This winter, our 1975 Simplicity 7hp Snow-Away snow blower again is functioning perfectly. In forty-seven years, it has never failed to start on the first or second pull, (also a shout-out to the Briggs & Stratton engineer who designed the engines Simplicity used) has required almost no maintenance and makes the current production plastic toys look pathetic. If all equipment were this well designed and constructed, we'd only ever need to buy one.
In 1969, we bought a 7hp Simplicity riding mower (branded as a Montgomery Ward) and used it for thirty-plus years. The only reason we replaced it was because it didn't have a grass catcher and the wife said her having to rake pine needles in the fall constituted spousal abuse. The only weakness was the battery was hard-mounted above the engine and vibration shook it apart every year. I mounted a car group 24 on a bracket behind the driver's seat and got five years out of each battery. Again, if every small riding mower were that well built, you'd only ever need to buy one.
In a perfect world, the engineer who designed such long-lived products would be famous. In today's world, he'd be fired and production moved to China and redesigned to made from plastic.
Just brought our Simplicity into service for another winter. So far, so good.
Having so many small engines over so many years, I annually have to remind myself to change the oil in the 7hp B&S, refilling it up to the lip of the fill tube. It works, but I still would prefer a dipstick.
