# New 30 Platinum SHO, Tweaks?



## tolsen (Jan 24, 2015)

Hey all, just recieved my new sho last week, seems to be well built. Have a few nagging issues. It leaks fuel out of fuel cap. Have a gravel driveway and this thing is "bouncy", its been a challenge to keep the front end down. Also when in very heavy snow it just stops moving forward, no wheel spin, nothing. I have to back up, hit it again, go several more feet and repeat. Auto steer has been a bit of a wrestling match, its working me more then I'm letting it do the work. This thing is 140 lbs heavier then my craftsman and I can feel every pound. Not crazy about the chute control, and can't disengage impeller interlock without stopping thrower. 

Maybe my expectations were to high, but I'm working harder then with my 20 year old craftsman 11/30. I invested a lot of cash, thought I was getting top of the line, improved design, easier to operate, more snow throwing beast. Willing to tweak this thing to make it work better, but what tweaks? 

Don't mean to sound all negative in my first post, this thing really does look well made, and man it throws the snow.

Thanks for any thoughts, Tim


----------



## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

can't say I know much about those machines. anyway ALOHA from the unfrozen TUNDRA.


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

hello tim, welcome to *SBF!!* its a new machine you shouldn't be doing any tweaking you should be talking to your dealer about your snowblower after all its under warranty


----------



## Johnny_W (Jan 5, 2015)

Get Armor skids, that will fix the auto steer issues on gravel. Check the tire sizes and watch this video.
http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/ariens-snowblowers/12298-ariens-auto-turn-adjustment.html
As far as the stopping in heavy snow check the belt tension?
Hope this helps!


----------



## Normex (Feb 21, 2014)

Johnny_W said:


> Get Armor skids, that will fix the auto steer issues on gravel. Check the tire sizes and watch this video.
> http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/ariens-snowblowers/12298-ariens-auto-turn-adjustment.html
> As far as the stopping in heavy snow check the belt tension?
> Hope this helps!


 +1 and it might also be not enough pressure on the friction disk so it might be better to have the adjustments made by the dealer.


----------



## peisnowguy (Jan 19, 2014)

Set the stock skids to 7/8 of an inch if your driveway is really rough. I had to do that on mine because my driveway is paved, but the pavement is on its last legs and incredibly rough. I had a Craftsman 11/30 before my 2014 Platinum 30 and I wouldn't go back to the Craftsman. If the setup doesn't suit, take it back to the dealer and get them to make adjustments. Sounds like your friction wheel may need to be adjusted. I don't have any problem with my wheels stopping in heavy snow. Maybe a little bit in reverse, but only in the lowest reverse gear but only when I am backing it in my garage over a small bump at the door. My blower is a beast and it just keeps pushing and keeps on ticking. I have never had to hesitate because I was overloading the motor. It is a bigger blower and I found the Craftsman rode up in the snow more than the Ariens does. If you are having to go back and forth to get through it though this could pack the snow down with the multiple passes and then it rides up on the hard packed snow. Friction disk adjustment and skid adjustment will make it much better. The only time I have gas leaking out of the gas cap is if I tip it up to do maintenance underneath and then it does leak out the cap. You will like the chute control if it is adjusted properly and I had to play with my adjustment till I got it just right. When it is adjusted properly you just have to push it right or left with no pushing forward or pulling towards yourself. I like this feature much better but it is very touchy on the adjustment and when I first got mine it worked fine but I guess the cable stretched a little because it was new and it was horrible to operate the chute. It is fine now. Unfortunately the interlock is something you have to get used to and given the choice of the two levers on the Craftsman you had to try to hold down together to adjust the chute while still moving, I like that I can keep it moving with one hand now, freeing up the other hand to operate the chute controls or the speed selector.


----------



## vmaxed (Feb 23, 2014)

Ariens has a fix for the gas leaking out of the gas cap 

http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/ariens-snowblowers/35825-new-guy-just-checking-out-forum.html


----------



## peisnowguy (Jan 19, 2014)

What is the fix? Is it a recall?


----------



## AriensSnowman (Dec 9, 2014)

All you need to do is adjust the friction disc tension (very easy, in manual) and get some better skids (Armorskids). Those two tweaks turned my machine into the perfect beast. I have the Platinum 30 SHO and found the output is so great I can't get it to clog the chute, no matter how wet and sticky the snow is. There is a service bulletin for the gas cap apparently, but it's not a full-on recall as some models don't leak (mine doesn't). You need to contact your dealer.


----------



## tolsen (Jan 24, 2015)

Thanks to all for the replies, very helpful. I called Ariens direct yesterday and they are going to send out a kit for the gas tank. Sounds like it includes an insert for anti splash and a new cap. I discovered last night that the nut on the cable for the drive wheels had come loose. I readjusted the slack out of the cable and tightened. I haven't tried it yet, we're in a spring break up mode here. If that doesn't take care of the drive problem I'll look into the friction disk tension. Definitely going to readjust the skids higher, and that failing maybe the Armor Skids, those look very well made. 

Just I clairify on the chute control, I shouldn't have to pull back to move it? Also on the interlock on my Craftsman I could let off the drive handle just a bit and that would disengage the auger, while it kept the blower moving. Doesn't appear to work that way on the Ariens. I read through the sticky to adjust the auto turn, that sounds pretty easy to adjust, I'll do that at the same time I mess with the skids. Thanks again all!


----------



## peisnowguy (Jan 19, 2014)

No you shouldn't have to pull back on it. If it is adjusted correctly, when you go to move it , it releases the tang before it moves. The sign it needs to be adjusted is if you need to pull back on it, or push it forward. I can't remember which way since I don't have to do it. Mine swings with just a push right or left of the lever. I will say though that mine doesn't swing as easily to the right as it does to the left but that seems to be a common issue that the manufacturer is unwilling to fix.


----------



## knu2xs (Jan 6, 2015)

tolsen said:


> Just I clairify on the chute control, I shouldn't have to pull back to move it?


T, I have a 2014 Platinum 24 SHO and you do have to pull the joystick back to move it. By pulling back you 
"unlock" it from it's current position, which, I'm guessing, is intended to keep the chute where you set it.


----------



## AriensSnowman (Dec 9, 2014)

My model also needs to be pulled back to turn the chute. As a matter of fact all the new Ariens I played with in the showroom needed to have the handle pulled back. It's normal.


----------

