# New Deluxe 28 SHO and I not off to a good start in our relationship



## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

Well today I rented a pick up from Enterprise and drove 80+ miles to an Ariens dealer in Ft. Collins, Colorado to pick up my new Deluxe-28. Everything went fantastic at the dealer. Never a more professional and courteous owner and employees to deal with, and very knowledgeable of and proud to be selling Ariens products. Got her loaded up into the truck, brought her back down south, got her unloaded into my garage, and fired her up. She started on the first pull, and purred like a kitten. I was grinning ear to ear. Fast forward to this evening, when my brother came over and wanted to have a look at the new machine. I instructed him on how to start it, but when he pulled the pull cord back, the mechanism locked up and the rope wont retract. Uggh. I've tried yanking it a few times and can't get the retractor to engage. Something broke or is locked up. Never had this happen before. So now I gotta hope that Ariens will help me out here and I can get one of my local dealers to come fix it seeing how the dealer I purchased it from is 80+ miles away and I've already spent $70 today for the truck rental. 

:icon_blue_very_sad:


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## Stuofsci02 (Feb 16, 2015)

That sucks...

The good news is it does not sound like something that can not be easily fixed. Recoil starts are very straight forward. You should not have to fix something that is brand new, but if you want to see if it is something simple you can pull the recoil assembly off the motor. It is three bolts at 2 o'clock, 6 o'clock and 10 o'clock on the recoil assembly.

Probably Ariens or the dealer can send you a new recoil. They just bolt on...


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## Normex (Feb 21, 2014)

Stuofsci02 said:


> The good news is it does not sound like something that can not be easily fixed. Recoil starts are very straight forward. You should not have to fix something that is brand new, but if you want to see if it is something simple you can pull the recoil assembly off the motor. It is three bolts at 2 o'clock, 6 o'clock and 10 o'clock on the recoil assembly.
> Probably Ariens or the dealer can send you a new recoil. They just bolt on...


 +1 with this good response and maybe your dealer can tell how to check your recoil as it is quite simple. Good Luck


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## liftoff1967 (Jan 15, 2014)

Reach out to Mary Lyn of Ariens. She is on this forum. Get her your model and serial number and she should be able to help you out. Maybe even a photo of the issue will help her on her end.

If you need help reaching her, click on my detail's to the left of this post, that will take you to my detail. On the right had side under "friends" will be Ariens. Click that and that will take you to the page where you can send Mary Lyn a PM.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Or you can post the problem here:

Ariens - Snowblower Forum : Snow Blower Forums


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## PixMan (Feb 14, 2015)

I have a "friend" like that. No matter how good, reliable, nor how many times I've used any particular tool, mechanical gadget or electronic device successfully the minute this friend attempts the same....FAIL.

It's just unreal how often that happens, in so many ways. While it would probably be easier on my sanity to just dismiss this person as a friend, I've been married to her for 35 years and at this point it's me who is the "lost cause." Besides, I'm too old to give her half my stuff and start over.

Back on topic, Ariens will make good on this. Their customer support is exemplary for any industry.


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## Stuofsci02 (Feb 16, 2015)

PixMan said:


> I have a "friend" like that. No matter how good, reliable, nor how many times I've used any particular tool, mechanical gadget or electronic device successfully the minute this friend attempts the same....FAIL.
> 
> It's just unreal how often that happens, in so many ways. While it would probably be easier on my sanity to just dismiss this person as a friend, I've been married to her for 35 years and at this point it's me who is the "lost cause." Besides, I'm too old to give her half my stuff and start over.
> 
> Back on topic, Ariens will make good on this. Their customer support is exemplary for any industry.


****... That was funny.. Well done friend!


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## loneraider (Oct 26, 2013)

Did they start the snowblower at the dealership where you bought it?
pull rope or electric start? Did you or anyone check the oil level?
Have you tried to start it with the electric start and if so I would run it for a few second's shut it off and try the recoil again. Thinking the running of the engine might loosen the stuck recoil. Oil level would be first on the list
than I would pull the re-coil off but that's ME! Your brand new machine
should not have these issues but if your dealer is replacing or fixing yours ASAP than maybe just wait for them to deal with it.


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

Thanks everyone. I did start it with the electric start last night and no problems there. The dealer ran the machine, filled the fuel tank, and oil level checked out great when I was up there, and again, I started it once when I got it home yesterday afternoon, with no issues at all, it ran fine when I pulled it, and recoiled just fine. I'll give Ariens a call tomorrow to see how they want me to proceed. I need to read thru the manual and get up to speed as to how the warranty stuff is taken care of.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

If it was my brand new machine under warranty I'd pull the recoil off to see if there's anything to see. I always hope it's something easy and it'd keep me from having to drag it back to a dealer and leave it for x number of days.
Just depends on how comfortable you are taking it off.


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

Howdy folks- 

I got caught up with work today and didn't have an opportunity to log into the Ariens website until this afternoon, by which time it was already 5:00 PM Central, (4:00 Mountain) and they were closed for the day. However- I did open up a ticket online, and sent them a photo as well. SO I hope to hear something tomorrow. My only concern with unbolting and removing the starter recoil mechanism is doing something that might void the warranty. I know that the motor parts were likely assembled at the factory that built the motor. It may be something that Ariens wants to be sure to have a look at in further detail so as to see about preventing such a thing from happening again, but that is probably just my over eager/analyzing ADD mind at work for ya  I'll let you know how it goes. Looks like we are expecting snow for Thanksgiving!!! WOOHOO!!


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

Just an update- I've been exchanging e-mails with Dick at Ariens. He went ahead and gave me permission to remove the recoil, so I pulled it off last night and found that the metal spring/coil is snapped in half. I'm guessing that likely happened at the engine manufacturer plant or it just wasn't installed correctly causing it to snap after a pull or two on the rope. having that snap in half like that has to be some sort of freak thing. Obviously it's not the fault of the dealer as that recoil is already attached to the engine/motor when the unit is shipped to the dealer. The few times I pulled it before it got stuck, it seemed to operate just fine. Well Dick has advised that I go ahead and reach out to the dealer I purchased it from as for them to do a warranty claim an authorized dealer has to perform the work. I am waiting to hear back from my dealer regarding this and am hoping he can take the recoil off of another machine and send it to me via mail and I can send him the damaged one, so that I don't have to rent a truck and take it up to him or to a local dealer for that matter. I can still use my machine, as it will fire up just fine using the electric start.. Would hate to have to have the entire machine hauled away for a simple part that I can put on and take off myself.


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## liftoff1967 (Jan 15, 2014)

Thanks for the follow up. Hope the dealer can help you out. If not, get in touch with the Ariens guy (no matter how I put this, using his name just sounds wrong), and apply a little pressure, maybe he can have one sent out to you.


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## bwright1818 (Dec 2, 2014)

From your explanation of the problem, odds are, this is not the solution....but I have to say it anyway. Sometimes, friends (read that, "knuckleheads,") will let the cord go back in too fast and the rope simply gets stuck between the pulley and housing. Could it be as simple as that? If you "yank" it just a bit harder, will it come out?

I am not familiar with your shiny new machine; but do they have any kind of safety interlocks? Like, is something engaged that shouldn't be, for starting? Just asking, as driving 80 miles again would stink.


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

I watched my brother pull the cord and he didn't do anything awkward, just a good pull motion like you would starting any regular old snowblower and lawnmower. And I did take the recoil apart as you can see from the photos, and the spring did split in half so that's the issue right there as to why the rope did not recoil.


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## garthman (Oct 16, 2015)

I have the same machine new this fall. Thanks for sharing your investigation. 

Has anyone else with this machine had a similar issue pop up ?


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

GoBlowSnow said:


> Just an update- ... Obviously it's not the fault of the dealer as that recoil is already attached to the *engine/motor *when the unit is shipped to the dealer.


Great explanation with photos of your problem. Your snowblower has an engine, but your electric starter is a motor. Good luck with your resolution.


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

garthman said:


> I have the same machine new this fall. Thanks for sharing your investigation.
> 
> Has anyone else with this machine had a similar issue pop up ?


In my experience most starters for small engines are built to the same or similar design as the Ariens. I have never seen or heard of a spring break like that, so I would think it is a manufacturing issue. If that is correct then a batch of starters could be affected so Ariens should be looking for the actual starter and the numbers off the affected machine for quality control. 

Good luck.


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

My dealer got in touch with me and is going to ship me down a new recoil and I'll be shipping him the bad one. I assume he'll then send it off to Ariens and they will send him one to replace the one he is going to take off of an extra 28-SHO he has there.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

That sucks. I have seen similar issues, but only with very old and well used machines. Glad they are making it easy for you and just sending you a new one.


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## wdb (Dec 15, 2013)

GoBlowSnow said:


> My dealer got in touch with me and is going to ship me down a new recoil and I'll be shipping him the bad one. I assume he'll then send it off to Ariens and they will send him one to replace the one he is going to take off of an extra 28-SHO he has there.


To Ariens and your dealer, :goodjob: It's great to know people can still have good experiences like this.

I had an issue wih a brand new Bosch on-demand water heater. My plumber can sweat a pipe with the best of them, but the complexity of this machine was outside his expertise. So I worked directly with the manufacturer's stateside support folks, sent them a video showing the part making the funny noise. They shipped me a part and I installed it (a very simple job due to the modular design of the unit). Good to go! And now I say good things about Bosch every chance I get.


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