Walt I am the one that bought the snapper. the model number is 30083s. Most websites I have been to to lookup parts says that this particular mower may have come with an 8 hp engine. This snapper I got for 100 bucks and I posted another article on this forum on June 16, 2009. It was in relation to the single circuit wire and the dual circuit wiring. the dual circuit after testing with a tester turned out to be faulty. The single circuit came from a 12hp Murray riding lawn mower. The fly wheel came from the murray as well. The original flywheel on the snapper had plastic teeth and there were spots in it that were bad. After measuring and talking with a mechanic from a lwan mower repair shop, it was ok to use the 12 hp flywheel and single circuit. The engine runs fine and charges the battery now. The single circuit wire runs to the push button and that connects to the positive wire that runs to the battery. Everything looks good so far. The snapper is easy to start and sometimes when cold don't even need the choke. The starter is old and has been in out in the weather some. The whole lawn mower was sitting outside a lawn mower repair shop for about a month or so. The lady who was selling it and ran the shop, didn't know anything about it. She was asking 100 and I offered 80 and she turned it down. She said she had to have 100 for it. In hindsight I probably could have gotten it from someone else for a little less than 100 bucks. Everything works on it and even the old gas that was in it worked with a little fuel treatment. The battery is 5 years old or so and it still holds a charge when put on the charger. The deck on it is not adjustable in the sense of adjusting it like on a 42inch lawn mower. It does have handlebars to steer it with. If you go to www.snapper.com and look up manuals and then type in 30083s it will show a list of manuals you can look at. Pick either one of the parts manuals and it shows pictures of what I have. It does show some examples of either a 10 or 11 hp engine, but not 11.5. Must be a newer engine than what came on the snapper originally. Still when taking into account what someone was trying to do to it to get it running before I got it, not a bad deal overall. The wiring to the push button start was actually hooked up backwards and that meant that the starter would always be running with the engine running. That might explain some of the teeth on the old flywheel being gone. The only thing I do now is turn the key to the on position and mash the button and it starts right up. There are tubes in the front tires and one front wheel actually has wheel bearsing where the other one doesn't. Howver, it doesn't affect the steering any. The drive tires has many cracks and a few plugs and it does leek air if sitting for a few days. May have to replace later on. Only put 8 dollars into it. I spent a majority of the 8 dollars on the oil and the rest on a few nuts and bolts for the blade. My dad wants me to flip it which means to sell it quickly for 250 or so and get something a little newer. The only problem is, most people around where I live that are selling lawn mowers are wanting a pretty penny for junk. I almost spent 150 on a massey ferguson that would have needed a lot of work. It had a tecumseh engine on it and it was the pull start type. The tecumseh engine was missing parts and the deck needed to be oiled and greased to be able to lower and raise it. The blades were drive with an axle typ drive that went the width of the deck and had a gear in a cover that spun the blades. The transmission belt looked good but the back part of the body was rotted with rust and needed brackets to hold the seat and body onto the frame. The tires were good and up, but there was more that had to be done. It did have the typical 3 or 4 speed tractor like shift to it. I was going to ask the man if he would take less and thought differently and left. He had many lawn mowers including some john deere rear enging riders that needed work and he was asking alot of money for them. I may try to sell mine in a few weeks after I have used it for a little while and make sure it won't breakdown on someone. Thanks for the information you have given us Walt.

Definitely a Snapper. At least they are going for quality.

rear engine rider? if so, all you do is loosen the pinch clamp under seat on the frame tube, then as i have found, use a heavy hammer on a wood block against inside of front end below handle bars, to knock the frame tube forward little by little. Reason is the weight of all that rear end is pushing down on tube making it move hard to move it. You could jack it up to relieve the weight directly below the seat,under the machine, that may help/ just take the pressure off the tube. what i don't quite understand is this, a "old" belt should be longer than a new one, when i replaced mine, i had to move tube backwards, not forwards. Something doesn't sound right. Also be aware, if you move that front end from one position to another, it will throw your shifter out of place, notice shifter bracket has 2 bolts, slotted holes to readjust it. May also make clutch/brake take hold in a different location too. Now i am not sure about this, but i "think" i read the idlers on deck should be no closer than 1 or 1 1/2" together when deck is engaged, i am sure someone will correct me if that isn't right, but.. that is about the distance on my 41" two blade deck.

I bought a used Murray (Snapper twin) with a 10hp Tecumseh from a man in Monterey Cal. 30". Its had some use..... and the model numbers are missing, and it probably is at least 15 years old. But I am pragmatic enough to try and keep things running. Last week I bogged it down and sheared off the spindle pulley. I was ready to retire it. With the help of this forum---albeit with links to suppliers, I now have a new spindle (old one was toast), we are waiting upon the arrival of the new pulley, and yesterday I replaced the starter motor. That Tecumseh motor while is loud, it pulls like a ox. And the 30" blade always did a great job. Now with the new parts being installed along with a new blade (I could still use a new seat), I am anxious to get it back to service. SINCE as others have said, it wiggles in thru gates and areas not accessible to my riding lawn tractors that I also own. When I switched from a trimmer mower to a riding mower last year on my yard I never dreamed of the various problems that I encountered with the larger 42" lawn tractors. Like shearing off sprinkler heads, running it off the curb into the street while trying to negotiate the trees, and sneaking into the backyard via the gates. I'd buy another one in a minute. As long as this unit keeps on Snappin I will use it. (Even if my sons think it's gay looking compared to the John Deere riding mower....). I like it. I use mine. I think they are great. I am looking forward to having a new spindle on mine---and a new blade. While I might miss out on the great message the unit gave me it still will serve us well for a long time to come.