# PLATINUM 24 SHO vs older Ariens



## ChrisJ (Nov 27, 2014)

Hi all

Before putting time and money into mods I'm curious how the current PLATINUM 24 SHO model 921050 compares to my 1998 824SLE 924108 in build quality etc.

Mine is 8hp with 15" auger and 12" impeller and the new one has a 14" auger with 14" impeller. They don't say hp but judging by the engines size and torque it sounds like 11+.

Are these new machines built as good, better, worse? It sounds like they throw a lot further due to the larger impeller?

Also curious how the EFI on the better model is viewed. Reliable etc.


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## Smokie1 (Sep 17, 2019)

ChrisJ said:


> Hi all
> 
> Before putting time and money into mods I'm curious how the current PLATINUM 24 SHO model 921050 compares to my 1998 824SLE 924108 in build quality etc.
> 
> ...


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

Many here feel that fuel injection is unnecessary, and too complex. Best to stick with a carb.


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## Smokie1 (Sep 17, 2019)

Hi Chris,
I have a 2919 24” Platinum SHO, and I’m in my second winter with it. I have a 25 year old Toro 824, and a 18 year old Simplicity 8 hp, that I keep at my cabin and that’s what I’m comparing it with. The new machine has been flawless so far. Yes, the larger diameter impeller, the SHO design, and the larger chute throws snow considerably farther. (Especially heavy wet snow) the double belts on the impeller makes a big difference. My older machines, no matter how tight I make the belt always slips some with heavy/wet snow, resulting in reduced throwing distance. The quality of the build is very good. The only notable difference is that they use a slightly thinner gauge metal in the bucket than they did years ago (as does every newer car). The auto turn makes the machine really easy to handle compared to the locked axel on my older machines. When you point it straight ahead the wheels lock, and with the large wheels, the traction is great. The chute controls work really well, and the heated hand grips make it easy to keep working in cold weather. Neither of my old machines have a headlight, and the light makes it much easier to see when your out early or late. The engine has more torque, and almost growls under heavy load,. it definitely has more power. However,, the bigger Airens engine does use more fuel than my older 8 hp blowers, but the tank size seems adequate as I’ve yet to run it out of gas. Only improvement I could make to the Airens would be a slightly faster reverse, and a creeper low gear. 1st gear with the big engine just goes through anything I’ve thrown at it so far, even EOD crud, but I would prefer a super low for really deep plow piles. I have a couple of videos on YouTube with the Ariens working. I’m not sure how to link a YouTube video to this post. If you search YouTube for Ariens SHO vs 12” you can see the machine in action.


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## Smokie1 (Sep 17, 2019)

Oh, and I opted for a carb. If EFI goes down , it’s a trip to the dealer for diagnosis/repair. A problem with a carb I can see/hear coming, and usually take care of myself without being without my machine. Starts 1st pull every time with carb.


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

Here is the video: 



 that I think @Smokie1 referred to.


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## Smokie1 (Sep 17, 2019)

Thanks Town!


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## trellis (Mar 14, 2018)

Smokie1 said:


> The only notable difference is that they use a slightly thinner gauge metal in the bucket than they did years ago ( Only improvement I could make to the Airens would be a slightly faster reverse, and a creeper low gear. 1st gear with the big engine just goes through anything I’ve thrown at it so far, even EOD crud, but I would prefer a super low for really deep plow piles.


hi Smokie

I also found that 1st was set too fast and reverse 1&2 were too slow. It was an easy fix to change the drive speed. There’s a Ariens video that shows the tech setting the drive speed based on the fastest speed. Instead of that method set the drive to reverse “2” and calibrate the drive lever when it’s set to the maximum reverse “2” setting.

Here’s a video by someone that made the adjustment that worked for my 24 sho by setting the drive based on the maximum setting for reverse.


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## ChrisJ (Nov 27, 2014)

I find it very interesting it has two belts to drive the impeller / auger.
That's a significant improvement over my 924 series.

What's with the braces in the bucket to hold the gear box? I assume they had issues with the design mine has?
Or were they able to lighten / cheapen other things by going that route?


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## MLF149 (Dec 21, 2020)

Agree on the carb vs. EFI. I don't see the real benefit of EFI on a snowblower given the number of times per season it's used. Factor in the limited support you get on an LCT engine (china-made) and it's a recipe for frustration if/when there is an issue and you need the machine running ASAP. With a carb you can fix/clean yourself or bolt on another carb from Amazon, etc. in 10 minutes and $20.

I have EFI on a Ferris ZTR (37 HP Vanguard.) The difference to me is Vanguard engines are commercial quality and I use the the machine 30+ times per season vs. 0-5 snow blower here in SE PA.


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## ChrisJ (Nov 27, 2014)

MLF149 said:


> Agree on the carb vs. EFI. I don't see the real benefit of EFI on a snowblower given the number of times per season it's used. Factor in the limited support you get on an LCT engine (china-made) and it's a recipe for frustration if/when there is an issue and you need the machine running ASAP. With a carb you can fix/clean yourself or bolt on another carb from Amazon, etc. in 10 minutes and $20.
> 
> I have EFI on a Ferris ZTR (37 HP Vanguard.) The difference to me is Vanguard engines are commercial quality and I use the the machine 30+ times per season vs. 0-5 snow blower here in SE PA.


To me, the benefit of the EFI is the fact you rarely use it and it sits a lot.
No bowl with ethanol and fuel exposed to air etc. It's been my experience that EFI and fuel tanks in a slight vacuum do much better sitting for extended periods than carbureted setups.

I'm guessing even the EFI snowblowers probably don't have the same setup as modern cars for the fuel tank but they don't have a fuel bowl full of air.


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

ChrisJ said:


> To me, the benefit of the EFI is the fact you rarely use it and it sits a lot.
> No bowl with ethanol and fuel exposed to air etc. It's been my experience that EFI and fuel tanks in a slight vacuum do much better sitting for extended periods than carbureted setups.
> 
> I'm guessing even the EFI snowblowers probably don't have the same setup as modern cars for the fuel tank but they don't have a fuel bowl full of air.


I drain the fuel out of my carb and tank when the season is over. I put a plastic glove over the tank fill hole and screw the cap on preventing any air from getting into the tank. I've never had a snow blower fail to start in over 20 years and run well due to a fuel problem, I doubt you'll be able to say the same for an EFI


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

ChrisJ said:


> I find it very interesting it has two belts to drive the impeller / auger.
> That's a significant improvement over my 924 series.
> 
> What's with the braces in the bucket to hold the gear box? I assume they had issues with the design mine has?
> Or were they able to lighten / cheapen other things by going that route?


Ariens use a short axle (2 or 3 inches long each side of gearbox) to drive the augers on Platinum and Deluxe models. The gearbox support is therefore necessary to keep the gearbox and augers in alignment. The Pro models continue with the full width axle shaft to drive the augers so do not need the gearbox support.


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## z28lt1 (Oct 18, 2018)

FWIW, I love my EFI. Many here will raise a very good point that since it is still relatively new in the event of failure, you may be waiting on parts, or have a dealer not know how to repair it. That said, it is a pretty simple system, and if parts were easy to get, repairs are not a big deal.

For now, I think its great. With something like 5 inches of relatively dry snow, I don't really need full power, so dialing down the power a little to make it quieter and more fuel efficient is nice, added bonus of not messing with priming, idle speed adjustments, and choke and stuff (although note of those is really a bid deal, we've been doing it for years and years). I'm sure if I ever have a failure that causes me to sit around waiting for parts, I'll change my tune, but for now, I'm very happy with it.


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## ChrisJ (Nov 27, 2014)

z28lt1 said:


> FWIW, I love my EFI. Many here will raise a very good point that since it is still relatively new in the event of failure, you may be waiting on parts, or have a dealer not know how to repair it. That said, it is a pretty simple system, and if parts were easy to get, repairs are not a big deal.
> 
> For now, I think its great. With something like 5 inches of relatively dry snow, I don't really need full power, so dialing down the power a little to make it
> 
> ...



I'm able to turn my carb down too so that part isn't an issue for me.

But, does the EFI burn cleaner with less smell? I'd assume it does but who knows.

What kind of EFI setup is it? A single injector right by the intake valve? Electric fuel pump?


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

Ariens is open loop, throttle body injection with an electric fuel pump and servo driven throttle plate. Temp and rpm sensors, but no O2 sensor, so mixture is purely via a fueling map. Seems like a simple system that should be trivial to t-shoot and repair from here . . .


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

tadawson said:


> Seems like a simple system that should be trivial to t-shoot and repair from here . . .


should also be more expensive to repair.

i personally wouldn't trust the efi machines yet. too new and too many things that can fail especially if you treat them like a carbed engine. parts are also expensive. $100 for a fuel pump or $200 for a throttle body assembly and according to the ariens website that TBA is on currently on back order really doesn't seem like a great sign. the price of a carb is usually less than $150 which you could buy 2 of for the price of the 2 things that will likely fail or cause you trouble. 








Throttle Body Assm, Efi- 369cc - Ariens


Ariens genuine OEM parts provide peace of mind and the confidence of knowing these parts were specifically designed for an exact fit, optimal performance and safety.




www.ariens.com


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## Smokie1 (Sep 17, 2019)

I ordered my platinum SHO from my Airens dealer with a carb. He had EFI in stock, but after careful consideration, I wanted the carb. I liked the convenience of EFI, and thought it brought a lot to the table, but reading reviews from guys that had it, when it goes it’s instantaneous. You come out to start the machine, and it’s a no go. No symptoms, no warning. So there you sit with 10” of snow and no options other than to grab the shovel. With a carb, it starts to run/choke poorly long before it won’t start, so you have a chance to clean it, or replace it. A few years ago, I started adding a little sea foam/ stabil in the gas, and I haven’t had a carb on a snowblower give me problems since. I’m sure they’ll get the EFI to the point where it’s bulletproof eventually, but it hasn’t happened yet. 


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## ChrisJ (Nov 27, 2014)

Smokie1 said:


> I ordered my platinum SHO from my Airens dealer with a carb. He had EFI in stock, but after careful consideration, I wanted the carb. I liked the convenience of EFI, and thought it brought a lot to the table, but reading reviews from guys that had it, when it goes it’s instantaneous. You come out to start the machine, and it’s a no go. No symptoms, no warning. So there you sit with 10” of snow and no options other than to grab the shovel. With a carb, it starts to run/choke poorly long before it won’t start, so you have a chance to clean it, or replace it. A few years ago, I started adding a little sea foam/ stabil in the gas, and I haven’t had a carb on a snowblower give me problems since. I’m sure they’ll get the EFI to the point where it’s bulletproof eventually, but it hasn’t happened yet.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


It appears Seafoam contains 10-20% alcohol.
I've seen many types of Stabilizer also have alcohol in them. 

I don't add anything to gasoline. I try to keep it in a dry temperature stable location and I drain my carbs when not in use. I have a generator I also drain the entire tank on but the snowblower I don't usually. Even after sitting for two years the gas in the snowblower was still "ok" in that it ran alright on it. After 3 years I drained the tank and put fresh fuel in it though because I knew I was really asking for trouble if I turned the fuel on. 

I just built a natural gas portable generator so I didn't have to deal with such things. If I could make it happen I'd run the snowblower on natural gas as well.


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## Smokie1 (Sep 17, 2019)

I use only non-ethanol gasoline in all my small engines, so I’m starting with 10% less alcohol than most. A tablespoon of sea foam, and a tablespoon of Stabil in 5 gal of gas keeps my carb passages squeaky clean. Recommend by Paul Sikkmema... the snow blower guru


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## ChrisJ (Nov 27, 2014)

This stinks.
The crawl space I store my machines in is only 40" high and my current 924 series barely fits. I have to put the chute deflector all the way down but it just makes it.

Looks like all the newer machines are several inches higher.

I'd rather not keep it in an unheated damp shed. I guess that kind of seals that deal.


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## BazookaJoe (Oct 6, 2019)

Maybe you can remove the chute each year for storage- it's only a few bolts.


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## ChrisJ (Nov 27, 2014)

BazookaJoe said:


> Maybe you can remove the chute each year for storage- it's only a few bolts.


I keep it in there anytime I'm not using it.

But that's not the only issue, it looks like the handles etc are too high on the newer ones also.


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## BazookaJoe (Oct 6, 2019)

I guess then it's the 924 or store the snowblower elsewhere. Or, maybe it's time to build that awesome garage you've been wanting.


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## ChrisJ (Nov 27, 2014)

BazookaJoe said:


> I guess then it's the 924 or store the snowblower elsewhere. Or, maybe it's time to build that awesome garage you've been wanting.


Luckily (or unluckily) that's not an option due to no extra land.

I guess it could be worse, the 924s seem like good machines to work with. So I've got that going for me


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