# autoturn and tracks



## codan (Mar 29, 2019)

I have a 3 yo 28" Deluxe and really hate the autoturn. It beats me up, especially my wrists and thumbs.


I'm about to buy a Craftsman again - my previous one last 22 years and did a great job.


But before I do that I was wondering - my Ariens has tires. If I add the Ariens track kit (and anything new I get will have tracks) will that calm down the autoturn?


Thank you,
Dan


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## e.fisher26 (Nov 6, 2016)

Going to craftsman now I think would be a let down for you. An older deluxe with a solid axle or selectable differential would be better.IMO


Noma 10/29
Cub cadet 5/26 conv to 8/26
Toro 724 conv to 10/24
Husqvarna st230p


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## Dag Johnsen (Dec 24, 2018)

*weird*



codan said:


> I have a 3 yo 28" Deluxe and really hate the autoturn. It beats me up, especially my wrists and thumbs.
> 
> 
> I'm about to buy a Craftsman again - my previous one last 22 years and did a great job.
> ...



How come nobody answers? Must be a ton of people her who knows the answer. I have been wondering myself about the function of Autoturn With Rapidtrack. Most of the things I have read are negative. But most people have wheeled machines.


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

AutoTurn works great with the plastic skid shoes from Ariens because they have almost no friction. The Ariens steel skid shoes have a lot of friction and don't work as well with AutoTurn. It is recommended that the bucket be aligned correctly for best AutoTurn performance; the procedure is in the sticky at beginning of this forum.

I have never used tracks since wheels perform better in my area. I did look for tracks in 2014 when Ariens used a small drive wheel for track propulsion. With the disc drive system the machine was very slow so my dealer did not recommend that approach. I think the track kit from Ariens incorporates that design flaw. The hydro drive version of the tracked Ariens does not have that slow speed flaw according to my dealer.

A few years ago the Rapidtrack was introduced and according to the few owners documenting here seems to work great. My dealer has many Rapidtrack machines in use and the feedback is very good. These are mainly Pro machines in commercial use. If Ariens has a Rapidtrack kit for wheeled machines (disc drive or hydro drive) then that would be a good option. Versatility of wheels with traction improvement of tracks, and you get bucket loading and transport options that are attractive.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Welcome! 

I don't get the impression that there are a ton of tracks users. And tracks with AutoTurn is an even smaller segment. 

What skids are you using? A lot of people have reported better AutoTurn results after going to the Ariens poly skids. They are supposed to glide more smoothly than the metal skids, reducing the catching that can confuse AutoTurn. There are multiple threads about trying to improve AutoTurn performance, for better or worse (unfortunate that those threads are needed, but good that people have shared their experiences).


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Town said:


> If Ariens has a Rapidtrack kit for wheeled machines (disc drive or hydro drive) then that would be a good option. Versatility of wheels with traction improvement of tracks, and you get bucket loading and transport options that are attractive.



Forgive me if I've misunderstood, but I thought RapidTrak only provided "neutral" and bucket-held-down positions? I didn't think it could keep the bucket raised for easy clearing of grass, etc. Since it's a wheel at the front end, I didn't think it could hold the bucket up.


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

I can't reply since my machine tracks one-handed with auto turn, the stock skids, and the scraper flush to the ground (as delivered) . . . . sorry . . . .


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

RedOctobyr said:


> Forgive me if I've misunderstood, but I thought RapidTrak only provided "neutral" and bucket-held-down positions? I didn't think it could keep the bucket raised for easy clearing of grass, etc. Since it's a wheel at the front end, I didn't think it could hold the bucket up.


In the videos I have watched on the Rapidtrack and the demo my dealer gave me on the Rapidtrack there are 3 positions: dig, neutral and transport. The transport raises the bucket off the ground so you don't have to press down on handlebars with much effort. One of the Rapidtrack owners here wanted a lower raised height than transport so he very neatly made two new notches for the bar. Very innovative for what his needs are. A very informative thread.


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## Steve70 (Nov 12, 2018)

My Hydro Pro 28 Rapidtrak works just fines with auto turn. OEM skids. It's by far the easiest in the wheeled position of the track. In the normal track down position it works quite well enough for me. The dig position is harder to turn, but works. In the dig position your're moving really slow to accomplish the dig. ie...scraping up car tracks. I have zero regrets about going with the track option last fall

I know nothing about track conversions from wheeled


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Can it hold the bucket up on its own, in Transport? Or, as Town was seemingly suggesting, do you need to push down on the handlebars as well, so that the length of the tracks gives you a stable height, keeping the bucket raised in Transport?


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## tonylumps (Jul 31, 2018)

I do not think That the Rapid track Kit will mount on your Model I tried to look for a kit a couple of Monhs ago .No luck. Maybe I missed something.I was going to call Jacks Snowblowers .Where I bought my Blower,But never got around to it. I have a 2018 Platinum 24" I ended up putting the Ariens Poly Skids back on and added the Weight kit. It was a whole lot better. If you do locate the kit for the newer units.Please let e know.


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

RedOctobyr said:


> Can it hold the bucket up on its own, in Transport? Or, as Town was seemingly suggesting, do you need to push down on the handlebars as well, so that the length of the tracks gives you a stable height, keeping the bucket raised in Transport?


The answer is no the Rapidtrack does not hold the bucket up on its own.

What I call Transport mode is actually called Wheel mode. In this mode the bucket is on the snow and the rear of the tracks are raised off the ground. Pressing down a bit on handlebars raises the bucket for Transport. So I guess it has actually 4 modes: Track mode, dig in mode, wheel mode, and Transport mode.

I found the thread I was looking for here: https://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/ariens-snowblowers/145139-new-pro-28-rapidtrak.html that explains the way the Rapidtrack operates. The first post gives the relevant details for you. In post #18 there is a video that shows the positioning of the bucket with the additional notches to allow the bucket to operate a little above the snow for use on gravel, lawns, etc when the operator presses down slightly on the handlebars. 

Users give such great information when thinking about their new machine. Rapidtrack is so versatile.


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## Cutter (Mar 29, 2017)

codan said:


> I have a 3 yo 28" Deluxe and really hate the autoturn. It beats me up, especially my wrists and thumbs.
> 
> 
> Codan, allow me to tell you about my experience.
> I bought a Ariens921037 2014 model from a dealership in 2018 who used it for demos....or a return.....I don't know.It was barely used.... Anyway, the deal was far too good to walk away from. But, once I got it home, I was really wondering what I bought. My arms/shoulders were sore after using it, and I had just retired a 20 year old Craftsman that I loved. It didn't track properly, and was all over the road/path. I started reading on this site, about Poly shoes, and after reading many posts , decided to try them. Well, it's a whole different machine with the Poly Shoes. It tracks straight....I can do it with one hand lightly on the handle. Seriously. It's the stock shoes that cause too much friction. I paid $36 CAN +/- at Home Depot ....about that, and it was worth every penny. Before I would stay 2 feet away from my vehicles, and now I can go within 6 inches. Try them Codan.:smile2: In the grand scheme of things....$36 dollars on a $1900.00 machine is small potatoes. We've all wasted more than that at McDonalds.


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

I asked my dealer today if there is a Rapidtrack conversion for my Platinum 921040. He checked with Ariens and there is a kit. It fits the Deluxe and Platinum with 15" tires and the cost is CAD$670. So I would imagine a lot cheaper in the US.

My Platinum has 16x4.8 tires so the kit may not actually fit my machine.


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## codan (Mar 29, 2019)

I'm going to keep it one more season and do this
1) the alignment procedure in the video
2) check tire pressure and size (but not willing to order more tires till the sizes match)
3) add plastic skids


If that doesn't do it then I'm done.


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

Town said:


> I asked my dealer today if there is a Rapidtrack conversion for my Platinum 921040. He checked with Ariens and there is a kit. It fits the Deluxe and Platinum with 15" tires and the cost is CAD$670. So I would imagine a lot cheaper in the US.
> 
> My Platinum has 16x4.8 tires so the kit may not actually fit my machine.



Are you 100% sure that it converts it to Rapidtrack, ot just track drive ?


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

RIT333 said:


> Are you 100% sure that it converts it to Rapidtrack, ot just track drive ?


I talked to my dealer about the Rapidtrack conversion specifically; we had previously discussed the Ariens track drive as not well suited to disc drive due to small drive "wheel". He is 100% certain that Ariens have the conversion kit for the disc drive deluxe and Platinum machines. The price is stopping me from proceeding since I have all the traction that I need. My interest in the Rapidtrack is more because of the flexibility of the system with the 4 modes of operation. I think it will make snowblowing easier for me.


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