# Maryland Blizzard



## junkyard_sal (Feb 20, 2014)

Repowered Ariens with Made in USA Tec 7HP. I bought this machine on the cheap with a leaking auger gearbox and a few other minor issues but it had been well cared for and stored inside. Now it is a true keeper. 

The previous owner said he just had the oil changed so I wondered if they used they used the wrong oil. I drained it immediately and put in Redline MT90 GL4 that I run in my racecar transmission and no more leak from the gearbox.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

WOW! Nice snow, Sal! Many of us are envious


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## junkyard_sal (Feb 20, 2014)

My other sno-thro, a 32" bucket Ariens, has better tires, but the turf tires and chains were enough to cut a path from my front walk around the house to the back patio. Then across the yard to the other patio and down to the Koy pond and steps to the lower level detached garage. It is like a corn maze in my back yard. Thankfully, with the frozen ground the grass was largely unharmed. 

I am repowering the 32" machine with a Made in USA 10hp Tec snow king that I rebuilt. I don't think the tired 7hp flat head Tec would have pushed the 32" bucket through the 30" of snow we got. Plus the 32" bucket barely fits through a garden gate to access the backyard. 

I got some belt slippage that required idler pulley adjustment but otherwise this machine was a champ. I did lock the differential so most of the work. In less than 12" there is no need to lock the differential.


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## Quickrick (May 2, 2011)

*Md Blizzard*

I live close to the Capitol Beltway Sal and have similar experiences. Imagine not having one of these machines?

QuickRick


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## bndawgs (Jan 27, 2016)

Quickrick said:


> I live close to the Capitol Beltway Sal and have similar experiences. Imagine not having one of these machines?
> 
> QuickRick


lol, yes i can imagine not having one of these machines. i live out near dulles airport and i had to shovel all the snow myself. :icon-thumbsdown:

so i'm busy getting my dad's old 924044 back up and running.


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## bcjm (May 29, 2015)

I am at Reston VA. I am pretty happy with my old Ariens ST824.


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## LET-UT (Jan 5, 2016)

That's some pretty serious looking snow you had to clear! Great photos; thanks for sharing.


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## shallowwatersailor (Feb 19, 2013)

I'm in Derwood, MD where we received approximately 35". One photo is after about 20 hours of snow where is was as high as the bucket. The second is two days after it stopped while I cut across the cul de sac to a neighbor's driveway. We were snowed in for five days until the county came in.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

I luv the 2nd photo: A man and his machine !


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## bcjm (May 29, 2015)

Shallowwatersalior, what model of blower are you using? It blew some serious snow in the photo. We got about 30 inches around Dulles airport.


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## shallowwatersailor (Feb 19, 2013)

bcjm said:


> Shallowwatersalior, what model of blower are you using? It blew some serious snow in the photo. We got about 30 inches around Dulles airport.


It is a 2008 Anniversary 924 DLE (921004) that I purchased when I lived in Illinois. I added the cab last year and it does make a difference! The only downside is when the bucket climbs - the cab comes down on your head. 

This was a monumental storm that for the first time pointed out some improvements to be made. Most times I am "riding" to remove snow with my Toro 5xi tractors as I do five neighbors and my driveway gratis. But this was a bit too much snow to chance getting stuck - and having to work to get unstuck. There is always a place for a nice big two-stage walk-behind! 

For next season I plan on adding weight to the front of the bucket to counteract the cab. Ariens and/or OTC changed their stance on additional weight a couple of years ago. Thinking about it it may have been in response to the newer more universal cabs on the market today. The second is to have a pair of X-Trac twist link chains on hand just in case we have another snow like this. After the snow had settled for two days the bottom was hard packed and difficult to keep traction on with the X-Trac tires.


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