# Ariens SS522E doesn't throw snow very far



## db130 (Feb 16, 2013)

I picked up this Ariens single stager yesterday.

It starts up on the first try, runs well, and the paddles appear to be in decent shape.... but 2" of fluffy snow will overwhelm it... either the bucket will fill up with snow and very little snow will come out of the chute, or it'll throw snow maybe 5 feet.

My old Murray single stager used to throw at least 3 times that distance. What could I check for?


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

my used ss toro did the same thing when i first tried it.....paddles looked ok, just shy of the warning holes. new paddles totally changed that little machine.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Check for a slipping belt. You could squeeze the handle to tighten the belt, then do something like turn the paddles and see if the engine turns, etc. Or lock the paddles and turn the engine. 

I had an Ariens SS322, the 3hp version. It did well on light snow, it was just underpowered. So it should be doing better than this.


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## db130 (Feb 16, 2013)

The belt appeared to be loose with the auger handle engaged, so I adjusted the auger cable and the idler pulley to provide some additional tension using specs from the owner's manual.

I still have some snow on my driveway to test with, I will give it another go tomorrow morning and report back.


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## db130 (Feb 16, 2013)

Here's an update.... I found a crack in the auger housing.... rendering this snowblower best suited for parts.

To make myself feel better, I found a SS722EC (938018) from in the "reject pile" at a local power equipment store. It needed a carburetor cleaning and a belt, but the 722E has good paddles and I have it running pretty well now. The only thing it could use is an electric starter, which I will scavenge from the SS522E.

Here's the 722:










7hp from 139cc!


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