# 2015 Ariens Deluxe 28 - First Impressions



## Clutch Cargo (Dec 27, 2015)

Monday was a bust, but we got about 10" in the Greater Portland area overnight and on Tuesday. It was my first chance to try out the new(er) Ariens Deluxe 28 I purchased in April. My previous machine was a 1995 MTD 8/26.



Surprisingly, my biggest challenge at first was of an ergonomic nature and one which I hadn't considered. The drive and auger controls are opposite of my old MTD! I had this "memory" and kept engaging/disengaging the wrong thing. By the second go-around it was better, but I still had to make a conscious effort to use the proper controls. I also kept reaching for the chute handle low and to the left. Being a lefty, controlling the chute rotation with my right hand has taken some getting used to. I like the fact that it is only 2-3 turns lock-to-lock, but I wish it was a conventional handle either on or under the "dashboard." My lot is small and I have to make a lot of adjustments on the fly and frankly, the MTD was a little better in this respect. No doubt everything will become second nature, but it was an interesting phenomenon. I will also probably make the necessary modifications this summer in order to get more than 200 degrees of chute rotation. Lastly, the aftermarket LED replacement bulb is an easy upgrade for those not wishing to mess with bridge rectifiers, etc. 



The LCT engine is great and started really easy. It may not be much quieter than the old Tecumseh flat head, but it seemed that way to me. Throttle control is reasonable and at least it has one, along with a fuel shutoff valve. The snow was somewhat wet and the engine had no trouble at all. The one thing I didn't like was that the slowest speed is faster than I'd prefer but not a deal breaker. Throwing distance - excellent.



IMHO the auto-turn is marvelous. It is completely seamless and makes maneuvering much easier. I will also say that I was fastidious about making sure the auger/impeller housing was aligned and that the tires had the exact same pressure. I also invested in the poly skid shoes based on recommendations from members. The tires are of a newer design, and I frankly like the X-Track better. These spun quite easily when running into dense plowed snow. I am running them at 12.5 PSI per the local dealer and set them using a digital gauge. Maybe that is still too high. 



One important thing worth noting regarding the scraper bar height and Ariens recommendations. The manual says a nominal .125" for smooth surfaces. They must mean a carrier deck or an ice rink! I set it at .142" using some PM test pucks I had and it was still way too low. After about 5 minutes I went back to my tried and true yard stick pieces (about .270") and all was well. 



It goes without saying that this is a heavier, stouter machine than I had before and I really like the quality of manufacture. The 28" width is more than I need and a deluxe 24 would probably be better. However, considering what I paid for it, I couldn't be happier.


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## TooTall999 (Nov 19, 2015)

The "reversed" controls do take some getting used to. My old MTD 5/24 had the drive on the right and auger on the left, and my new Dr is just the opposite.


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## melson (Feb 9, 2015)

I enjoyed reading this detailed review. Thanks @Clutch Cargo


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

Nice review. Thanks.

I'd drop the tire pressure down to around 8PSI.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@Clutch,

What tires are on it, the SnowHogs?


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## penna stogey (Nov 25, 2019)

Nice write up and feedback....Well done....What LED part# replacement did you go with? Thanks.


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## Clutch Cargo (Dec 27, 2015)

Thanks for the kind words. I have learned a lot from this forum and it is nice to be able to contribute something in return. 



RE: Tires
They are SnowHogs (I was having a brain cramp) and I will try the lower pressure next time.


RE: LED bulb. I got the original link from the Ariens forum. Be advised that when I purchased it, there were a lot more ratings, and more positive ones. Not sure what has changed. As I said, it works great for me. 



https://www.amazon.com/Ariens-LED-Upgrade-Light-Bulb/dp/B07MS62BCF/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=00432600+OEM+Direct+Replacement&qid=1575678301&sr=8-1


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## WVguy (Nov 24, 2018)

Clutch Cargo said:


> IMHO the auto-turn is marvelous. It is completely seamless and makes maneuvering much easier. I will also say that I was fastidious about making sure the auger/impeller housing was aligned and that the tires had the exact same pressure. I also invested in the poly skid shoes based on recommendations from members.


I bought the Deluxe 24 about three years ago and so far my experience with it mirrors yours. No issues at all with the auto-turn and that was the reason I bought it, as some cardiac issues were making horsing around the old straight-axle Ariens close to being more than I could do.

So far we really haven't had a good snowfall, one that makes my wife cringe when I say "rear-end deep to a giraffe" so I haven't yet been able to give it a heavy workout. Only about 4" so far. But this area is weird; we'll go years with zilch and then we're up to our butts in snow. Hopefully this will be the magic year.


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## JJG723 (Mar 7, 2015)

Clutch, you can adjust the ground speed by turning the pivot connection on the threaded rod. Located at the end of the shift controller. Simply pull the cotter pin, turn, insert cotter pin. Just make sure you can still get into 6th gear and R2.


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## Clutch Cargo (Dec 27, 2015)

UPDATE: 12-31-19
The past 48+ hours in coastal southern Maine has seen a nasty mix of snow, sleet, rain, snow and then rain again. Accumulation was 8 -12" of dense stuff with the berm at the end our driveway being especially challenging. I can only describe this as white mason's mortar. It is by far the worst stuff I've ever had to deal with. 

What I found with the machine was that initially getting through the berm was slow going, but not unlike what I would expect with my 8/26. I would say that it did better than the 8/26, and the throwing distance was certainly far superior. In clearing the driveway (including the berm) I used about 25 - 30% of the auger housing opening vs. 50%+ in normal snow. So, in terms of the assertion that the Deluxe 28 is under-powered, I would say that it is not a beast, but adequately powered for the job. To those who would disagree, I would also go back to my old standby reply that it depends on expectations and technique.
I have generally overcome the ergonomic issues I had initially, and have been able to make the rapid changes in chute azimuth and deflector angle necessitated by the tight quarters here in the neighborhood. The big advantage is the throwing distance. My driveway is in some places wider than it is long and I can only throw the snow in one direction. With the 8/26 it was understood that I would be moving the snow twice, and this is not the case with the Deluxe 28. 

The last thing I want to mention is the size of the fuel tank. It is much smaller than my old HMSK80's was and I ran out of fuel once. So I have to be cognizant of this and with the new hour/tach meter, I'll have a better handle on this. 

Overall, I am still happy with the machine. Any questions, feel free to PM or post.


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## RC20 (Dec 4, 2019)

Good Write up:


Tires, there are a couple of ways to get traction, lowering air pressure can help a bit but the key is 



1. Winter Compound - that is a huge help, we did not have that back in the day. I don't know Ariens, but if its spinning while that is good, it also shows no grip. Lugs do nothing on ice, only in deep snow (or mud!).


2. Chains or screw in studs are a major help if the tire won't grip. My old Toro had poor tires but it spun them so with the chains (back in those days) it worked well with the traction assist. 

Screw in studs are an option as well. Grips studs are the name in those, $1 each so not cheap but they offer a variety of sizes to suit the needs (both the lug depth and the extension out). You can get pretty aggressive stick out wise with a snow blower as the speed is low and travel distance not long.


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