Snapper 1696001 Review

(Rated: 4 / 5) Review by Frank Lowery
Noise
Ease of Assembly
Maneuverability
Balance And Handling
Result Quality
Check Price
Related pages: Best Gas Two-Stage Snow Blower, Best Snow Blower, Gas Snow Blower Buying Guide, Gas Two-Stage Snow Blower Buying Guide, Gas Two-Stage Snow Blower Reviews, Snapper, Snapper Snow Blowers, Snow Blower Buying Guide, Snow Blower Reviews,

Not every winter is tough, with multiple days of subzero temperatures and severe snow storms. But when one comes though that is dropping record snow fall, you need to be prepared. There is nothing worse than trying to deal with serious winter weather without adequate tools. That is why you need to have a tough, heavy-duty snow blower in your garage that is ready to take care of whatever heavy snow fall might come your way.

Whether you have a long, unpaved driveway or live in an area that expects serious snow fall during the winter, you are going to want a two stage snow blower that is well equipped to take care of big jobs fast. It has to have a powerful engine that can support a wide, heavy-duty auger. You want a high snow cut depth and the ability to throw a large volume of snow in a short period. What you’re looking for is a snow blower like the Snapper 1696001.

Review Summary

The Snapper 1696001 is the kind of heavy-duty two stage snow blower you need when winter is dropping record amounts of snow fall in your area. With the Snapper 1696001, you will be well prepared for serious snow fall. That’s because the Snapper 1696001 has one of the most powerful engines you can find on a snow blower today. The engine supports not only an eight speed rear wheel drive, but also a powerful, durable steel auger that is ready to take care of whatever snow you might encounter. It doesn’t matter whether you are dealing with powder, slush, or densely packed, icy snow. The Snapper 1696001 can get right through them all.

The Snapper 1696001 has the kind of extra wide clearance that will allow you to finish big jobs fast. You can clear an entire sidewalk with the Snapper 1696001 in just a single pass. And you won’t have to make more than three or four passes to clear a one-car driveway. Because the Snapper 1696001 has such a high snow cut depth, it will be able to clear deep snow fall without getting slowed down. This is a serious snow blower made to handle tough conditions.

Specifications

The Snapper 1696001 is a gas-powered, two stage snow blower. It weighs 265 pounds and has dimensions of 35.8 x 48.5 x 48.5 inches. It has a Briggs & Stratton four-cycle OHV engine with a displacement of 250 cubic centimeters. The engine has an electric start with a backup recoil cord. It powers both the auger and the eight speed rear wheel drive.

The Snapper 1696001 has a clearance width of more than two feet, and can cut through snow up to a depth of 21 inches. It can throw snow up to 40 feet away through its snow chute, which rotates 200 degrees and can be turned at the push of a button. The Snapper 1696001 has an ergonomic design and big, heavy wheels. It comes with a 2 year warranty.

Description

As soon as you take one look at the Snapper 1696001, you will know that you are dealing with a machine that is built for serious performance. The Snapper 1696001 is big – it has a larger intake than most snow blowers in its class – and it houses the kind of heavy duty steel auger that is going to have no trouble grinding right through whatever snow you might have to deal with. The auger is made of durable welded steel, and it’s serrated so that it can cut right through the densest snow out there.

The Snapper 1696001 is not just a big snow blower, either. You will certainly be impressed by all of the outstanding extra features it has to offer. Among them are an electric starter, a powerful halogen headlight so you can see what you’re doing on dark mornings, and a chute that rotates 200 degrees at the press of a button. Its control panel is ergonomically designed for easier use, and with its patented Free Hand design, you can use one hand to steer and control propulsion, leaving the other free.

The Snapper 1696001 also has a high performance aluminum gear case with a friction disc drive. The drive propels the snow blower with six forward and two reverse speeds – more than average, and enough to ensure you are always working at exactly the right pace for conditions on the ground. The Snapper 1696001 is really an outstanding snow blower, and the kind that you will be able to depend on when conditions are bad and snow is falling heavily. This is the snow blower you want to have in your garage when a serious storm hits.

Pros

The Snapper 1696001 is packed with great features that make it well equipped to handle just about anything that Old Man Winter might bring your way. It has a powerful engine driving one of the widest augers you can find on any snow blower today. It has the capacity to clear high volumes of snow in minutes. It’s got fantastic accessories designed to make your job much easier. And it is built out of extremely durable parts that will stand up to tough conditions for many years to come.

1. Briggs & Stratton 250 cc engine : The engine on the Snapper 1696001 is made by one of the best manufacturers in the business. With an outstanding and well-deserved reputation for producing high quality engines for yard machines, Briggs and Stratton is a name you can count on. The four-cycle, overhead valve engine in the Snapper 1696001 has a displacement of 250 cubic centimeters, which allows it to provide more power to the auger while propelling the rear wheel drive as well.
2. Extra wide clearance : In part because it has such an outstanding engine, the Snapper 1696001 is able to support a clearing width that is well above average for a two cycle snow blower. The clearing width on the Snapper 1696001 is more than two feet wide – which means you will be able to clear a walkway in just a single pass, and clear the average driveway in just a few more. And that means you can finish the job and be back out of the cold sooner.
3. Great snow removal capacity : The Snapper 1696001 has an extra high intake that can deal with snow fall that is up to 21 inches high, and with drift cutters, you can take down snow that is even deeper than that. With the Snapper 1696001 there is no snow drift that will be too deep to clear. And the Snapper 1696001 can throw snow up to 40 feet away – nearly twice the average distance for two stage snow blowers on the market today.
4. Outstanding accessories : Having lots of snow removal power and a wide clearance is great, but the thing that separates good snow blowers from truly great ones is their extra features. And the Snapper 1696001 has plenty of them. It has a halogen headlight so you can see where you’re going on dark winter mornings. It has Free Hand controls to make it easier to operate. And it has an electric start so you do not have to be struggling with a recoil cord when it’s freezing outside.
5. Durable build : Best of all, the Snapper 1696001 is built to handle tough conditions without suffering any real wear and tear. The Snapper 1696001 has an auger that is built of durable welded steel, so it can grind through densely packed, icy snow without getting worn down. Its body and frame are also made from tough stamped steel that is impact resistant. And the Snapper 1696001 has big, high traction wheels that are going to be able to deal with uneven ground easily.

As you can see, the Snapper 1696001 is the kind of serious snow blower that is ready for just about any conditions on the ground. With one of the best engines you can get under the hood, the Snapper 1696001 packs plenty of snow removal power, and it can clear a big area of deep snow fall in minutes. It’s got everything you need to make clearing your driveway easier that never, and it is durably built so that it can stand up to the elements without ever breaking down or needing repairs.

Cons

But in spite of the fact that the Snapper 1696001 is such a fantastically designed and well built machine, there are a few areas in which it is not quite perfect. To be frank, most of these are typical to all two stage snow blowers, and the rest do not present the kind of serious problems that will affect its overall performance in any way. The wide clearance and powerful engine that the Snapper 1696001 has do more than enough to help you get big jobs done fast.

1. Big and heavy : When you are getting a powerful two stage snow blower with the kind of clearance width and snow cut depth that the Snapper 1696001 has, it is naturally going to be a big, heavy machine. While this is not really a problem – especially since it has an eight speed rear wheel drive to help propel it through dense, deep snow, it does mean that finding enough room for it in your garage or tool shed might pose a bit of a problem.
2. Not CARB compliant : This is also a fairly common feature of two stage snow blowers that have the kind of power you need to deal with heavy snow fall on a big driveway. California Air Resources Board standards about small engine emissions are very strict, and so most snow blowers and yard machines that pack real power are not compliant with them. The downside is that if you live in any one of the states that enforce these standards, you will not be able to buy the Snapper 1696001.
3. May leave a thin layer behind : Because of the way two stage snow blowers are designed – with augers that do not make direct contact with the ground – they often wind up leaving a thin layer of snow behind. But that is a minor complaint when you are using the Snapper 1696001 to deal with snow that is over a foot deep, especially when you see how quickly it can power through it. All you have to do is put rock salt down after you are done, and you should be fine.
4. Can be a bit difficult to turn : The Snapper 1696001 does not have power steering, unfortunately. That means that when you have to turn it around at the end of your driveway, it is going to take some effort to do so. The fact that it weighs more than 250 pounds doesn’t help, either. But the big wheels do make it a bit easier to turn than it could otherwise be. With a bit of work, you should have no trouble maneuvering it.
5. It’s not cheap : As anyone knows, you get what you pay for. And when you are looking at the kind of high performance snow blower that the Snapper 1696001 is, you are getting a lot. As a result, it is not the least expensive two stage snow blower on the market. But if you are a savvy consumer, you know that you do not want the cheapest model, since it is not going to deliver the kind of snow removal capability that the Snapper 1696001 can.

I think that you will probably agree that these are not the kind of serious concerns that could really take anything away from all for the great Pros the Snapper 1696001 ahs to offer. Most of them are quiet common to two stage snow blowers, and the one or two that are specific to the Snapper 1696001 are fairly minor. The machine’s powerful engine and extra wide clearance are what really matter. Those are the features that are going to help you get big jobs done fast.

Product Comparison

Of course, the best way to figure out whether a particular snow blower is the right one for you is by comparing it to a few other models that are in its size class and price range. That way, you can get a sense for how that snow blower stacks up to others made by the competition, as well as a more nuanced understanding of what is typical in that class of snow blower. The following table compares the product specs of a few snow blowers. Let’s take a look.

	Snapper 1696001	Power Smart DB7651-24	Power Smart DB7651-26
Type	Two-Stage	Two-Stage	Two-Stage
Dimensions	35.8 x 48.5 x 48.5 inches	38 x 26 x 30 inches	38 x 27 x 30 inches
Start	Button push	Button push	Button push
Engine Manufacturer	Briggs & Stratton	Power Smart	Power Smart
Engine	250 cc – OHV	208 cc – OHV	208 cc – OHV
2-cycle / 4-cycle	4-cycle	4-cycle	4-cycle
Drive	Self-propelled	Self-propelled	Self-propelled
Speed Control	6 forward / 2 reverse	4 forward / 2 reverse	4 forward / 2 reverse
Clearing Width	27 inches	24 inches	26 inches
Snow Cut Depth	21 inches	21 inches	21 inches
Throw Distance	Up to 40 feet	Up to 35 feet	Up to 35 feet
Handle	Ergonomic	Ergonomic	Ergonomic
Light	Halogen Headlight	n/a	n/a
Chute Control	Manual 200°	Manual 180°	Manual 180°
Wheels	16-Inch x 5-inch	13-Inch x 4-inch	13-Inch x 4-inch
Weight	265 pounds	180 pounds	185 pounds
Warranty	2 years	1 year	1 year

As you can see, the Snapper 1696001 has the most powerful engine of the three models. As a result it is able to support a wider clearance and throw snow farther than either of the other two models. The Snapper 1696001 is also the only one with a headlight or a snow chute that rotates more than 180 degrees. And it boasts more forward speeds than either of the other models. I think it’s clear which one is the superior machine.

Conclusion

By now you should have a pretty clear idea of whether or not the Snapper 1696001 is right for you. This is a powerful, high performance snow blower that can help you get big jobs done in less time, and it has everything you need for convenient snow removal. But before you make up your mind to buy it, let’s take one more look at the Pros and Cons lists.

Conclusion Pros

1. Briggs & Stratton 250 cc engine.
2. Extra wide clearance.
3. Great snow removal capacity.
4. Outstanding accessories.
5. Durable build.

With one of the more powerful engines you can find on a snow blower today, the Snapper 1696001 is able to support a wider clearance and higher snow removal capacity than other two stage snow blowers. It’s packed with great accessories that will make your job easier, and it is built to last a long time.

Conclusion Cons

1. Big and heavy.
2. Not CARB compliant.
3. May leave a thin layer behind.
4. Can be a bit difficult to turn.
5. It’s not cheap.

Those few drawbacks that the Snapper 1696001 does have are fairly minor ones. While it’s big and not CARB compliant, that’s true for most two stage snow blowers. The other Cons likewise do not affect its overall performance in any serious way. All things considered, I think the Snapper 1696001 is an outstanding snow blower.

Final Word

When you are trying to get through a tough winter – one with multiple days of severe weather and serious winter storms – you want to be sure you have a snow blower in your garage that you can depend on. It should have a great snow removal capacity, a powerful engine that can hold up to demanding jobs day after day, and a durable auger that can cut right through icy and densely packed snow easily.

That is the kind of snow blower the Snapper 1696001 is – it’s built for serious jobs. And it is not just big and tough, either. It’s designed thoughtfully, with plenty of accessories that will help make your job a lot easier. This is a snow blower that has everything you need when you have to tackle heavy snow fall on a big area. It’s a durable, high performance machine that is going to get the job done every time.

Best Price

The Snapper 1696001 is not a cheap snow blower – it’s definitely above average in terms of its class. But as everyone knows, when you want real quality and serious performance, you don’t buy the budget model: you go for the best. And that is exactly what the Snapper 1696001 is. It’s packed with tons of great features that will help make clearing even the deepest snow an easy task. At the same time, the Snapper 1696001 is not an overpriced snow bower – considering what it has to offer, it’s actually quite reasonable. When you are behind the controls of this snow blower, you can tell that it is in a class by itself. And that is worth every penny.