# No Throttle!



## ifuwill (Nov 4, 2008)

Hi ALL.
I just purchased a new 305cc OHV Briggs and Stratton powered snowblower. I went to look for the throttle control and nothing! 
What gives? The salesman neglected to mention this SMALL detail especially when I asked to compare it with the previous model I owned.
My previous machine was aprox 3 years old with the Tecumseh 10.5 HP engine and it had the throttle lever on it. 
I bought the Briggs powered machine because I had heard the OHV engine was quieter and cleaner. I always smelled like smoke and lots of rattling and noise and the occasional back fire or sputtering on the old machine. 
I haven't started the new machine yet but was conerned that I should have held off and tried to find one with a throttle control. Sometimes I would reduce the throttle if picking up branches or just letting it run out of gas for summer storage.


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## paulr44 (Oct 14, 2008)

3 years and you need a new one? Wow.

Without having posted engine numbers, can't say for sure but that should be a 5hp, and therefore a 2-stage snowblower. Can't imagine a 4-stroke 2-stage unit having a fixed-speed governor. Single stage 2-stroke units, it's common.

Post engine numbers and we can look it up, or call the place where you bought it. What brand is it? MTD, Yard-Machines, Troy-Bilt, Toro? That would help too.


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## ifuwill (Nov 4, 2008)

*No throttle*

Hello paulr44.
It is a Yardworks which is manufactured by MTD Canada Ltd. It is 1450 ft lbs torque 2 stage 4 cycle. Unfortunately they don't list HP ratings anymore but am told it is approximatley 10 to 11.5 HP. I'm unable to get the engine number at the moment. I spoke to the Briggs and Stratton rep today and he told me that all larger machines sold here come with a fixed throttle. I called Home Depot, Loew's and Wal Mart, in addition to the Canadian Tire stores and sure enough, all the engines are the same. Looks like everyone has switched to Briggs engines with the announced demise of Tecumseh. The larger engines have a stationary pre-programmed throttle whilst the smaller engines may still have a throttle control. I read on another forum that it was easier to do this to meet tightening EPA requirements as opposed to having to meet them at various settings.
The engines also seem to meet strict California emmissions standards.


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## paulr44 (Oct 14, 2008)

Hmm, haven't seen the latest MTD units, but from B&S picture it appears it is a fixed-speed. In the pic, there's a red knob near the primer, which I figure is a choke since you have obviously looked it over...

See http://www.briggsandstratton.com/engine_power/details.aspx?pid=81

Can't imagine why no idle setting, perhaps less operational problems as no smaller idle circuitry in carb., or, emissions at idle. As far as I know, OPE engines are only tested at idle and max rpm, not in between for EPA compliance. As for the horsepower, it could be an 8 or 10, but B&S isn't marketing it that way, only as having 14.5 ft-lbs. of torque.

Paul


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## ifuwill (Nov 4, 2008)

*No throttle on snowblower*

This excerpt from another TECH FORUM--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The reason Briggs & Stratton did away with HP ratings, (what they told us last year in the update school anyway) was because of a law suit against Sears. As MrChooks showed how HP is calculated, all someone in marketing has to do is say "we can run this engine at 4500 RPM's" (when the max is 3600) "nd we can get 7.25HP out of this 6HP engine", which is completely false and misleading advertising. In the industry it was called relabeling or restickering. And as for a throttle; why would anyone want to idle an engine? A throttle makes the equipment cost more, it's another part to break and an engine runs under load more efficiently at full throttle. It's not very common to see throttles any more.


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