# What makes the 10000 model so highly regarded?



## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

i see this model often referred to as a desirable blower. wondering why specifically? got pictures??


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

rwh963 said:


> i see this model often referred to as a desirable blower. wondering why specifically? got pictures??



A few die hards like them
they are very unsafe twin handles by the belts

come with useless tires
short chute
handlebars crack
big impeller gap
don't blow snow for chit until the above has been fixed
I've had a few wont even take them for free now
but they have thick steel lol

merry xmas


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

They are a great blower, solidly built, easy to repair, and just work great. I have 2 of the 10000 series, along with many others. And by the way, I do recommend the X-Trac tires on any blower, regardless of age or model, as mine have. Oh, and I never had a cracked handle bar, and the chutes and impeller work just fine. I repowered one with a B&S, and the other with a Predator 212. While the B&S Snow model is fine, the Predator is the better performing engine, hands down. 

JMHO


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## Shovel (Mar 26, 2019)

We need some videos I am not having any luck on YouTube

Sent from my LM-Q710.FG using Tapatalk


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@Shovel … ??


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

oneacer said:


> They are a great blower, solidly built, easy to repair, and just work great. I have 2 of the 10000 series, along with many others. And by the way, I do recommend the X-Trac tires on any blower, regardless of age or model, as mine have. Oh, and I never had a cracked handle bar, and the chutes and impeller work just fine. I repowered one with a B&S, and the other with a Predator 212. While the B&S Snow model is fine, the Predator is the better performing engine, hands down.
> 
> JMHO


1132le says they suck! but oneacer has more posts! i wonder who is right?


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

rwh963 said:


> 1132le says they suck! but oneacer has more posts! i wonder who is right?



1 of the most dangerous blowers ever made coudnt be sold today many have lost fingers and hands

the most dangerous ariensever made
all points I stated are facts
funny everyone who loves them so much says they work better with predators except the super duper ariens die hards
as I said I've had a few


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## db130 (Feb 16, 2013)

Here's one with the 19" tall chute (some call it the medium chute), 3" crank pulley, a 1980s 7hp engine, and an impeller kit. With better tires and in the right hands, they are extremely maneuverable when equipped with the differential. It was my first snowblower.






I've since moved on to a Bolens 824 and a customized Ariens 924 series snowblower but I still have the other one (it was repurposed last year as a lawnmower with the lawnmower attachment).

https://scotlawrence.github.io/ariens/Page5.html


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@rwh,

You have to understand, that a solid blower, regardless of any brand, built back in the 60's and early 70's is not going to have all the safety features and stuff like these new ones have. And I don't care what blower is made, New or old, you will always have people who don't know how to operate them, and those people will continue to get hurt.

Those 10000 series will be running another 50 years, that says it all .....


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## Jackmels (Feb 18, 2013)

A Quick Vid of one of mine. https://vimeo.com/381384290


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## Shovel (Mar 26, 2019)

oneacer said:


> @Shovel … ??


We have two videos now with it in action..need more showing its build quality etc.



Sent from my LM-Q710.FG using Tapatalk


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## oneboltshort (Dec 16, 2019)

1132le said:


> 1 of the most dangerous blowers ever made coudnt be sold today many have lost fingers and hands
> 
> the most dangerous ariensever made


One of, what's the other, or the next most dangerous?


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

oneacer said:


> @rwh,
> 
> You have to understand, that a solid blower, regardless of any brand, built back in the 60's and early 70's is not going to have all the safety features and stuff like these new ones have. And I don't care what blower is made, New or old, you will always have people who don't know how to operate them, and those people will continue to get hurt.
> 
> Those 10000 series will be running another 50 years, that says it all .....


The best safety feature is your brain anyhow. We had a 1974 10000 for years, and I would take it back in a heartbeat. This was the one with 'squeeze to drive' and tha main clutch for the blower on the dash - the only control down low was to disengage the blower, and frankly, I have no idea how someone could think having that control placed next to *ZERO* moving parts could be dangerous, but to each thier own. I'd have bought another one, but have found them very hard to find here . . .


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## Nick Karahalios (Nov 21, 2019)

I like my 10000...all thats done to it is A Predator 212 set @ 4000 rpms and a 15.5" chute.









Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


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## oneboltshort (Dec 16, 2019)

1132le said:


> A few die hards like them
> they are very unsafe twin handles by the belts
> merry xmas



Count me as die harder unsafely using them. Only one belt, no "belts.":wink2:



If you drive (safely) around the U.P. of Michigan you can see live versions of the dangerous blower in action:grin:
People with all their fingers and everything in a 200+ inches of snow area:devil:


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## TiminOhio (Dec 24, 2018)

There's definitely a cool factor to these older blowers.

I don't need to blow 75 feet, I just need to clean the driveway... and look good doing it.

A true classic that makes me wonder who had it, bought it and where it's been since 1965.

Here's my 1965 that I picked up for $30.00 last summer..


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@Tim,

I have a couuple of these as well, terrific machines. Great machine you have there.

You can immensely improve it by putting on some X-Trac tires:


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

what years did they produce this particular model, did it remain essentially unchanged, and why the "10000" designation?


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@rwh,

https://scotlawrence.github.io/ariens/


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## Kielbasa (Dec 21, 2013)

You are talking almost a 50 year old design. Correct those areas and you have a fantastic machine. 



1132le said:


> A few die hards like them
> they are very unsafe twin handles by the belts
> 
> come with useless tires
> ...


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## Kielbasa (Dec 21, 2013)

Why don't I see anything in this posting? 



db130 said:


> Here's one with the 19" tall chute (some call it the medium chute), 3" crank pulley, a 1980s 7hp engine, and an impeller kit. With better tires and in the right hands, they are extremely maneuverable when equipped with the differential. It was my first snowblower.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Rx0qXJVKYY
> 
> ...


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

Kielbasa said:


> You are talking almost a 50 year old design. Correct those areas and you have a fantastic machine.


But then again, some of us who used them for many years never had (or regarded) any of those as actual problems. I used to have to throttle ours *down* to reduce throw to not hit the house, and chains gave all thr traction needed with no downside. The rest, I regard as complete and total fiction/non-issues . . .


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## db130 (Feb 16, 2013)

Kielbasa said:


> Why don't I see anything in this posting?


search for "ariens tall chute" in youtube and it's the first video that comes up.


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

I got to see that one before you sold it Jack.....loved it. The only 10000 series I consider for my self now are the 73 and 74's, only because of the more modern controls. I've refurbed over a dozen of the older ones, and the only thing I've ever had to do is clean them up and replace the tired old points type Tecumsehs with a Honda or clone. I've never even had to replace the drive discs, and glad because it looks like a project.


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## Landngroove (Oct 12, 2015)

I have been using a 10000 series since 1971. Great machines that always get the job done no matter how deep the snow. I still have all my fingers, even after all those years. I guess I am one who does not put his hands into running machinery.


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

1132le said:


> A few die hards like them
> they are very unsafe twin handles by the belts


Wrong.
they are perfectly safe, if you are smart. (which applies to everything in life)



1132le said:


> come with useless tires


Absolutely wrong.
I've been using the original 50 year old tires on my 1971 Ariens for 10 years now..no issues at all, the tires are great.




1132le said:


> short chute


yeah..but so what? the chute works fine. the length is irrelevant.



1132le said:


> handlebars crack


dont know what you are referring to, I have never heard of that, and I have made the world's most detailed webpage on vintage Ariens snowblowers.
I have researched them more than anyone. if it happens, it must be quite rare and unusual, not a normal thing. this is the first I have ever heard of it.



1132le said:


> big impeller gap


yeah..but again, so what? 99% of all snowblowers ever made have a gap that can be improved with an impeller kit.
they still work just fine without the impeller kit.




1132le said:


> don't blow snow for chit until the above has been fixed


100% absolutely wrong.
They work great as-is, with no modifications.
I would know, because I have been using a completely original, completely unmodified 1971 Ariens 10,000 series for the past 10 years,
every winter for 10 years, in the heavy lake-effect snow belt of Rochester NY.
The machine is a tank, and works great.



1132le said:


> I've had a few wont even take them for free now


Good! more for the rest of us. 

Scot


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@tadawson,


When the Ariens first came out way back, they were selling them with a turf (lawn) tires , and chains were the norm for using them in snow.


Chains, in my own brief experience years ago, bounced the machine and operator to death, thus prematurely wearing out parts, etc.. I immediatly removed them and installed the proper snow tire.


All my machines have the X-Trac and SnowHog tires, that are smooth and great in the snow, as for which they are made. 



That is why new machines don't come with lawn tires and chains anymore, but with the proper snow tires instead. 





JMHO


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@*sscotsman*,


Thank you for taking your time, and correcting 1132le on all points ....


Have a great holiday .....


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

The "safety issue" can be a concern..but only if you are not smart.
(stupid people have always injured themselves throughout history..its never the machines fault, its the result of people being stupid)

The 1965 to 1972 10,000 series snowblowers will run by themselves *when you let go of the handlebars*!
they will happily wander down your driveway, augers and impeller spinning and spitting out snow, without you even touching the machine!
not ideal..but it was common for that era. 

but again, just keep yourself, pets, and people away from the front of the machine with its running, and its not an issue.
still..that could be improved, and it was.
The 1973 and 1974 10,000 series (and all future models) reversed the controls, so that you had to hold down the handlebar levers to run the machine,
and if you let go, the machine stops..much better!

so yes, it can be a safety concern, but again, only if you are stupid. 
people still injure themselves by sticking their hands into chutes of running snowblowers, even with the most modern and up to date safety features.

Scot


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

As they say, "You can't Fix Stupid" ... and unfortunately, there is no cure for it, and these people will always find ways to injure themselves.


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

So here's my story:

10 years ago I needed a snowblower, for the first time in my life.
I was a new homeowner, had never owned, or even used, a snowblower before.
I started doing a lot of research on-line, and quickly discovered that most of the less-expensive ($500 range) *new* snowblowers were considerd low-end junk, not reliable, cheaply made, etc. I didnt want to spend more than $500..so, what to do?

More research led to the discovery of vintage Ariens, and people on-line were saying they were much better than many "entry level" new machines..
So..I bought one! An original, unmodified, 1971 Ariens for $250:










(lots more detail about my research and thought process is in my Ariens webpage, link in my signature below.)

That machine led to the creation of my webpage, and joining this forum! 
It's now a decade later, and its still my main "daily driver" snowblower..the only thing I have ever had to with it is adjust the carberator.
and once I got that dialed-in, it hasnt needed anything else. 

A fews years later I did buy a 2nd Ariens 10,000 series as a "backup"..just in case something happened to my main machine..
that was in 2014, and it hasnt been needed as a backup yet!  its currently stored in the shed, drained of all fluids.










And I now also have a third machine, because it was free and I couldnt pass it up! 
It's a 1991 924000 series:










If I had only ever bought the first '71 Ariens, I would still be fine with that one machine today.

So today my first 1971 Ariens, and the "new" 1991 Ariens are my two working machines.
the "backup" 1971 Ariens, partially restored, is stored in the shed.

So..im a huge fan of the Ariens 10,000 series! 
great machines.. My original completely unmodified 1971 has been serving me well for a decade now, and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.

I did buy an impeller kit for it, maybe 5 years ago, but havent insalled it yet! 
at this point, I might never bother to install it..
there is maybe one snowfall per year where it could be helpful, with wet slush..
but most of the time I just let those snowfalls melt away naturally anyway, which usually happens when its warm enough to create slush..
with "normal" snow the machine throws just fine without the impeller kit.

Scot


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

I thought I had a video of 1971 the in action! but I cant find one..
but here are a few photos my wife took over the years:






































Scot


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## Kielbasa (Dec 21, 2013)

I have never... in 33 years of using our 1971 Ariens (full time so to speak) had any issues with the controls. I personally like the way they are laid out. Granted I am used to them... with squeezing the clutch handle to put the machine in or out of gear and then you let it go. I like the handle control on the bottom and where you do not have to keep holding it. At absolutely no... time do ever move from behind the handle bars when clearing! Never! If you have to, you take the machine out of gear and do what you have to do. It is very plain and simple. My neighbors 2000 Ariens has the auger and drive handles on the top. I personally do not like this design or set up. Plus... I found my hands to be a bit sore and tired after using it. He does use a clamp to keep the auger handle down when you need them to keep turning. I keep my machines augers turning when I am cleaning off my front porch and stairs when the snow is deep. I throw or push the snow right off the porch in to the bucket and the machine throws the snow instead of me lifting it over the railing. That old design works well for me...


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## Kielbasa (Dec 21, 2013)

Scot, what is the size of your driveway? It sort of looks like you do not have any kind of obstructions to deal with. It looks like you may have a double width driveway by maybe 3 car lengths? 



sscotsman said:


> I thought I had a video of 1971 the in action! but I cant find one..
> but here are a few photos my wife took over the years:
> 
> 
> ...


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

rwh963 said:


> 1132le says they suck! but oneacer has more posts! i wonder who is right?





oneacer said:


> @rwh,
> 
> https://scotlawrence.github.io/ariens/


excellent, thank you. labor of love for the creator. i wonder if there are similar fan-created histories for the other major brands.


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## Kielbasa (Dec 21, 2013)

Have you used the ST824 yet? If not... I have a feeling that you might like it better because of the chute and engine. A friend of mine has one of these machine and he loves it. 



sscotsman said:


> So here's my story:
> 
> 10 years ago I needed a snowblower, for the first time in my life.
> I was a new homeowner, had never owned, or even used, a snowblower before.
> ...


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## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

More '71 10000 series Love. The beauty is in their robust, simple build quality. 

Like Kielbasa, I actually like the controls. 






^^^ all original at the making of this video; I've since added snowhogs.

We had a 24" snowfall recently; the well-tuned H50 Tecumseh was chomping down full buckets ...only had to goose the traction handle in the EOD.


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

rwh963 said:


> excellent, thank you. labor of love for the creator. i wonder if there are similar fan-created histories for the other major brands.


thanks!  glad you have enjoyed the page..
there are three "brand specific", "fan created" snowblower webpages:

1. The first, Pete's excellent "Gilson Snowblower Shop", online since 2001:
https://www.gilsonsnowblowers.com/


2. Then my Ariens page, started in 2009:
https://scotlawrence.github.io/ariens/


3. My Snowbird page, started in 2013:
https://scotlawrence.github.io/snowbird/index.html

Those are still the only three! (We need more!  )

Scot


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

oneacer said:


> @*tadawson*,
> 
> 
> When the Ariens first came out way back, they were selling them with a turf (lawn) tires , and chains were the norm for using them in snow.
> ...


Maybe you had the wrong chains? We ran them for years, no noticeable bouncing of anything, or any damage . . . Yeah, the new tires are nice, but not so much so that I would consider changing a set of the older ones with good chains that were in good shape. Heck, a lot of the time we didnt even have a need for the chains - it's a matter of keeping the drive in good shape .


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## Shovel (Mar 26, 2019)

I don't think I would call the design dangerous.. just not as many safeguards as new machines.
You would have to be pretty careless to get hurt by one.
Chainsaw.. much more dangerous.
Cleaning gutters.. more dangerous.
I think the durability of the machine is worth the trade off of modern features.. I have nevertheless operated this design before mind you.. I could see a concern when people are switching back and forth from current designs to the old machine and have a brain fart or two the first couple minutes

Sent from my LM-Q710.FG using Tapatalk


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

Kielbasa said:


> Scot, what is the size of your driveway? It sort of looks like you do not have any kind of obstructions to deal with. It looks like you may have a double width driveway by maybe 3 car lengths?


Greg, the driveway is about 80 x 30 feet. yes, 3-cars wide.
And no, no obstructions..which was deliberate! 

When my wife and I got married in 2005, we were in our mid to late 30's, neither ever married or owned a home before, and both of us had spent our entire adult lives up to that point, since college, living in apartment buildings. Pretty much all of our 20's and into our mid-30's. Having come from over a decade of apartment dwelling, when we started looking for our first (and still current) house, our *number one* most important criteria for the house was "as few neighbors, and neighbors as far away, as possible"! 

We live in the Western suburbs of Rochester, where suburbia begins to thin-out into more rural farmland, so space is fairly easy to find. There is some denser suburbia around here, and we know devlopers like to cram in houses as closely as possible, to maximize *their* profit of course!  but we didnt want that.. to us, this would be an absolute nightmare:

https://fee.org/media/25320/suburbia.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=1920&rnd=131545301370000000
(random photo from the internet.  I dont know where that is.)

Upstate NY isnt *that* bad usually, but there are some areas where the houses are 10 feet apart..
So, we found a house with a half-acre yard, neighbors not too close!  its worked out well..(we still have some minor neighbor annoyance behind us, cant avoid that anywjere really..but its not too bad overall.)

so yeah, I have plenty of space on both sides of the driveway!  we are lucky and blessed.



Kielbasa said:


> Have you used the ST824 yet? If not... I have a feeling that you might like it better because of the chute and engine. A friend of mine has one of these machine and he loves it.


yep! ive used it. Im trying to alternate between the '71 and the '91, so both get regularly used to keep them both in good running order.
I actually prefer the controls of the '71!  I like that I can walk behind it without having to keep a constant grip on both handlebars.
but both machines are great!

thanks,
Scot


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## amuller (Jan 3, 2016)

I'm gradually assembling one of these, mainly out of interest in trying out a blower with a differential.

Handles have cracked and been welded.

Controls are a little strange, withcombined electrical and mechanical interlocks, and I may end up putting it together with simple "deadman" controls for auger and traction.

I'm not clear on what makes this machine any more dangerous than others of it's age. Explain?

Thanks.


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## Jackmels (Feb 18, 2013)

cranman said:


> I got to see that one before you sold it Jack.....loved it. The only 10000 series I consider for my self now are the 73 and 74's, only because of the more modern controls. I've refurbed over a dozen of the older ones, and the only thing I've ever had to do is clean them up and replace the tired old points type Tecumsehs with a Honda or clone. I've never even had to replace the drive discs, and glad because it looks like a project.



As Much as I like them, Replacing The Friction Wheel is a PIA on the 10000 series. 924 Series is like a 5 minute Job.


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

Not sure about the older 10000 series, but the 73--74 (last of the 10000, as I understand) had zero electrical interlocks . . .


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

amuller said:


> I'm gradually assembling one of these, mainly out of interest in trying out a blower with a differential.
> 
> Handles have cracked and been welded.
> 
> ...


No electrical interlocks on the 10,000 series, not sure what you are referring to.
Can you post a few photos?

Thanks,
Scot


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## scrappy (Dec 7, 2014)

Question about the 10,000. My dads's 1967 10m5 has a spring loaded button next to the clutch lever.


When depressed it will lock the lever in the released (squeezed) position. Any idea what this was used for? I have gone through all of the manuals we have and no mention of it.


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

It was to keep the clutch engaged so the blower wouldn't take off.. When starting one of these, I put the tranny in neutral, engage the clutch lever, and lock it. Then start...pick a gear, then disengage the clutch and start blowing


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## badbmwbrad (Jul 30, 2019)

The Ariens 10,000 is built to last a very long time. We're talking 50+ years! The cast iron gearbox is a supremely robust design. All steel construction including the bucket, discharge chute and pretty much everything else. The controls are simple and intuitive. I love that it's not necessary to continuously squeeze a lever to operate the machine. A rubber friction wheels lasts for 50 years. When the engine finally wears out you simply re-power the machine.


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## reader2580 (Dec 20, 2019)

I don't think I could ever use a snow blower that doesn't have a drive lever. I like to get up close to things and let off the drive lever so the units stops before hitting my garage or whatever.


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

reader2580 said:


> I don't think I could ever use a snow blower that doesn't have a drive lever. I like to get up close to things and let off the drive lever so the units stops before hitting my garage or whatever.



You can do that with the 10,000 series, it has a drive lever.

The only difference is instead of letting go of the lever to stop the machine, you press down the handlebar lever to stop it. Once you have used one for a few minutes, it becomes intuitive.


Scot


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@reader,

Of course these machines stop when you press the drive lever.

As mentioned in many previous posts, these machines are not setup like the new machines of today with all the mandated safety features. Indeed, if you can only operate a machine with todays safety standards, then by all means, you want to stay away from these older, solid built machines, as they require an operator to understand and know how to maneuver one. Many people are not suited for operating such machines, and should steer clear of any machine they don't feel comfortable operating.

I also know many people that should not operate a chainsaw, or for that matter, not operate any power tool that can cause them harm, whether it be a circular saw, drill press, axe, etc., etc.

People should always be aware of there capabilities, keeping safety foremost with any task they take on that could cause them harm.


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## reader2580 (Dec 20, 2019)

oneacer said:


> @reader,
> 
> Of course these machines stop when you press the drive lever.
> 
> ...


Just because I don't like the design of how a snow blower why do you make a bunch of assumptions about my capabilities to operate power tools?

I think my assumption of how these snow blowers work might be wrong. I have been assuming the left lever operates the auger, but maybe it operates the wheel drive instead. I was thinking the only control over the wheel drive was the shift selector on the right side and that it had to shifted to neutral to stop moving. If the left hand lever is for controlling the wheel drive then the design isn't so bad.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@reader2580,

My remarks in that post were directed towards a group of people, and I never said that you were included in that group.

True, your assumptions were wrong on these machines, and on how they operate.

Sorry you felt that it was a personnel reflection to your abilities.


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

reader2580 said:


> I think my assumption of how these snow blowers work might be wrong. I have been assuming the left lever operates the auger, but maybe it operates the wheel drive instead. I was thinking the only control over the wheel drive was the shift selector on the right side and that it had to shifted to neutral to stop moving. If the left hand lever is for controlling the wheel drive then the design isn't so bad.



yes, the left handlebar lever, called the "clutch operating handle", controls starting and stopping of the wheels.
(for 1965 to 1972 10,000 series, but not '73 and '74 10,000 series)

You let go of the lever to start, and press the lever to stop. You dont need to shift into neutral to stop.


The augers are turned on and off with one of the two levers on the side of the machine, not accessible from the handlebars, (again, '65 to '72 only)


Scot


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

Here is a thread where I explained the operation of the handles and levers:


https://www.snowblowerforum.com/for...rum/76681-1971-ariens-sno-thro-7-problem.html


Scot


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## scrappy (Dec 7, 2014)

I was blowin snow with dad's 1967 model way back in 1969. 



I was 10 yrs old, is it amazing I survived?


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@scrappy,

 …. yes, truly amazing. ……. 

Actually, it is a testament to the fact that with proper knowledge and operation, these were some really good machines, that even a 10 year old could operate.


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## Rooskie (Feb 12, 2015)

Ah! The 'Dead Man' switch is shown in that video. Very Nice. I call it the dead man because if you ever dropped dead behind it, it would at least finish the row for you. 
I wouldn't have it any other way. In fact, it was a 'must-have' when I went to find mine.
These are Manly Man's Machines, rwh. That's why they carry an 'M' designation, y'know.😉
It comes down to this: Everyone can drive a car. Not everyone can drive a standard shift. 
If you have what it takes between the ears and shoulders, there is no more robust or reliable machine than these 10000's.
On the other hand, if your missus is going to operate it, get what 1132le recommends. Maybe a led light, an enclosure and hand-warmers,too. 
A doily fits quite nicely between the handlebars on those models, I'm told.
The choice is yours!


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## tlshawks (Feb 9, 2018)

Here's how I look at the 10k series.

My maintenance electrician father inherited a 1971 910962 from his step-dad in the 1980's. Nobody ever maintained it. My father never took the time to learn how to properly operate it. He hated the machine. He had a 1973-74 22k series that was easier physically to use (that I now own and use)...so the '962 was mostly neglected at best. It sat unloved in a garage whose floor was prone to summer flooding/moisture, surface rusting away.

My brother then took over my father's snowthrowing work in the mid 1990's. Same thing...never got used. The 22k blower eventually was overworked until it too was unreliable, so I was brought in from roughly 2000 thru 2014 to keep one machine running. Having my own life to live, I did what I could all things considered to keep the 22k unit running because simply it was easier to work on and the engine ran.

When my father passed in 2014, I took both machines on...my siblings wanted absolutely nothing to do with both. The '962 was a rusted, unloved and unused hulk of a machine whose engine didn't run and gears didn't shift. Most anybody would have junked it.

Me being a computer nerd and a capable self-trained mechanic, I researched the '962 thoroughly (this site was a godsend), learning how to properly operate it as well as figuring out "what made them tick" mechanically. For parts, all it needed was the shift fork bearing and a carb kit along with some good snow tires. I threw in a friction disc simply because I had the assembly apart (yes, it is a pain to change a disc "only"). Otherwise, with little more than a good part by part researching/inspection/cleaning/adjusting, I revived the machine and discovered that it was an absolute beast of a snowblower for having "only" a near 50 year old Tecumseh 7hp engine. 

Once it was operating the way it should, it wound up being serious overkill for my needs - which is why I use 22k machines now. My age early 30's nephew now has the machine and absolutely loves it.

In summation...this '962 was as neglected as a machine could possibly be, yet with roughly $100 of parts and simply someone taking the time to care about it, I'm betting it now has another 25 years at the very least left in it. Store it properly, maintain it keeping up on oil/gas/lube by the book...I'm betting it might have another 50 years in it.

"Bill" (white engined machine) - before (in pretty much original trim as I inherited it) and after (cleaned up, some rust removal and engine/handlebars/rims repainted). I have since also restored the 22k series too.

I simply love these old Ariens. They're awesome. If I had the need for a more robust machine, I'd first look to find myself another 10k series, probably a 73 or 74 - but I'd have no issues with a prior machine.


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

You painted Bill's chrome handles?


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## fordguy2018 (Dec 27, 2019)

classiccat said:


> More '71 10000 series Love. The beauty is in their robust, simple build quality.
> 
> Like Kielbasa, I actually like the controls.
> 
> ...


Great video! You really put some time into this project. Looks great and it looked you had a blast.


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## tlshawks (Feb 9, 2018)

cranman said:


> You painted Bill's chrome handles?


Yep. They were in very bad shape rust-wise and I could not find a replacement set cheap locally. Owners simply never sell or give away these machines where I live.

So, I angle grinded them all completely clean of rust and 3/4 the chrome was gone. It was flaking off badly anyway, all 4 pieces were missing major portions of chrome after steel wool/chrome cleanering them initially. So, primed and painted them. Hated to do it, but it was a $10 fix versus gawd knows how much to buy a set off the internet that were reasonably clean.


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