# What's so bad about the compact?



## New_HondaHS35 (Jan 18, 2014)

it sure is affordable. seems like most buy deluxe or platinum


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## motorhead64 (Dec 15, 2013)

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the compact if it will handle what you need it for. Those with long, wide chores will want something bigger, that's all. MH


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

It's not bad at all.
If most buy deluxe or platinum, its because they can afford to, or they really need the extra power. everyone has a different budget, and different needs.

Scot


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## JRHAWK9 (Jan 6, 2013)

My buddy has a Compact 22 and he seems to really like it.


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## throttlejunkie450 (Dec 24, 2013)

They are great machines .I know a few people with the compact 22 an they have said nothing but good an they were suprised what it can do.i personally ,if im going to purchase a 2 stage blower im going to try an buy as large possible but also I have a snow throwing distance obsession apparently. Im one of them lol.on a budget of course.


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## New_HondaHS35 (Jan 18, 2014)

I'm not on a budget. it looks like the compact has just as tall of augers.
I worry if I buy a new machine, we won't get over 4 inches of snow for the next 10 years.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

I don't quite understand something here. I see your screen name and you're asking about a compact. Do you own an HS35? If so you sure don't need a compact. You need a little ol' 20" single stage.


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## New_HondaHS35 (Jan 18, 2014)

micah68kj said:


> I don't quite understand something here. I see your screen name and you're asking about a compact. Do you own an HS35? If so you sure don't need a compact. You need a little ol' 20" single stage.


I have a HS35 but it isn't enough. need something bigger. the chute isn't even as high as the snow, and it takes forever.


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## throttlejunkie450 (Dec 24, 2013)

I thought the hs35 is a single stage.


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## New_HondaHS35 (Jan 18, 2014)

throttlejunkie450 said:


> I thought the hs35 is a single stage.


it is. I borrowed a 2 stage yesterday for a few paths yesterday and it was much better. the HS35 simply won't do deep snow


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## Blue Hill (Mar 31, 2013)

New_HondaHS35 said:


> I'm not on a budget. it looks like the compact has just as tall of augers.
> I worry if I buy a new machine, we won't get over 4 inches of snow for the next 10 years.


I look at that like this. If you don't get the snow, what you've bought is cheap insurance against having to shovel. . Last winter we had one of those once in 50 year winters and me with no snowblower. I was lifting snow 8 feet with a shovel to keep my pathways clear. This year, we haven't had much snow at all, but I have a snowblower that will handle what we had last winter in a pinch and the regular winters with ease. Great blower, but (this year at least) not much snow. I'm OK with that.


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## MnJim (Jan 26, 2014)

Don't know anything really about the compacts, I had up until this afternoon a Craftsman 5/24 that I put a 6hp my son picked up the Craftsman this afternoon. When it came time for a new blower I wanted something bigger so got the 28 Deluxe the 24 Compact probably would have done everything I needed but as I like to think better to have and not need then to need and not have.
I was also considering the 24 Deluxe but a few extra $$$ should equal less time spent outside that and the fact that HD only had a 28 Deluxe kinda cinched it for me.


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## Runner50 (Jan 21, 2013)

New_HondaHS35 said:


> I'm not on a budget. it looks like the compact has just as tall of augers.
> I worry if I buy a new machine, we won't get over 4 inches of snow for the next 10 years.


Yeah, I'd really hate not getting over 4" of snow for the next 10 years because I bought a snow blower.


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## JRHAWK9 (Jan 6, 2013)

Runner50 said:


> Yeah, I'd really hate not getting over 4" of snow for the next 10 years because I bought a snow blower.



speak for yourself.....I can't get enough snow during winter


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## New_HondaHS35 (Jan 18, 2014)

JRHAWK9 said:


> speak for yourself.....I can't get enough snow during winter


i love it when I have the toys to deal with it


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## Runner50 (Jan 21, 2013)

JRHAWK9 said:


> speak for yourself.....I can't get enough snow during winter


Yeah, I've come to the conclusion some of you guys here are nuts.


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## New_HondaHS35 (Jan 18, 2014)

i love snow. these were taken today


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## Runner50 (Jan 21, 2013)

I love it too in pictures.


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## New_HondaHS35 (Jan 18, 2014)

Runner50 said:


> I love it too in pictures.


I bought a new compact today..24" love it...couldn't bog it down in 22" of snow and full width.


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## brickcity (Jan 23, 2014)

bought my first snowblower in 2009 after 15 inch storm. before that i had the mentality that shoveling snow was good excersize but after shoveling deep snow i realized i had turned into my father. a chubby out of shape couch potatoe.
there were no snowblowers to be sold anywhere in my area and i live in a densly populated area with many home depots, lowes and megamarts.
wound up driving to a home depot that said they had two left. 
before that i never heard of ariens but thats what i got. compact 24. so far absolutely no complaints. had a big storm around two years ago. i think it was around 17" and i had reservations before i started but it handled it pretty good.
only thing that pissed me off a little was that i thought it was 9 hp untill i got it home and read the little tiny 'ft torque' letters under the giant 9 on the engine. never heard of ft torque before and was a little dissapointed when i found out it's probaly 6 or 7 hp but it has done very well every time and always starts on first or second pull.


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## New_HondaHS35 (Jan 18, 2014)

we're supposed to get another 5 inches over the weekend.

Can't wait to use the Compact again!


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## New_HondaHS35 (Jan 18, 2014)

I used the compact all day today and kicked ass. Sure no one cares. But I do


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## PG-IN (Jan 3, 2014)

New_HondaHS35 said:


> I used the compact all day today and kicked ass. Sure no one cares. But I do


Two weeks ago I bought a 28" Sno-Tek (By Ariens) and now I can't wait to get more snow!  We got 3" yesterday and I got mine out and did 3 drives in less than 30 minutes. Supposed to get up to 14" tomorrow night, I say bring it on! I should have bought one YEARS ago, my back might be in better shape right now.


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## New_HondaHS35 (Jan 18, 2014)

PG-IN said:


> Two weeks ago I bought a 28" Sno-Tek (By Ariens) and now I can't wait to get more snow!  We got 3" yesterday and I got mine out and did 3 drives in less than 30 minutes. Supposed to get up to 14" tomorrow night, I say bring it on! I should have bought one YEARS ago, my back might be in better shape right now.


I'm in NE Indiana, we're supposed to get more snow tomorrow and Wednesday.

We have broken records in snowfall this year


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## PG-IN (Jan 3, 2014)

New_HondaHS35 said:


> I'm in NE Indiana, we're supposed to get more snow tomorrow and Wednesday.
> 
> We have broken records in snowfall this year


They just revised our forecast to 5-10", Tuesday night thru Wednesday morning.  Yes!


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## Locallawncare (Dec 25, 2013)

I have an Ariens Compact 24 and can say that it is likely more than enough machine for most people, the main differences between it and it's larger brothers are engine size and auger/impeller size, also if you want a wider machine. I find the compact is pretty capable for its size, however it doesn't have the ability to process the snow like a machine with a 14" impeller/auger combo, where as the compact has a 11" and 12" I think, buy what you can afford you will be happy with it.


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## New_HondaHS35 (Jan 18, 2014)

Locallawncare said:


> I have an Ariens Compact 24 and can say that it is likely more than enough machine for most people, the main differences between it and it's larger brothers are engine size and auger/impeller size, also if you want a wider machine. I find the compact is pretty capable for its size, however it doesn't have the ability to process the snow like a machine with a 14" impeller/auger combo, where as the compact has a 11" and 12" I think, buy what you can afford you will be happy with it.


I like the fact that it's easy to maneuver with the wheels locked.


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## rnlocnil (Feb 9, 2014)

We've had a 920014 Compact for, I think, 4 snowstorms now. I've been borrowing the neighbor's larger blower before this. Ours is easier to handle but still blows a lot of snow. You have to be careful how high you aim. I put a bunch of snow into the neighbor's window by accident a day or two ago! I find the handles a bit low, but that's probably not true for most people unless they are quite tall. It's a bit loud, also. But it really digs in. With patience, you can get through that heavy stuff the snowplow leaves even if it's a lot higher than the auger housing. 

The start is really easy, even when it's quite cold. 

Be sure to tighten the handles. Don't count on those Home Despot guys. Also, when changing the oil, you may want to grab the drain tube with Channellocks or something, so that only the cap comes off and not the whole tube. The latter will make a bit of a mess. Also, try not to snowblow any rope. It's quite bad for the machine!


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## rnlocnil (Feb 9, 2014)

P.S. I suspect chains would really help in some kinds of heavy snow. The machine is light enough to tug around, but that's quite tiring.

P.P.S. We're on a corner lot and have maybe 150 feet of sidewalk, that the town plows in, and a medium sized driveway. The driveway is easy and quick, the plowed in walk, not so much.


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## New_HondaHS35 (Jan 18, 2014)

I wear earplugs. it would be nice if the fast speed was a little faster


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## brickcity (Jan 23, 2014)

mine worked like a champ in this last noreaster. 13" of heavey snow. there were a few times when i had to dissengage the drive and keep the auger turning to clear the snow out but not too often and only for a few seconds. i'm sure a bigger engine would better but no complaints.


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## Mal (Oct 8, 2013)

I have a compact 24. 

In the past 24 hours I had 22 inches of snow dropped on me. The only time it bogs and I have to stop is when I'm completely filling the bucket with snow plow piles, other than that it just chugs though it. I've never stalled it, I just have take bites on the big piles. It sure throws the snow! 40 foot easily.

My paths won't allow me anything bigger than a 24", so maybe next year I get the platinum then I shouldn't have any issues.


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## brickcity (Jan 23, 2014)

i should have mentioned the only time mine strained was where the street plows left a huge pile and a few drifts that where higher than the bucket.
pretty happy with it. hopefully it will last 25 years and be my first and only snowblower.


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## Allie (Feb 5, 2014)

Helpful thread here!

We just bought a Compact 24, which seemed like it should be more than capable for most of the snows that NJ has to offer. Although money wasn't exactly an issue with this purchase, storage, lightness, and maneuverability were so the Compact seemed ideal. I initially wanted a machine with power steering, but reasoned that with a smaller machine it might not be such an issue. 

Aaaaanyway, the new machine got a workout yesterday and this morning. I took some advice of coating the chute and housing with Fluid Film. We got a pretty good dose of snow here and I didn't experience a single clog. The machine threw snow with vigor in all circumstances. The plow piles on the sidewalks and drive entrance were ~20 inches high, wet, heavy, and riddled with icy remnants of previous snows. It took patience and bites to deal with it, but the machine did what looked insurmountable when I first saw it. 

One impression I have is that the first forward speed seems to fast, I kept wishing it would be about half as fast, you really want to creep along in heavy snow. I was also wishing the reverse speeds were a little faster... I wonder, is there a way to adjust this? I saw the diagram of the disc drive system, it almost seems like it would be easier to do than a belt system, if there's a provision for it. Operating the handle past the first notch, towards the first reverse notch does indeed yield a slower speed....

One more observation, yesterdays heavy wet snow was one thing, but after I cleared it we got quite a bit of frozen slush over night, that was HORRIBLE to deal with. Can't really break through it with a shovel, and takes forever with the machine. Heavier might have been better there, maybe there's a safe way to weight the front down? I also put some chains on it from a old Snapper that's in limbo. Lucky the tires are similar size... Was an awfully tight clearance to the chassis so I moved the wheels out and used the 'pinlock' holes to secure them. Guessing that's what you're supposed to do with chains... but anyway what a difference in traction, especially with that crappy perma frost in the driveway. 

Overall pretty happy with the machine! Smaller engine may require more patience than the big ones but had spunk and handled pretty much the worst NJ has to offer.


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## Smolenski7 (Nov 24, 2010)

Well I have a 24" Deluxe.

I looked at the Compacts, but I decided on the 24" Deluxe only because I like to be prepared for whatever Mother Nature can throw at me. Here in CT that means anywhere from a few inches of slush (which is what I woke up to this morning after about 9" of heavy wet snow yesterday morning) to over 3' (yes, I said feet) like last year.

The Deluxe can handle all of it, especially the deep stuff. I think it prefers depths for 8+". The heavy wet slush is much more difficult for the machine, but it handles it well. This morning it clogged only 1x, not bad.

I had a friend look at the 22" Compact last year, but decided on a Honda single stage instead b/c he thought it was a little too big for him; I don't think he's every used a 2 stage before. It's what he felt comfortable with and he is happy with the decision, even after our historic blizzard last year that dumped 3+ feet last year.

My 24" Deluxe is heavy, though. It is a bear to maneuver, especially when I'm out for 45 minutes and just want to go inside because I'm soaked through. I foresee a day when I sell in on CL and buy a 24" Platinum with Auto-turn.


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## Snowmann (Dec 24, 2012)

Allie said:


> One impression I have is that the first forward speed seems to fast, I kept wishing it would be about half as fast, you really want to creep along in heavy snow. I was also wishing the reverse speeds were a little faster... I wonder, is there a way to adjust this? I saw the diagram of the disc drive system, it almost seems like it would be easier to do than a belt system, if there's a provision for it. Operating the handle past the first notch, towards the first reverse notch does indeed yield a slower speed....


 Crack open the owner's manual. Check the adjustment of the trunion at the bottom of the shift rod. It may be out of adjustment. Even if it isn't, you can probably cheat the adjustment by a thread or two to both slow down 1st gear and speed up the reverse gears (threading the trunion in one particular direction will do both of these things). Be careful not to get carried away, this adjustment will put the friction disk closer to the center of the drive plate in 1st forward gear. Especially with tire chains, if you get it too close, you'll get a lot of drive slippage which will accelerate the wear on the friction disk.


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## Allie (Feb 5, 2014)

Snowmann said:


> Crack open the owner's manual. Check the adjustment of the trunion at the bottom of the shift rod. It may be out of adjustment. Even if it isn't, you can probably cheat the adjustment by a thread or two to both slow down 1st gear and speed up the reverse gears (threading the trunion in one particular direction will do both of these things). Be careful not to get carried away, this adjustment will put the friction disk closer to the center of the drive plate in 1st forward gear. Especially with tire chains, if you get it too close, you'll get a lot of drive slippage which will accelerate the wear on the friction disk.


Thanks muchly. I did as you said, and the first speed in both forward and reverse seem about equal, which to my reasoning should be pretty safe territory for the friction disc. Took several turns too, forward speed was originally much faster than reverse. Wondering if perhaps revers was too close to center...


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## FairfieldCT (Nov 8, 2013)

Driveways and walkways come in all different sizes and lengths. The blower you choose really depends on what you are dealing with in your particular situation. Even with the biggest driveways, I prefer a slightly smaller more maneuverable machine to the more cumbersome 32 and 36 inch units. i don't mind the couple of extra passes... I really don't mind being out there. The auto turn is not a must have... in snow or on ice they all turn easily.... especially if you are talking about a 24 inch unit. I can finish my driveway with my 28 inch machine in less time than it takes to finish one Padron anyway, so I find myself looking for other things to clear before it is time to go inside anyway.


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## EuroStyle (Dec 5, 2013)

I love our Compact 24.....for me, I didn't want to get a bigger machine that would be worthless in a small storm, but didn't trust the Chinese engines, so the 24 is the smallest with the Briggs and Stratton. Although I too use earplugs as its louder then I'd have thought, it starts right up, comes off choke almost immediately, and has handles 4" to 27" storms with ease in the last 2 years....


Wife bought it for me as a gift after I recovered from back surgery in 2011...said my shoveling days were over.


Sean


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## New_HondaHS35 (Jan 18, 2014)

Got to run the compact for the first time this season. Runs great, I don't have any issues with power some mention. Handled all the blizzards we had last year no problem


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## 1894 (Dec 16, 2014)

Runner50 said:


> Yeah, I'd really hate not getting over 4" of snow for the next 10 years because I bought a snow blower.





Runner50 said:


> Yeah, I've come to the conclusion some of you guys here are nuts.



 I gotta agree with ya on that Runner 
I'm glad I've got to use my new machine a few times so far this year , just to get familiar with it and know it's broken in . But I won't complain a bit if we only end up with a measly 4 or 5 feet of snow for the season  
Here , like Rochester it is not a matter of if , it's when we get a season with 10 - 15 feet of snow


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## SirFuego (Dec 1, 2014)

IMO, a bigger, more powerful snowblower will just move snow more quickly -- not necessarily give you the ability to clear areas out that you couldn't clear before. 

This of course is a generalization, but my point is that when a smaller/less powerful machine might bog down, the bigger one might just cut through it like a hot knife through butter. Just because it bogs down doesn't make the smaller one useless -- it just means you have to move more slowly through the heavier areas. Being able to throw snow further with a bigger machine might also prove to be helpful as you might be able to throw snow that extra few feet into an area you don't need to clear. But again -- that advantage just saves you time, not ability.

In areas where multiple 12"+ snowfalls are to be expected during the snow season and multi-foot snowfalls are not uncommon (like most of the great lakes area and mountain towns), this also means that you don't need to throw snow as often during a big storm.

So the bottom line is that the compact will still likely be able to work well for most people, but it'll likely just be slower for the bigger snowfalls...


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## New_HondaHS35 (Jan 18, 2014)

think of the Compact as the bare minimum that works well. models above it are luxury


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## HillnGullyRider (Feb 9, 2014)

New_HondaHS35 said:


> think of the Compact as the bare minimum that works well. models above it are luxury


Yes and no, my experience with the compacts is certainly limited (even though I own 3 older ones), yet I find myself intrigued by the concept (Compact as my lone/main blower), so I've been researching a lot over the past few weeks.

The main difference I think, is the ground speed and the size of the chute neck opening. The large blowers can simply process more snow and they can do it more rapidly. This is important for people that need to dig out in the morning before work. Yet, I also find (at least where I live) that this fast deep snow moving is only needed maybe 2 or three times a year. I'll drive through 8 inches of snow in AWD to get out on time, It's only when it's up past the floorboards that I need to blow first.

I was also surprised that some of these compacts are available with 28" clearing and 8hp (is there a compact 30"?). The other thing that I found surprising is that there is much more variety in options when dealing with the compact line than there is with the large blowers.

There are actually several varieties, even within the 932, 938, 939, 920 series lines. Some I would term sub compacts. Some with the 10" (9.75) impeller and some with the 12" (11 7/8) impeller. Some conventional disc driven, some cone clutch driven, and some auger rake driven. The one thing that seems to be the same (at least on the 932, 920, 939 series) is the 11" auger, and (don't quote me on this) there is no differential available. All this makes for an interesting combination. One could make a Frankenstein monster auger driven compact if they knew where to dig in the parts bin and it would probably clear, 6" or less, significantly faster than most of the large blowers. 
Eight inches and up, and certainly anything above 12", and the large blowers have the edge.

PS:After double checking, there were a few 932's that I'll deem "Stealth compacts" . These were 932 compact frames mated to full sized PRO augers. They used 15" tires to set the level correct. These are really pseudo compacts because it's basically the short(in length and height) housings that really make a compact a compact. I still haven't found a compact that came with a real differential ( I haven't checked 22000 series).


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

Anything bigger than a Toro 521 I don't have a use for. Small driveway, no EOD problem, and not a lot of sidewalk. Don't have to go to work so don't need to blow out right away. I do do the neighbors though. Just takes me a little longer. We got 3" today but I shoveled it. Did mine and three neighbor's walks and driveways.


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## brickcity (Jan 23, 2014)

micah68kj said:


> Anything bigger than a Toro 521 I don't have a use for. Small driveway, no EOD problem, and not a lot of sidewalk. Don't have to go to work so don't need to blow out right away. I do do the neighbors though. Just takes me a little longer. We got 3" today but I shoveled it. Did mine and three neighbor's walks and driveways.


yup
that's my situation. i just chug a long with my compact not worrying about time but i understand some folks have less time and much more area to plow.
havn't had to use it yet this year and i'd be happy to let it sit but does every thing i need


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## New_HondaHS35 (Jan 18, 2014)

It looks like we are going to get 15 inches today in Northeast Indiana. Time to go fire up the Compact and dig out the neighborhood.


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## craquer (Dec 14, 2014)

I'm still liking my Compact 22, although I only got to use it 3 times so far  The last time was on 30-JAN Friday morning at 5.00am. For the dense EOD plow gifts and the first bite through it feels like 1st could be geared a bit slower. Noticed this on ours and each adjacent neighbour's. After that I only process about 3/4 bucket width and it's fine. Normal runs up/down the driveway it's fine, but we haven't really received a deep snowfall yet. I am slow and have no real use for anything past 1st when blowing except for going over to the next neighbour's driveway. It started on 1st pull (3 uses, I hope so). What I like best is the small size/garage footprint & low weight, maneuvering in/out of the garage in between the two cars is a cinch.


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## New_HondaHS35 (Jan 18, 2014)

It's also easy to muscle around and turn when the wheels are locked.


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## podevil (Sep 13, 2014)

I own a Ariens Compact 22 920013 with the Suburu SX-17 169cc, and have never had the slightest problem with it..It does seem to get bound down in deeper snow, but I just changed the tires from the 13" to 15 " Carlisle Snow Hogs..Yesterday I went out to do our brother in laws driveway and around his house and it got a real test in 14 to 16 inch snow. It used to be a real fight to maneuver around when it had the 13 inch tires on it, but with the new 15" tires it was a completely different machine. It brought the handle bars up about 2 inches, which was a blessing for my 6'4 frame..don't have to lean over as much, and the tractor itself has an additional 2 inch clearance. It maneuvers abound much better and it doesn't run up on top of the snow. Ariens told me that using the 15" tires would throw more weight forward and keep the front of the bucket down in the snow..I fought with the bucket riding up on the snow for 2 and a half years..I was told to put a weight on the front, but never did..I can say that the 47.00 I spent on the 15 inch snow hogs was money well spent! Ariens dropped the Suburu engines because of the cost, but I would have paid a little more for my 28 Deluxe if it had the SX-30 9.5 hp Suburu Snow engine. They run terrific! They are an industrial engine with an overhead cam and provide a lot more power than the comparable LCT and Briggs engines. This is my opinion, but with experience with the 169cc engine over the 208cc Briggs. Another thing..They use a lot less gas and are much quieter than the Briggs! The one thing I do not like is that the SX-17 has no power for any kind of light...


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## HillnGullyRider (Feb 9, 2014)

The tractor would only be raised 1"... an extra inch on each side of the tire equals 2. Two divided by 2 is 1. If you went to 14" it would only raise 1/2 an inch. The bars go up 2" because you are moving the the pivot point up an inch and the forward angle declines more steeply thus raising the bars an extra inch on the opposite end. The same changes also give the housing a steeper dive rate in addition to decreasing the rolling resistance of the entire machine...The trade off is, your low speed setting will now be faster in both forward and reverse.

Edit; I also wanted to add that I hope you repositioned your skids for the new angle or they will wear unevenly. This tire size change sounds like a good idea for those that want a bit more forward speed on their 939000 series single speed machines.


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## podevil (Sep 13, 2014)

*My mistake! You are absolutely right*

Sorry for the wrong info! I know the correct height, but for some reason, I mistakenly put it down wrong.. I did readjust the skids! I write mistakes like that off to old age! Bye the way..the low speed was so slow before, I never used it..I can't walk that slow


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## New_HondaHS35 (Jan 18, 2014)

I ran the compact for 5 hours today...yikes...

looks like I'll have to redo it all over again tomorrow, more snow and it's drifting too


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## New_HondaHS35 (Jan 18, 2014)

I redid it all after work and made it bigger, 2 huge driveways and walking paths, and then the neighbor's


I WIN!


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## brickcity (Jan 23, 2014)

compact 24 held its own with the 30" dump this weekend. had to muscle it thru some major drifts but the 2009 little 205cc briggs worked like a champ even in the huge eod debacles.


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## jermar (Dec 10, 2014)

I've only had my Compact 24 for a few days. It cleared 28" of snow from my driveway no problem. I had been using a Craftsman 4/20 trac. That machine puts more weight on the front end. The Ariens seemed to go over some packed snow. Does anyone use the weight kit? I need to lift hard on the handle bars to get through, rather than over packed areas.


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## Robdog130 (Jan 26, 2015)

nothing is wrong with it, this was 1st pass to get out, when i came back for 2nd pass. down to the pavement


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

jermar said:


> I've only had my Compact 24 for a few days. It cleared 28" of snow from my driveway no problem. I had been using a Craftsman 4/20 trac. That machine puts more weight on the front end. The Ariens seemed to go over some packed snow. Does anyone use the weight kit? I need to lift hard on the handle bars to get through, rather than over packed areas.


I don't have a compact, but I have a 24" Ariens with the optional 10 lb (I think) Ariens weight bar on the bucket, which is used to offset the weight of the optional cab. I sold the cab, but kept the weight bar installed. It still wants to ride up over things sometimes, especially when going up my sloped driveway, and I have to pull up on the handles to hold the nose down. That's kind of annoying, and also reduces traction. 

If my driveway was flat, it might be less important. But I am definitely keeping my weight bar installed. And I plan to try adding maybe another 5 lbs to the bucket. I have the Ariens poly skids installed, so I'm not too worried about wearing out the skids due to the extra weight. 

It's possible that my smaller 24" bucket contributes to needing more added weight up front. A larger bucket would be heavier, and would act kind of like its own weight kit.


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## TheSnowyBaker (Jan 10, 2016)

JRHAWK9 said:


> speak for yourself.....I can't get enough snow during winter


I honestly only want snow so that I can use my snowblower. My wife and I just bought our first house, and I just picked up my first snowblower. I thought long and hard about the Compact 24.. in the end I ended up with a 29" 10.5hp 20 year old MTD. I've used it twice... in one day... and It hasn't really snowed since.


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## skutflut (Oct 16, 2015)

JRHAWK9 said:


> speak for yourself.....I can't get enough snow during winter



Speak for yourself.... I can live with no snow any time of the year


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