# Ariens Professional series used by professionals?



## Cyx (12 mo ago)

I think the Hydro Pro series are one of the best snowblowers around, but my online searches do not list these in the top 10 used by professionals. 
Of the local contractors I see, they mostly use the smaller 2 stage units and a lot use single stage units because many customers want their walkways/steps and driveways cleaned to bare pavement.

Is the 350lbs an issue for them loading and unloading, or is it the price? Why would the Pro series not be the choice of contractors? I am sure their are a few contractors who do use Pro series, but the majority don't.


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## shallowwatersailor (Feb 19, 2013)

I think the term "Professional" might be broader than a contractor going house to house. My thoughts are institutions like schools, churches, business blocks, medical centers, and so forth. Years ago (dating myself) Gravely sold a model specifically for the post office painted yellow not available to the general public. Many schools had a Gravely for the custodian to use.


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## Darryl G (Feb 5, 2017)

For the most part, snow blowers are detail machines for professional snow removal contractors. Most of the work is done with trucks and other 4-wheeled equipment. For most snow storms a single stage unit is preferred. They're quick, low maintenance and almost anyone can operate one safely and without destroying it - think part time on-call unskilled laborers. Also often there's just no practical way to transport a 2-state unit on a plowing rig. If you're running a plow truck with a V-Box sand/salt spreader, you can probably rig up a place to store a single stage unit, but there's not enough room for a 2 stage.

In my case, I do residential snow removal and I could be done clearing a sidewalk and garage front (places my plow can't get) with a shovel or single stage unit by the time I unstrap and unload a 2 stage unit on ramps. I have 4 single stage machines and one 2-stage that is only used for big storms. I was out yesterday for 3 inches of heavy/wet snow. I brought my Toro CR1000 3.25 HP and 5HP Honda single stage units. I broke out the CCR for one stop of 2 houses next to each other. The rest was done with my stick plow and snow shovels. A big strong landscaper/construction laborer can get a lot done with a stick plow. the snow plow from Northern Tool

Yes, another consideration is definitely getting down to bare pavement to reduce the chances of getting a slip/fall claim against you.


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## Cyx (12 mo ago)

Yes I was thinking about the guys who do residential driveways not institutions. I see three young guys jump out of the truck and grab light weight single single stage units while the driver takes a swipe with the trucks plow. 10 minutes later they all jump back in and go to the next job. They usually have to return twice to each job site to meet the standard of service requirements for a snowfall. Unless it is a very quick storm and they can wait till the end of the snowfall and do it just once.


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## Darryl G (Feb 5, 2017)

Cyx said:


> Yes I was thinking about the guys who do residential driveways not institutions. I see three young guys jump out of the truck and grab light weight single single stage units while the driver takes a swipe with the trucks plow. 10 minutes later they all jump back in and go to the next job. They usually have to return twice to each job site to meet the standard of service requirements for a snowfall. Unless it is a very quick storm and they can wait till the end of the snowfall and do it just once.


Yup, that's the other thing. Often a professional will be out clearing snow as the storm is in progress and not waiting until it's all done, so they don't need a unit capable of removing feet of snow at a time. For places like large multi-family residential complexes and shopping centers they may even have a crew stay on site throughout the storm to keep it maintained. They may also have "summer" equipment that they equip with snow removal equipment in the winter.


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## HillnGullyRider (Feb 9, 2014)

Cyx said:


> I think the Hydro Pro series are one of the best snowblowers around, but my online searches do not list these in the top 10 used by professionals.
> Of the local contractors I see, they mostly use the smaller 2 stage units and a lot use single stage units because many customers want their walkways/steps and driveways cleaned to bare pavement.
> 
> Is the 350lbs an issue for them loading and unloading, or is it the price? Why would the Pro series not be the choice of contractors? I am sure their are a few contractors who do use Pro series, but the majority don't.


It depends what you are doing. I for one would not want to run a giant, Roto Tiller style 2 stage, for 4 plus hours, if it isnt absolutely neccessary to get the task done. If I had multi location, multi obstacle clients, I'd want something simple, light, durable, and highly maneuverable, that cleans down to the pavement. Has a high ground speed, high bucket ratio, and large impeller with a double articulated chute. It has to be easy to load and transport. If pile placement and lower throw distance permits it use, then a 50lb. single stage would be my choice as long as it leaves an acceptable trail.


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## BullFrog (Oct 14, 2015)

IMHO "professional" is more of a marketing label than an indicator of how tough it is. It might have all the bells and whistles but lack key components that a contractor would be looking for. Those builds are often called commercial grade and often come with a different warranty.


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## JJG723 (Mar 7, 2015)

I think as far as Ariens goes the term Professional points more towards a machine that has a more robust build, more power, and a greater capacity. My brother and I do snow removal and we run Ariens Pro series machines. See signature 👇. We are in a situation where we only go out when the storm is over (customer preference) so those machines are capable of handling any snowfall required. We do a combination of residential houses, a school, and a church property. The only exception to the "one and done" is for Sunday masses at the church where we keep up with the storm if required. The parking lots are done by a separate contractor that only does plow work. Other than that we have a combination of plow shovels, scoop shovels, and a salt spreader to get to the bare payment when required. When we're together as heavy as those machines are we can easily just lift them in and out of the back of the trucks. 20 years of weight lifting can do that for you😁. We also each have our own set of ramps. But also our customer base is all within walking distance from each other except for a couple houses.


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## HillnGullyRider (Feb 9, 2014)

Cyx said:


> Yes I was thinking about the guys who do residential driveways not institutions. I see three young guys jump out of the truck and grab light weight single single stage units while the driver takes a swipe with the trucks plow. 10 minutes later they all jump back in and go to the next job. They usually have to return twice to each job site to meet the standard of service requirements for a snowfall. Unless it is a very quick storm and they can wait till the end of the snowfall and do it just once.


If you have a 20" snowstorm, It's quicker to do it twice with a plowman and a lightweight... IMO, If your machine needs a reverse gear, it's already too heavy for clean up work. How often do 20" snowstorms happen in lowlands Midwest and NE USA? The answer is "not very".


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

I think the Professional series is just a name that the marketing group came up with for Ariens premium line, not necessarily because they are aimed at professional snow contractors (although some do). They are definitely a step above all other Ariens models with more HD construction, larger augers, taller bucket, reinforced HD handle bars, bigger engines etc.

In my local area (130" of annual snow fall, typically larger driveways and bigger lots than in the city), the residential snow removal guys all use large farm tractors with a plow on the front and rear mounted snow blower. No contractors use a plow truck.
They will get drive way cleared, and the home owner is responsible for taking care of any small areas contactor can't get to, or walkways (there are no sidewalks along the roadway). Home owners will usually do this with shovels, single or 2 stage blowers.

Different regions have different snow removal requirements and different expectations from home owners.


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## Darryl G (Feb 5, 2017)

Ziggy65 said:


> I think the Professional series is just a name that the marketing group came up with for Ariens premium line, not necessarily because they are aimed at professional snow contractors (although some do). They are definitely a step above all other Ariens models with more HD construction, larger augers, taller bucket, reinforced HD handle bars, bigger engines etc.
> 
> In my small local area (130" of annual snow fall, typically larger driveways and bigger lots than in the city), the residential snow removal guys all use large farm tractors with a plow on the front and rear mounted snow blower. No contractors use a plow truck.
> They will get drive way cleared, and the home owner is responsible for taking care of any small areas contactor can't get to, or walkways (there are no sidewalks along the roadway). Home owners will usually do this with shovels, single or 2 stage blowers.
> ...


Yeah, in a location like yours, even though a properly equipped truck plowing rig can handle pretty good sized storms (2 to 3 feet), it's the long-term snow accumulation that becomes the issue. You can only stack snow so high with a plow and you run out of room. A blower can toss snow places a plow can't get it and stack it higher.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Yup.
The plow on the tractor is mainly used to pull back the snow, like in front of garage doors. Then they use the blower to toss it on to the lawn.


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## HillnGullyRider (Feb 9, 2014)

Darryl G said:


> Yeah, in a location like yours, even though a properly equipped truck plowing rig can handle pretty good sized storms (2 to 3 feet), it's the long-term snow accumulation that becomes the issue. You can only stack snow so high with a plow and you run out of room. A blower can toss snow places a plow can't get it and stack it higher.


A blower like the heavy PRO is also useful in places where you need to break a berm.


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## Darryl G (Feb 5, 2017)

HillnGullyRider said:


> A blower like the heavy PRO is also useful in places where you need to break a berm.


Yup. That brings a point to mind that I don't think I've ever seen anyone else mention here. Some people get more of a berm at the end of their driveways (EOD) than others and so may need heavier duty equipment to effectively deal with it. If you're located at the end of a cul-de-sac or along a main road like a state highway, you're likely going to get more snow at the EOD than if you're on a straight run on narrow residential street.


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## HillnGullyRider (Feb 9, 2014)

Darryl G said:


> Yup. That brings a point to mind that I don't think I've ever seen anyone else mention here. Some people get more of a berm at the end of their driveways (EOD) than others and so may need heavier duty equipment to effectively deal with it. If you're located at the end of a cul-de-sac or along a main road like a state highway, you're likely going to get more snow at the EOD than if you're on a straight run on narrow residential street.


They make some lightweights that will handle tall fresh EOD without much complaint. You would need a heavier blower to break the taller frozen berms like those that may block access walkways, sidewalks, parking areas, and the like. That's what I was thinking of.


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## shallowwatersailor (Feb 19, 2013)

There are times when you need to go "Big." Our last major snowfall, I had already cleared the driveway and had taken two passes the width of my two-stage along the curb to lessen the city plow from unloading at my driveway. When the city plow team did show up, the first one came through from the opposite direction - plus stayed away from the curb by about three feet! I waited until they were done and had left. My neighbor was trying to open a path at his driveway with his single stage but not having any luck.

The storm had ended with about 1/4"-1/2" of sleet which made the snow like concrete. I cut a single path through mine to get to the street and then went over by my neighbor. It took me about 10 minutes to open up his driveway. Figuring I could then do mine, the new neighbor across the street was just coming out with her shovel. No way was she getting through the mess. Another ten minutes or so and I could now get to mine. Having the auger with the teeth really made a difference. I expected to loose a shear pin it was so solid!


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## ChrisJ (Nov 27, 2014)

My machine was built entirely around removing packed plowed snow mixed with salt and it uses all of that 420ccs and the 317 pounds of machine.


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## JJG723 (Mar 7, 2015)

There is certainly no one piece of equipment that is perfect for every situation you may encounter. Even the geography of where you live plays a major factor. It's all about finding the right combination of tools to get your job done effectively and efficiently.


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## Darryl G (Feb 5, 2017)

This is what my plow truck looks like at the moment for professional residential snow removal. I was out with it yesterday and for a little while today. It's not until we get into the 8 or 10+ inch snowfall range that there would be a 24 inch 2 stage and ramps in there. That's sand bags and firewood chunks under the shovels. Bigger isn't always better...


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## HillnGullyRider (Feb 9, 2014)

Darryl G said:


> Bigger isn't always better...
> View attachment 189646


So TRUE

Btw... I took out a frozen berm two weeks ago, 41 inches tall 10ft wide at the base, with my 932500( old school Ariens crossover), all 105 lbs of it just could not be stopped even when there is no forward gears to the rear wheels.


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## bkwudz (Jan 14, 2013)

Most of the time when I'm going out to plow, I'm bringing the big single stage and small one, like its been said, different tool for different jobs, but also as a back up. I can fit the big 2stage in there too, and will bring it if i think ill run into some big drifting or EOD stuff. But i find i can usually get by with the single stage units, the ease of getting them out of the truck makes it a no brainer sometimes, especially if i have a helper with me. pull up, they jump out grab the single stage and start doing their thing will I'm plowing.


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## Toolboxhero (Dec 24, 2010)

shallowwatersailor said:


> I think the term "Professional" might be broader than a contractor going house to house. My thoughts are institutions like schools, churches, business blocks, medical centers, and so forth. Years ago (dating myself) Gravely sold a model specifically for the post office painted yellow not available to the general public. Many schools had a Gravely for the custodian to use.


I agree - Professional grade has been around for a long time - long before snowplows on the front of pickups were thought of. The pro models were built to last - which usually meant they were heavy, slow, and awkward to use but they were built like a brick outhouse... Schools, downtown areas, and other places that still have custodians still use the 2-stage walk-behinds for sidewalks and cleaning up after the larger equipment. 
The yellow gravely had a larger engine and many had "power steering" Here's a picture of one with power steering:


__ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/185421709629941504/


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## Toolboxhero (Dec 24, 2010)

Toolboxhero said:


> I agree - Professional grade has been around for a long time - long before snowplows on the front of pickups were thought of. The pro models were built to last - which usually meant they were heavy, slow, and awkward to use but they were built like a brick outhouse... Schools, downtown areas, and other places that still have custodians still use the 2-stage walk-behinds for sidewalks and cleaning up after the larger equipment.
> The yellow gravely had a larger engine and many had "power steering" Here's a picture of one with power steering:
> 
> 
> __ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/185421709629941504/


That big handle in the back is the power steering - It used wheel brakes to turn the power unit.


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## 2AriensGuy (11 mo ago)

Imho, the "Professional" term that Ariens uses is specifically referring to the "tons per hour" and distance of throw that each of their machines is rated for. 

I live in a small Village that will ONLY plow the streets 1 way. I live in WESTERN NY. They use the County plow and wing blade & push it all to our side. We have banks 6' high, while across the street they have 12" banks. So I need a Professional. My 1336 DLE blew up this year. Going to attempt a HF 459cc re power this summer. The Pro versions have 2 auger belts, which is very important when blowing deep, wet, heavy snow all the time. 

I bought an CC 3x30" HD 2 weeks ago because I was told by my Ariens dealer that there we no Ariens blowers left in WNY. The CC 3x30" sucked. It struggled so badly. So today, we went on a trip for something else, passed an Ariens dealer and I stopped. They had a 28" Pro on the showroom floor. It's being delivered Monday. For me, the CC 3X30" was just the wrong tool for the job. Told the dealer I was not happy with their product. They refused to take it back. So I traded my 2 week old CC on the Ariens. Yup, I lost my butt but now have the right tool for the job. Gotta love supply and demand during these wonderful times.


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