# 28 Pro Hydro RapidTrak 1st thoughts



## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

We've now had about 40" of snow since early October. I've had a chance to run this new blower a few times in the last week or so and get acquainted with it. I just did another 8 inches and some plow stuff. More snow coming tonight.

My perspective on this new machine may not be as accurate as others because I had the same old durable 1236 for 28 years. In that respect I'm a little out of date for everything in between 1990 and 2018.

That being said I like this new machine a lot. The engine is very quiet to me. Of course I had the original muffler on the 1236 and was probably running a straight pipe the last many years  I like all the controls and how they work. Hand warmers are something that should have been added to snowblowers around the same time they came out for snowmobiles. (maybe they were?) These warmers take a while to get up to speed, but work well enough to wear light insulated finger gloves. The hydrostatic tranny works slick! The chute controls are heads and shoulders above what I had!

The track set up is well thought out. If it has any drawbacks it's that the entire mechanism is exposed to the elements. That could be problematic if a machine had to be kept outside. I had one small issue last week with a small bit of ice hanging things up a bit while in the wheeled position and dropping the track in the garage. That issue easily resolved itself once It started moving and bumping around. Our machine will always be garaged albeit close to the big door where it's a little drafty and will go below freezing in below zero temps outside. One thing I do like about the way the track mechanism is designed is that the vertical bar everything moves on has some play in the sliding mechanism. This could mitigate the freezing problems I just referenced. I'll never know. I'm sure Ariens took this into account when they were designing this unique set up. One of the reasons I went this way was the ease of maneuverability in the wheeled position and the auto turn feature. They both work very well! My initial comment in another thread on the 'floating' lowered track position was wrong. If you release the lever from the wheeled position (as the book says) it does stay floating until you slightly lift the handlebars if stationary. ...then the whole track locks down and also applies more weight to the front end. My limited use so far shows the track will lock in by itself once you start moving forward and bounce a bit. Enough weight transfers to the front end in this position that it can cause the tracks to spin. The dig position has a slight trade off in track footprint because in order to xfer max weight to the front of the machine, it lowers the back bogeys below the front wheel height. This lifts the front wheels about 3/4" off the ground. The added weight to the front is measurable and it digs in well. This position can also cause the tracks to spin if encountering tough stuff. I experimented in all 3 modes today. All worked well and I found the wheeled position to work just fine where there were no car tracks to clean up. 

I've not run into a heavy snow situation yet that would potentially bog the engine down and don't expect to...no matter the load I bite into. The only way my old 1236 would bog is if I was cutting into a drift which covered the muffler. Other than that it would chew snow till you stopped. It was a beast! This machine is 8" narrower and a HP or 2 more. I'm expecting good results from heavy snow...like a 2-3 foot storm. This machine chucks snow very well so far.

The 1st pic is the dig position with the front wheels lifted up. The 2nd is the sliding track mechanism vertical bar. The 3rd is from around 1996 at our old house. Might have been the 320" year. The old 1236 took care of it. The 4th pic is from our house last year on 4/20. Got some heavy snow the 3rd week of April last year.


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## ColdinMontana (Nov 18, 2018)

Very nice machine! I just purchased the 32" Pro Hydro Rapidtrak myself. Have not had a chance to use it as we have not gotten much snow here yet. Glad to read that you are happy with the machine's performance. I debated going with the wheeled version and saving a few hundred $$$. But figured if I'm spending this much, I'll splurge a little since I hope to keep it at least 15 years.

About the only thing I don't care for on the machine is how loose/sloppy the chute rotation control handle feels. I'm referring specifically to the handle mechanism itself. There doesn't appear to be any way to tighten the handle so that it feels firmer and doesn't flop around. Have you noticed that on yours? Other than that minor complaint, it's a beast of a machine.


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

ColdinMontana said:


> Very nice machine! I just purchased the 32" Pro Hydro Rapidtrak myself. Have not had a chance to use it as we have not gotten much snow here yet. Glad to read that you are happy with the machine's performance. I debated going with the wheeled version and saving a few hundred $$$. But figured if I'm spending this much, I'll splurge a little since I hope to keep it at least 15 years.
> 
> About the only thing I don't care for on the machine is how loose/sloppy the chute rotation control handle feels. I'm referring specifically to the handle mechanism itself. There doesn't appear to be any way to tighten the handle so that it feels firmer and doesn't flop around. Have you noticed that on yours? Other than that minor complaint, it's a beast of a machine.


I see the sideways play I think you're referring to? I measured mine at the rubber sleeve. It's 1/4" A quick look underneath doesn't trigger any solutions for me either, but I'm not worried about it. Good luck with the 32!


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## robrizok (Nov 21, 2018)

Just received mine also. Great machine.


It needs a height setting that locks about 2" off the ground for gravel.
I am going to remove the settings bar and create a notch that will lock about 2" off ground.



Blacktop is perfect and transport is excellent.


Bob


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

robrizok said:


> Just received mine also. Great machine.
> 
> It needs a height setting that locks about 2" off the ground for gravel.
> I am going to remove the settings bar and create a notch that will lock about 2" off ground.
> ...


No gravel of any kind here. Sounds like a good idea. I'll be curious how it works. If well.....maybe Ariens needs to hear about it. Should be a gratuity connected to it if they like it


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## bkwudz (Jan 14, 2013)

Great to hear, just traded in my 4 year old Pro 28 for a hydro rapidtrak. Pick it up next week. can’t wait for the hydro, the rapidtrak is a bonus


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## Mountain Man (Oct 14, 2018)

bkwudz said:


> Great to hear, just traded in my 4 year old Pro 28 for a hydro rapidtrak. Pick it up next week. can’t wait for the hydro, the rapidtrak is a bonus


Your dealer takes trades ? What state ? See a lot of interest in the Rapidtracks now. Hope they work good this winter.


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

Mountain Man said:


> Your dealer takes trades ? What state ? See a lot of interest in the Rapidtracks now. Hope they work good this winter.


I didn't trade, but my dealer does trade regularly. My son bought a trade in that was part of a new machine deal last month. I imagine, like a car, tough to get a real good deal both ways


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## bkwudz (Jan 14, 2013)

In Mass there are a few that do, stuff needs to be in really good shape


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## bkwudz (Jan 14, 2013)

yea, might have taken a little hit on the old one, but in my case, my old one needs to disappear and the new one reappear in its place pretty much same day...so the wife does not catch on to whats going on....LOL


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## Mountain Man (Oct 14, 2018)

bkwudz said:


> In Mass there are a few that do, stuff needs to be in really good shape



Ah ha. I dont know of any dealers in my area of ct that take any trades on blowers.


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## Mountain Man (Oct 14, 2018)

bkwudz said:


> yea, might have taken a little hit on the old one, but in my case, my old one needs to disappear and the new one reappear in its place pretty much same day...so the wife does not catch on to whats going on....LOL


I think weve all done the toy swap in the middle of the day deal :grin:


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

I wonder how well it would tolerate having a 3/4" thick slab of steel bolted to the bottom of it to add more weight for adhesions sake and leave the skids all the way down?.

Do you know what kind of attachment set up it has for the drive sprockets to the axle shafts?


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

robrizok said:


> Just received mine also. Great machine.
> 
> It needs a height setting that locks about 2" off the ground for gravel.
> I am going to remove the settings bar and create a notch that will lock about 2" off ground.
> ...


On 2nd thought...not sure how you would accomplish that as the front wheels are a fulcrum of sorts for the adjustment? Good luck. Please post a picture if successful!



leonz said:


> I wonder how well it would tolerate having a 3/4" thick slab of steel bolted to the bottom of it to add more weight for adhesions sake and leave the skids all the way down?.


Just a note on the front end weight transfer. Either OEM track position can cause the tracks to spin from the 'adhesion' I don't think adding more weight would make it better unless you were able to be in the wheeled position to start with. I don't have experience with gravel or the front end needing to be raised, but I would think you want the entire front end lifted by x number of measurement? IE....no skid bars dragging?

Yesterday, in the wheeled position, I had no trouble plowing 25 feet into my yard. The snow was about 3/4s of the front end height with some wet stuff at the bottom. No issues at all. No grass harmed in the effort. I was actually kind of surprised as that position is the lightest weight on the front end. It never lifted and chugged right through there at a pretty good clip.

but..if adding weight was something you wanted to do...bolt a couple pieces on where the drift bars are. Same result. Nothing on the bottom and half done already


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## robrizok (Nov 21, 2018)

_"On 2nd thought...not sure how you would accomplish that as the front wheels are a fulcrum of sorts for the adjustment? "_
Steve: Good comment. Think of transport mode. You are pushing down on the handle bars with the front wheels as a fulcrum until the rear boggie wheels touch the gound. At this point the front is about a foot off the ground.
The notch I placed on the leveling bar restricts the front lift to about 2" with is perfect for snow blowing on gravel.
I will post pics this weekend.


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## bkwudz (Jan 14, 2013)

I definitely want to see where you put the extra notch, That’s exactly what i thought when i saw the system. I’ll be doing the same when i get mine. I have a small section of gravel i usually snowblow over so i cannot see why it would not help. As it is now i usually try to float the wheeled blower over that section, with limited results


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

robrizok said:


> _"On 2nd thought...not sure how you would accomplish that as the front wheels are a fulcrum of sorts for the adjustment? "_
> Steve: Good comment. Think of transport mode. You are pushing down on the handle bars with the front wheels as a fulcrum until the rear boggie wheels touch the gound. At this point the front is about a foot off the ground.
> The notch I placed on the leveling bar restricts the front lift to about 2" with is perfect for snow blowing on gravel.
> I will post pics this weekend.



Great mod robrizok! Looking forward to the pics. I don't have gravel, but maybe I'll do it anyway  

Ariens should reward you for this. It would add a great feature for those that need it!


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

We are getting the same melting many are now. Rain coming later. Everything on the ground now is pretty heavy and wet. Snowball weather!

I couldn't resist a little test into our yard to work the new machine a little. I first left it in the wheeled position to see how it would do. It started to lift and spin a few feet in. I then dropped it to the regular track position and motored on in. I purposely set the hydro speed faster ( a little past 1/2 way) to see if I could bog the engine. It did bog a tad so I backed off a bit and it easily chewed in at a decent clip to the depth of the picture. You can see it's heavy stuff by the way it's pushed up at the front.

The more familiar I become with this machine, the more I like it. I can't remember waiting with anticipation for a big storm the last many years....but I am looking forward to a good 2-3 footer now


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## joeblowct (Nov 4, 2018)

Question for everyone with a RapidTrak: What happens when you set the skids to raise the bucket about 1" for gravel? I can see that it would matter in the wheel mode but what about in the track mode? Is it still easy to move between wheel and track without having to lift up on the handlebars like you have to when you go into dig mode?

I asked the dealer this and they didn't have an answer. The reply was"well how high do you want to set it?". My answer was 1" for gravel. Still didn't get an answer, the he said "so let's write it up and set a date for delivery".. I dint think si, not for 2400 for a 28 SHO without an answer!


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## joeblowct (Nov 4, 2018)

Should have said wouldn't matter for wheel mode.


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## Mountain Man (Oct 14, 2018)

joeblowct said:


> Question for everyone with a RapidTrak: What happens when you set the skids to raise the bucket about 1" for gravel? I can see that it would matter in the wheel mode but what about in the track mode? Is it still easy to move between wheel and track without having to lift up on the handlebars like you have to when you go into dig mode?
> 
> I asked the dealer this and they didn't have an answer. The reply was"well how high do you want to set it?". My answer was 1" for gravel. Still didn't get an answer, the he said "so let's write it up and set a date for delivery".. I dint think si, not for 2400 for a 28 SHO without an answer!



Which dealer in Ct ? Id think it would wear your skids quicker, and wouldnt change the handling anymore than a wheel model IMHO. But i have no first hand experiance with that model.


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## joeblowct (Nov 4, 2018)

Schmidt and Serafine in Waterbury


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## Mountain Man (Oct 14, 2018)

joeblowct said:


> Schmidt and Serafine in Waterbury


Have a buddy who bought exmark and toro from there, they were knowlegable on the lawn stuff. Maybe just unfamiliar with the new Rapid tracks.


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

joeblowct said:


> Question for everyone with a RapidTrak: What happens when you set the skids to raise the bucket about 1" for gravel? I can see that it would matter in the wheel mode but what about in the track mode? Is it still easy to move between wheel and track without having to lift up on the handlebars like you have to when you go into dig mode?
> 
> I asked the dealer this and they didn't have an answer. The reply was"well how high do you want to set it?". My answer was 1" for gravel. Still didn't get an answer, the he said "so let's write it up and set a date for delivery".. I dint think si, not for 2400 for a 28 SHO without an answer!


When you release the track drop lever from the wheeled position, the rear bogeys drop to a floating position. A very slight lift on the handlebars (less than dig) locks the track in. I also found that the track locks in by itself with basically any movement (snowblowing) That had me confused for a bit because stationary in the garage (before snow this year) dropping the back didn't lock it in, yet when snow came, dropping it outside while moving did. 

I too would tend to think the skids may wear faster. A better solution might be the below from robrizok


"On 2nd thought...not sure how you would accomplish that as the front wheels are a fulcrum of sorts for the adjustment? "
Steve: Good comment. Think of transport mode. You are pushing down on the handle bars with the front wheels as a fulcrum until the rear boggie wheels touch the gound. At this point the front is about a foot off the ground.
The notch I placed on the leveling bar restricts the front lift to about 2" with is perfect for snow blowing on gravel.
I will post pics this weekend.


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

For the past several days we've been getting dustings of snow...maybe 4-5 " total. I scraped the driveway once at night letting it pile on each side for later blower removal. I've let our vehicles run over it daily and ridges have built up some. Last night, we got an inch or two of heavier stuff...enough so that a few pushes with the scraper told me there were better ways to move it. So I got to give the dig mode a pretty good test just now. Granted, you have to move slow, and tracks are turning a little faster than you're moving, but it completely peeled up the truck and car ridges. Pretty impressive! It's 30F here now. i'm sure the results would less if it were a lot colder

Of course, there is a little downside: When you lift the front wheels off the ground in dig mode, you're pretty much negating auto turn and yes you do need to bull it around some. In regular track position, autoturn still works. I also find that the wheeled position easily handles most everything here so far in which case the auto turn is almost like finger tip control it moves so easy.

As a final thought today on dig mode. I don't think they could have put much more 'dig' weight on the front end because there wouldn't be enough traction. Seems they found a happy medium.


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

Today was the 1st real test of the new machine. We left here Saturday early with 6-8 inches of heavy wet snow on the ground and still snowing. After witnessing an ill fated game in Green Bay, we got home a bit ago today with a pretty good load of snow to do including what the plow brought. There was no driving in. Left the truck in the street The first 6-8 feet of driveway at the road was higher than the front of the machine. The stuff was so heavy that we only sunk in a few inches (breaking through the crust) to get to the house. The weatherman said 14.2 fell from Sat to Sun at midnight, but several more inches have fallen since.

I put it in regular track mode and motored right through to the street on my 1st pass. I did have to let it 'digest' a few times on the way as it had all it could take of the heavy snow. The hydro tranny works really good to inch along when you need to. The old 1236 was a lot more work to bull around. With this load of heavy snow I would of had to been pulling up on the handlebars to dig down. This one did that work for me. Hand warmers worked well with finger gloves. 25F now.

The machine performed very well! One little note I would add that I hadn't thought of

With my old machine, When I bit into something and wanted to back up, I could easily lift the front end and back up. Even the normal track position of this new machine puts a fair amount of weight on the front end.....backing up acts like a scraper and pulls some snow back underneath until you stop...which leaves a little mess to clean up. Yes, it only takes a couple seconds to put it back in the wheeled position and easily lift the front end up when backing up. 

Not a big deal, but in the track position, backing up isn't what I'm used to. I'll also mention that the autoturn works well in regular track mode, but it's less than in the wheeled position. No surprise there.


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## ColdinMontana (Nov 18, 2018)

Good to hear. Still waiting on some decent snow for me to try my Pro 32. All we've gotten so far are 1-2" every few days. 

Just out of curiosity, are you using the electric start or manual to start the machine. I was thinking I'd use the electric start for the initial start, then manual for the rest of the day.


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

ColdinMontana said:


> Just out of curiosity, are you using the electric start or manual to start the machine. I was thinking I'd use the electric start for the initial start, then manual for the rest of the day.


Honestly I haven't used the electric start yet. I suppose I should see if it works 🙂 

Like my old machine, full throttle, full choke, 2 primer bulbs, and one easy pull. Always has started. Easier than hooking a cord up.

Tecumseh and Briggs.. Both starting excellently for me the last almost 30 years!


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## bkwudz (Jan 14, 2013)

Good to hear, i just picked up my Pro Hydro 28 Rapidtrak, Thing is a beast. Will be installing some LED lights and adding a notch in the track bar for gravel this weekend. For now i’ll Just drive it around the back yard while the wife wonders *** is wrong with me...LOL
I was impressed how will it turned in track mode too


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## CarbineMan (Jan 8, 2018)

We got one Fall 2017 so used it one season, and once so far this season. Like to see what you fit for an LED.


joeblowct said:


> Question for everyone with a RapidTrak: What happens when you set the skids to raise the bucket about 1" for gravel? I can see that it would matter in the wheel mode but what about in the track mode? Is it still easy to move between wheel and track without having to lift up on the handlebars like you have to when you go into dig mode?
> 
> I asked the dealer this and they didn't have an answer. The reply was"well how high do you want to set it?". My answer was 1" for gravel. Still didn't get an answer, the he said "so let's write it up and set a date for delivery".. I dint think si, not for 2400 for a 28 SHO without an answer!


We have a very rough gravel driveway and set the skids up about 1/2 or 3/4”. This helped but I think the notch suggestion is worth looking into. There are larger aftermarket skids that may help.

Changing the mode is trivially easy. We always put it in the highest (transport) setting to back up.

The older Honda HS track machines also had 3 positions. The newer HSS have more. I’d expect Ariens to remedy it in a season or two, and then a factory part with more notches should become available.


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## joeblowct (Nov 4, 2018)

I decided to go with the Honda HSS1332. Everyone's thought about adding a custom notch to the height adjust bracket makes sense but I don't have the tools or experience to do make type of adjustment.

Either way they're both nice machines. Thanks to everyone for their feedback. I'll post in the Honda forum once the machine is delivered.


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## Letit Snow (Nov 25, 2018)

they are both great blowers...each having their pros and cons . Something that I haven't heard mentioned is honda has 18 month same as cash with a 200 cash back card....this helped push me to the honda also. not sure if ariens has a finance deal or not. For me this made the hss 1332 3000 dollars and use hondas money free for a year and a half....


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## relaycruz (Sep 14, 2018)

joeblowct said:


> I decided to go with the Honda HSS1332. Everyone's thought about adding a custom notch to the height adjust bracket makes sense but I don't have the tools or experience to do make type of adjustment.
> 
> Either way they're both nice machines. Thanks to everyone for their feedback. I'll post in the Honda forum once the machine is delivered.


You won't regret it. I tried out both before buying my HSS1332 and was pretty sure I'd like the Ariens more since I was coming from a Pro 28 Hydro. The Honda is so easy to use and takes so little effort to manage that it won me over. The clogging complaints almost made me skip the Honda, but other real-world users and dealer advice said don't worry. Can't get mine to clog no matter how hard I try! I understand all the Honda fanboys now.


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## ColdinMontana (Nov 18, 2018)

I too had considered both machines. What swayed me to the Ariens is the super heavy-duty build, much more so than the Honda. Also, my local dealer gave me 10% off my Pro 32 Hydro, making the price the same as the Honda.


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## North49 (Dec 4, 2018)

ColdinMontana said:


> I too had considered both machines. What swayed me to the Ariens is the super heavy-duty build, much more so than the Honda. Also, my local dealer gave me 10% off my Pro 32 Hydro, making the price the same as the Honda.


I’m still considering the Honda HSS928 and the Ariens 28 Hydro RapidTrak. The Ariens is 71lbs heavier so I’m assuming that a lot of that must be in the “heavy-dutiness” of the build quality. I understand heavier is better to help with traction so on my steep drive that would be a plus. I’m wondering how the traction compares between these two makes in normal track operating mode. Is one head over heels better than the other.


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## relaycruz (Sep 14, 2018)

ColdinMontana said:


> I too had considered both machines. What swayed me to the Ariens is the super heavy-duty build, much more so than the Honda. Also, my local dealer gave me 10% off my Pro 32 Hydro, making the price the same as the Honda.


 I agree completely about the Ariens being heavier gauge steel. The thing I didn't like compared to my Pro 28 was the thinner bucket/steel. The sides seem about the same, but the main body of the bucket is thinner. After using it though I couldn't care less. The hydros in the Honda are vastly superior (Hydro Gear SST; 62 Ib-ft), being literally 10x the power of the Ariens (Hydro Gear RT-310; 5.8 Ib-ft). It won me over.


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## bkwudz (Jan 14, 2013)

relaycruz said:


> I agree completely about the Ariens being heavier gauge steel. The thing I didn't like compared to my Pro 28 was the thinner bucket/steel. The sides seem about the same, but the main body of the bucket is thinner. After using it though I couldn't care less. The hydros in the Honda are vastly superior (Hydro Gear SST; 62 Ib-ft), being literally 10x the power of the Ariens (Hydro Gear RT-310; 5.8 Ib-ft). It won me over.


As many have said, they are both great machines, but I’m not sure your hydro comparison is apple to apples. I’m 99% sure Honda gearbox directly drives the tracks, Then Ariens runs through a gear and chain setup, similar to all there blowers, so useing the power of gears, the Ariens does not need the same power out of the gearbox. So to say the honda has a vastly superior gearbox is just wrong


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## joeblowct (Nov 4, 2018)

I too saw the 0% for 18 mos and $200 back on the Honda so it brings the price to 3K.

As for the chute clogging, I thought that it was interesting that the 724 and 928s on display had the new chute but the 1332 didn't. Either way, my dealer doesn't charge for pickup and delivery for warranty work on machines they sell so I get a free trial for a couple seasons.

My salesperson knows my property and I asked him if the 928 would have thrown the heavy snow we had on Nov 15 30 feet and he said no. When asked about the 1332 he said yes.

Like everyone knows, there's not much difference between a 28" and 32" in terms of time savings unless you have a HUGE area to clear. For me, it was to have a track machine that would be easy to use on a gravel drive with an incline and throwing distance. The 1332 was the right machine for me. If I could only store a 28" machine then an Ariens would have been the best choice because, IMHO, the engine is too small on the Honda 928.


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## LDRider (Jan 24, 2018)

Saw this and wanted to mention that there are minimum monthly payments starting on the second month. They are not much, I think 10% of the balance on the card but if you miss one payment or are late by one day on any payment, the interest charges kick in for the entire balance on the card. And they are pretty painful- 31% if I remember correctly. 

Just wanted to let everyone who is using or considering this deal that you cannot basically 'ignore' the charge on that card and then pay it in full at the end or the interest will jam you up worse than a clogged Honda chute.... 

I am not saying anything negative about this, it is a great deal and I myself took advantage of it, just wanted to pass along that caveat. It is easy to set up monthly payments to go off automatically when the next minimum becomes due BTW and that is what my wife did- we are paying $200 / month so basically the minimum is met (and far more) and the machine will be paid off in something like 16 months but that is basically invisible to us.

Brian



joeblowct said:


> I too saw the 0% for 18 mos and $200 back on the Honda so it brings the price to 3K.
> 
> <snip>


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## relaycruz (Sep 14, 2018)

bkwudz said:


> As many have said, they are both great machines, but I’m not sure your hydro comparison is apple to apples. I’m 99% sure Honda gearbox directly drives the tracks, Then Ariens runs through a gear and chain setup, similar to all there blowers, so useing the power of gears, the Ariens does not need the same power out of the gearbox.  So to say the honda has a vastly superior gearbox is just wrong


 No, it's not. But good try. Try out an Ariens hydro in reverse on anything other than a flat grade and you'll see the difference. 



edit: basing my experience on actually owning both!


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

relaycruz said:


> No, it's not. But good try. Try out an Ariens hydro in reverse on anything other than a flat grade and you'll see the difference.
> 
> 
> 
> edit: basing my experience on actually owning both!


I don't have experience with the Honda reverse at all, but our driveway is on a slant and we've already had 65-70 inches of snow, including a couple of 12-14" dustings  ...one of them heavy wet stuff....snowball material. The 28 Hydro Pro performed just fine in reverse in slanted, snowy conditions. I'm not sure what there would be to gain? ...or why it would be necessary?

From a structural standpoint of which one looks more heavy duty for heavy snow use, there is no comparison IMO. I guess it also depends on where you live. If you're in Salem, it looks like you don't get much snow on average. I wanted to downsize to a 28 from a 36 but couldn't get my head around a 8.5 HP engine on a 28 cut....nor the reduced tonnage it was able to move per hour. (22 tons less)


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## bkwudz (Jan 14, 2013)

relaycruz said:


> No, it's not. But good try. Try out an Ariens hydro in reverse on anything other than a flat grade and you'll see the difference.
> 
> 
> 
> edit: basing my experience on actually owning both!


I'll say it again, they are both great machines, more machine than most homeowners will ever need. People buy what they like, you like red, i like orange. I chose Ariens again, because i have never had a problem (other than a bad chute weld on my Pro 28) with Ariens, and thought the Ariens Pro 28 Rabidtrak just seemed more heavy duty overall to the Honda, and the Ariens in wheel mode was easier to move around my garage than the honda. But trying to say the Honda is superior because the you found the FtLb specs from the Hydrogear web site is wrong. Your honda hydro unit directly drives the tracks. The Ariens drives a small gear with a chain to a large gear, then a small gear to the axle. There are force multiplication factors here way over my pay grade, but just like your bike when when you were a kid and your car now, the output from that power unit is multiplied to the final drive.
if your statement was correct, the Ariens wouldnt even move...**** it is 70lbs heavier than the Honda. Now i have never driven the honda in reverse, but im sure it could run over me. I have driven new pro 28 around my yard, and im a big guy, 250 lbs, and there is no way i could hold the Ariens back going forward, or stop it in reverse, it would dig in and go right over me if i let it. Maybe your old Ariens just wasn't adjusted properly, a bad set up would explain a lot of issues it sounds like u had.

My Old Pro 28 served me fine for 4 years, thing was a beast and sees more than average use as i use it to handle all kinds of snow at my properties, from the wet snow in Lynn and Salem, to 2' plus up near the NH boarder. I only upgraded because i loved the Hydro control after trying it out last year. I would have bought a honda if i thought it was better, i think they are pretty much equal, so i stuck with what i know and trust.


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

One of the many things that I learned from this Forum that people are very passionate about the snowblower's brand. i.e. Ariens vs Honda with Toro being a 3rd choice. Very similar to trucks, i.e. Chevy vs Ford with Dodge being a 3rd choice. I love to read the different opinions and justifications for their choice - give me a smile when reading them.


THANKS for opinions. "Everyone has them..."


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## LDRider (Jan 24, 2018)

Yes, it is tough to be neutral after dropping a wad of money on a product. No one wants to believe there could be / is a better or even equal choice out there. It is worse as the amount of money spent goes up, which is probably why you have seen the conflict between those two brands specifically; all Hondas and top- line Ariens are expensive machines and that makes a bad choice even worse. My favorite bias is when someone buys exactly 'one in a row' of a product, then declares it the bestus machine ever. How would he / she know? Saying something like I have been using Brand X for 30 years and it has been wonderful is a blind statement because we have to ask the question: 'compared to what ?'. 

That said, there are real, quantifiable differences between machines and rational decisions can be made. At least that is what I tell myself. 

I think in the real world, there are parts of several machines that are really excellent but you cannot get them altogether on one machine 'cause they are spread across brands. Honestly, occasionally I see a 'Frankenblower' that is perhaps unattractive and a little rough but perfect in design IMO. 

Brian



RIT333 said:


> One of the many things that I learned from this Forum that people are very passionate about the snowblower's brand. i.e. Ariens vs Honda with Toro being a 3rd choice. Very similar to trucks, i.e. Chevy vs Ford with Dodge being a 3rd choice. I love to read the different opinions and justifications for their choice - give me a smile when reading them.
> 
> 
> THANKS for opinions. "Everyone has them..."


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

Interesting comments. I own a Toro 1028 PowerMax, and also an Ariens 1026 DLE. Which do I like better ? After 3 years of owning both of them, I am not really sure. They both work great, and except for the color, and one has a plastic chute, and different controls for the chute, neither is much different in operation. My next purchase will probably be a track Honda, and then I will cull one out of the herd, but right now i am not sure which one. I hope to have 2 of them operating for another 20-25 years - God willing ! (me, not the snowblowers !)


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## bkwudz (Jan 14, 2013)

I added a little video showing the Rapidtrak running with the new notch, so it can be hovered around 1” off the ground for gravel. Works perfect. Also the end of the video shows all the Rapidtrak positions


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## notabiker (Dec 14, 2018)

*Sometimes bigger is better.*



RIT333 said:


> One of the many things that I learned from this Forum that people are very passionate about the snowblower's brand. i.e. Ariens vs Honda with Toro being a 3rd choice. Very similar to trucks, i.e. Chevy vs Ford with Dodge being a 3rd choice. I love to read the different opinions and justifications for their choice - give me a smile when reading them.
> 
> 
> THANKS for opinions. "Everyone has them..."





Steve70 said:


> We've now had about 40" of snow since early October. I've had a chance to run this new blower a few times in the last week or so and get acquainted with it. I just did another 8 inches and some plow stuff. More snow coming tonight.
> 
> My perspective on this new machine may not be as accurate as others because I had the same old durable 1236 for 28 years. In that respect I'm a little out of date for everything in between 1990 and 2018.
> 
> ...


With that kind of snow you need something a tad bigger.. 




I think Tim the Tool Man would be happy with this for a driveway, your neighbors, not so much..


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

notabiker said:


> With that kind of snow you need something a tad bigger.. https://youtu.be/oSq1ZrrFki0
> 
> I think Tim the Tool Man would be happy with this for a driveway, your neighbors, not so much..


We are not strangers to equipment like this. They use the big blower like this to cut the banks back at least once a year....to make room for more plowed snow. The names Oshkosh...Walters...and more are common here. The picture of the plow truck plowing (not V blade) was taken just a couple miles from here. All are from where we live


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

Same area as Steve70 (my childhood home also) showing one of the blowers in use. Note how they make a point to *NOT* crap in driveways! We always appreciated that! Our neighborhood was plowed by a large grader with a side wing blade - basically could do a full lane and full shoulder a the same time . . . One pass each way, typically prior to 7:00 AM in any conditions . . .


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

Clearing the streets in town . . . the blowers get a lot of use there!


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## JJG723 (Mar 7, 2015)

1st off, shout out to Lynn and Salem, MA. I grew up in Lynn and bought a house in Salem 6 years ago. 

As far as the topic at hand, I don't have any experience using the hydro tranny's in either machine. I was in the market last winter for a 32" machine and was about to purchase a hydro pro Ariens but stumbled across a standard Pro32 on CL. The owner had just bought it 2 months earlier and only used it twice for a total of 4 hours. I got it for $1800. Couldn't pass up that deal. Anyway, I use my snowblowers commercially and I've seen several Honda's were the buckets were really beat up. All I can think of are the MTD buckets and how they rust out and curl at the bottom by the skids. I have never seen an Ariens Pro bucket in that kind of shape. It really turned me off to Honda. For the money, that part of the machine should have a higher build quality. For the amount of use and abuse my machines take if the bucket was the reason I had to park my equipment, I'd be an angry customer to say the least.


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## ColdinMontana (Nov 18, 2018)

Amazing how people will spend $3K on a machine then have to modify it first thing to get it to work properly. Re-jetting, modified chutes, etc. No thank you. I wouldn't accept that on a $1K machine. 

Btw, Ariens customer service is top-notch. My new machine came with a slightly frayed chute control cable. The plastic cover on it was damaged in one spot most likely in shipping. Not a big deal, still perfectly usable. I contacted them, gave them my info, and in less than a week I had a new cable in hand. They said to let them know if anything else is not to my expectations and they will take care of it. I've heard Honda customer service is less than satisfactory making customers jump through hoops to get satisfaction (see chute design flaw).


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

The last 3-4 years has introduced an element here we might see once..maybe twice a year. Snow...then rain...than more snow. This is about the 4th time this year so far.

We got a good 6-7 inches of heavy wet snow over the last few hours. I just went out and cleaned it up in steady windy rain. Later, it will freeze and snow again right into Saturday morning.

Cars have been over the driveway several times today so I got a chance to 'dig' too

The machine moved the wet snow quite nicely ...actually chucking it further than I figured. We have a 3 stall driveway and I had to blow maybe 2 cuts twice worth when I had the chute lowered and blowing into the stiff wind. (2/3rds with the wind---1/3 against) Today worked best in the normal track position. One of my minor complaints before was backing up in track position and dragging snow. Well you don't have to lift the front end to eliminate most of it. Just some downward pressure on the handlebars does the trick. The engine 'governed' well and I never hit the limit, but then I was moving accordingly because of the heavy snow. I'd guess 2 MPH?...maybe a tad more. The hydro tranny is great! I might add I run at full throttle and let the governor do the work. It's what I've always done. 

I also used the dig mode to scrape up the car tracks the normal track position couldn't. It got most of it while going downhill at 1/2 MPH or so. It wouldn't do it going uphill

At any rate, I'm becoming much more familiar with everything about the machine and the various combination of hands and track positions to become 'smooth' as the term goes in the road track world. As for hours on the machine, I guess I'd say 2 full gas tanks worth so far. 

As a little adder. One of the reasons I never used the electric start on the last machine or this one till now was that it only takes a 3/4 easy pull to start them up. Even out of winter storage with the old one. I don't have any plugs in the center piece between the garage doors so I sprung for a little cord reel and mounted it directly above where I need it for the machine. Works slick and I now have an extra 30 feet of cord for anything that might need it.


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

Started snowing overnight after the rain turned everything to ice and crust. The plow came by at 4-5 this AM leaving 1 foot to 1.5 feet of slushy snow turning to ice as the temp dropped. It's 25 and snowing now, dropping to 16 or so by 6 PM. We're supposed to get another 2-3 inches today.

So the story today is how well it took care of the half slush / half turning icy plow stuff. ...and my wife running over it with the truck at 7 headed for the gym. 

It performed very well in regular track mode! It never ran out of grunt and chucked the wet stuff a good 25 feet going with the wind. I never had to take a 2nd cut to get lower nor did I have to 'work' the machine. My old big blower wouldn't have handled this heavy plow stuff nearly as well. Of course I was bulling a bigger machine around with a 36 inch cut.....but that's the very reason I went to this new machine. 

My final observation was that some of this stuff was chute plugging material. My old machine took a lot to plug it up, but I may have had to clear the throat a time or two. When I finished today and was brushing off the slop from the bucket area, I looked down the chute. There was literally nothing in the chute throat or any residue on the impeller. It had moved everything right out of there. Impressive.


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## bbwb (Oct 25, 2018)

Yesterday and today, I was able to put the machine to a good test (28 Hydro Pro EFI, wheeled). The blower did a great job of chucking the snow, nice to have the power available to move the deep stuff. I too am working on becoming more proficient on the sequencing of hand movements...look kind of awkward at the moment.
The only complaints that I have are: 
Ridiculously small fuel tank. Will only give me 30 minutes of run time...real pain in the rear to have to keep the gas can nearby. 
I am not a big fan of the chute rotation control...it is a little to sensitive for my liking; end up flinging the snow all over the place before I get it dialed in. Today I noticed that there must be some ice build up going on in the chute gear cluster, it seemed to not lock in as well as earlier.

I am looking into fabrication of a larger fuel tank as I am sure Ariens/LCT will just send back a reply to my emails of _*"thank you for bringing this concern up to us, we will make sure to consider this on our future development of our products...blah, blah, blah"*_ and then do nothing for the present.
Robert


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

bbwb said:


> Yesterday and today, I was able to put the machine to a good test (28 Hydro Pro EFI, wheeled). The blower did a great job of chucking the snow, nice to have the power available to move the deep stuff. I too am working on becoming more proficient on the sequencing of hand movements...look kind of awkward at the moment.
> The only complaints that I have are:
> Ridiculously small fuel tank. Will only give me 30 minutes of run time...real pain in the rear to have to keep the gas can nearby.
> I am not a big fan of the chute rotation control...it is a little to sensitive for my liking; end up flinging the snow all over the place before I get it dialed in. Today I noticed that there must be some ice build up going on in the chute gear cluster, it seemed to not lock in as well as earlier.
> ...


I initially thought the chute swing too sensitive, but am quite used to it now and like it. Part of the process was getting the hand movements down. I've not had any icing issues with the chute control gear box, but our machine comes into a garage when done. 

I don't get the gas tank reasoning at all. We have 1.5 gallons. Plenty of run time. There's no way the EFI is that much more efficient. Check out this thread. Post #9. Might be a factory adder?

https://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/ariens-snowblowers/134570-new-ax-efi-fuel-capacity.html


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## bbwb (Oct 25, 2018)

I wish I had more than two quarts. You are right EFI is not much more efficient. For some reason the 420 cc EFI Hydro has a miniature tank (the engine is made by LCT not Briggs). To hide the fuel pump stuff my bet is the industrial designer did not want to deal with a taller tank so just made the bottom up higher.
I am checking with some metal fabricator shops to see what they might be able to do for me to make a larger tank.


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

My snow year winds down as warmer climes beckon  We got about 6 inches last night and about 90 inches to date. It looks like I'm not going to get a good 2-3 footer to play in with the new machine before leaving next Saturday. The plow will be by once more, but it won't be a big deal. 

I did get to chop some icy stuff up yesterday. I should have taken a picture of the load in our driveway before, but didn't. This one, just to the right of the driveway, is what the driveway was full of for the 1st 10-15 feet along with regular plow stuff. One chunk was a good 2.5 feet of pretty solid stuff. Some of my neighbors chose to chop and shovel rather than risk breaking a pin. My old 1236 machine chopped this stuff up pretty good so I wanted to compare. Again, I was impressed. With the machine in regular track position, it chewed right through with pretty much zero bouncing. It did see saw from side to side (which is normal) a few inches as it chopped it up. Yes, I did let it digest as it chopped through. I didn't have to work the machine at all. My old machine would do it, but I had to work the machine some by pulling up on the handlebars. No pin issues at all! We were high 20s yesterday coming off of even warmer. Today the temp is 10F and no machine would chop these chunks today. They're solid ice. 

I'm quite satisfied with the new rig. The dig position works well going downhill and very slow. It will peel up moderate car ruts nicely. The auto turn works just fine IMO. As one might expect, the wheeled position affords the easiest maneuverability, followed by regular track, and then dig. The chute mechanism, while very sensitive at 1st use, works very well after some 'human' training on force applied. I really like the notched available positions on the upper chute. I'm also very pleased with the hydro tranny. The hand warmers could have a tad more juice going to them, but work well enough to wear lightly insulated finger gloves. I'm guessing they wouldn't be warm enough much below 5-10F. No biggy to put the old choppers on when necessary.

Perhaps if I had another 100-150 inches of snow to do this winter when it gets much colder, I'd find some cons, but to date, I'm content with my purchase and how it performs. Unless some unknown event happens in the next few days, I'll spend the rest of the winter reading and learning here. Props to all those who manage this forum and all those who contribute input to it.


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

Today was really the 1st good test of this machine since I bought it last fall. Granted, it mopped up 100 inches before we left in early January last year, but it was never really tested. We got a good bit of very heavy stuff since early this morning. Looks like we have several more hours to go. Estimates in our weather warning ranged up to 27" earlier. We'll see. 

For starters, my old 1236 would have worn me right out. This machine performed excellently! Mine's a 28, but a bigger bucket wouldn't have cleaned it up any faster. The track system worked very well. Even experimenting in the wheeled position going downhill and a smaller cut(going slow) I was able to keep the front end down with minimal effort from me. With the tracks in the normal down position, I could take a bigger cut, go faster, and no extra effort from me. Just let the machine do all the work. Our driveway is on a slight incline, but the curb at the end is a bit of a drop off. I always had to fight my old wheeled machine there going across the driveway. With this tracked machine, I put one track on the road and the other up on the driveway and moved along with zero traction issues. The hydro tranny worked slick! 

The engine performed as I would have expected and took everything within reason I gave it. One shovel full of this stuff is heavy. Another 1/2 inch had fallen as I finished. Our road in the pic probably won't be plowed until later tonight or tomorrow. I have a AWD truck, but the snow in the road is deep enough and heavy enough that I'm not going to test my clearance...no need to. 

This machine is definitely a keeper IMO.


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## BNSFguy (Nov 2, 2019)

I too struggled with making a decision: Ariens Pro RapidTrak 28" or Honda 1332. It's the reason I just shoveled my driveway the past two days. I simply couldn't make up my mind. I loved both machines. But honestly, I don't need a 32" machine and I wasn't buying the 28" Honda. As far as I'm concerned, it's practically a "no-brainer" choosing the Honda 32" over the 28", as there's such a difference. With the Ariens, the 28" is virtually identical in specs to their 32" so buying either, is just about size. If the 28" Honda had the same larger motor as their 32" and the added features, especially shear pin protection, I very well might be having a Honda delivered this upcoming week instead of an Ariens. My garage is already packed with stuff and I don't have a monster driveway so 28" was what I really wanted. I was also able to save 10% with a Veterans discount and get 0% APR for 24 months on the Ariens so that pretty much sealed the deal. I'm certain I would've loved the Honda if I bought it.


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

We've gotten the below snow in 2 dumps. Last Wednesday and Sunday. Wednesday was really heavy stuff. I'm liking the Rapid Trak more and more as I learn to work it right. My neighbors wheeled machines struggled a fair bit more than I getting through the plow stuff. They are all big 2 stage blowers. In fairness, ours is the only tracked machine on the street. 

The only thing I can report which is a tiny gremlin is that under heavy blowing the sides of the chute get a little snow build up after 2o minutes or so and the chute won't sometimes go to the extreme position on either side. ....That is pointing slightly backwards. No biggy. 

BNSFguy: You hit the nail on the head on engine size and snow moving ability between the 28 Ariens and 32 Honda. Also the shear bolt breakage issue with the Honda due to the auger and bucket design. And then the chute clogging issue...which should never happen on any 2 stage blower these days, much less one in the upper price range.


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## BNSFguy (Nov 2, 2019)

Stwve70, VERY NICE PIC !!!!! Wow. That's impressive. Snow looks 3 feet deep. Awesome picture. Thanks for sharing. My 28" RapidTrak just arrived today. Can't wait to give it a shot. Living in Minnesota, I'm sure it won't be too long.


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## BNSFguy (Nov 2, 2019)

Welp, just picked my new RapidTrak up tonight. Bought it at Lowe's and told them I'd take it in the crate. Hoping I don't get called out to work too early in the morning as I'm itching to put this baby together. I was surprised to see these ship with oil filled in the engine. I'm pretty sure if you buy a Honda or similar equipment they ship "dry" with several quarts of oil in the crate. Mine is full.


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## Honda n CNY (Nov 9, 2018)

I just purchased a Rapidtrack Pro 32" and I'm selling my Honda HSS 1332. I just bought it last year and have 10 hours on the Honda. Nice machine, but it has some annoying features I can't get past. 

Anyway, I tried the Rapidtrack out again and decided to pull the trigger. The machine is a leftover from last year and I got a great deal. Taking delivery Friday! Can't wait!


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Enjoy your new toy …. 

I'm sure many people were starting them with no oil …. putting it in saves a lot of hassle for everyone …


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## BNSFguy (Nov 2, 2019)

Honda n CNY said:


> I just purchased a Rapidtrack Pro 32" and I'm selling my Honda HSS 1332. I just bought it last year and have 10 hours on the Honda. Nice machine, but it has some annoying features I can't get past.
> 
> Anyway, I tried the Rapidtrack out again and decided to pull the trigger. The machine is a leftover from last year and I got a great deal. Taking delivery Friday! Can't wait!



I assume if it's last year's model, it's the 926060 with Briggs & Stratton motor and huge fuel tank ?? I purchased mine about ten day's ago and couldn't find last year's. Had to go with the 926078 with LCT motor and half the size fuel tank. While I'll probably would've preferred the much larger tank, I try and console myself by saying "well at least you'll always have fresh gas" (LOL). I went back and forth between the Honda 32 and this RapidTrak 28. Reading your post made my decision feel even better. I would bet if you list that Honda now, this time of year, you should be able to recoup almost all your money, assuming your not able to return it for a full refund. 
I didn't have the opportunity (like yourself) to try the Honda. Just curious, what were those few things you really disliked ???


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## BNSFguy (Nov 2, 2019)

Sorry, I posted part number's for the 28" RapidTrak. I assume you got the 926069 32" with B & S motor, larger tank, not the 926079 32" with LCT motor and much smaller gas tank, correct ??? Don't forget, if your interested, Ariens is running the extended warranty on all their machines, including yours, for $99.00 It extends the full warranty out to 5 year's. For the Pro model it's normally $345.00 so it's a pretty enticing offer. You can buy it directly on their website if you're interested.


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## Honda n CNY (Nov 9, 2018)

Yes, it is the Briggs motor. Hopefully it will serve me for years to come. 

My dislikes about the Honda

1) clogging with wet snow
2) insanely slow chute rotation
3) not as easy to steer with the triggers. Felt like they were slow as well. Ended up muscling the machine more and more
4) under powered engine that would bog. 

Just my experience. I had the " it won't happen to me" attitude about the clogging issue. It was worse than I thought. I get it, I could get a new chute and do a carb re jet but the other issues weighed in on my decision as well. Poorly engineered in my opinion and not equipped to take on the lake effect snow that we get in this area. Live and learn. 

Anyway, I tried the Rapidtrack out again and decided to pull the trigger. The machine is a leftover from last year and I got a great deal. Taking delivery Friday! Can't wait![/QUOTE]


I assume if it's last year's model, it's the 926060 with Briggs & Stratton motor and huge fuel tank ?? I purchased mine about ten day's ago and couldn't find last year's. Had to go with the 926078 with LCT motor and half the size fuel tank. While I'll probably would've preferred the much larger tank, I try and console myself by saying "well at least you'll always have fresh gas" (LOL). I went back and forth between the Honda 32 and this RapidTrak 28. Reading your post made my decision feel even better. I would bet if you list that Honda now, this time of year, you should be able to recoup almost all your money, assuming your not able to return it for a full refund. 
I didn't have the opportunity (like yourself) to try the Honda. Just curious, what were those few things you really disliked ???[/QUOTE]


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## Mountain Man (Oct 14, 2018)

oneacer said:


> Enjoy your new toy ….
> 
> I'm sure many people were starting them with no oil …. putting it in saves a lot of hassle for everyone …


I worked in a Sears Hardware store, and could tell you stories. Like a guy who bought a semi pro 36" walk behind, wanted it in the crate to save setup fee. It came back 5 days later, seized engine, and the free included oil still in the bottle. He wanted a new one. Says there was oil on the stick, even though there was a bold note saying to fill with included oil in crate :surprise:


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## Mountain Man (Oct 14, 2018)

Would love to hear from anybody in Ct with a rapid track. They are a slow selling model, really have to either be a enthusiast, or have a genuine need for the tracks.


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## MSP Paul (Dec 5, 2019)

Mountain Man said:


> Would love to hear from anybody in Ct with a rapid track. They are a slow selling model, really have to either be a enthusiast, or have a genuine need for the tracks.


 I can give you my first impressions from MN if you’d like.


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## BNSFguy (Nov 2, 2019)

MSP Paul said:


> Mountain Man said:
> 
> 
> > Would love to hear from anybody in Ct with a rapid track. They are a slow selling model, really have to either be a enthusiast, or have a genuine need for the tracks.
> ...


Me too. I'm in Eden-Prairie, MN.


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## BNSFguy (Nov 2, 2019)

Mountain Man said:


> oneacer said:
> 
> 
> > Enjoy your new toy ….
> ...


That guys an idiot. I specifically bought mine crated because I ordered it from Lowe's and didn't want their "once a week assembler" wrenching on my RapidTrak. I doubt he's seen many and I didn't want bolts over tightened, stripped, etc.... I was surprised to see Ariens ship with oil. I checked a couple of times to be certain as I expected oil shipped in containers inside the crate. But how someone could overlook that is pretty unbelievable as I've seen the tags warning "add oil" on other equipment.


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## BNSFguy (Nov 2, 2019)

Honda n CNY said:


> Yes, it is the Briggs motor. Hopefully it will serve me for years to come.
> 
> My dislikes about the Honda
> 
> ...


Wow. Great information on that Honda. You must've been really disappointed. I know I would've been. I was soooooo close to buying the Honda too. I actually ordered it from Snowblowers Direct and than canceled it. 
I haven't had the opportunity to try my new RapidTrak but I've moved it around the garage plenty of times and it's really easy to move. I'm surprised how easy it is for a track machine. Looking at the design, I figured it would be easier than the Honda, and from your experience, it certainly sounds like it is. Can't wait to try this blower out. Hoping for a really big snowstorm for Christmas (lol).


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## Honda n CNY (Nov 9, 2018)

I was disappointed to say the least. The clogging issue is completely unacceptable and the speed of the chute rotation is ridiculous. Anyway, it's sold now. Took about 4 hours on craigslist. Got most of my money back. Lesson learned.


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## Mountain Man (Oct 14, 2018)

MSP Paul said:


> I can give you my first impressions from MN if you’d like.


I'll definatly listen, or watch videos. Just would love to try one in person if the opportunity arises.


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## Mountain Man (Oct 14, 2018)

BNSFguy said:


> That guys an idiot. I specifically bought mine crated because I ordered it from Lowe's and didn't want their "once a week assembler" wrenching on my RapidTrak. .


Oh yeah, saw those kinds daily. Sears is basically gone now, much to their own doings.


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

I'm becoming 'one' with my new machine given the limited time I've gotten to use it. Like last year, we'll be leaving on 1/4 till May. We had 100 inches down when we left last year. We're about 60-65 right now

I have to add one more comment about the dig mode. It's more versatile than I initially thought. We've had another 15" + of snow since I last posted. A couple of 6 inchers of what I would call normal snow. Even with car tracks in the driveway to get up , the dig mode can move along at a nice moderate pace and do a fine job. A quick release of the trigger releases the dig mode from hampering backing up or turning quickly. The auto turn in wheeled or even normal track mode turns very easily if you use a little momentum to aid the turn. In wheeled mode, it will spin around on a dime with practically no effort at all

Once you get used to the really fast turning chute, it can be worked very effectively for quick turning around, while continually moving, to head back the other direction or at a right angle when needed.

The big gas tank on the Briggs goes a long ways. I'm guessing I've used maybe 3 gallons so far

My prior experience was with the same machine for 30 years. That machine had chute icing up issues...especially the top chute. I would spray up the linkages after every use with WD40 type stuff...I use MP from Amsoil...to prevent freezing. Failure to do so was automatic icing. I give kudos to Ariens for this chute linkage design. I've had zero issues with any chute ice up. It works perfectly

As I stated above, the only thing to date that maybe could have been a little better thought out is how the snow builds up at the base of the chute. It prohibits getting the slight backward angle which I really like...especially when coming out into the street. It does get a full 90 degrees to either side, so it's not that big a deal, but none the less worth mentioning


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

I have to add this into the mix here. Especially regarding my last post about the dig mode working well. In reality I was in the regular track mode and here's how. Please read this thread from post 36 down. Check out the attached video link on post 38. It links to Paul Sikkema's very recent review of the track system where he too was unaware that the float position was not the locked in 'normal' track position. The owner's manual is remiss in not describing how to get into the normal track position. It merely says squeeze the trigger to drop the track. Nothing about lifting up a tad to lock it in.

https://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/ariens-snowblowers/116929-new-ariens-rapidtrak-28-420cc.html

My 'float' mode works maybe better than intended as it won't go into normal rack lock position as easy as maybe it was intended. I have no intention of adjusting it. I like it fine the way it works now. Maybe they should have marketed this as a 4 position track set up? 

My earlier posts about the actual dig mode are valid as I entered the mode per the book instruction. In this mode, one needs to go pretty slow to peel stuff up or the tracks will spin. Enter the infinitely adjustable tranny


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## ericr (Nov 1, 2019)

Similar to the notion that "there's no such thing as too much power", I feel like there's also "no such thing as too much traction". For me I could always use more traction for digging into berms, as well as scraping down into hard-packed snow/ice.

To that end, I'm wondering if anyone has tried putting ice studs on a RapidTrak machine?

When I've asked this before outside this forum, others have responded as if nobody should ever feel like they need more traction than they get with the stock RapidTrak setup.


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## mctwist (Jan 4, 2018)

Steve70 said:


> I have to add this into the mix here. Especially regarding my last post about the dig mode working well. In reality I was in the regular track mode and here's how. Please read this thread from post 36 down. Check out the attached video link on post 38. It links to Paul Sikkema's very recent review of the track system where he too was unaware that the float position was not the locked in 'normal' track position. The owner's manual is remiss in not describing how to get into the normal track position. It merely says squeeze the trigger to drop the track. Nothing about lifting up a tad to lock it in.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I've found that instead of lifting on the handles to lock the track, using the foot to push down on the bar does a pretty good job. 

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk


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## Honda n CNY (Nov 9, 2018)

Machine worked perfectly today with about 5" of wet, slushy snow. The type the HSS1332 would plug up with. I'm a happy camper! 

The autoturn works great and the chute turns fast! Great machine!


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## kimber (Dec 19, 2019)

Honda n CNY, glad to hear you’re happy with your new Rapidtrak, I’m currently looking at both Ariens and Honda now and been following your post.


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## Honda n CNY (Nov 9, 2018)

kimber said:


> Honda n CNY, glad to hear you’re happy with your new Rapidtrak, I’m currently looking at both Ariens and Honda now and been following your post.



I have no regrets in selling the Honda but it is a good machine. Just make sure that you get the new chute. For me, the Rapidtrak is an easier machine to use and doesn't beat me up as much after using it. The auto turn is a gem, especially in wheeled mode and the 1st track position. I have used it a total of 3 times now. All three times the snow was heavy with moisture, which would have been an issue with the Honda. The chute is fast which was another annoyance. I will keep updating with an honest review. I'm not a fanboy of any machine. My one knock on the Ariens is the fuel shutoff seems to be a bit cheap. Although I store my machine in the garage, I have always shut the fuel off and let the machine starve out. I'm a bit concerned with the shutoff and I'm wondering if maybe I don't need to starve it out every time. I use non ethanol fuel. Anyway, I'm careful with the shutoff. 



Good luck with your decision.


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## kimber (Dec 19, 2019)

Yes, I was looking at a rapidtrak 28 with a Briggs and noticed the fuel valve also, almost bought it but they were asking full price on a leftover. Was looking at reviews on both engines but not a lot info comparing the two. Didn’t find any negatives on either one so that’s a plus.


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

Honda n CNY said:


> I have no regrets in selling the Honda but it is a good machine. Just make sure that you get the new chute. For me, the Rapidtrak is an easier machine to use and doesn't beat me up as much after using it. The auto turn is a gem, especially in wheeled mode and the 1st track position. I have used it a total of 3 times now. All three times the snow was heavy with moisture, which would have been an issue with the Honda. The chute is fast which was another annoyance. I will keep updating with an honest review. I'm not a fanboy of any machine. My one knock on the Ariens is the fuel shutoff seems to be a bit cheap. Although I store my machine in the garage, I have always shut the fuel off and let the machine starve out. I'm a bit concerned with the shutoff and I'm wondering if maybe I don't need to starve it out every time. I use non ethanol fuel. Anyway, I'm careful with the shutoff.
> 
> 
> 
> Good luck with your decision.


Keep the reviews coming. We're 70-75 inches to date. I like mine more all the time. I see no reason to shut the fuel off every time out. I shut it off in the spring and turn it on in the fall. I use hi test non ethanol gas and put a little Amsoil stabilizer in for summer storage. Been working that way for decades now


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## rslifkin (Mar 5, 2018)

The Briggs fuel shutoff feels cheap, but mine is holding up fine so far. Personally, I shut the fuel off after every use, but I don't run the carb dry. I turn the valve off after shut down. I do that on any engine with gravity fed fuel supply just in case the carb float / needle valve assembly leaks, that way I don't end up with a crankcase full of gas or a bunch of gas spilled in the garage.


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

I said my piece on the gas shut off, but....I have to share what the machine just did. Last year in February our furnace went out while we were 2000 miles away. I have several back up plans in place one of which is my phone going off when this happens. I called my furnace guy. He said he'd never seen a storm with wind swirling the way it did and to check my furnace inlet / out pipes on the back of our house. Sure enough, they were plugged. This has never happened before. Normally the exhaust is enough to keep an area melted in front of them. The lad across the street that takes care of our house for us had to trudge through 3 feet of snow to get at it to shovel

I decided to make his life easier in case this happens again this winter. We've gotten 70-75" of snow so far and what I chewed through has set up since the beginning including an extremely heavy wet dumping Thanksgiving time. I wasn't sure exactly how the Rapid trak would handle this, but I was amazed to say the least. It was a bit tough turning given the snow was as high or higher than the bucket the whole way through. I chewed through 115 feet and around the house in less than 20 minutes. Very impressive. I would have been bulling my old 1236 through there for a LONG time.

One pic shows my plugged pipe from last February and the rest are today's handiwork


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## kimber (Dec 19, 2019)

Ok guys, you convinced me, bought a 28” Rapidtrak today, got them to add the two year warranty extension.


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## Honda n CNY (Nov 9, 2018)

Nice job! Congratulations on the new purchase. The machine is a beast!


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## BNSFguy (Nov 2, 2019)

kimber said:


> Ok guys, you convinced me, bought a 28” Rapidtrak today, got them to add the two year warranty extension.


You sound just like me. I kept changing my mind every day, back and forth, Honda 32" or Ariens RapidTrak. Couldn't decide. I'd put one machine in the cart, than change my mind. So much so, I ended up shoveling our first snow storm because of my indecisiveness. I finally pulled the trigger on the Ariens with the LCT motor (926078) and smaller gas tank. I originally wanted the B & S 2018 model (926060) with the larger tank, but they were all out of stock. Paul on YouTube just did a video on the RapidTrak with the LCT motor. He had or has the 2018 with the B & S motor too. He stated he see's no difference between the two running them and gets 90 minutes with the LCT motor. Said it uses less fuel. I'd assume the B & S would get close to 3 hours run time per tank than. I'm not a using mine for business, so 90 minutes in between refills works just fine for me. In fact, I believe it will actually help me in that I'll have fresh fuel all the time (lol). I also like that with the Ariens (LCT) motor, warranty is all done thru Ariens dealer. With the B & S, motor warranty goes thru Briggs while machine warranty goes thru Ariens.


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## kimber (Dec 19, 2019)

Honda n CNY, your experience with the 1332 was basically the deciding factor, thanks for your honest reviews on the two machines, greatly appreciated!
BNSFguy, I was exactly in the same boat as you, I too went with the 92078 for the exact reasons you did and this dealer added the two year warranty extension.
Just waiting on delivery!


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## Honda n CNY (Nov 9, 2018)

kimber said:


> Honda n CNY, your experience with the 1332 was basically the deciding factor, thanks for your honest reviews on the two machines, greatly appreciated!
> BNSFguy, I was exactly in the same boat as you, I too went with the 92078 for the exact reasons you did and this dealer added the two year warranty extension.
> Just waiting on delivery!


You're welcome. I hope you enjoy the machine as much as I do. It's solid and has been a good decision on my part.


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

We end our winter this year with about 90-95 inches of snow and another successful Rapid Trak season. I like it more all the time.

I had one very minor issue which happened last week. I mention it so others can maybe make sure their pins are are well seated. You can see in the picture two black cog type things on the end of the shafts for the Trak drive and auger engage control. I don't know how, but I lost the pin out of the auger side one and was not able to keep the Trak moving with the auger turning without it. These two cogs engage each other when the levers are both down allowing you to take your hand off the auger control to maneuver the chute if needed

I was going to just put a small cotter pin in there when it happened, but the dealer is a only a few miles away. It was 10 second fix. I also attached the pic because the two cogs need to be in this orientation to work. They are basically 180 degrees out from each other on their respective shafts


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## BNSFguy (Nov 2, 2019)

kimber said:


> Honda n CNY, your experience with the 1332 was basically the deciding factor, thanks for your honest reviews on the two machines, greatly appreciated!
> BNSFguy, I was exactly in the same boat as you, I too went with the 92078 for the exact reasons you did and this dealer added the two year warranty extension.
> Just waiting on delivery!


Did you get get your machine ??


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## johnwick (Dec 16, 2019)

Steve70 said:


> We end our winter this year with about 90-95 inches of snow and another successful Rapid Trak season. I like it more all the time.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I actually tried to reverse these cogs on my machine. As you know, holding down the drive handle keeps the auger handle engaged due to the orientation of the notch. I thought it might be more handy to have the auger handle be the one that kept the drive down, so that I could use my left hand for chute control. This only make sense, so one doesn’t have to cross over with the right hand to move something on the left side. Alas, It didn’t work. I’m sure someone thought this out so people like me can’t change the design.


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## ericr (Nov 1, 2019)

BNSFguy said:


> You sound just like me. I kept changing my mind every day, back and forth, Honda 32" or Ariens RapidTrak. Couldn't decide. I'd put one machine in the cart, than change my mind. So much so, I ended up shoveling our first snow storm because of my indecisiveness. I finally pulled the trigger on the Ariens with the LCT motor (926078) and smaller gas tank. I originally wanted the B & S 2018 model (926060) with the larger tank, but they were all out of stock. Paul on YouTube just did a video on the RapidTrak with the LCT motor. He had or has the 2018 with the B & S motor too. He stated he see's no difference between the two running them and gets 90 minutes with the LCT motor. Said it uses less fuel. I'd assume the B & S would get close to 3 hours run time per tank than. I'm not a using mine for business, so 90 minutes in between refills works just fine for me. In fact, I believe it will actually help me in that I'll have fresh fuel all the time (lol). I also like that with the Ariens (LCT) motor, warranty is all done thru Ariens dealer. With the B & S, motor warranty goes thru Briggs while machine warranty goes thru Ariens.


I was in the exact same boat, going back and fourth between the Honda HSS1332ATD and Ariens Hydro Pro RapidTrak 28. But the larger size auger & impeller, more powerful engine, faster chute control, narrower bucket (storage and better power/width) and RapidTrak maneuverability swayed me to the Ariens. 

My dealer was nice enough to track down a new B&S version (926060) and gave me my choice. I went with the B&S for the larger gas tank and (supposedly) easier parts availability.

I probably would have been happy with either the B&S or LCT versions.

However, If I could have gotten a 926338, which is a Hydro Pro RapidTrak 28 EFI, I would have. Apparently this model is available in Scandinavia but NOT in the US. I have heard about a few EFI issues, but EFI seems like the future, for more responsive governor, lower fuel consumption and (supposedly) less worry about clogged carbs.

Does anyone know why Ariens had restricted the EFI version to NOT the US?


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## BNSFguy (Nov 2, 2019)

Originally, I too, was looking for an EFI 28" Pro RapidTrak and saw they don't have them available in the US. After doing more research I'm actually glad I don't have an EFI. EFI probably is the future, but just doesn't seem perfected yet. Not sure if that's because Manufacturers are trying to keep costs down so they can sell them or if it's just new technology and their still figuring out the "bugs". I'm glad I have a carburetor motor, at least for now. Maybe a few years from now I'll be interested in an EFI version, but just not yet.


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

johnwick said:


> I actually tried to reverse these cogs on my machine. As you know, holding down the drive handle keeps the auger handle engaged due to the orientation of the notch. I thought it might be more handy to have the auger handle be the one that kept the drive down, so that I could use my left hand for chute control. This only make sense, so one doesn’t have to cross over with the right hand to move something on the left side. Alas, It didn’t work. I’m sure someone thought this out so people like me can’t change the design.


I like the OEM set up for the ease of use you don't seem to like. I like having my right hand able to work the speed control...right next to the auger control and don't find any difficulty swinging the chute around

I think maybe safety could have something to do with it too. You are positively disengaging the drive when you lift you left hand as opposed to letting another mechanism be the vehicle for disengagement


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## johnwick (Dec 16, 2019)

Steve70 said:


> I think maybe safety could have something to do with it too. You are positively disengaging the drive when you lift you left hand as opposed to letting another mechanism be the vehicle for disengagement



I don’t disagree. For some reason, the Cub Cadets seem to operate as I intended to change. That was the only thing I liked about that machine that was better (for me).


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## kimber (Dec 19, 2019)

BNSFguy said:


> Did you get get your machine ??


Yes Sir!


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## BNSFguy (Nov 2, 2019)

How do you like it ??? Have a chance to use it yet ???


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## kimber (Dec 19, 2019)

Yes last Tuesday we got about 4-5” of some real nasty stuff, had a 3’ EOD berm and it performed above my expectations, love the tracks and hydro, will never go back to disc and wheels, the auto turn worked perfectly and love the quick turn chute, only got to use it the one time but can honestly say there’s nothing I dislike about it and I’m comfortable knowing there’s nothing this tank can’t handle!
Have you used yours yet?


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## Snowman_44 (Jan 24, 2019)

I just added this post in a New member introduction thread. Thought it could be placed here in the Rapidtrak discussion as well so others can read my review, and comment. I have a 2019 model Pro 28 Rapidtrak Hydro EFI.

_It's been a while and I have tested the machine quite much. I would say that the autoturn does not work at all in track mode. In fact I tend to go back reverse and run a new pass instead of turning the machine, because it is so heavy. I could jump to wheeled mode, turn and then go back again to track mode, but it is maybe a little compex because you also want to turn the chute the same time. It of cource depends on how long the pass is, but on my terrace which is about 50m2 I do much reverse driving. It seems like there are different definitions of tracked mode. I call it tracked mode when the track is locked in a fixed position. There is also a position if you just pull the leaver when being in wheeled mode so that the tracks are in contact with the surface, but not locked down. Then the autoturn works, but I have not used this mode much because it just jumps into locked position if the surface is a little uneven.

I would have liked more speed in reverse because it is quite slow. It also feels quite weak in reverse, for example uphill, but it might be something that needs tuning. I am not sure.

About the different modes I think that track mode is the only mode working for me. In wheeled mode it is very easy to turn around, but the machine wants to climb up all the time. I think the weight balance is poor and there should have been more weight on the front. Dig-in mode is useless because you loose tracktion as a lot of the belt is not in contact with the ground. I have been thinking about buying some larger skid shoes because the machine feels a bit jumpy on uneven surfaces.

The EFI engine is very nice. As long as the machine has tracktion it eats up any snow. I trickle charged the battery two times during the summer period to keep it fit and have not experienced any issues with the engine. It started on the first pull this winter. The fuel tank is a little small, but not a major drawback.

In summary I am pleased with the machine. The engine and build quality is super. The belt tracktion is ok, but not perfect. It is slow in reverse. Looking at videos of Hondas and Yamahas they seem more stable and not so jumpy, but I have not tested any of those so I don't know how they compare to the Ariens._


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## ericr (Nov 1, 2019)

Snowman_44 said:


> I just added this post in a New member introduction thread. Thought it could be placed here in the Rapidtrak discussion as well so others can read my review, and comment. I have a 2019 model Pro 28 Rapidtrak Hydro EFI.
> 
> _It's been a while and I have tested the machine quite much. I would say that the autoturn does not work at all in track mode. In fact I tend to go back reverse and run a new pass instead of turning the machine, because it is so heavy. I could jump to wheeled mode, turn and then go back again to track mode, but it is maybe a little compex because you also want to turn the chute the same time. It of cource depends on how long the pass is, but on my terrace which is about 50m2 I do much reverse driving. It seems like there are different definitions of tracked mode. I call it tracked mode when the track is locked in a fixed position. There is also a position if you just pull the leaver when being in wheeled mode so that the tracks are in contact with the surface, but not locked down. Then the autoturn works, but I have not used this mode much because it just jumps into locked position if the surface is a little uneven.
> 
> ...


I thought I saw this same picture used on the Ariens Facebook page.:smile2:

Regarding turning while in regular track mode I sometimes pull back on the bars while I turn, making the tracks spin. That allows me to get tight turns without going in and out of wheeled mode. But it takes some getting used to.

For dig-in mode I am in agreement with you. There's just too much force on the bucket for the track to not spin. And it gets worse if going up-hill. 
I've considered putting ice studs on the tracks for this, but that could have the negative side-effect of making tracked turning harder. I'm considering adding a new track setting that is in between dig-in mode and track mode. I would add a notch to the track bar. I put a picture of how I can use a C-clamp to play with different settings before committing to making the new notch in the track bar.

See:
https://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/1724883-post30.html

Regards,
Eric


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## Snowman_44 (Jan 24, 2019)

ericr said:


> I thought I saw this same picture used on the Ariens Facebook page.:smile2:
> 
> Regarding turning while in regular track mode I sometimes pull back on the bars while I turn, making the tracks spin. That allows me to get tight turns without going in and out of wheeled mode. But it takes some getting used to.
> 
> ...


Hi Eric,

That sounds like an interesting project. Please let us know how it goes :smile2:


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

You can adjust the track release sensitivity the dealer tells me. Mine came 'less sensitive' from the factory. At first it had me confused as to why it would sometimes lock. Now I find it much better to have to lift a tad more to lock the track. When backing up, I just hit the release lever and we're back into easily turning. It won't lock as easily as you're relating. Even in dig mode, I do the same to back up. I accept the limitations of dig and use it accordingly. I can peel up car tracks in dig mode (within reason) going downhill. I keep the tracks spinning just a little ahead of the traction point. Works well for me. 

Short of the added notch solution, Ariens should probably advertise the machine as a 4 position unit and expend a little more ink in the manual explaining it all. My manual says nothing about having to lock in the normal track position by lifting a tad.


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## BNSFguy (Nov 2, 2019)

Instead of "lifting a tad", I find it easier to simply tap down on the bar lowering the rear tracks with my foot. Does the exact same thing. You don't need much pressure, just a tiny bit and it locks in place perfectly. Both work fine. Just preference.


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## mctwist (Jan 4, 2018)

BNSFguy said:


> Instead of "lifting a tad", I find it easier to simply tap down on the bar lowering the rear tracks with my foot. Does the exact same thing. You don't need much pressure, just a tiny bit and it locks in place perfectly. Both work fine. Just preference.


This is also what I do, as I find that lifting would not always lock it in position. 

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