# First newbie post - Ariens buying advice



## grayhairedfreak (Oct 15, 2018)

Thanks so much for letting me join your board. As I know many others have done, I'm looking for buying advice. I know Ariens is a very reputable brand so I'm focusing my search on that.
The specs of my situation are:
*30' x 40' slab by garage
*10' wide driveway, about 300 feet long, downhill to road about 15 degree angle
*1-2 heavy wet snows per season, otherwise light and drifting. Typical drift 12-18" but up to 30" in the worst of blizzards (once every 7 years I'd say). Based on my landscaping, some of the driveway drifts while other places bare pavement.
*Due to garage space, no room for any snowblower wider than 28"
*I'm 50 and in reasonably good physical health.
*I have very little mechanical experience so reliability and easy maintenance is very important.
*Hoping to stay at $1000 or under.

1) Recommendations for new Ariens?
2) Recommendations for used Ariens less than 10 years old?
3) If used, how can I tell unit has been cared for and in good working order?
4) Lesser quality Ariens from big box stores than dealers...fact or urban legend?

Thank you so much in advance!


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

:welcome: to SBF grayhairedfreak

Please add your location to your profile as it can make a difference on some suggestions.
IMO I'd get the biggest thing you'd be comfortable with and that fits your garage/situation. I too have a 300 foot driveway and I've been using a 24" but this year I'll be pulling out a 32" to replace it. Fewer trips, back in the house quicker.
Since you are not interested in something to tinker with or restore the newer the better and look for one having a differential on an older model or the auto turn on the new stuff. Makes doing the 180's at the end of a pass so much easier.
If you're in the states, Lowes has a Deluxe 28 for $1100 https://www.lowes.com/pd/Ariens-Del..._RrkeTdwiN-v4LBhXI7Yi6uRS1qBMWPYaAqRuEALw_wcB Wish it had a bit larger engine though. Still, for what you're looking for not a bad choice. Shop for best price.

Others will be along soon to toss out a few other options I'm sure.


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

1249ariens 28 sho but the 1700 ariens30 sho would be better as kiss has said a lil wider would help


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## grayhairedfreak (Oct 15, 2018)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> :welcome: to SBF grayhairedfreak
> 
> Please add your location to your profile as it can make a difference on some suggestions.
> IMO I'd get the biggest thing you'd be comfortable with and that fits your garage/situation. I too have a 300 foot driveway and I've been using a 24" but this year I'll be pulling out a 32" to replace it. Fewer trips, back in the house quicker.
> ...


Thanks for the response and the welcome! I live just north of Omaha, NE. Been blessed to have my next-door neighbor plow us with a compact tractor for many years, but he's taking on a traveling job and I need to work on a Plan B in case he's gone during a storm. Entire driveway is paved, which hopefully makes it easier.


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

I would visit a honda dealer for a used track drive unit with your conditions as you need the weight of a track drive unit for traction/adhesion. Just be sure that you have them install the modified replacement chute and spout as the 928 models will plug.

The smallest new toro with the patented anti clog system will work well too.


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

Deluxe-28 sounds like a good way to go. If you can swing a few extra hundred dollars step up to the Deluxe 28 SHO.


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

* ALOHA From The Paradise City. :smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027:*


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## gibbs296 (Jun 22, 2014)

Home Depot Toro...https://www.homedepot.com/p/Toro-Po...lectric-Start-Gas-Snow-Blower-37799/306237956


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## tdipaul (Jul 11, 2015)

.

If you aren't in a rush to get to work, a 24" Deluxe 

If you are, get a 30" 

4 passes vs 5 passes

.


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## Cardo111 (Feb 16, 2015)

If going new, another vote for the Deluxe 28 SHO (an independent dealer only machine). Ariens usually offers good payment incentives maybe 12 months no interest with payments or very low interest loans if $1500. Or higher through Synchrony. My main peeve with the LCT Gen3 engines are small fuel tanks for engine size especially when you go 369cc or higher the 414 cc engine is ridiculously undertanked (made up a word). A used Ariens Pro 28 with Disc Drive would be another good option if you can find one in good condition. These have a 420cc Briggs engine with 21 lb-ft of torque and a large fuel tank along with many other upgrades. Good luck on your search!


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## grayhairedfreak (Oct 15, 2018)

https://omaha.craigslist.org/for/d/ariens-deluxe-28-2-stage/6710241415.html


Older Deluxe 28 selling for $600 OBO. Tires look almost new. Thoughts on this one?


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

not as good as auto turn
small engine


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

grayhairedfreak said:


> https://omaha.craigslist.org/for/d/ariens-deluxe-28-2-stage/6710241415.html
> 
> 
> Older Deluxe 28 selling for $600 OBO. Tires look almost new. Thoughts on this one?



https://desmoines.craigslist.org/grd/d/ariens-snowblower-28-deluxe/6717140840.html



Look at this fool
saying its 12.5 hp its 12.5 ft lbs of torque about 7.6 real hp
also looks like he put older wheels on those are the wrong tires almost worn out lol


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## IDEngineer (Oct 16, 2018)

Rules of thumb:


1) I've never wished for a smaller engine


2) I've never wished for a narrower snowblower


After 20+ years on my previous snowblower, this was the year to replace it. After many hours of research and visits to various local dealers, Ariens was the obvious brand choice. And while it was more expensive in the short term, I opted for the Professional 32. Reasons?


1) It has their largest engine (see #1 above)



2) It has their widest auger (see #2 above)


Could have I saved quite a bit of money? Sure. Even with a lesser Ariens model like the 28 SHO, which is an awesome bargain. But as should be obvious from above, I buy good equipment and maintain it very well so it will last me a long time. (Take good care of your equipment and it will take good care of you.) The extra horsepower, and the extra four inches of width, are my investment now for getting back in the house faster for the next 20+ years. I only have to spend the money once, but I then save time with every snowstorm in every year in the future. Well worth it, IMHO.


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## Mal (Oct 8, 2013)

Do you have a truck? A light duty plow can do a 300 foot driveway in minutes and you can push a gigantic end of driveway pile away. I have one for my truck mostly for EOD since the plow guy often leaves me with a massive snow apron. I do get a lot of snow though, 89 inches last year and that wasn't a big year.



That said, there is no replacement for displacement. Get the one with the biggest engine you can afford, it will make the process way faster as you'll be able to clear in higher gears.


If I were only going to use a blower in your situation and budget limitations, I'd get the deluxe 28. Your area doesn't get that much snow and the 28" bucket will make life easier on such a long haul.


If you're not comfortable doing repairs yourself, get a new one but frankly these things aren't that complicated. A socket set and an adjustable wrench are about all you need to do anything on these machines.


A used machine should start easily and move without any slipping. Beyond that it's really just belts that may fail.


Here's a quick video of me repairing my Plat 24 after I sucked a tarp into it. I did it in the driveway.








Good luck whatever you decide.


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## grayhairedfreak (Oct 15, 2018)

Thanks to everyone for their input. Today I pulled the trigger on a previous-gen (921031) Deluxe 24. Used less than 5 times, paid $500 and new one would cost me $1,100 including tax and delivery. It's a flippin' beast even at 24". I know several recommended a wider model but the size works for me and it's only a few extra passes.


I'll probably be lots of other questions, so thanks in advance for your patience!


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

The best snowblower is the one that makes you happy and doesn't let you down in the middle of a storm. :wink2:

.


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## grayhairedfreak (Oct 15, 2018)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> The best snowblower is the one that makes you happy and doesn't let you down in the middle of a storm. :wink2:
> 
> .


Thank you! Can you speak to the 921031? Good generation of Ariens?


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

I think it will be. it's not meant for big heavy jobs, just your average 8-12 inch snow storm.


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## gkesty (Oct 29, 2018)

*Recommendation*

Hard to believe that a 28" SHO wont do. I've had an Ariens 28" with tires since 2004 and its handled hills well unless there is a layer of pure ice on it like a skating rink. Never had the feeling that I needed to upgrade to a trac drive, although my neighbor at the end of the culdesac bought a trac drive honda for his rediculously steep driveway and was always satisfied. If the slope is really aggressive and you slip trying to walk up or down it in the winter, I'd go with the trac drive. 

The Deluxe 10-11 horse engine (306) with 28" blower housing will clear any height (worked on my driveway with a 3-4' drift) and will throw packed snow, plow snow, slush and leaves. Never bound up, although after you go through heavy wet at the end of the driveway, clear the throat by throwing a short length of fresh unpacked driveway or lawn snow. 

I found that overbuying on capacity was much better than struggling with an underspecified unit. My friend bought the 9 horsepower 24" unit the same time I bought the 1128 and he always regretted his choice. The downside of having a beast is that you end up helping neighbors with underperforming units in big snows, for it is not neighborly to watch your neighbors struggle while you clear your driveway in under an hour. The 306cc 28" unit goes fast even in drive position 1 and there is no way to adjust it to go slower, unless you are willing to have it ripping in reverse, which I don't recommend. Best I could do in deep snow was to engage and release the drive handle so as to not overfeed the blower intake. No issue with dry, low density snow. More of an issue with wet high density snow, especially plow snow. With that, you'll need to take small bites so as not to overfill the bucket and it will take some time to clear that, but it will clear it. My 2004 1128 did not have auto turn and I struggled with turns. Not so with the 28" SHO. I'm too old to struggle any more. 

I did use my heated handles over the years and the 28" SHO does not come with them, so I guess I'll see how that works. I never bought a snow cab, despite the snow blowing in my face frequently. I put on ski goggles and hoped for the best. The cab just always seemed more trouble and expense than it was worth. 

Multiple people have told me the wear, alignment and tracking of the dual belt system on the better Ariens units is much better than their previous models and that the improved design should result in years of trouble free operation. With the 1128, I spent hundreds every year changing the belts just to insure that they didn't break or wear in-season. Over the years, I paid for the machine 2-3 times over to avoid the issue of frayed and broken auger belts, so this new dual belt system is much appreciated. Unless you have two people and a fair amount of patience, it is tough to open these big machines to change the belts. When you remove the last bolt, the blower housing separates from the frame suddenly and if someone is not supporting the frame, you could get hurt. And in the winter, your garage is freezing as well as your hands. And if you don't want the machine out of service at the power equipment company waiting for the tech to work on it, its up to you to make the change. It happened to me once and it was awful. 

Paul Sikkema of Movingsnow.com says that the Ariens are the best machines for the money and will perform. I trust his opinion, as does the Wirecutter and Consumer Reports.


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