[windfish]

Picked up an old Snapper yesterday
Gave $50, it sat on Craigslist for 4 days before I had a chance to pick it up. Came with a bagger, but its missing the pipe and the bag needs patched / replaced.

Just hosed it off, it was filthy. Thick layer of greasy mess all around the engine. Deck's a little beat up. Otherwise it all looks in really decent shape.

I bought it non-running, but with some carb cleaner and some fresh gas I did get it cranked. Puking some gas out of the bowl and not running great, but I think it'll run with a carb rebuild. Its an '88 Briggs I/C 11hp, seem to be pretty tough little engines. Oil was even oil-colored, as opposed to the jet black I've gotten out of some others.

Previous owner said his dad bought it new in the 60's and used it till about 3 years back when he bought a Cub with a 46" deck to mow 4 acres. I can't imagine how long it'd take to mow 4 acres with a 30" snapper...

Anyone have any idea how to figure out the age? The wheels are 4-bolt, which I believe are a little older (?). They really havn't changed the design much have they
It lacks any sort of paint or sticker on the front, what did it have? Its got "Snapper" painted on the butt.
Also, what's up with Snapper rer's? I doubt even a Poulan would have lasted 4 days on my local craigslist without being picked up at $50. I guess its the wrong time of year to be selling mowers, but still. There's been some others that have been reposted many a time

 

[H-D]

You hit the nail on the head. The only folks trying to sell mowers this time of year are those in dire straits & those just wanting them out of the way. Speaking of that, I keep mine tipped vertically to cut down on its 'footprint'. It hasn't caused any issues yet! Yours is in nice shape for that old of a series. Most members here advocate the installation of a fuel cut-off to prevent leakage in the carburetor from 'flooding' the crankcase. There are no clear identifiers as to the age of the chassis that we know of if the original engine has been changed. Sometimes it's possible to make an educated guess by noting mostly subtle changes between series. The few members who sold these back in their day can help. These were generally considered great mowers for yards of less than 1 1/2 acres & acceptable for even larger plots. The narrowness of the chassis allowing them to pass through pedestrian gates was a major selling point. I would expect that you'll be able to find replacement parts without much hassle, including the bagger gear, if you so desire. Be mindful of the necessity for greasing the left (as you sit on the mower) axle bushing on versions so equipped. Maintaining the integrity of the axle sealing boots is important as well. My worst gripe with mine is that the PO (previous owner) did NO upkeep on it & required repairs (mostly to the drive & axle set up) were extremely dear for one which was acquired for $25. It's a recoil start only Series 21 (2002, I believe), with a B&S 9 hp engine. Good price on yours, in my estimation! Enjoy!

 

[propwash]

Decent looking RER,they are tough,and with a little TLC they last and last. I don't claim to know much about the earlier ones,but just looking at the books,30 is 30"deck 8 is 8 original HP and 1 is series 1,no electric start. The thing that throws me is the 4 lug wheels,I know the series 0 (Comet) mowers had them but the "series 1,2 &3 " parts list shows 3 lug wheels. If you want a parts list and operators manual go to Snapper.com select "manuals" then enter 3081,select the manuals and download. Compare yours to the illustrations. The operators manual is dated 1975,but it has been revised,so they are earlier than that.

 

[Mongoose]

Welcome Windfish,...great value in that little machine, lucky find! good luck with it. Carb overhaul is a piece of cake to perform, just be very thorough about clearing all fuel passageways.

 

[BOSMECH]

$50 wow, you got a steal, with some work and regular maintenance you will have a very great mower.