 2010 9:50 pm
    Hey Swoods!  Your 1130 is looking great and I see you have a nice Toro for the smaller jobs.
    borat


    Joined: Nov 10, 2007
    Points: 2692

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #287   Dec 2, 2010 10:05 pm
    Is the Toro a gas engine power shovel?
    aa335


    Joined: Nov 29, 2008
    Points: 2434

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #288   Dec 3, 2010 10:13 am
    That's a Toro S-200.  There a dime a dozen around here.
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #289   Dec 7, 2010 2:26 pm
    aa335 is right. The Toro is an S-200. I recently found that it works good for clearing the snow off of the deck. I like to keep the deck clear so I can still grill with my Weber. My snow shovels are metal and the deck is stained really dark so I don't want to scrape it, but the rubber "blades" on the Toro don't mark up the wood at all. I'm looking forward to some real snow this winter. So far, we only have around 4" on the ground. Before too long, I'll be able to take the 1130 on the pond out back to clear an ice-skating rink for the local kids.

    Sean Woods
    aa335


    Joined: Nov 29, 2008
    Points: 2434

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #290   Dec 7, 2010 2:39 pm
    Catt wrote:
    Hey Swoods!  Your 1130 is looking great and I see you have a nice Toro for the smaller jobs.
     
    Didn't you get a Toro Powerclear 180?  How's it working out for you?
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #291   Dec 8, 2010 2:00 am

    aa335,

    I did get the Toro Powerclear 180 which I use for very light snow falls.  It’s worked very well, but earlier this season we had a very heavy wet snow.  The Toro was pretty useless in that situation.  More recently we had fluffy snow and it worked like a champ through that. 

    trouts2




    Location: Marlboro MA
    Joined: Dec 8, 2007
    Points: 1328

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #292   Dec 25, 2010 7:25 pm
    Swoods, Your pictures have made the thread unreadable. Can you go edit your post and put carrige returns (enters) after your pictures? That will make posts line up to be readable. Thanks - trouts2
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #293   Jan 21, 2011 6:16 pm
    OK, I fixed the images I had posted, but I cannot edit the ones the are from a reply from the user, Snowmachine. Sorry, I didn't even know there was a problem, they line up fine on Google Chrome. I went back to Internet Explorer and saw what you meant.
    This message was modified Jan 21, 2011 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    trouts2




    Location: Marlboro MA
    Joined: Dec 8, 2007
    Points: 1328

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #294   Jan 21, 2011 7:39 pm
    Too bad.  There's a lot of good stuff in this post.

    Catt: What was the material you used and how is it holding up?  Nice job on the tach.

    This message was modified Jan 21, 2011 by trouts2
    royster


    " It is the use of power tools that separates man from animals"

    Location: New Brunswick, Canada
    Joined: Feb 11, 2011
    Points: 284

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #295   Feb 23, 2011 6:23 pm
    pvrp wrote:
    I'm going to retract my suggestion that the 1130 SE be Snowblower of the Year.

    Which leaves the Ariens 9526 DLET...

    Paul


    The Snow Blower of the year,   The Craftsman  52993, built by Husqvarna , no friction drive to worry about, it has hydrostatic drive.

    royster


    " It is the use of power tools that separates man from animals"

    Location: New Brunswick, Canada
    Joined: Feb 11, 2011
    Points: 284

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #296   Feb 23, 2011 7:24 pm
    Santaclause wrote:
    Well I just got done changing the oil and stuff and I cleaned the drive plate with brake clean and disk also took the cable up one notch I will say I think I got a more positive feel when I tested it out hopefully we will get a signifigant snow so I can try it out reverse still feels a little weak but forward seems really strong .....


    I had a  Murray/Noma built Craftsman  12.5 hp Tecumseh, 33 inch  for for  9 years, I had the same problem with the friction disc getting contaminated, but the problem was that the Tecumseh was leaking or blowing out oil onto the friction disc.  I saw no way to help the Tecumseh ,but  I put an extension on the breather that went down to the bottom of the frame, This seemed to help some , but the engine was still putting oil on the disc. I kept cleaning it with a brake cleaner , It would start slipping first  in the lower gears as this puts the clutch wheel  near the center of the friction disc where there is less friction surface . As  I  had to remove the bottom cover so often, I put wing nuts on the fasteners to save time. As long as I kept the friction disc dry , I had no problems..

    This is how I finally solved my problem,and I would recommend this solution to all:

      I  got  a  Craftsman 52993 , built by Husqvarna,   27 inch,  305 Briggs, 14.5 torque, heated grips, power steering, and HYDROSTATIC Drive,  no more friction disc.

    trouts2




    Location: Marlboro MA
    Joined: Dec 8, 2007
    Points: 1328

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #297   Feb 23, 2011 7:42 pm
    Royce,

       Could you go into more detail about the hydro?  You seem to be a sharp guy and know a lot about them versus friction disks.

    royster


    " It is the use of power tools that separates man from animals"

    Location: New Brunswick, Canada
    Joined: Feb 11, 2011
    Points: 284

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #298   Feb 24, 2011 5:42 pm
       No need to make one, although that is a good idea.  Husqvarna has a hydrostatic model and the  Husqvarna built, Craftsman models 52993 and 52070 are also hydrostatic,  No more friction disc problems!! 

    royster


    " It is the use of power tools that separates man from animals"

    Location: New Brunswick, Canada
    Joined: Feb 11, 2011
    Points: 284

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #299   Feb 24, 2011 5:55 pm
    Swoods wrote:
    I just changed the oil for the first time.  I replaced the original oil with Mobil 1 Synthetic 5W30.  The manual says it holds 26-28 ounces.  For those of you that don't know (I had to look it up myself) that is a hair over 8/10th of a quart bottle.  So just use about 3/4 of the bottle and then fine tune it the rest of the way by measuring with the dipstick. 

    I'm thinking about adding a small red trailer light to the back of the machine.  I will probably mount it to the top of the cab facing backwards.  Sometimes at night when I blow at the end of my driveway, I turn around in the street.  With the roar of the engine and trying to focus on the machine, I get concerned about cars coming up behind me. 

    I suppose I could always add reflective tape instead of the light.  If I did add a light, I wonder how I could make it blink?  I would most likely need some sort of a blinking mechanism. 

    Another cool modification would be to add a very small light facing down on the dash.  Sometimes at night it is hard to see what gear I am selecting.  A tractor dash light like this would be perfect: URL for Light.

    I purchased 2 of those  those little blinking red lights that truckers use when they have to to make an emergency stop  on the side of the road They are  LED , use 2 AAA batteries and seem to last forever. I got them at Walmart, I think they were $5 each,   mounted them on the side of the cab.

    royster


    " It is the use of power tools that separates man from animals"

    Location: New Brunswick, Canada
    Joined: Feb 11, 2011
    Points: 284

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #300   Feb 24, 2011 6:25 pm
    trouts2 wrote:
    Royce,

       Could you go into more detail about the hydro?  You seem to be a sharp guy and know a lot about them versus friction disks.



    I have used hydrostatic transmissions on many types of equipment over the years, and have been very satisfied with them.   When  I saw the Craftsman 52993 ,14.5  305 Briggs.  I had to have it.  Built by Husqvarna, who also makes hydrostatic models under their own  Husqvarna name,  I researched the hydrostatic transaxle and found out that they were built by Hydro Gear.in the USA.  , a very large manufaxrurer of hydrostatic transmissions and transaxles.    The ones in the snowblowers are the WB (walk behind)  series, very similar to the ones used      in tractors.   They still have the traction belt setup but it drives the pulley on the the hydrostatic transmission . So to operate, you hold down the left control lever (like you would in any snowblower) this sends  the power to the transaxle.  While holding down the left control lever ,(acting like a dead man control)  the drive speed control lever  is then all you have to use, forward to move ahead , nuetral in the middle and moving the lever back for reverse (just like in the treactors )   Before doing this, you have already set you engine speed to max, as you would do in any snow blower .  You can shift the lever from forward  to reverse at any time.   The further you move the lever forward , the faster you go,  Same as moving the lever back for reverse---   So,  It is variable speed.  You can move forward at a speed that is much slower than the friction disc is capable.  You machine doesn't have to work nearly a hard at any speed or load. There is over a 20 to 1 multiply in torque,  

    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #301   Nov 20, 2011 3:45 pm
    Has anyone had a chance to use their 1130 yet this year? Does an engine has to have a pressurized oil system to have an oil filter? I was seeing if it is possible to add one, but maybe it's a sling oil system where it won't work.

    Sean Woods
    carlb


    Joined: Nov 16, 2010
    Points: 279

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #302   Nov 20, 2011 3:57 pm
    you can not put an oil filter on an engine that does not have an oil pump, it wont work.
    SteveJF


    Joined: Nov 24, 2011
    Points: 1

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #303   Nov 24, 2011 8:45 am
    I purchased the JD 1130E from Lowes in 2009. The "easy steer" system is probably fine for paved driveways but I live in the country and have a very large gravel driveway. Because of the uneven surface I think the easy steer system is a detriment to me. Is there any way to disenage or disable it? I find myself wrestling with the machine to get both wheels turning in sync. Thanks.
    borat


    Joined: Nov 10, 2007
    Points: 2692

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #304   Nov 24, 2011 9:15 am
    Pull the bottom cover off to see why it's not engaging/disengaging.  If it's the same set up as my Simplicity, it could be a problem of too much of the wrong grease on it.  If the grease isn't suitable for winter conditions, it might create too much resistance in cold temperatures thus not allowing the engagement couplers to move freely. 
    scopes01


    Location: Montreal, CANADA
    Joined: Nov 27, 2011
    Points: 22

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #305   Nov 29, 2011 11:07 pm
    SteveJF wrote:
    I purchased the JD 1130E from Lowes in 2009. The "easy steer" system is probably fine for paved driveways but I live in the country and have a very large gravel driveway. Because of the uneven surface I think the easy steer system is a detriment to me. Is there any way to disenage or disable it? I find myself wrestling with the machine to get both wheels turning in sync. Thanks.

    Hi there...your machine's "easy steer"  feature is an Auto-Lok differential from a company called Hilliard...they supply the industry with this differential unit...It is neat system when it is properly integrated into a product so it is effective an efficient...The problem that your having is that your Auto-Lok differential is mounted on a main sprocket and driven with a chain....same concept as a bike...The problem is that there is too much slack and not very much surface contact for the driving mechanisms to work properly. Ex: Ariens is using this technology on their Platinum and Professional series machine too...however, it is integrated and designed differently and better in my opinion. Here is the reason why...The main difference is that the ARIENS is using a spur gear around the Auto-Lok unit and a pinion to drive the gear for both wheels. The spur gear surface is about 1" wide and the pinion even more. Perhaps, 1.250" of surface for the pinion. I would have to open and measure to get exact size, but its about that. This surface contact increases the stability, rigidity and decreaes the vibration of the axle. John Deere doesn't have a spur gear around the Hillard Auto-Lok unit and neither a pinion. They are using a sprocket and chain to drive the axle. The sprocket is fitted to Auto-Lok and expected to give you that Easy Steer you looking for. Unfortunately, it's not giving you the performance you were expecting....Perhaps, it is also defective too...eventhough it is mounted on a sprocket and chain it should still be going on a straight line and in-sync...

    Here is a link to JD manual for your machine on page 6   https://groundscare.custhelp.com/ci/fattach/get/32489/

    Here is a link to Ariens service manual..go to page 20 figure 18 to see how Ariens is mounted differently.  http://apache.ariens.com/manuals/02983600.pdf

    If it is a real irritant for you...you might want to consider removing this Auto-Lok and installing a straight sproket...just remember if you this, it will be harder to turn. This is how standard MTD snowblowers operate...

    This message was modified Nov 29, 2011 by scopes01
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #306   Feb 24, 2012 12:28 pm
    Can someone please test the voltage on the headlight connector while at full idle? I keep blowing headlights. The voltage changes when I turn the heated grips high/low/off. Voltage when the handgrips are off: 16.4, Voltage when the handgrips are on high: 12.5 Voltage, when the handgrips are on low: 13.4
    This message was modified Feb 24, 2012 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    RedOctobyr


    Location: Lowell area, MA
    Joined: Nov 5, 2011
    Points: 282

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #307   Feb 24, 2012 12:59 pm
    My engine (Tecumseh) is perhaps different than yours. But I recall getting around 16V when checking the alternator output, before attaching a headlight. I'm not sure if your light is on or off for the 16.4V measurement. I'm sure my voltage is lower now, with powering the light, though I don't think I've tried to check it. If you're putting 16.4V into the headlight even with the light on, maybe you're pushing the bulb a little too hard. I suppose, in a pinch, you could add a low-resistance, high-wattage-rating resistor before the headlight, to drop the voltage a bit.

    I don't know what kind of bulbs yours takes, but you also want to make sure you're using an appropriate bulb. For instance, using a bulb that's meant to sit in a motionless light fixture might result in an early failure, when rigidly installed onto a moving, vibrating machine. But if you're using OEM-type bulbs, that's probably not an issue.
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #308   Feb 24, 2012 1:55 pm
    I just checked it again with the heated grips off, and the voltage jumped (at the headlight plug)from between 19-21v which is way too high.

    Sean Woods
    RedOctobyr


    Location: Lowell area, MA
    Joined: Nov 5, 2011
    Points: 282

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #309   Feb 24, 2012 2:07 pm
    Is your engine speed correct? I do not have heated grips. They may have had to bump up your no-load voltage to avoid dropping too low with everything (grips) turned on?
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #310   Feb 24, 2012 2:16 pm
    The engine speed seems normal....to my ears anyways. haha. I sort of figure it's the regulator or the stator. The regulator is $50 and is the easiest part to replace. It looks like the regulator is just a capacitor in a metal box with resin holding it in place with a wire going in and a wire going out. Maybe I'll try going to Radio Shack and rebuilding it with a new capacitor. By the way, I've been using standard, automotive style bulbs.
    This message was modified Feb 24, 2012 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #311   Feb 29, 2012 4:21 pm
    OK. I got a tachometer and tested the voltage coming out of the stator. At 3600 rpms, I measure 30.8 - 31 volts. According to Briggs and Stratton, at 3600 rpms, I should have 28. I wouldn't think that the extra 2 volts would blow the voltage regulator.

    Sean Woods
    Snowmann


    Joined: Dec 3, 2003
    Points: 494

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #312   Mar 4, 2012 12:58 pm
    Which alternator do you have? Briggs has both regulated and unregulated alternators, and AC and DC.
    aa335


    Joined: Nov 29, 2008
    Points: 2434

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #313   Sep 16, 2012 12:15 am
    This thread will not die.  Will the moderator please lock this thread? 
    55utilitysedan


    Location: Litchfield County, CT.
    Joined: Dec 19, 2011
    Points: 41

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #314   Sep 16, 2012 10:19 am
    Thank you aa335 it drives me crazy also..........
    aa335


    Joined: Nov 29, 2008
    Points: 2434

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #315   Sep 17, 2012 6:02 pm
    55utilitysedan wrote:
    Thank you aa335 it drives me crazy also..........
    Not that I want to keep this thread alive, but I'm slightly annoyed that I can't remember what this thread was all about.    Vaguely remember something about water and friction (maybe ice and friction), WD-40 / Superglue, then Honda timing belt, Obama is in office, outboard motor on a lawnmower, and now I think it's something about the ignition coil.   I'm starting to think that John Deere doesn't actually make any snowblowers or lawn mowers, but invented the internet and the iPhone.  Green paint and some stickers for $300 more than a red machine.  I do like green and yellow though.  Everybody has red or orange snowblowers, green is different.

    Help me out here guys!  RickyCebu, FrankCA, Borax, DavidNY, MNSprinter, 55pickuptruck, Gangster, Air-Wolf???  There's got to be more since there's 300+ replies on this.
    This message was modified Sep 17, 2012 by aa335
    FrankMA


    Location: Merrimack Valley/Northeastern Mass
    Joined: Jul 1, 2010
    Points: 587

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #316   Sep 17, 2012 8:22 pm
    I think a full review of the Ariens Sno-Tek machine should be completed (in NJ of course) and then cross referenced with a Simplicity, Toro and Honda (throw in Yamaha - what the hell) and then we should be able to get at the root of the problem... Maybe we should include borat's old but very reliable and capable Craftsman single stage to be sure we cover all our bases?

    Toro Wheel Horse 522xi GT, Honda HS928TA, Honda HS621AS, Honda HS520A, Toro CCR3000 (work in progress), Honda HS624WA (sold 08/23/2010), Stihl BR550 Backpack Blower, Stihl MS250, McCulloch MS1635, Honda EM6500SX Generator
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #317   Dec 20, 2012 1:29 pm
    I finally have my 1130 fueled back up and ready to go. Now I just need some snow.

    Sean Woods
    Tate


    Joined: Dec 1, 2010
    Points: 6

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #318   Feb 13, 2013 11:49 am
    Three years ago when I bought my 1130 I thought I was buying what was a well built reliable machine and would be the last snowblower I would purchase for along time.  I was so wrong ..... for 3 years this machine has been nothing but trouble.  Neither the dealer nor I could stop the friction disk drive slipping issue.  First Lowes came out when the machine was new and readjusted and cleaned the disk .... still slipped.  The off to the JD dealer multiple times, they installed the seal kit and varies adjustments and still would eventually slip.  I tried sealing with silicone sealant still slipped.  The other problem with the machine is the auger belt broke with frequency.  The shears pins (JD orig part) sheared once and I bet the belt broke 4 times.  Dealer tried to adjust and fix but continued to happened. 

    Mass just had the blizzard of 2013 ..... JD 1130 ready to go ..... after the typical 30-40 minutes of use the drive started to slip in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, r1 and r2.   In most cases putting it into 5th or 6th would dry the friction disk enough for reverse to work and the lower ratio but not all and found myself dragging the machine backwards many time over the 5 hours that it took to clear my driveway.  In addition I could only cut 5 or 6'' of 30'' high snow each pass and the auger couldn't even throw it across my driveway with only a little wet and heavy at the bottom.  This meant that after working my way across the driveway I had to double back and clear the 3 or 4 inches that couldn't get thrown out of my driveway which is not a  full double width. 

    My son plows snow but my driveway can not be plowed due to pitch and no where to push the snow.  With the machine being so fragile I can't let either of my sons use due to concerns it will break AGAIN and then I am in trouble if my truck is snowed in and snowblower is broken. 

    So long story short ..... I have had with this JD product once and for all.  Yesterday I went out and bought a Honda HS1332TAS. Like I use to tell my customers when buying expensive Ski's or Bike .... once the ouch of the cost if forgotten I will be happy with the purchase for long time.

    Good-bye JD..... very disappointed with the design and performance.
    runkster


    Joined: Jan 5, 2014
    Points: 2

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #319   Jan 5, 2014 3:19 am
    I found the gas cap mentioned earlier in this post for $23 here: http://www.powerequipmentmart.com/briggs-stratton-part-698109-cap-fuel-tank $10 S&H
    This message was modified Jan 5, 2014 by runkster
    aa335


    Joined: Nov 29, 2008
    Points: 2434

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #320   Jan 6, 2014 3:12 pm
    Once again, the legendary thread continues.....
    Santaclause


    Location: northern NY
    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Points: 48

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #321   Jan 6, 2014 8:01 pm
    I had purchased one of thse blowers from lowes in jan 09 was in a pinch old blower giving me troubles and we were getting pounded day after day with snow so needed to do something so found this machine great deal opened a lowes credit card and got over 130 bucks off machine and so on so took it home and the problems started from the start the light wouldnt work found the wires got pulled apart when the guys loaded it on my truck and then the drive slipping started so I returned it before the 30 days was up and bought a cub cadet 930 and so far it works pretty well..it was a shame as I thought boy a john deere and I will be done monkeying around now how fooled I was!!!!!!!!!!!
    borat


    Joined: Nov 10, 2007
    Points: 2692

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #322   Jan 7, 2014 10:44 am
    I don't understand why people these days still equate once proud brand names to quality?   With most, if not all domestic snow blowers (and many other domestic OPE), the "name" is all but a ruse.  Even Toro and Ariens are watering down their equipment.  It's folly to assume that the once proud brands of old still produce the grade of equipment that made the name famous in the first place.  Sadly, it's come to the point where the only OPE manufacturers that can be trusted these days for consistent quality comes from Japan.    
    Santaclause


    Location: northern NY
    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Points: 48

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #323   Jan 13, 2014 4:20 pm
    Your correct borat you really have to take a look at what you are purchasing and know what you are looking at and make your decision from there, john deere quit marketing snow blowers for a rrason!!!
    Santaclause


    Location: northern NY
    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Points: 48

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #324   Jan 13, 2014 4:20 pm
    Your correct borat you really have to take a look at what you are purchasing and know what you are looking at and make your decision from there, john deere quit marketing snow blowers for a rrason!!!
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #325   Jan 15, 2014 2:11 pm
    After following the steps outlines on this post to stop the slipping clutch disc, I can't say how HAPPY I am with this machine.  It is a great snowblower and has a ton of power.  I plan on keeping mine until the day I die.  If you are considering a JD, don't let the negative posts on here sway you.  I am one satisfied customer. I admit, there was a design flaw from the factory, but now that I know how to keep the friction disc dry, it hasn't slipped since the first season I bought it back in '09. 

    Basically, if you have a Simplicity or a Snapper snowblower (I've used a Snapper parts manual to order parts for my JD 1130se), this is the exact same machine....nothing wrong with JD except that the plastic belt cover would let melted snow drip on the friction disc, which is an easy fix. 

    This message was modified Jan 15, 2014 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    Stainless


    Joined: Nov 17, 2011
    Points: 24

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #326   Jan 16, 2014 12:25 pm
    This is my 3rd season with the 1330SE. It's actually my first and only snowblower. It's worked well enough for my needs, and is probably a bigger machine than I actually needed. Having said that, I don't think I would want to use this thing in a commercial application. In my opinion, the whole friction disk drive mechanism does not seem very robust, but I guess that type of setup is fairly common in snowblowers.
    Catt


    Location: Minnesota
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Points: 196

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #327   Jan 17, 2014 11:01 am
    I've been using an 1130 (with the sealing modifications) and a 1330.  Both have been working great for me so far.  I also wouldn't use them in a commercial application.  Most commercial applications in my area are either a snowplow or a tractor based snowblower.  Then they use a Honda or Toro 20"-21" paddle type for cleanup and sidewalks.  I think my 1130 and 1330 will last many years for the amount I will use them.
    Pedro


    Joined: Mar 19, 2014
    Points: 1

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #328   Mar 19, 2014 8:38 am
    I have had the 928e since January 2010 and had the problem with the drive slipping but solved it quickly with weather stripping and it runs like a champ...the reason I posted here was that I had a problem back in December '13...was clearing the yard for my 2 small dogs and I lost the bottom oil fill plug without noticing it and subsequently blew the engine...not to worry I had the extended warranty, so I had the machine picked up after I put some used oil back in the machine to cover my stupid mistake...the place that serviced my blower called me about a week later and said that a new engine had been approved and it should be ready to go in about a week or so...after that period of waiting I did not hear from them so I called to find out the engine they put on was defective and had to go through warranty nonsense with Briggs & Stratton so I had to sit patiently and wait it out...snowblower was gone now 3 weeks and we had 2 snow storms here in MA what a pain...so I finally get the call the new engine is in and it runs like a champ and they will be bringing it to me immediately so I took the day off from work to welcome home my sorely missed baby...around 3 pm exactly one month after it was picked up it was home, and the delivery guy starts it up first pull and it runs nice...So i start questioning him about the engine and he stated that it was brand spanking new and it was the exact same as the one that was replaced...this is where is gets really good, I know I had the 13.50  305cc engine and I look at what was put on it was the 16.50 342cc professional series from Briggs...can you say hell yeah!!!  I got a beast of an engine as a replacement...I was lucky my stupid mistake turned out the way it did.
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #329   Jan 2, 2015 11:47 pm
    I have the 1130 fueled up and changed the oil with some fresh synthetic. I had to replace the spark plug this year. It had a weak spark that would only fire enough to start the engine when I used the electric starter. Rather than a Champion, I used the equivalent NGK plug. I sure love this machine and can't wait for some deep snow.
    This message was modified Jan 2, 2015 by Swoods


    Sean Woods
    aa335


    Joined: Nov 29, 2008
    Points: 2434

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #330   Jan 3, 2015 12:06 am
    Looks like it's going to be a while until Chicago get some real snow.  The plow trucks were busy today putting down salt in preparation for the freezing rain, no real snow accumulation though.
    runkster


    Joined: Jan 5, 2014
    Points: 2

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #331   Jan 5, 2015 10:07 pm
    The clutch and cover repair kit is available through amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0043RTP3O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Replaces Murray parts 1687300SM and 1678452YP
    This message was modified Jan 5, 2015 by runkster
    Swoods


    I love all power equipment from lawn mowers to snow blowers. My favorite pieces of equipment are 2 cycle Lawn Boys.

    Location: Elburn, IL
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Points: 65

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #332   Jan 7, 2015 9:19 pm
    I may have to order that kit that runkster mentioned.  I put that metal plate in the gap behind the belt cover/sheer bolt holder, but I don't have that big, flat, rubber piece.  I'm guessing that fits on the inside top of the transmission housing to prevent water from dripping on to the friction disc? 

    Sean Woods
    NorthMaine


    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Points: 2

    Re: John Deere 1130 SE
    Reply #333   Feb 6, 2015 7:23 am
    Swoods wrote:
    I may have to order that kit that runkster mentioned.  I put that metal plate in the gap behind the belt cover/sheer bolt holder, but I don't have that big, flat, rubber piece.  I'm guessing that fits on the inside top of the transmission housing to prevent water from dripping on to the friction disc? 
    The rubber is for that yes. I just bought the machine and though mine came with the engine plate, it doesn't have the rubber piece under the engine mounting plate. Been chasing leaking water for a few weeks now. Thought I had it but found the black push clip thing under the engine leaking still so I just took it right out and siliconed the hole. Hopefully I am done...
    This message was modified Feb 6, 2015 by NorthMaine
    Replies: 1 - 333 of 333View as Outline
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