Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Snowblower Pros - Picked up a bigger one

I picked up an early 1980's Montgomery Wards (Gilson/MTD) 8HP Briggs & Stratton w/ two-stage snow blower today. The auger and gear box look to be brand new. The impeller is in good shape. It runs like a top and has 5 forward gears, one reverse. Tires are cracked, but the previous owner stuck tubes in, so no big deal.

All the snow around here has melted, so didn't get to test it, other than to make sure everything works -- I just don't know how well it works.

I paid $200. I know nothing of these, but know a new one this size would run over $1,000 easy. Couple of questions:

1. What are these things worth? Hoping I didn't overpay but need a snow blower as my back can't do any heavy shoveling any more.

2. This is a pull start. Since it's a Briggs & Stratton engine, would an electric start be possible?

if it runs and works its definitely worth 2 bills. as for converting to electric, you would need to find the starter and flywheel housing for to accomodate it. but if its a briggs, it is probably possible. i had a troybuilt 8hp from that era with the electric start. the real key is getting the right starter/housing or you will chew up the flywheel.

I'll go check the Briggs & Stratton site and see if they have a kit for it. Thanks.

If it works one made a great buy. I have two with the second simply being a backup since I live in the sticks and parts would take a couple weeks. Paid big bills for both.

Can't help on the start conversion. Regardless, start it up now just in case it has some unique character. Also, non ethanol gas for sure.

Ain't that why you had those kids?

snowblowers are cheaper...

no one ever had to pay child support on a snowblower...


just hope all this talk about "Blowers"... doesn't attract Padidler or Homobre...

they like 'blowing' things...

You can rig an adapter for small engines that lets you use an electric drill to start it. I have no idea how well it works. Google 'spin start' for info.

I run an MTD from about that era, maybe slightly new with a Tecumseh. The electric start works good, and considering the the thing only gets used for about three months a year, it should last a long, long time. Nothing but routine oil changes and a couple tuneups. I'll replace the belts this spring, but that's about it. I'm careful about not running unleaded gas in it, so the carb probably won't need a rebuild for several years yet. We have a couple stations that sell non-oxygenated gas, for a little more than unleaded, or if I'm in the area, one station that sells racing gas.

they are very cheap around here in summer at yard sales.

I am a big fan of the old Tecumseh motors as compared with the Briggs & Stratton trash that is on the market today. Also, if you can find anything running a Kohler I would go with that over any of the others.

A 10 dollar carb kit will be worth not buying electric start. I have about the same size rig with 110 volt e start and it's more work to plug it in than pull the rope once.......and once is all it takes.

New needle, seat and clean all the Jets and ports. It's a 10 minute job for a good mechanic, 1 hour tops if you've never done it.

I know, right? But there so danged busy in high school that a snowblower will make the job quicker for all of us. We've got about 3,000 square feet of driveway and pad to clear.

You ought to buy them all up and haul them to Colorado... Pay for your elk hunt.

You have to make sure the flywheel has a ring gear for the starter and a 120V starter is still available. I have one in the shop now that the starter is obsolete. Smaller engine though. I have installed 12V starters and rigged up a jumper so you can start it with a remote battery or a jumper pack so you don't need to mount a battery ans solonoid, etc. I can help with any part no's or availability if you want.

If you are having any trouble starting it, take the carb apart and clean everything out. Make sure you always use the gas shut off valve to prevent gumming it up again due to infrequent use. If it doesn't have electronic ignition, Briggs has a replacement coil to convert it. (points are also bad in occasional use engines)

I had one just like yours. Starting drill was simple.
1. Open gas valve.
2. Put choke on full.
3. Roll the engine over once slowly.
4. Give it a pull.

Almost always fired up on the first pull.

Jerry

I've had 2 at different times. Wore the original one out in SD and AK. Liked it enough to get a second here in NE. My brother needed a bigger one in MN, so swapped it for his 5 hp Craftsman track drive that is big enough for the snow we get in Eastern NE.

If the carb is in good shape, it should start on the first or second pull. Those old Briggs are good starters in the cold. Only issue I had was belt changes and the Idler/engager arm on either the thrower part or drive part had a brass pully go bad. A machine shop made a replacement and it only went bad once.

As to the back, they are heavy machines, so they will require some muscle to control them.