# HELP Advice on Pro 28 Purchase



## Getshocked326 (Aug 12, 2018)

Hello new to the forum.

Would like some opinions on which of the 2 used Professional 28 snow blowers I found you'd prefer.

I found 2 on Craigslist local to me 


1.) 2014 Ariens Professional 28
$1,100 Firm
Listed 2 days ago
Original Owner and bought Fall 2014
The seller is an engineer, truthful and very nice. Reason for sale is he's moving to NYC for a new job.
All receipts and manuals included in sale.
Mobile 1 oil & spark plug every year.
You can tell he's very paticular with maintenance. 
Includes plastic and steel shoes.
Used to only clear a 20x40 paved driveway
THE BAD:
He had a 10x20 side driveway of 1/2" to 3/4" stone/gravel installed last year. So the machine cleared that for only the last season. The seller admitted he did break one auger shear pin. The chute does have some chipping in the paint but no dents. The impeller is not bent but does have slight wear on the leading edge of the impeller blades. The paint on the inside of the impeller housing is down to bare metal but not rusted.

2.) 2014 Ariens Professional 28
$1,400 Firm
Listed a month ago.
Original owner was 87 and passed away. 
Bought new Fall 2014
Extra bag of shear pins included
The grandson-inlaw is selling it from the estate.
The grandson states it was hardly used as the grandfather was to weak to use it. He stated that he bought it on a whim and the family shook there heads. So it basically sat the entire time of ownership and they highered a landscape company for the snow removal.
In the pictures the machine really looks brand new including the inside of the impeller and bucket.
THE BAD:
All manuals and receipts where lost in the sale of the estate.
The oil has never been changed from new and no maintenance has been done ever. He said the gas in it is 2 or 3 years old and quickly "claimed" stabilizer was added at the time of storage after I asked if the fuel was old. He was also short with me when I questioned the maintenance and said the machine was hardly used not requireing any.

Which one would you choose?

Many thanks in advance!


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## nastorino (Jan 28, 2016)

Definitely the first one. I have a paved driveway and any of the small rocks that the plows kick up and push into my driveway have lightly knicked my impeller housing after a single season. I always keep my augers, and the impeller and chute coated in fluid film to prevent corrosion. You can't undo the maintenance that wasn't done on the second one.


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

Even though they say "firm", it is August. Offer them about $200 under asking price, and I'd buy whoever bites on your offer. 



I would not be too concerned about the lack of maintenance on #2. You may have to run some carb cleaner thru it, and change the oil, but if it hasn't been used that much, then very little damage was done. Just my $0.02


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

* Either 1 I would Dick around on the Price. the old saying still goes. Money talks and the BULLSPIT WALKS!!!!!!!!! Anyhoo ALOHA From The Paradise City. :smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027:*


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## Getshocked326 (Aug 12, 2018)

#1 machine: Started at $1,500. I got him down to $1,100 firm.

#2 machine: Ad says $1,400 and he will not budge at all, I tried.


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

Getshocked326 said:


> #1 machine: Started at $1,500. I got him down to $1,100 firm.
> 
> #2 machine: Ad says $1,400 and he will not budge at all, I tried.


*Got any Pics???????????????????*


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## Getshocked326 (Aug 12, 2018)

My quandary is I like the idea of machine #2 being brand new. Basically getting a brand new $2,200 machine fo $1,400. However it's been sitting for 3 or more years with the same fuel. I know when ethonol reacts with moisture it creates rust in places like the cylinder wall and fuel tank not to mention gumming up the carb. The oil has never been changed and still has the breaking in oil. It hasn't been run much but regardless has the factory metel shaving floating around in there I'm sure.

Machine #1 the seller is a genuine guy and was religious with maintenance. It's $300 cheaper but was used for 4 seasons on a small driveway and sucked up a decent amount of rocks. 

Machine #1 also has wider tires and comes with synthetic shoes as well as the original metal ones


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## Getshocked326 (Aug 12, 2018)

Pics of more used but maintenaned machine


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

*Get the 1st one. they all get the SNOT kicked out of them. the minute you use them. so to put it this way it is only going to be pretty when it sits on the showroom floor. he picked up rocks and you will pick up rocks and chuck them just as far as he did. It is just the circle of life. *


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

My vote is machine 2. I like the fact of a unused machine regardless of the old gas. There's no rust on the cylinder walls and if there was, seconds after running it would be gone. Wider tires are cool looking but narrow tires give better traction as there is more weight per square inch, wide tires float.


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## Getshocked326 (Aug 12, 2018)

All great points. I'm just looking for the best bang for the buck and least headaches down the road.


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

JLawrence08648 said:


> Wider tires are cool looking but narrow tires give better traction as there is more weight per square inch, wide tires float.



I do agree with your comment about narrow tires no floating, but the weight per square ought to be the same if you inflate them to the same PSI.


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## Getshocked326 (Aug 12, 2018)

I will be making dog paths in the back yard so maybe the wider tires will be more turf sensitive.

I have a John Deere 445 tactor with a 47" two stage blower. It wreaked havoc on the grass because of the weight. This is the reason why I'm going with a walk behind. Plus with a walk behind, I can feel if the machine starts to scalp the grass vs a tractor mounted blower.


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

Getshocked326 said:


> I will be making dog paths in the back yard so maybe the wider tires will be more turf sensitive.
> 
> I have a John Deere 445 tactor with a 47" two stage blower. It wreaked havoc on the grass because of the weight. This is the reason why I'm going with a walk behind. Plus with a walk behind, I can feel if the machine starts to scalp the grass vs a tractor mounted blower.



A snowblower only weighs in the 250# range. Plus, usually by the time there is snow on the ground, the ground is frozen.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

Getshocked326 said:


> I will be making dog paths in the back yard so maybe the wider tires will be more turf sensitive.
> 
> I have a John Deere 445 tactor with a 47" two stage blower. It wreaked havoc on the grass because of the weight. This is the reason why I'm going with a walk behind. Plus with a walk behind, I can feel if the machine starts to scalp the grass vs a tractor mounted blower.


Maybe you should consider putting wheels on the front of the snowblower rather than skids? Though I'm not sure if it would tear out the lawn.


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## Getshocked326 (Aug 12, 2018)

Yes your right. It's around 300lbs and not all that weight is on the tires.

Although the ground is not always frozen during a storm and you'll get some muddy terrian. Especially in these March snowstorms we've been having in the North East. So I think the wider tires would be better for that but yes in general for snow traction you want narrow.


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## Getshocked326 (Aug 12, 2018)

JLawrence08648 said:


> Getshocked326 said:
> 
> 
> > Maybe you should consider putting wheels on the front of the snowblower rather than skids? Though I'm not sure if it would tear out the lawn.
> ...


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

My first real snowblower is, and I still have it, 12hp Gravely Convertible. It has adjustable caster wheels on the front. There are some, you can go to YouTube, that cut a slot in the skid plates and attach inline skate wheels, or use bearings as wheels, or even the wider skateboard wheels


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## Getshocked326 (Aug 12, 2018)

So I bought the slightly used one. The newer one had a hard time starting and the kid selling it gave me the impression it fell of the back of a truck and now he's selling it if you know what I mean...

Can't wait to try this baby out!


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Awesome! You mean you bought #1, used on the gravel driveway? FWIW, #1, gravel, was my vote. That little bit of bare metal isn't a big deal, in my opinion. You can spray it with stuff to keep it protected during winter, or clean it up now, and spray paint it, to keep the steel covered. 



That will be a nice machine, enjoy!


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