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I have a snapper 11 hp riding lawn mower, I bought it for $160 and it works great, I am wondering how old it is and how much I could sell it for, any suggestions would be great!!
Thanks a lot!!

If the Briggs and Stratton engine is original you can tell the age from the date code stamped on the engine.
Here is the link to tell you where to locate the code on the engine and how to decipher it. :smile:
I have no idea what it is worth but I know that it is worth what someone is willing to pay. You can check online auctions or Craigs list to see what they are selling for? Good Luck!

I will check that out in the morning thanks!!

Okay, I found out that it was made November 19 1984 thanks 4 helping!!

looks like someone painted those handlebars black. not original but i like it! man u sure u want to sell that// for only $160 and it runs great i'd hang onto that.:thumbsup:

Well, I am thinking of restoring it now that I see how it looks painted the handlebars were a little rusty so I put electrical tape over them oh, it also came with a bag system...

Could u give give me some tips on restoring the Snapper riding mower? Paint, decals ect. Thanks!

Well I'm not much of a mechanic, but as far as paint and decals I have learned some things. Lawn Mower Parts should have decals for it, I always get snapper parts there. They have everything. As for paint, even the best spray paint won't hold up like a good automotive spray enamel. Might be hard to do that (sprayer and all) but end result will be better.

Thanks how do u get ahold of a automotive sprayer?

Harbor Freight Tools probably will have best price. I don't know if there is a store in Pennsylvania but it not try their website. The only mower I painted was a snapper walk-behind a couple years ago and even though I sanded and primed the deck and used a good automotive can-spray paint it still just didn't have the same finish as original and blemished very easily. If u have access to a sand blaster for it that would be ideal too. Post some pics as u go from start to finish if u can. Good luck!!

I am thinking of just painting the engine and handlebars and giving everything else a really good cleaning what do u think? I will send some pics tomorrow

if that's all your painting you'll be fine with a good high-temp spray paint. just get a good can from an auto parts store. i've painted a couple of engines like that no problem. after sanding i used 2 coats primer, 4 coats paint (overkill i know, 2 is fine) and 2 coats clear sealer. i only painted the metal shroud of the engine though, the part that i could un-bolt and remove, not the entire engine. i would simple green that and hose it off to clean up. good for cleaning deck to. a lot less work than painting EVERYTHING and i think the end result will be very nice!:thumbsup:

Okay, today I took the engine off the mower, it was fairly easy and I cleaned it, tomorrow I am going to sand and prime it.








There was a TON of grease around the engine, what causes that?? Is it over filling and spilling it or is it just the way they r??

That grease probably isn't from overfilling I would think. It could have had leaky O-ring or maybe even a gasket that was leaking. Good thing is. Now that it's all cleaned up, once u get it painted and back on and operating you'll be able to see where any leaks are if any. If nothing leaks maybe it was just sloppy filling after all....and a lifetime of poor maitenence from previous owner.

Thanks 4 helping I am learning more and more about engines because of people like u doing it as a hobby after school is soo fun:]

Anything to help. Glad to be on the forum. And I know, my time in the garage messing around with the mowers is very enjoyable. We all got our own things that we enjoy and, like u, that's one of mine.

Here r some pics after I painted the engine, I know, they are not original colors... Sorry about the lighting, it was sooo sunny

I also painted the handlebars

I think it turned out great! U gonna hang on to it or sell it?

I do not know, I don't think it would bring in much more then $300, what do u think?

In that condition I'm thinking maybe in the $300-$500 range. But unless u need the money I'd keep it. U did a great job on it with not too much $ into it. That's a really cool thing to have in the garage IMO.

I don't know if I should sell it or shouldn't, I will probably just hold on to it

Thanks it was a lot of work to paint it, I took the whole engine off, I learned a lot too;D

If it were me I'd keep it.:thumbsup:

I will probably keep it believe it or not, I found the same mower today it was in somebody's scrap pile, they let me have it for $30! He is a mechanic and said he does not like tinkering with smaller engines, I fixed it in 5 minutes, it is a 1988, the one I have now is a 1982, and it has a 12 hp motor!
So excited I will send pics in the morning. it needs the pulley cover though, hope I can find one!

Sweet! Job well done! Can't wait for those pics!

Here r some of the pictures... I took the snapper for a ride, it goes a lot faster then my older snapper,

It is missing the pulley cover, do u know where I can get one?

That has major potential! I like the custom shift knob. I think ebay might be your best bet for finding that pulley cover. I don't think a parts supplier would have something that old. U could try lawnmower parts dot com but probably have to check ebay. Maybe look for the small cover for the starter too. Bet hey, now u got TWO good snapper RERs! :thumbsup:

Thanks! I will check that out in the morn... I have a question, why does it go so fast?? It rides faster then our John Deere! Also, the engine runs a little high, it has a throttle that u can control it with, from what I noticed, it helps to have a lot more power for when your mowing, I turned it up all the way and mowed in 5th gear! Probably not good for it though but it has a lot more power then my 11 hp snapper.... Only 1 hp higher,it is a huge difference

Hmmm that is wierd. I can think of only two possibilities: 1) is the drive disc under the mower bigger? If its bigger then the fastest setting (on the outside edge of disc) will be faster. If not then 2) if the throttle control is not original it might be opening up the throttle on engine more giving u more RPMs and making it go faster. That's about all I can think of.

I will check the disk out, the throttle is( from what I can tell) original, but i am going to get a new one because it keeps sliding back down towards ""slow"", I am going to end up buying a key(because I am using the one from my other snapper) and a pulley cover, and also the starter cover, I am thinking of some new mufflers, (fpr both snappers) the ones on them are really loud... Thanks for the tips

Just wanted to comment that in my personal opinion, the Snapper rear engine rider is one of the best built best cutting riding mowers EVER. I grew up using one that lasted over 23 years with original engine and another that lasted over 26 years with the original engine. I loved how they shifted. The single blade cut the grass the best. My favorite is the 33" blade hi vac deck. Your pics look like you have the hi vac deck.

When it came time to own my own riding mower, I searched for a Snapper rear engine rider frame with the 33" blade hi vac deck. I tore the whole thing down and rebuilt it. I used Snapper red factory paint as well. I put a "modern" 15 hp OHV Briggs engine on it, as everyone told me that was about the limit for that model (it just blew up and bent a rod). I wanted to put a 18 hp Briggs on it, but the experts said the transmission pullies could not handle the torque. You have a cool project.:thumbsup:

That is neat do u have some pics? And where did u get the engine? And how much did it cost?
Thanks!!

No pics. I rebuilt it 15 years ago before cell phones with cameras:biggrin: I would not want to show it off now as last years tornado damage beat it up. Its setting under a tree weathered and alone right now. Poor little rider got beat up by a tornado and then bent a rod in the engine:frown: ....but I will rebuild that little jewel:biggrin:

I local mower shop had bought a huge amount of new Briggs "short blocks" and sold them cheap ($100). Shop has since closed. For new engines you could try engine warehouse or Tulsa engine warehouse online, craigslist or you might find a great deal at a local mower shop. I would try local mower shops for a deal on a good used engine or a rebuilt engine, etc.

I love how you can just loosen a u clamp and stretch out the frame if your belts get worn and loose. I miss how easy it is to clean the deck, I miss how smooth the shifting is. I miss all that heavy guage US steel under me, yet the rider was light enough for one person to put in the back of a truck. I miss how it fit through standard yard gates. I miss all the grease zerts it has. I miss how you can stand it on end to clean it or work on it. I miss how you can actually work on and fix a "transmission" problem by changing a pully. I miss the uncomplicated design. ...don't miss the handle bars.


.....as good as my black Poulan Pro looks, if I could tear it down and paint it Snapper Red, I would....really:biggrin:

That is really neat about stretching out the frame does any kind of standard riding lawn mower engine work on the snapper? Or is there a special kind?

See link below for latest info on Snapper Rear Engine Riders including engines (WOW they put a 17.5hp engine on them now, they must have really upgraded the transmission pulley system)
RE Riders Riding Lawn Mower | Snapper Lawn Mowers

See link below for good info about your Snapper and engine choices
Snapper Rear Engine Rider Outdoor Power Equipment Repower from Small Engine Warehouse

See link below for new engine prices (Good to know BEFORE you start searching for another engine)
http://tulsaenginewarehouse.com/

See link below for a mower salvage yard in your state
Jamestown Pa Lawn & Garden Lawn Mower Grave Yard Used Tractor Parts Salvage

When I rebuild my Snapper, I will install a 12hp to 15hp Briggs and Stratton vertical shaft engine that is an Industrial/Commercial (I/C) model because it has an iron sleeve in the piston shaft. I will also use a single cylinder engine. I prefer a low use used engine to a rebuilt, if the rebuilt has had the piston shaft bored out. I will never find it, but if I could find an older low use Briggs I/C engine with the metal engine cover, I would get that.

Thanks for all the research wow, a 13.5 hp engine costs $600?! That is kinda expensive, do u know how much they cost used, my snapper rer has a commercial 12 hp engine on it, it is really beat up though... I think I will be getting a new engine here soon thanks a lot for your help!

Samuel

Your welcome. I have to do the research for my Snapper rebuild as well.

I just clicked the link I provided in my previous post, to the mower grave yard in you state and then clicked complete engines. They show complete engines that would work on your Snapper for as low as $125...but it appears they sell out fast. But buyer beware. Unless they certify the quality/age/use of the engine, you could be buying problems.

Complete Engines : , Lawn Mower Grave Yard Equipment Used Tractor Parts Salvage

Ok, cool I will keep a eye on that, do they ship the engines? If so, how much would It cost?
So any engine under 13 hp that has a vertical shaft would work?

They are in your state. I recommend you call them and find out their specific location. Might be cheaper and better to drive their and inspect their engines before you buy it. No matter what, I would call them before buying and find out how they rate their engines and what warranty (if any) do they have on used engines. For example, at an auto salvage, they will tell you how many miles were on the engine before it was pulled. Some salvage yards will give you a waranty that the engine will run and thats it. At some places you buy as is. Therefore, I would call them and ask a ton of questions before buying.

An 8hp on up, vertical shaft will work. Even if the engine mounting bolt holes do not match, you can drill new ones. The easiest thing would be to get a newer version of what you have. I prefer Briggs I/C single cylinder engines and would put a 12hp to a 15 hp engine on a Snapper rear engine rider (unless I decide to upgrade the transmission pulley/disk system, then I might go for the 18hp).

Wanted to emphasize this to you if no one has yet. Even with the engine turned off and BEFORE you start working around or near the blade or deck or pulleys, ALWAYS DISCONNECT THE SPARK PLUG WIRE FROM THE SPARK PLUG BEFORE WORKING AROUND THE BLADE OR DECK OR PULLEYS. So many people forget to do this and end up losing their fingers or worse. Now I feel better. Later.:wink:

Ok, i am going to sell one of my snappers it is the one that I repainted the engine, how much should I ask for it? And what is the lowest I should except?











Thanks all I can say is, at least I have 2 of them! I love them

Oops, the third pic was my other one sorry

Blade Runner said:

Wanted to emphasize this to you if no one has yet. Even with the engine turned off and BEFORE you start working around or near the blade or deck or pulleys, ALWAYS DISCONNECT THE SPARK PLUG WIRE FROM THE SPARK PLUG BEFORE WORKING AROUND THE BLADE OR DECK OR PULLEYS. So many people forget to do this and end up losing their fingers or worse. Now I feel better. Later.:wink:

Click to expand...

Thanks "Blade runner I will be careful

Blade Runner said:

Just wanted to comment that in my personal opinion, the Snapper rear engine rider is one of the best built best cutting riding mowers EVER. I grew up using one that lasted over 23 years with original engine and another that lasted over 26 years with the original engine. I loved how they shifted. The single blade cut the grass the best. My favorite is the 33" blade hi vac deck. Your pics look like you have the hi vac deck.

When it came time to own my own riding mower, I searched for a Snapper rear engine rider frame with the 33" blade hi vac deck. I tore the whole thing down and rebuilt it. I used Snapper red factory paint as well. I put a "modern" 15 hp OHV Briggs engine on it, as everyone told me that was about the limit for that model (it just blew up and bent a rod). I wanted to put a 18 hp Briggs on it, but the experts said the transmission pullies could not handle the torque. You have a cool project.:thumbsup:

Click to expand...

I also had one of the Comet Snappers (as they were called in the 60's). My dad bought a new 30" cut with a 6 hp Briggs engine. In 1966, that was the bomb! I mowed 21 yards a week with that little buggar. I made more money than I could spend and the most I received for a yard was $2.00. The good ol days!
Enjoy your purchases... Ron