# Sticky  Ariens Auto-Turn Adjustment



## Ariens Company

Some of you have mentioned that your auto-turn function is not working properly. Here is an instructional video as well as steps to adjust the housing to fix this problem.




Steps to adjust the housing​If you try these things and still are having trouble, the second link is our Support Page where you can reach out for additional answers.

If you have additional questions, let me know.

Thanks.

Mary Lyn


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## Blue Hill

We appreciate the support Mary Lyn. Ariens has lots of friends here. Hopefully, with your help, the members with auto-turn issues can get them solved.


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## mkd

i have found my new 921030 to handle not much differently than my old 1985 924 with only one wheel locked in. is it perfect? probably not but way better than the shovels i have.


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## ken53

Thanks for taking your time to help out. Its a friendly forum. I'm only a half hour from Brillion but never been there in my life time. I here its a nice town.

My Platinum 30 with only about 6 hours on it, is just working wonderful. The 414cc is amazing. 

I never needed to do the adjustments that you posted here. I just put on your poly skids using thick piece of cardboard for a spacer under the scraper.

Its hard to describe, but it works like a straight axle when going straight and then a split axle when turning. It is easy to forget about it entirely and just go about the task of blowing snow.

Don't be a stranger, I think there may be a few questions brewing. 

Ken


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## uberT

That's a great video. Did the presenter make mention how critical tire pressure would be when performing this adjustment 

My MTD machine has this problem, the front housing is not square with the rest of the machine and I don't know how to adjust it....it wasn't assembled quite right, I gather. It's a REAL nuisance when trying to get the scraper blade adjusted so it's shaving uniformly when the machine is in motion


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## fishrman

Why do we have to adjust the housing when it is a brand new machine? I had no idea about this and haven't had enough snow to try out my adjustment and my new "larger" skids I put on in an effort to help the situation with the auto-turn wanting to pull this way or that. My right skid was so worn down after only about 3 hours of use that it was ready to be turned over again! With as many people on this site that seem to be experiencing problems, I hope this video corrects everyones problems because if it doesn't, Ariens may want to consider a change or some sort of update to the machines. I have the Platinum 24, 2014 model.


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## uberT

fishrman said:


> Why do we have to adjust the housing when it is a brand new machine? I had no idea about this and haven't had enough snow to try out my adjustment and my new "larger" skids I put on in an effort to help the situation with the auto-turn wanting to pull this way or that. My right skid was so worn down after only about 3 hours of use that it was ready to be turned over again!


Yeah, you shouldn't have to correct this....should have been checked before the machine was delivered to you. But, with minimum wage workers, and a less-than-concerned attitude, you know what can happen 

Your steel skid should last quite a while. That rate of wear is extreme.

I would definitely check the squareness of your machine on a flat surface and adjusted tire pressures, reset your scraper clearance.


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## fishrman

uberT said:


> Yeah, you shouldn't have to correct this....should have been checked before the machine was delivered to you. But, with minimum wage workers, and a less-than-concerned attitude, you know what can happen
> 
> Your steel skid should last quite a while. That rate of wear is extreme.
> 
> I would definitely check the squareness of your machine on a flat surface and adjusted tire pressures, reset your scraper clearance.


Ya, well, I adjusted the skids prior to first use and was never told anything about adjusting the chute. I have now put the new Armour Skids on and hopefully adjusted the chute and skids along with the proper tire pressure. I just could hardly believe my skid on the right side wore down as far as it did with approx. 3 hours of use. Here are some pics.









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My machine with the new Armour Skids!


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## ken53

fishrman said:


> Why do we have to adjust the housing when it is a brand new machine? I had no idea about this and haven't had enough snow to try out my adjustment and my new "larger" skids I put on in an effort to help the situation with the auto-turn wanting to pull this way or that. My right skid was so worn down after only about 3 hours of use that it was ready to be turned over again! With as many people on this site that seem to be experiencing problems, I hope this video corrects everyones problems because if it doesn't, Ariens may want to consider a change or some sort of update to the machines. I have the Platinum 24, 2014 model.



Edit:
I meant this to be about your "new skids" post. Sorry about that.

Just a helpful hint:
You might notice your machine climes a little more with those new skids. The more actual skid that is out in front of the scraper bar the more it will try to ride up. They are riding on snow that hasn't been blown yet and act like a ski trying to stay on top.

They look like they should make it a lot easier to steer though.

Have fun
Ken


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## JRHAWK9

uberT said:


> That's a great video. Did the presenter make mention how critical tire pressure would be when performing this adjustment


I agree. I did this adjustment to mine during the initial setup after taking delivery this past winter. The first thing I did was to make sure I had the same amount of pressure in both tires. If you don't, you'll have a hard time getting it aligned properly. I simply approached it with a little common sense and was able to do this exact same procedure last year. That's the nice thing about taking delivery with it still in the crate, nobody has touched it yet and you can make sure everything's properly setup/aligned before it even gets gas.


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## JRHAWK9

uberT said:


> But, with minimum wage workers, and a less-than-concerned attitude, you know what can happen


exactly, again, why I refused to purchase one already "setup". I didn't want to buy one in which somebody else had the opportunity to screw something up on it and then all of a sudden it becomes my problem. Been there, done that.


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## uberT

I performed this chute-to-body re-alignment on my MTD machine this morning. It was identical to the Ariens machine pictured in the video  I can't believe the adjustment was so quick/simple  I've been wrestling with that thru 6 yrs of ownership. Aligning the skids now is child's play. Machine now sits square on the ground for the first time.


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## Ariens hydro pro

Ariens, can your engineers look at the auto turn feature? It's easy to turn the machine around at the end of the driveway, but it is annoying at times going down the driveway. The machine hits a little resistance on 1 side and it unlocks a wheel making it start to turn or fishtail. 

Can you guys add a lock out feature to the auto turn? Or at least make it less sensitive. I find the platinum 30 machine I just bought somewhat difficult to snowblow going straight down the driveway. Personally, I won't purchase another with this current auto turn feature. I just don't care for it.

Is there a way to adjust it to make it less sensitive? The fish tailing is annoying!
Thanks.


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## docfletcher

tigercat said:


> Ariens, can your engineers look at the auto turn feature? It's easy to turn the machine around at the end of the driveway, but it is annoying at times going down the driveway. The machine hits a little resistance on 1 side and it unlocks a wheel making it start to turn or fishtail.
> 
> Can you guys add a lock out feature to the auto turn? Or at least make it less sensitive. I find the platinum 30 machine I just bought somewhat difficult to snowblow going straight down the driveway. Personally, I won't purchase another with this current auto turn feature. I just don't care for it.
> 
> Is there a way to adjust it to make it less sensitive? The fish tailing is annoying!
> Thanks.


You are not alone with the problem of fishtailing, whatever name we give the problem it boils down to sharply going off course to the left, or right as the case may be, and after you straighten it out it almost immediately it happens again. Requiring the operator to make constant forced course corrections. A process which grows tiresome rather quickly. It's more problematic for some then others as asphalt surface conditions and compacted snow play a large part in just how bad it can get. Down hill, as in my case can be especially trying to deal with. 

I switched to the Ariens brand plastic type of skid which at 1st blush seems to have mitigated the problem somewhat. The jury is still out though, I need more snowstorm time to see what difference they really make. Perhaps if you were to try the plastic type skids we could compare notes.


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## Ariens hydro pro

I'm tempted to modify the skids and install small bearings on a shaft welded to the skids. This would act as steel wheels that won't wear out but simply roll down the driveway or sidewalk.
Years ago my uncle put a set on my dads snowbird machine. That home made steel bearing skid out lasted the machine. When I junked that then 35-ish old machine I should have pulled the wheels off of it. It would look great on the Ariens...


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## throttlejunkie450

I had made a call and talked to tech dept at ariens. I will say Im impressed with customer service with who I spoke to.i told him my experience which is only one time.they are sending poly skids for me to try .which I had ordered armour skids but havent received them yet.if we ever get some more snow il try both out.i am hoping skids will be the cure for my problem.


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## docfletcher

Throttlejunkie450, who did you talk with at Ariens support?


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## JRHAWK9

I will concur with what throttlejunkie450 said. I've contacted Ariens a few times regarding different topics and every time they have been a pleasure to work with and talk to.


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## docfletcher

On Ariens online chat support I have talked with Joy, Greg and Richard. On the phone just Richard. They were very professional customer service pros.


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## Nforesir

docfletcher said:


> Throttlejunkie450, who did you talk with at Ariens support?


U can carry out a live chat on their web site, _I talked to Richard a few times, he was very helpful. _


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## JRHAWK9

I chatted with Joy today and she was able to help me with the retainer clip for the chute rotation handle.


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## throttlejunkie450

I chatted with Richard an spoke to a brian .brad brett something like that lol sorry cant remember


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## Blue Hill

I've never done the chat thing, because of the time difference, but I've used the ask a question feature several times and have always received a reply the next business day.


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## Ariens hydro pro

Yesterday I got a response from Richard on the Ariens tech question site.

I was told to watch the video and double check the machine level / square / and tire pressure settings.

As I was at the machine this morning, adding air to the tires, then unscrewing the skids and frame bolts, I notice the skids already wore nearly thru.

Fine, I have long areas to clean so if the skids will wear out every year then I'm adding "rolling skids" to my machine.

I'm going to do like my late uncle did and install sealed bearings as wheels for the front end. I have ordered 1 3/4 diameter bearings from Amazon.

When I get the bearings in, I will mount them and I will post pictures on what I did.
1. If the skids wear out every year (on my property) then little wheels will last 10 times longer. 
2. The auto turn will work much better because the braking action of a skid dragging the driveway will be omitted.

Stay tuned, give me about a week. Then I'll post a picture on my solution.


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## Ariens hydro pro

I got the bearings quicker than I thought, so here is the video of what I did so hopefully it will make the auto turn feature run better on my machine. I added 2 sealed bearings on the skids. Here is the short youtube video of it.
I edited the movie. The last minute of the movie the machine is snowblowing 6 inches of heavy wet snow. It runs perfectly!


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## Shryp

tigercat said:


> I got the bearings quicker than I thought, so here is the video of what I did so hopefully it will make the auto turn feature run better on my machine. I added 2 sealed bearings on the skids. Here is the short youtube video of it.


Looks good. Let us know how they hold up for you.


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## JRHAWK9

tigercat said:


> I got the bearings quicker than I thought, so here is the video of what I did so hopefully it will make the auto turn feature run better on my machine. I added 2 sealed bearings on the skids. Here is the short youtube video of it.
> Custom rolling snowblower skids - YouTube


That is pretty slick! I can see where that would work good. I could also see the bearings possibly flat spotting if they ever get froze and quit rolling.


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## uberT

Yes, very nicely done, Tiger! I like that.



JRHAWK9 said:


> I could also see the bearings possibly flat spotting if they ever get froze and quit rolling.


^^ This is what happened to the "roller skids" I had on my machine.

If there was some way to water proof or protect the bearings from icing up, it'll have more of a fighting chance.


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## Ariens hydro pro

I tried it the night I put the bearings on and it was stupid (No snow) in the driveway. I was wide open traveling around. The thing went nice and straight down the drive way and it went pop pop pop down the sidewalk. The popping was the wheels hitting the line between the cement slabs going down the sidewalk. I would press one handle bar and it would turn like a bicycle either direction. This is what it needed. I ordered another set of bearings (now back ordered) for spares in case one or both blow out. 

When it snows I'll up date.


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## JRHAWK9

tigercat said:


> I tried it the night I put the bearings on and it was stupid (No snow) in the driveway. I was wide open traveling around. The thing went nice and straight down the drive way and it went pop pop pop down the sidewalk. The popping was the wheels hitting the line between the cement slabs going down the sidewalk. I would press one handle bar and it would turn like a bicycle either direction. This is what it needed. I ordered another set of bearings (now back ordered) for spares in case one or both blow out.
> 
> When it snows I'll up date.



Yeah, that's what I meant by the, "I can see where that would work good" part. I figured it would work really well on a clean surface like you tested it on. I'm just not convinced after hours of use in deep snow that the bearings won't ice up just enough to stop them from turning. Once they stop turning, it's over as they will flat spot and then the snowball effect begins. Keep us updated though.


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## Ariens hydro pro

uberT said:


> Yes, very nicely done, Tiger! I like that.
> 
> 
> 
> ^^ This is what happened to the "roller skids" I had on my machine.
> 
> If there was some way to water proof or protect the bearings from icing up, it'll have more of a fighting chance.


The machine is kept in a warm garage between storms. The bearings start out above 32 F. As long as your not running in slush or puddles of water I think it will be fine. 

You could spray them with WD40, that would repel the water. 

They say snow next week. Real test pending.


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## markp99

I wonder how well they will resist salt infiltration. Curious to see your longer term result.


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## nicks77

I purchased the ariens 32" track drive model 926514. Have tried to adjust the snowthrower as the manuals suggest. The auto turn seems to work perfectly fine in the transport position. However when you put it down into position to remove snow where the skid shoes are in contact with the concrete or gravel parts of my driveway it won't rotate at all. This model is the biggest track drive model and is a heavy machine. You have to manhandle it and as of right now can not say that I am very happy with it at all. It appears the second it has forward friction on it it will not rotate or turn as it is said to. The trigger lock on this model that adjusts the height of the blower unit also locks it in to where you really can't apply pressure to the back side of it to raise it up just a hair at times to relieve pressure on front end temporarily to help enable a turn. The track drive model is completely different machine than the wheeled machines with auto turn that everyone seems to be praising. If I don''t have something right than I need HELP. As I said unit will steer perfectly straight and rotates fine in an upward transport mode, but not at all when in downward snowthrowing position. Please help or I think I will need to Return this thing. As of right now believe I would be much much happier with the trigger pulls on each handle that you pull to turn unit left or right. Does anyone out there have a track drive model with the auto turn function have these same problems or know how to fix them if it fixable or has ariens made a mistake with the track drive system. Please help if anyone has any solutions. Thanks.


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## Shryp

Would it be too difficult to simply switch to transport mode to turn around? I am not sure if you are having issues with turning 180 degrees to come back or you just have a curvy drive. You might also try different skid shoes. The armor shoes are suppose to be good and the plastic ones are suppose to have less friction.


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## nicks77

Have a oval shaped driveway out in the country approximately 300 ft in distance. So am gradually turning the unit almost the entire time. Also when wanting to turn the unit 180 degrees. Would get extremely tedious to raise and lower it all of the time. The thing is supposed to function when engaged in a snow drift and all other times and as of right now that doesn't appear to happen at all. I hear you about the skid shoes, but by what I am seeing right now I don't if that would "fix" the problem. I would hope that it would help. I have an older troybilt trackdrive with the trigger pulls on both handles that to me functions just great to turn left or right. I purchased this ariens track drive because it is supposed to be the Best, but the only problem I have is the turning function, a very important one when the thing weighs around 380 lbs. It is very powerful and throws snow well but I guess if I could have purchased this model with the traditional trigger pulls I would be perfectly happy right now, that just wasn't an option though.


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## tonysak

nicks77 said:


> I purchased the ariens 32" track drive model 926514. Have tried to adjust the snowthrower as the manuals suggest. The auto turn seems to work perfectly fine in the transport position. However when you put it down into position to remove snow where the skid shoes are in contact with the concrete or gravel parts of my driveway it won't rotate at all. This model is the biggest track drive model and is a heavy machine. You have to manhandle it and as of right now can not say that I am very happy with it at all. It appears the second it has forward friction on it it will not rotate or turn as it is said to. The trigger lock on this model that adjusts the height of the blower unit also locks it in to where you really can't apply pressure to the back side of it to raise it up just a hair at times to relieve pressure on front end temporarily to help enable a turn. The track drive model is completely different machine than the wheeled machines with auto turn that everyone seems to be praising. If I don''t have something right than I need HELP. As I said unit will steer perfectly straight and rotates fine in an upward transport mode, but not at all when in downward snowthrowing position. Please help or I think I will need to Return this thing. As of right now believe I would be much much happier with the trigger pulls on each handle that you pull to turn unit left or right. Does anyone out there have a track drive model with the auto turn function have these same problems or know how to fix them if it fixable or has ariens made a mistake with the track drive system. Please help if anyone has any solutions. Thanks.


I was looking at the 32"hydro pro track unit, I saw mixed reviews on the auto turn and was going to get it, anyway then i saw the weight. It's around 420lbs. I had 340lb new simplicity that I had to keep pushing around and I said f that. I would have had to special order the unit too, so I don't think the store would have accepted a Return on it. So I feal your pain. I would get ariens on the phone and start getting some help. Call your dealer let him know the problems too so he isn't surprised if you want to return it. See what the return window is, the window tends to close quickly when it doesn't snow. The auto turn looks like a cool feature, keep us posted I'd like to know how it works out for you.


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## fishrman

Got my new larger skids on and can only say it is like night and day compared to the original skids! Seems to me that this may be a good resolution to the problem for many. I actually kind of enjoyed blowing the snow today as I didn't have to constantly fight the machine.


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## Ariens hydro pro

Update on the bearing front end (rolling skids).
I got 4 inches of wet snow today. I cleaned the driveway and sidewalks at 3 clicks down from full speed. It handled perfectly! A real pleasure to operate. No fish tailing at all and it even cleaned under my truck tracks as I drove into the snow covered drive way to get into the garage. The only time it fish tailed was when I dropped 1 side into the mud on the side of the walks. If I keep in on hard surfaces no issues at all.
More snow tonight, Wednesday and this weekend. I put the bearings on at the right time.


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## Sloan

First Use of new Ariens Delluxe 28 Model 921030
I cleared about 7 inches of new snow this am. Machine handled well with AutoTurn on my flat asphalt driveway with stock Ariens skids. First time user- overall I am very impressed with the snow thrower: started easily, easy to handle, powered through new snow with ample engine power, and easy forward control and turns with AutoTurn. 
This is my first post. I have been viewing the snowblower forum for a few weeks and I want to thank the forum and it's members for the valuable advice that a viewer can acquire.


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## throttlejunkie450

Today I had the opertunity to try my new ariens with auto turn with the poly skids.they make a whole world of difference in how the machine handled compared to stock skids. I was using one hand alot of times .I dont know why ariens doesn't throw these on all the auto turns out the get go.its like a whole different machine.i was going to put my new. armor skids on but I think I might just wait a while.thanks ariens for the poly skids they made cleaning snow enjoyable.


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## docfletcher

Used my Pro 28 today with poly skids for the 2nd time on 9" snow today. I certainly agree the machine works better with them. No more wrestling. I did notice one thing though, yesterday I went through the skid adjustment. Today after using the blower, the skids did not come to rest on the garage floor at the same time when lowering the bucket. So I don't know if one skid wore more than the other or just moved out of position. Like you I have Armor skids on hand should the need arise.


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## fishrman

docfletcher said:


> Used my Pro 28 today with poly skids for the 2nd time on 9" snow today. I certainly agree the machine works better with them. No more wrestling. I did notice one thing though, yesterday I went through the skid adjustment. Today after using the blower, the skids did not come to rest on the garage floor at the same time when lowering the bucket. So I don't know if one skid wore more than the other or just moved out of position. Like you I have Armor skids on hand should the need arise.


Interesting because after getting done with our second snow and doing 3 sidewalks and driveways, I think mine is out of whack again as well. The reason I suspect something is that in looking at the scraper bar, it is worn sharp already and I felt it dragging on the cement. 
How often does one have to adjust the skids??? I thought I had them tight but now I am wondering if I did.


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## Ariens hydro pro

fishrman said:


> Interesting because after getting done with our second snow and doing 3 sidewalks and driveways, I think mine is out of whack again as well. The reason I suspect something is that in looking at the scraper bar, it is worn sharp already and I felt it dragging on the cement.
> How often does one have to adjust the skids??? I thought I had them tight but now I am wondering if I did.


Take a magic marker and put a line on something to see what is going out of adjustment.
I don't know about your walks and driveway, but mine is not dead flat everywhere. I have slight uneven areas everywhere on my property. Frost heaves, cracks whatever. I don't think the machine level is that critical, because at times I'm running on 1 skid, then as you watch it touches again. The wider the machine the more it floats on the front shoes.


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## fishrman

tigercat said:


> Take a magic marker and put a line on something to see what is going out of adjustment.
> I don't know about your walks and driveway, but mine is not dead flat everywhere. I have slight uneven areas everywhere on my property. Frost heaves, cracks whatever. I don't think the machine level is that critical, because at times I'm running on 1 skid, then as you watch it touches again. The wider the machine the more it floats on the front shoes.


Do you have autosteer? It sure seems critical on mine!


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## Ariens hydro pro

fishrman said:


> Do you have autosteer? It sure seems critical on mine!


Yes I have the auto turn on my Platinum 30 machine. As mentioned above, I put the rolling skids on mine. It is like night and day from before as I was fighting it when I hit some resistance on the driveway. Now I can walk and drive the machine with one hand and film using my camcorder the machine with the another hand. A huge improvement.


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## fishrman

tigercat said:


> Yes I have the auto turn on my Platinum 30 machine. As mentioned above, I put the rolling skids on mine. It is like night and day from before as I was fighting it when I hit some resistance on the driveway. Now I can walk and drive the machine with one hand and film using my camcorder the machine with the another hand. A huge improvement.


 I have the Platinum 24. I didn't understand your comment about that you didn't think have the machine level was critical. I still think it is as there was a vast improvement in the operation of mine after I adjusted the chute. I don't have a heated garage so it is difficult, at best to see what is going on. Good idea about the marker to see where it might be getting off at. I hope to get it adjusted again in a few days. Suppose to get up to 40 here Thursday and that would be a good time to do it. The skids themselves don't look all that worn so I am thinking the chute or maybe even the blade loosened somehow. My cement driveway is like yours but my sidewalk is like glass. Neighbors that I do out of the goodness in my heart aren't very level either. I suppose just hitting a cement pad that is raised could throw something off somewhere. I just know I never had to adjust my old 30 year old toro.


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## docfletcher

I did scraper bar and poly skid adjustment tonight for the 2nd time. I noticed there were no star or lock washers under the bolt heads. So skids can move in the slots if enough pressure from whatever perils of the driveway await the next time I use the blower. I tightened the bolts as much as I dare. I don't need the joy of a broken bolt. Whats done will need suffice until I am able to address the matter properly. 

Poly skids due to their nature may compress and distort somewhat along the slot length as you tighten the bolts down. I wonder if this compression might continue a little bit after you stop tightening , thus leaving your bolts not quite as tight as when you first stopped.


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## Ariens hydro pro

docfletcher said:


> I did scraper bar and poly skid adjustment tonight for the 2nd time. I noticed there were no star or lock washers under the bolt heads. So skids can move in the slots if enough pressure from whatever perils of the driveway await the next time I use the blower. I tightened the bolts as much as I dare. I don't need the joy of a broken bolt. Whats done will need suffice until I am able to address the matter properly.
> 
> Poly skids due to their nature may compress and distort somewhat along the slot length as you tighten the bolts down. I wonder if this compression might continue a little bit after you stop tightening , thus leaving your bolts not quite as tight as when you first stopped.


Maybe add large washers over the nut end. This should help the plastic hold tighter over a larger area.


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## fishrman

OK, I am ready to chew nails now! I have tried and tried to adjust the chute per the instructional AGAIN> I did this once and thought I had the problem solved but in blowing snow a few days ago, it felt like it was going back to its old ways of wanting to go where it wanted to go and seemed to maybe be scraping the cement more. As some might remember, I almost completely wore out my right skid shoe after only a couple of hours of blowing and the company was nice enough to send me new shoes. I did this adjustment once and now I am thinking it just isn't adjustable! I have tried everything I know to get it to line up correctly and the chute seems to be off. I can't get the skid shoes to hit the ground at the same time and have my chute square. The right side as you are at the handle bars hits the ground about 1/8 inch or so before the left. Doesn't seem to matter what I do. Any ideas before I blow a gasket. This is a brand new 2014 Platinum 24.


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## docfletcher

Fishrmann, I think your speaking of the auger bucket. If you feel the scraper is scraping high spots etc, you may need to adjust the scraper height using larger spacers under it. Say perhaps 1/4" instead of 1/8". Once you have the spacers under the scraper loosen the skids on level ground so the weight of the bucket is on the scraper and spacers. Then tighten the skids, hold them down while tightening so they don't move while tightening.

Keep us all posted, I hope other will chime in here as I'm no expert..


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## docfletcher

Tigercat, the washers that are in the skid bolt channels are as large as will fit. But, I think your on to something, I will try lock washers.


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## fishrman

docfletcher said:


> Fishrmann, I think your speaking of the auger bucket. If you feel the scraper is scraping high spots etc, you may need to adjust the scraper height using larger spacers under it. Say perhaps 1/4" instead of 1/8". Once you have the spacers under the scraper loosen the skids on level ground so the weight of the bucket is on the scraper and spacers. Then tighten the skids, hold them down while tightening so they don't move while tightening.
> 
> Keep us all posted, I hope other will chime in here as I'm no expert..


You are right, I meant the auger bucket! I have tried everything I can think of. I think there isn't enough adjustment available. It seems to be lacking about a 1/8 inch or so adjustment to the left. Wish I had bought it locally instead of a dealer outside of my state now. I have an email into Ariens and hope they can give me some positive feedback. I tried 4 different times today to try to get it lined up right.


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## docfletcher

Try a different section of floor. Put a level on the floor to be sure the two spots where the skids will be touching are level point to point. Then put the skids over those two spots. Loosen the skids and allow the scraper and bucket to sit on the floor. Take your level and place it on the underside of the top of the bucket, or on the topside but don't let the level touch the raised welds at either end of the bucket. It should read level. If it does read level have someone push the handle bars down gently and just enough to get your spacers under the scraper. Then tighten your skids.

If you ever had the scraper bolts loose on the underside of the scraper you will need to loosen them again and push the scraper up all the way then tighten all the bolts down. But, not the one on the skids. You will do that latter when you tighten the skids down.

Make sure skids are very loose so that they slide up and down easily.


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## fishrman

docfletcher said:


> Try a different section of floor. Put a level on the floor to be sure the two spots where the skids will be touching are level point to point. Then put the skids over those two spots. Loosen the skids and allow the scraper and bucket to sit on the floor. Take your level and place it on the underside of the top of the bucket, or on the topside but don't let the level touch the raised welds at either end of the bucket. It should read level. If it does read level have someone push the handle bars down gently and just enough to get your spacers under the scraper. Then tighten your skids.
> 
> If you ever had the scraper bolts loose on the underside of the scraper you will need to loosen them again and push the scraper up all the way then tighten all the bolts down. But, not the one on the skids. You will do that latter when you tighten the skids down.
> 
> Make sure skids are very loose so that they slide up and down easily.


Doc,
I really appreciate you trying to help me here. I never tried the level thing but that is a good idea. I have tried a few different areas of my brand new level sidewalk when I am trying to make the adjustments. I still feel the problem is that it just won't adjust as far as it needs to. It needs to go down about 1/8 or so on the left side and there is no way it can as it is out of adjustment toward that side. I did loosen the scraper bar today as I thought I was going to turn it over as the right side of it had started to wear already. As you may remember, it was the right side skid that almost wore through after just a few times blowing snow before I adjusted it the first time. I will try to put a picture up of the scraper bar to show the wear on the right side. Stay tuned.


----------



## Shryp

fishrman said:


> Doc,
> I really appreciate you trying to help me here. I never tried the level thing but that is a good idea. I have tried a few different areas of my brand new level sidewalk when I am trying to make the adjustments. I still feel the problem is that it just won't adjust as far as it needs to. It needs to go down about 1/8 or so on the left side and there is no way it can as it is out of adjustment toward that side. I did loosen the scraper bar today as I thought I was going to turn it over as the right side of it had started to wear already. As you may remember, it was the right side skid that almost wore through after just a few times blowing snow before I adjusted it the first time. I will try to put a picture up of the scraper bar to show the wear on the right side. Stay tuned.


Sorry for not reading through this whole thread again, but you did try to loosen the whole bucket and jiggle it to make sure it is sitting flat on the tractor mounts right?


----------



## fishrman

Having hard time adding photos to the last so will try to put them here.
First photo shows how there is little wear on the left side. Second shows considerable wear on the right side and the last shows the whole bar noting the wear on the right side vs. the left.


----------



## fishrman

Shryp said:


> Sorry for not reading through this whole thread again, but you did try to loosen the whole bucket and jiggle it to make sure it is sitting flat on the tractor mounts right?


More times than I can count!


----------



## docfletcher

Tell me again, what exactly wont adjust as far as it needs to? The scraper, or the skid? If skid which one, left or right when standing at the handle bars? Go to your flat sidewalk. See which side skid is touching first. Mark the spots where the skids are, rotate machine 180 degrees and see which skid touch's first. If the same skid touch's first I think maybe bucket is not square to frame. Watch video again and redo the steps if this is the case.

Are you under a warranty?


----------



## fishrman

docfletcher said:


> Tell me again, what exactly wont adjust as far as it needs to? The scraper, or the skid? If skid which one, left or right when standing at the handle bars? Go to your flat sidewalk. See which side skid is touching first. Mark the spots where the skids are, rotate machine 180 degrees and see which skid touch's first. If the same skid touch's first I think maybe bucket is not square to frame. Watch video again and redo the steps if this is the case.
> 
> Are you under a warranty?


Machine is only about 2 months old and I have the 5 year warranty.
It is the right skid that touches first by about 1/8th to 1/4 inch no matter what I do! I could adjust the left skid down further but then the scraper would be 1/8th to 1/4 inch to high. I think the bucket is not square with the frame, like you say and I have loosened it and tried to straighten it but run out of adjustment to get it square, in my opinion. You just can't rotate it to the left any further than it is. It will allow me to go to the right probably a half inch or so but I need it to go the other direction as the right skid always touches first no matter what I do.


----------



## docfletcher

Scraper needs to be 1/8" off ground if using on a good generally flat surface. The more contorted the surface the higher the scraper should be. But more importantly I'd like to know when both skids are down if the scraper is an equal amount off the floor all the way across left to right. 

I did not need to do the adjustment in the video as my machine tracks very straight, no sense fooling with it. Since I've never did the adjustment I'm not sure how the rotation works. But when you say you can not rotate it enough it bring a few possibility's to mind. 

1. Your not doing as per the Ariens instructional video (no offense)

2. The bolts are not loose enough to allow full range of travel.

3. The bolt pattern or slot that allows the rotation is off from manufacturing.

I will look at mine Friday morning to look at the bolts & see if I can deduce anything.


----------



## docfletcher

I just watched Ariens video and I did not see the man rotate it, only sorta wiggle it. 

See if the bucket sidewall bottoms (in the area in front of the skids) are the same distance off the floor. They should be close I think. If not the bucket is not square to frame. 

The sidewalk may be your problem, they usually are pitched. try using the 2' spirit level idea to make sure the sidewalk is level. If it's not you can use a shim to make it so. Then put your skids down and do the adjustments.


----------



## fishrman

docfletcher said:


> I just watched Ariens video and I did not see the man rotate it, only sorta wiggle it.
> 
> See if the bucket sidewall bottoms (in the area in front of the skids) are the same distance off the floor. They should be close I think. If not the bucket is not square to frame.
> 
> The sidewalk may be your problem, they usually are pitched. try using the 2' spirit level idea to make sure the sidewalk is level. If it's not you can use a shim to make it so. Then put your skids down and do the adjustments.


Sidewalk is level. I put it in. Now, my garage floor, not so much. That is why I ended up on my sidewalk.
Regarding the sidewalls of the bucket. When I loosen everything up and set it down then I would say they are very close to equal on each side but this, I think, is because of the weight of the machine forcing it down that 1/8 or so that it is off. So, when you go ahead and shim it up the 1/8 or so under the scraper, it seems good until you give it the test of pivoting it up and then letting it back down as the right skid will hit first, every time! I think that is the whole problem, the bucket isn't square to the frame and wonder how many other people have the same problem?


----------



## docfletcher

Regarding the bucket side wall bottoms... With skids loose they should right down to the floor so should the scraper. After shimming the scraper and tightening the skids bottoms and side wall bottoms should be just
about the same distance off floor.

I know I am repeating myself here. I'm trying to be sure we cover all 100% 

Shryp and perhaps a few other guys with more experience with blowers will chime in when they can.


----------



## fishrman

docfletcher said:


> Regarding the bucket side wall bottoms... With skids loose they should right down to the floor so should the scraper. After shimming the scraper and tightening the skids bottoms and side wall bottoms should be just
> about the same distance off floor.
> 
> I know I am repeating myself here. I'm trying to be sure we cover all 100%
> 
> Shryp and perhaps a few other guys with more experience with blowers will chime in when they can.


Ya, I don't know what else to say at this point. I just don't think the bucket is square with the frame like you have referred to before. Waiting on a response from Ariens. I do think it is close but close isn't good enough.


----------



## Ariens hydro pro

I checked mine too, before I added the rolling skids.
This is what I did.
I found a level area in the garage.
I fully loosened the shoes.
I fully loosened the 4 bolts that seperate the machine in two.

Then I press down the handle bars (to lift the front of the machine off the ground). I lightly lay the front down and tighten the 4 bolts up.

I check that the scraper is flat across the floor. I press down on the handle bars to test that I'm square. It should lift straight up and settle back down straight.

If it's Ok at this point, I then grab 2 paint sticks and place them underneth the scraper on both ends (about 2 inches from the edge of the shovel). 
I set the shoes on both sides.

Once shoes are set I kick the paint sticks out from under the machine and check it for the last time.

I have used the bearings 5-8 times maybe 8 hrs on the machine and they work awesome. If you have a flat driveway and walks, take the time and make a set for your machine, IMHO.


----------



## q95

I'm looking to buy a new Ariens, doing my research on this forum and other pages that Google finds. After reading through this whole thing, I wonder if Ariens would be better served if they added a switch to engage the auto-turn, or at least a switch to disable it (call it either). 

I don't want to rotate anything on the wheel to make turns, but I don't want it to turn when I want it to go straight. I just think the "auto" part of the Auto-Turn is too sensitive at this point. Maybe it will improve. I personally would prefer a lever to engage the 'easy turn' (rename from 'auto' turn)!


----------



## fishrman

q95 said:


> I'm looking to buy a new Ariens, doing my research on this forum and other pages that Google finds. After reading through this whole thing, I wonder if Ariens would be better served if they added a switch to engage the auto-turn, or at least a switch to disable it (call it either).
> 
> I don't want to rotate anything on the wheel to make turns, but I don't want it to turn when I want it to go straight. I just think the "auto" part of the Auto-Turn is too sensitive at this point. Maybe it will improve. I personally would prefer a lever to engage the 'easy turn' (rename from 'auto' turn)!


You are a smart man for doing your research. I still think my housing was not square and couldn't be squared because I think it was welded just a little bit off as I tried and tried to correct it to make it square. At any rate, Ariens told me to take it to my dealer and they would send out a new housing if needed. I took it to my dealer in April and haven't seen it yet!! Guess he was busy with lawnmowers. He told me he kind of got into it with someone at Ariens as they were telling him what should be done and he wasn't agreeing with them. At this point, I am not sure I will get it back before the snow flys. If I don't, someone is going to be very upset!!


----------



## Blaine B.

If it is like an open differential in an automobile, there can be no switch to disable, unless it has a selective locker system.

Either you have fully locked, fully open, selective locker, or limited slip with a clutch system of some sort.


----------



## fishrman

Just an update on my Platinum 24. Been at my dealers since April. I still don't have it back but guess there is no snow yet! Anyway, he sent me a note the other day to tell me he discovered, what he called, part of the problem. Said he measured the height of the tires at the proper inflation rate and one of them is 3/8ths of an inch higher than the other one! Now, that has to be a quality control problem with the tires if that is true. That could screw everything up for sure and something I never checked for. He told me he didn't think that was the whole problem and is waiting for a new tire to try! Stay tuned!


----------



## dbert

fishrman said:


> Just an update on my Platinum 24. Been at my dealers since April. I still don't have it back but guess there is no snow yet! Anyway, he sent me a note the other day to tell me he discovered, what he called, part of the problem. Said he measured the height of the tires at the proper inflation rate and one of them is 3/8ths of an inch higher than the other one! Now, that has to be a quality control problem with the tires if that is true. That could screw everything up for sure and something I never checked for. He told me he didn't think that was the whole problem and is waiting for a new tire to try! Stay tuned!


Wow. Equal tire pressure should be on everyones checklist when setting this up, but discovering two different tire diameters at the same pressure? Didn't see that coming.
Oh, and been at the dealer since April? Another wow. Nice of them to store it for you n the off season I guess.


----------



## liftoff1967

Holy off set stagger batman. I would agree that would be part of your problem. 

Stealing a phrase from the Dire Straights song Industrial Disease. "Warning lights are flashing down in quality control" for the Ariens staff,,,,,,,, I hope.


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## vmaxed

Yea...after you set the tire pressure,check the tire diameter.you can lower or raze it to make the diameter equal


----------



## fishrman

dbert said:


> Wow. Equal tire pressure should be on everyones checklist when setting this up, but discovering two different tire diameters at the same pressure? Didn't see that coming.
> Oh, and been at the dealer since April? Another wow. Nice of them to store it for you n the off season I guess.


I agree on both counts. Was nice to have a little extra space for the mower this summer! 
The tire pressure thing though, you shouldn't have to increase or decrease pressure and measure your diameter to see if they are equal. That's nuts!!


----------



## Razir66

Based on the video, the tire diameters probably do not need to be exact so long as you always keep the same tire pressures. Since you are adjusting the bucket to the frame, if one tire is slightly higher and you adjust it so the bucket sits flush to the ground that way it won't matter. Even so, 3/8" is quite an excessive variation in diameter for the same tire pressure so that definitely needs correction and could definitely explain why fishrman says he don't seem to have enough play to adjust and align it the way he is supposed to be able to.


----------



## fishrman

Razir66 said:


> Based on the video, the tire diameters probably do not need to be exact so long as you always keep the same tire pressures. Since you are adjusting the bucket to the frame, if one tire is slightly higher and you adjust it so the bucket sits flush to the ground that way it won't matter. Even so, 3/8" is quite an excessive variation in diameter for the same tire pressure so that definitely needs correction and could definitely explain why fishrman says he don't seem to have enough play to adjust and align it the way he is supposed to be able to.


Yep!
I don't know if that is 3/8ths in diameter or in height. That would be a difference too! 3/8ths in diameter would actually be a difference of 3/16ths in height, wouldn't it?


----------



## Razir66

Diameter is height, so you're right, 3/16" variation from axle down. Hard to believe a gap that small would not allow your machine to set right, can't wait to hear what your dealer finds out, better be soon, snow will be coming!



fishrman said:


> Yep!
> I don't know if that is 3/8ths in diameter or in height. That would be a difference too! 3/8ths in diameter would actually be a difference of 3/16ths in height, wouldn't it?


----------



## fishrman

Razir66 said:


> Diameter is height, so you're right, 3/16" variation from axle down. Hard to believe a gap that small would not allow your machine to set right, can't wait to hear what your dealer finds out, better be soon, snow will be coming!


I am afraid you are right about the snow coming!!
FLASH!!! Update!!!! Just heard from dealer and he tells me that a new tire is on order and hopes it is closer to one of the other tires diameter and as well "shocker" he has a new blower housing on the way and should be here by Monday! If everything works out and measures out correctly, I could have it back by Weds. of next week!!


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## Shryp

I think a larger tire is going to be more than just a height issue. The side with the larger tire is going to be covering more ground in one revolution than the other side hence pushing the blower not in a straight line.


----------



## fishrman

Shryp said:


> I think a larger tire is going to be more than just a height issue. The side with the larger tire is going to be covering more ground in one revolution than the other side hence pushing the blower not in a straight line.


 Very good point!!! Maybe everyone that is having an issue should measure the diameter of their tires! I would be very interested to see if anyone else finds a problem that way. That could sure make a difference!!


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## Normex

Just a thought, could it be instead of the tire being larger dia. the other tire might be smaller ?


----------



## Shryp

I remember reading of a similar issue on a Honda blower last year or maybe a couple years ago. Something about someone over filled one of the tires and stretched it out.


----------



## fishrman

Normex said:


> Just a thought, could it be instead of the tire being larger dia. the other tire might be smaller ?


Of course it could! I think he ordered one tire in hopes that it will be closer in diameter to one of them whether it be the smaller or larger one or for that mater, the correct one. If they make such a thing!


----------



## liftoff1967

fishrman said:


> Very good point!!! Maybe everyone that is having an issue should measure the diameter of their tires! I would be very interested to see if anyone else finds a problem that way. That could sure make a difference!!


I have not been having much issue with the auto turn now that I got a feel for it, but for sh1ts and giggles, I did some psi and measuring work. Here is what I came up with.

Deluxe 30. Kenda Tires 4.80 - 8 in size. 20 psi max. I was at 10 psi to start with. Put 15 psi in each tire, being careful not to over inflate. I then took a 1" wide metal tape (did not think the wife would allow me to use her fabric tape she using for sewing) which was kinda a bear to wrap around the circumference of each tire. Trying to keep the kinks in the tape consistent from one tire to the other, and I had 55" for each.

Just tossing it out there.


----------



## fishrman

liftoff1967 said:


> I have not been having much issue with the auto turn now that I got a feel for it, but for sh1ts and giggles, I did some psi and measuring work. Here is what I came up with.
> 
> Deluxe 30. Kenda Tires 4.80 - 8 in size. 20 psi max. I was at 10 psi to start with. Put 15 psi in each tire, being careful not to over inflate. I then took a 1" wide metal tape (did not think the wife would allow me to use her fabric tape she using for sewing) which was kinda a bear to wrap around the circumference of each tire. Trying to keep the kinks in the tape consistent from one tire to the other, and I had 55" for each.
> 
> Just tossing it out there.


55" each! Had no idea!


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## Shryp

For measuring something round like that most people use a string or a piece of ribbon or something and then lay it flat if they don't have a fabric tape measure.


----------



## fishrman

*Ready??*

Dealer calls to let me know the Platinum 24 is ready for me to pick up except for putting a decal on the front that didn't come with the new blower housing! Anyway, he said they sent a new tire that is closer to one of the other tires than the previous one was but told me that I still may have to play with the tire pressures some to get them where they need to be in relationship to each other! To me, there is something rotten in Denmark relative to these tires if there is that much difference between them. Seems to be a big quality control problem to me. He asked Ariens what the tolerance was on the tires and I think he told me something like, 1/8 to 1/2 inch! 1/2 inch is allot, in my opinion. This could affect lots of machines if there is that much difference in the tires, I would think.
At any rate, he changed out the housing too and told me that he thinks the original housing had the brackets welded on a little off and that is why neither he or I could get it adjusted correctly. Sure hope it all works out now! Will pick it up tomorrow but really won't know much till it is time to use it, I guess. Be nice if I don't have to use it from my perspective!


----------



## vmaxed

vmaxed said:


> Yea...after you set the tire pressure,check the tire diameter.you can lower or raze it to make the diameter equal


I had my Ariens 921036 Deluxe 28 up on the jack today installing heated grips,I checked the tire diameter.
To make them equal I hade to put 19psi in one and 10psi in other one,I ended up @ 45.5 inches


----------



## fishrman

vmaxed said:


> I had my Ariens 921036 Deluxe 28 up on the jack today installing heated grips,I checked the tire diameter.
> To make them equal I hade to put 19psi in one and 10psi in other one,I ended up @ 45.5 inches


Oh my!!! That sure seems like a problem to me!! One at 10 pounds and the other at 19. That is about 50% less pressure. Somethings rotten in Denmark if you ask me!


----------



## Shryp

Yea, seems like the pressure difference would make one side a lot more spongy. Wonder how it is going to handle with that much difference.


----------



## db9938

Is this under warranty?


----------



## Razir66

Well geez, you guys have me paranoid. I went out and used the wife's fabric tape measure to wrap around the tires for meauring circumference. I had both tires at 18 psi and they were both spot on at 46 7/8". Mine is new never used so no uneven tire wear to think about yet.


----------



## fishrman

Just an update on my machine:
I was pretty happy with my new blower that I bought last year after finally getting it back from the dealer. A new blower housing was put on it as the original one turned out to be set on it wrong and one tire was replaced because it wasn't close enough to being the same size as the other. At any rate, I got to use it yesterday for the first time this winter. What I noticed was, when I try to back up with it over the end of the drive where there is about a 1 and 1/2 inch drop from the cement to the gravel, the tires would hit the cement and just sit there. Tires didn't even seem to attempt to turn and crawl up the cement without me pulling back on the machine a little harder than I think I should have to. Shouldn't those tires keep turning when they strike a small barrier like this and climb up and over it?


----------



## Normex

Please see your other same post.


----------



## fishrman

Normex said:


> Please see your other same post.


Just wanted to update this thread since I didn't think everyone reading this thread would read the other and associate the two of them together.


----------



## Ariens208

*Ariens Auto Turn and SHO*

Just sold my 2011 Areins Deluxe 28 and ordered a new 2014 Ariens Platinum SHO 30. Questions about issues with the Auto Turn, are there alot of issues with this new feature? If so, what are they?

Does anyone have the SHO module? How does it work? 

Thanks


----------



## 1894

You ordered it through a local dealer I hope . My first impressions after the first three times using mine are :
Lowest speed setting it is tough to get the machine not to track straight. I like that 
Increasing the speed I can feel and use the auto turn for curves and such. 
Making a U-turn at the low speed setting it is easier to let go of the drive clutch and let the differential work .
2nd speed with a clear area to turn around just push the handelbars down and turn . 
After using the 24" , I kinda wish I'd have gone up to the 30 sho just so the wheels have more room to move around in during that first turnaround in the deep heavy snow. I think a little more use will help me learn to handle it better .
I'm sure you will have more leverage at the front with the wider bucket pulling side to side , let us know how it handles for you .

ps , congrats on a nice machine 

pps , welcome to the forum


----------



## celltech

Just used my machine for the 1st time this year. This summer I leveled the bucket per the Ariens video and also installed the Ariens poly skids. Wow, what a difference! I have been vocal about my dislike of Auto turn, but these changes make me 100% satisfied.


----------



## AverageJoe

vmaxed said:


> Yea...after you set the tire pressure,check the tire diameter.you can lower or raze it to make the diameter equal


That's exactly what i was told by an Airen's factory Rep. last year when i was having tracking issues. I did this before i did the skid/bucket /scraper bar adjustments.

I have since added the armor skids but have not used the blower yet this year so we'll see if things improved? I have the Airen's 24 Plat.

Last year mine hopped down the driveway (flat asphalt) and created scallop marks in the snow....hope it works better this year?


----------



## fishrman

AverageJoe said:


> That's exactly what i was told by an Airen's factory Rep. last year when i was having tracking issues. I did this before i did the skid/bucket /scraper bar adjustments.
> 
> I have since added the armor skids but have not used the blower yet this year so we'll see if things improved? I have the Airen's 24 Plat.
> 
> Last year mine hopped down the driveway (flat asphalt) and created scallop marks in the snow....hope it works better this year?


 We have the same machine so will be looking forward to your replies! I would note, we have had only one snow this year so far to try mine out in after getting the new housing so I am not ready to jump up and down yet.


----------



## fishrman

Just thought I would add, since I got to use my machine a little more today, finally, it was a joy to use! Seems much much better and tracking straight! Only issue I have right now is that the drive seems to be slipping in reverse!!


----------



## Johnny_W

I just purchased a 2014 Ariens Deluxe 28" (921030) and had the "fishtailing" issue. I did everything in the video and the issue persisted. Then I contacted Ariens and explained my situation. Brent told me I would be better off purchasing a blower with a solid axle. 
Needles to say I was amazed at the lack of customer service. It really surprised me after having read this thread. I had hoped after spending over $1000 on a snow blower they would send me a set of $20 skids to fix a known issue. Instead Brent suggested I return it and buy a Sears. Incredible! 
I will buy a set of the poly skids to see if it really helps before returning it but I honestly can't recommend a brand that sells a product with a known issue and makes no attempt to correct it.


----------



## fishrman

Johnny_W said:


> I just purchased a 2014 Ariens Deluxe 28" (921030) and had the "fishtailing" issue. I did everything in the video and the issue persisted. Then I contacted Ariens and explained my situation. Brent told me I would be better off purchasing a blower with a solid axle.
> Needles to say I was amazed at the lack of customer service. It really surprised me after having read this thread. I had hoped after spending over $1000 on a snow blower they would send me a set of $20 skids to fix a known issue. Instead Brent suggested I return it and buy a Sears. Incredible!
> I will buy a set of the poly skids to see if it really helps before returning it but I honestly can't recommend a brand that sells a product with a known issue and makes no attempt to correct it.


WOW!! Incredible!!! Have you checked your tires to make sure they are the same size by measuring them?? Also wondering about your chute. Did you have any trouble getting it square??? They had to get me a whole new chute for mine and replace one tire but now, I love it!


----------



## Johnny_W

Honestly, I didn't check the tires. I picked up a set of generic poly skids at Home Depot this evening. I will check/re-check everything when I install them tomorrow. 
I was just blown away by the lack of customer service. I could have bought a blower for almost half the price but I wanted to buy a good machine once rather than a cheap machine over and over again. Now I feel like I have a Cadillac that was delivered with 4 doughnut spares instead of real tires. 
After reading this thread and one in the Ariens site sponsors area I know they are aware of this issue. I'm very disappointed they haven't addressed it. I had very high expectations of both the blower and Ariens customer service based on my research. Now I find I have to spend more money just to make it work as it should have from the start. 
Shouldn't have all of this been taken care of at the factory or in the shop before I picked it up? I didn't buy it from a big box store, I went to a reputable dealer. Am I being unreasonable? Are my expectations too high?


----------



## 1894

> Shouldn't have all of this been taken care of at the factory or in the shop before I picked it up? I didn't buy it from a big box store, *I went to a reputable dealer.*


 Sounds like that should be a dealer repair. Did they try and couldn't fix or replace it ?


----------



## Johnny_W

If it would fit in my car that would have been my first move. Unfortunately it doesn't. To bring it back to the dealer I would have to rent a trailer. Again costing me more money to fix an issue that should have been resolved by not using sub standard skids. 
I'm not mechanically inept. I've swapped car engines, replaced clutches, rebuilt engines large and small. The symptoms I'm having are exactly as described in this thread. It seems like a simple fix. I learned a long time ago "When you hear hoof beats think horses, not zebras.".


----------



## Johnny_W

O.K.! Rechecked everything, chute is square, tires the same size, everything is as it should be. I installed the poly skids and all I can say is WOW! I only have a light dusting but I can already see the difference. You can control and steer the blower with one hand! I did this same test on already cleared driveway with the original skids and it was an upper body workout. Now it's a breeze. 
Why Ariens would ship this machine as it was is a mystery. Why their customer service would tell me to buy another machine and risk their reputation I can't fathom. It seems obvious to me that this issue can only cost more in reputation than the expense to fix. The fact that there is a sticky at the top of this forum and the three posts above mine in the sponsors section are about this issue should be a great embarrassment.


*I need to add a huge THANK YOU!!!!!!! to this forum and it's members! Had it not been for this forum and it's helpful members I would have returned this snow blower. With your help I now have the snow blower I wanted and paid for.
Thanks again! *


----------



## AverageJoe

OK finally used my 24" Plat this season but had to wait to post as my fingers were numb. I added the Armor Skids (did all the alignment stuff to) and i will say doing so made a big difference.....the skids more than anything IMO. 

I did not have to wrestle the machine even with tire tracks in the drive....it did not hop nor did it scallop the driveway.

I can see where Ariens might loose some business letting product out the door and risking bad setups. Not everyone reads this forum to make the adjustments......Also zero issues with auto-turn this time around!

Other than having to use the electric start (5 attempts) i'm pretty happy so far this season!


----------



## InfernoST

Same here, If it wasn't for this forum i wouldn't have known about the poly skids and aligning the bucket to correct the auto turn issues with my 2014 Platinum 30 414cc. The machine is a dream to use now and is a total beast. Unlike AverageJoe i haven't even tried the electric start (don't even know if it works) this thing starts on the 1st pull every time and did so a couple of days ago even after sitting around unused since March of 2014.

Anyhow I want to thank the forum and its members for all of their support.


----------



## Ariens Company

Johnny_W said:


> O.K.! Rechecked everything, chute is square, tires the same size, everything is as it should be. I installed the poly skids and all I can say is WOW! I only have a light dusting but I can already see the difference. You can control and steer the blower with one hand! I did this same test on already cleared driveway with the original skids and it was an upper body workout. Now it's a breeze.
> Why Ariens would ship this machine as it was is a mystery. Why their customer service would tell me to buy another machine and risk their reputation I can't fathom. It seems obvious to me that this issue can only cost more in reputation than the expense to fix. The fact that there is a sticky at the top of this forum and the three posts above mine in the sponsors section are about this issue should be a great embarrassment.
> 
> 
> *I need to add a huge THANK YOU!!!!!!! to this forum and it's members! Had it not been for this forum and it's helpful members I would have returned this snow blower. With your help I now have the snow blower I wanted and paid for.
> Thanks again! *


Johnny_W -

We are sorry that you had issues with your Auto-Turn feature. The erratic motion of the Auto-Turn system was caused, in some cases, when the drive and auger housings were not properly aligned during assembly. Once we determined there was an issue, we made adjustments on the assembly line and provided instructions and this video for the units in the field as in most cases the customer could perform these adjustments themselves. 

If the customer was not able to make the adjustment, Tech Service handled these units on a case by case basis to make it right. 

I'm glad your unit is now working properly and appreciate all the comments from others in this forum to make that happen. I am also sorry you feel it wasn't handled properly. Please send me a private message if I can help in any way as we do take pride in our customer service, and I am here for you if you need it.

Thanks.

Mary Lyn


----------



## Johnny_W

Ariens Company said:


> Johnny_W -
> 
> We are sorry that you had issues with your Auto-Turn feature. The erratic motion of the Auto-Turn system was caused, in some cases, when the drive and auger housings were not properly aligned during assembly. Once we determined there was an issue, we made adjustments on the assembly line and provided instructions and this video for the units in the field as in most cases the customer could perform these adjustments themselves.
> 
> If the customer was not able to make the adjustment, Tech Service handled these units on a case by case basis to make it right.
> 
> I'm glad your unit is now working properly and appreciate all the comments from others in this forum to make that happen. I am also sorry you feel it wasn't handled properly. Please send me a private message if I can help in any way as we do take pride in our customer service, and I am here for you if you need it.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Mary Lyn



Thank You Mary Lyn,

Perhaps there is some degree of misunderstanding. The issues I (and apparently many others) have been experiencing is not the result of improper alignment during assembly, but rather the result of substandard skid plates. 

After thorough examination, every indication points to my machine having been assembled as designed. My thread mirrors many others (where your customers are experiencing shockingly poor performance due to the stock skid plates). Once the skids are replaced with ones of sufficient size (at an additional cost to customers who already spent close to/over a thousand dollars expecting a superior quality snow blower) the issue is corrected without additional adjustments or trips to the dealer for repairs/realignments that would have been a wild goose chase (Not to mention how upset those customers must be after realigning, adjusting and experiencing the same issue... only to discover afterwards that Ariens is aware that the stock skid plates are causing the very issue they are reporting). 

Ultimately, I _feel_ my complaint wasn't handled properly as it appears to have been met with contempt, obfuscation and misdirection (all at my personal cost). Your customers and Ariens reputation are suffering. Ariens customer service seem oddly reluctant to admit there is a known problem despite the many threads on this particular issue and the many calls I'm confident you field related to this issue. As an example, your response failed to even mention the known skid plate issues. I'm left with the impression that Ariens is intentionally ignoring the issue although I can't fully understand why.

I'm sure you would agree that this particular situation was handled poorly at best and the mere existence of my (and many, many other complaints about the substandard skids) is damaging your once unrivaled reputation due to what I can only interpret as an effort directed at cost savings.

I could/would not recommend an Ariens product in good conscience unless an upgraded set of skids were included with the initial purchase as standard equipment.


----------



## Benny365

I put armor skids on my deluxe 28 last winter, It helps bridge the bumps. but didn't help with the auto turn wandering all over the place. I've done the video thing to "reset" the machine/skids and it still wanders if it has the slightest hangup.

will the non abrasive skids help?

also if I'm turning on some slippery snow/ground, the auto turn won't kick in. the inside wheel spins as fast as the outside.

I think I would rather has a solid axle or the trigger type release axle


----------



## Benny365

after thinking about it for a while, maybe its a traction/tire issue.

on my machine 2013 28+ the bucket end is very heavy in my opinion.

so I'm thinking when the bucket hits heavy snow or ice momentarily stopping one of the wheels the auto turn kicks in and disengages that wheel, causing the fishtail.

are chains in my future?

I have the armor skids, adjusted tire pressure/size, loosen/tighten bucket yadda yadda yadda. all to no avail.


also there are times when I try to turn at the end of my driveway and the inside wheel does NOT disengage (losses bite to the ground) and keeps spinning. therefore the auto turn is not working properly. as I'm typing this I think this problem is more about the wheels keeping contact(or lack there of) with the ground.

In the garage(dry floor) the auto turn works perfect, BECAUSE the tires don't slip on the dry concrete.


----------



## liftoff1967

Benny. I hope you purchased this thru a dealer network and not the big orange box store. Either way, I see a trip to 2 Brothers Powersports in your future.

Having a Deluxe 30, with Armor Skids, I have no Auto turn issues over the past 2 winters, granted this season here in Mpls is pretty week. I have noticed when I'm blowing in a higher gear and I want to turn around, say to the right, I really need to pull *back* hard on my right handle bar to have the auto turn feature kick in. When I'm in gear 1-3 the auto turn feature kicks in every time. 

Bottom line, I think speed of which you use, effects the auto turn. That seam to be my findings.


----------



## mfrs2000

*Auto Turn Works Well Here*

After refurbishing a Toro 1028 with power steering I was jealous. Wow.. true turn on a dime, a child could run this. No effort what so ever. 

I have 26" Pro Ariens which was equipped with a Hillard auto locking diff. I swapped it out for the Auto Turn diff. and built a set of longer shoes. No troubles on first couple of storms. More coming this week, here in Atlantic Canada.


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## pego99

I have the same problem. Where can I find the video and where to get the poly skids?
Can you post links please?


----------



## Johnny_W

The video is the first post of this thread! http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/ariens-snowblowers/12298-ariens-auto-turn-adjustment.html
The poly skids can be purchased at Home Depot. Search Results for snowblower skids at The Home Depot


----------



## jjlrrw

tigercat said:


> I got the bearings quicker than I thought, so here is the video of what I did so hopefully it will make the auto turn feature run better on my machine. I added 2 sealed bearings on the skids. Here is the short youtube video of it.
> I edited the movie. The last minute of the movie the machine is snowblowing 6 inches of heavy wet snow. It runs perfectly!
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG1giQ0heaY&feature=youtu.be


I did this mod today won't know for a while how it works. I used a set of wheels off a pair of roller blades. 



Benny365 said:


> after thinking about it for a while, maybe its a traction/tire issue.
> 
> *on my machine 2013 28+ the bucket end is very heavy in my opinion.*
> 
> so I'm thinking when the bucket hits heavy snow or ice momentarily stopping one of the wheels the auto turn kicks in and disengages that wheel, causing the fishtail.
> 
> are chains in my future?
> 
> In the garage(dry floor) the auto turn works perfect, BECAUSE the tires don't slip on the dry concrete.



I did some measurements today comparing my older 8/24 to my 2014 deluxe 28

I put a scale under the bucket
8/24 = 38#, Deluxe 28 = 69#
Then under the wheels
8/24 =179#, Deluxe 28 = 149#

I expected the 28 to be heaver on the front but not 80% more and didn't expect the difference I seen on the wheels but now makes sense why the deluxe 28 has poor traction


----------



## Zoomer

I know this thread has been dead for a bit but thought I'd add my experience. I just purchased a Platinum 30 SHO and when I checked the chute for level, it was off about 3/4" as I lifted it from the floor. I loosened the bolts to align and ended up having to shim the low side up while sitting on the level to put enough force to it to come back to level when the bolts were tightened. Level now but it was out a lot and this was a brand new unit. I did check the tire pressures before hand but did not measure tires. But I did check for level at control handles and console and it was good so tires were not an issue. I ran it down the driveway on the dry pavement and seemed to run straight. I never tried it before I adjusted it but 3/4" difference could not be good.


----------



## HighlanderNH

Benny365 said:


> after thinking about it for a while, maybe its a traction/tire issue.
> 
> on my machine 2013 28+ the bucket end is very heavy in my opinion.
> 
> so I'm thinking when the bucket hits heavy snow or ice momentarily stopping one of the wheels the auto turn kicks in and disengages that wheel, causing the fishtail.
> 
> are chains in my future?
> 
> I have the armor skids, adjusted tire pressure/size, loosen/tighten bucket yadda yadda yadda. all to no avail.
> 
> 
> also there are times when I try to turn at the end of my driveway and the inside wheel does NOT disengage (losses bite to the ground) and keeps spinning. therefore the auto turn is not working properly. as I'm typing this I think this problem is more about the wheels keeping contact(or lack there of) with the ground.
> 
> In the garage(dry floor) the auto turn works perfect, BECAUSE the tires don't slip on the dry concrete.


I'm starting to think the same..the AutoTurn problem that many people including myself are seeing is the lose of traction of either the left or right tire, making the AutoTurn kick in. Tire pressure, alignment of frame, and yes I used poly skids...just don't always fix the problem...

Here is my thinking on the subject......

I think I'll give Ariens Technical support a call before ordering the ArmorSkids for my Platinum 24 SHO. I'm sure there'll give me the old tire pressure/frame alignment talk (been there done that) that many of us know all too well. But I'll see what they say before moving forward.. this issue does seem to be related to each users own specific terrain/slope/surface conditions/type, etc..

I think the current AutoTurn design works pretty good for most people (works great for me on nice flat grass) but the problem is for those that are having problems...there is no way in the current Ariens design, to reduce the sensitivity of the AutoTurn feature and that is the real problem. You get too much resistance or too much wheel spin on one side or the other..and AutoTurn wakes up..and you're going for a ride either right or left..and you have to start fighting it to keep it going straight.. With all the QA testing Ariens does I'm sure they are well aware of this phenomenon by now. It should be an interesting call... 

-mike-


----------



## montclair2525

Zoomer said:


> I know this thread has been dead for a bit but thought I'd add my experience. I just purchased a Platinum 30 SHO and when I checked the chute for level, it was off about 3/4" as I lifted it from the floor. I loosened the bolts to align and ended up having to shim the low side up while sitting on the level to put enough force to it to come back to level when the bolts were tightened. Level now but it was out a lot and this was a brand new unit. I did check the tire pressures before hand but did not measure tires. But I did check for level at control handles and console and it was good so tires were not an issue. I ran it down the driveway on the dry pavement and seemed to run straight. I never tried it before I adjusted it but 3/4" difference could not be good.


I took delivery of my Platinum 30 SHO on Saturday and noticed the same issue the moment I wheeled it into my garage. The one skid touched down about 1" before the other. The delivery kid was clueless. I called the store and they sent a mechanic. He said the way they come from the factory is the way they go out. Apparently Ariens assembled it twisted or it happened in transit.

First - tire pressure were not even. One at 22#, one at 10". Equaling them at 20# helped a little.

We did the alignment fix as shown on the Ariens video, loosening the 2 halves with the 4 bolts, setting it down, tighten up and test. No difference. We needed to really rack the unit to get it to level, but it's now level. Both skids touch down at the same time when pivoting from the wheels.

I have a really old, chewed up blacktop driveway, nearly nothing is smooth, so I'm going to set the scraper bar at 1", as if gravel. I also ordered poly skids, as I'm sure they're going to help, too. A dry run down the driveway was not a smooth stroll.


----------



## IBME

If the issue is tires losing traction, would adding weight on the back end help?


----------



## pyro

My decision to buy an Ariens comes down entirely to this autoturn. Everything else about the Ariens blows the competition away. I have a terrible terrible driveway. It is mostly dirt with some millings. There are some larger permanent rocks that are mostly flat sticking up 1-2" in some cases, along with some roots poking up 1-2". I used my father's 28" Honda last year (no power steering) without even thinking about it and didn't think twice about it. Attached is a bad picture of the worst part of my driveway. It really needs to be paved, but that's prob a few years out.

Am I going to have problems with autoturn? I can't get a sense of how much effort it is really takes to correct for the autoturn. The Honda had no power steering and I muscled that thing around without complaints, although it was a bit tiring.

Driveway is min of 200ft, and an additional 200ft if I choose to do the rarely used loop back to a 2nd entrance to the road.


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## jjlrrw

pyro said:


> My decision to buy an Ariens comes down entirely to this autoturn. Everything else about the Ariens blows the competition away. I have a terrible terrible driveway. It is mostly dirt with some millings. There are some larger permanent rocks that are mostly flat sticking up 1-2" in some cases, along with some roots poking up 1-2". I used my father's 28" Honda last year (no power steering) without even thinking about it and didn't think twice about it. Attached is a bad picture of the worst part of my driveway. It really needs to be paved, but that's prob a few years out.
> 
> Am I going to have problems with autoturn? I can't get a sense of how much effort it is really takes to correct for the autoturn. The Honda had no power steering and I muscled that thing around without complaints, although it was a bit tiring.
> 
> Driveway is min of 200ft, and an additional 200ft if I choose to do the rarely used loop back to a 2nd entrance to the road.


I would not recommend you buy an Ariens w/autoturn, in perfect conditions it works nice but if we had perfect conditions we wouldn't need a snow blower.

Knowing what I know today and if I were to turn the clock back one year I think I would own a Toro or an older 8/24

I feel Ariens needs to step up and supply an upgraded set of skids to all who purchased the autoturn


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## GoBlowSnow

The only concern I have regarding the auto-turn feature is how it when the drive tires hit packed down uneven snow, such as what is made when cars drive up and down the driveway before the snow is removed. I saw one comment where an owner was having problems with auto turn kicking in as he went over or along the packed down snow. 

Any thoughts? I tend to deal with this a lot but have never had an auto-turn Ariens so that may be a big factor on if I get a brand new unit or if I go with one a couple of years older with the trigger release/one side wheel disengage for turning feature.


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## kwk11

montclair2525 said:


> I took delivery of my Platinum 30 SHO on Saturday and noticed the same issue the moment I wheeled it into my garage. The one skid touched down about 1" before the other. The delivery kid was clueless. I called the store and they sent a mechanic. He said the way they come from the factory is the way they go out. Apparently Ariens assembled it twisted or it happened in transit.
> 
> First - tire pressure were not even. One at 22#, one at 10". Equaling them at 20# helped a little.
> 
> We did the alignment fix as shown on the Ariens video, loosening the 2 halves with the 4 bolts, setting it down, tighten up and test. No difference. We* needed to really rack the unit* to get it to level, but it's now level. Both skids touch down at the same time when pivoting from the wheels.
> 
> I have a really old, chewed up blacktop driveway, nearly nothing is smooth, so I'm going to set the scraper bar at 1", as if gravel. I also ordered poly skids, as I'm sure they're going to help, too. A dry run down the driveway was not a smooth stroll.


 I decided to put on the poly skids, but did the levelling thing beforehand.
Same deal with me, the right side touches the ground first still.
Going to give it another go tomorrow.
Did either of you guys take the bolts right out or did you just loosen them?
Also, *Montclair*, how did you rack the unit? Did you grab the front and twist? Thanks!


----------



## Breathing Borla

I have a plat 24 and the auto turn works perfect, I did have to to the housing adjustment when I first bought it per the directions from ariens

just my .02

beast of a motor and great features.

wish the hand warmers would get hotter though, maybe a LED in the headlight and that would save current for the warmers? or a switch when you don't need it

not sure on those


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## GoBlowSnow

There has to be some decent aftermarket mods out there for the lights.. or customer fabs..


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## Town

GoBlowSnow said:


> There has to be some decent aftermarket mods out there for the lights.. or customer fabs..


This: http://www.snowblowerforum.com/foru...rading-your-snowblower-lights-led-lights.html may help you with the LED lights installation.


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## pyro

*Ariens preliminary auto turn review*

I was debating between Ariens and Toro for a while and finally decided to get the Ariens Deluxe 30. I think either way both would have been good machines. In fact, the Toro would still probably have been more practical for my driveway. But I went for the bigger is better.

No snow yet, but I wanted to give some initial impressions of Auto-turn since I debated it for so long. First off, I put the blower together myself specifically to ensure everything was done correctly. I was surprised to discover that the bucket was not well aligned and the right side touched down on the garage floor first. I went ahead and did the adjustment and now it is near perfect. I'm not sure if this was enough to affect performance, but I am extremely surprised based on the last year or two of auto turn feedback that Ariens doesn't have a modified assembly procedure to guarantee this is absolutely perfect. I mean some special tooling to get this more accurate than I ever could with my garage floor. I'm wondering how big of an issue it really is for them.

Auto turn works perfect (of course with no snow). In fact I was surprised just how easy it was to turn. I have read one person's review that they felt Ariens should have made it slightly more difficult to trigger the auto turn, as a trade off to reduce false auto turns. I think I will agree to this - but will wait for some real world snow testing.

With it being so easy to turn, I figured I would run one wheel over some of the rocks and roots sticking up a good 2" from my dirt/gravel driveway. I also tried the edge of the garage floor which is 1.5" up from the driveway. I had the bucket up in the air so the skids were not dragging. I thought this experiment would show some resistance on one wheel and try to kick the auto turn into a turn. Turns out it kept going dead straight and didn't try to turn at all. I was kind of confused since I figured this was more "resistance" than the amount I gave to initiate the turn and trigger the auto turn. Of course this was with big round tires to smooth out the sudden step.

I'll do a full review after 1st snowfall, since I feel the auto turn review is more important than the unit itself. The Ariens build quality and features are well known.


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## Town

Hi pyro,

A point to consider is that many garage floors are not intended to be perfectly level, but designed to shed water out the entrance. My garage is that way so in general one skid touches the floor before the other. When I move the snowblower to an actual level surface everything lines up perfectly. My driveway is level but slopes toward the road so the snowblower lines up perfectly on that surface too.

Good luck.


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## jjlrrw

pyro said:


> With it being so easy to turn, *I figured I would run one wheel over some of the rocks and roots sticking up a good 2" from my dirt/gravel driveway. I also tried the edge of the garage floor which is 1.5" up from the driveway. I had the bucket up in the air so the skids were not dragging.* I thought this experiment would show some resistance on one wheel and try to kick the auto turn into a turn. Turns out it kept going dead straight and didn't try to turn at all. I was kind of confused since I figured this was more "resistance" than the amount I gave to initiate the turn and trigger the auto turn. Of course this was with big round tires to smooth out the sudden step.


I think the problem is when one of the skids or front of the bucket has more resistance than the other, I would not expect anything to happen with the unit tipped back. We are getting close almost got it out last week but not enough snow yet, I want to see if the mod I made to the skids help much.


----------



## pyro

I was aware of the variability of garage floors especially since I have a crack in one area of the floor. I specifically checked the level pointing the snowblower in all four directions 90 degrees apart. It all consistently showed the same results so I'm fairly certain it was the bucket.

I find it hard to believe it was enough to actually matter, but I have no experience to really judge that just yet.


----------



## montclair2525

kwk11 said:


> I decided to put on the poly skids, but did the levelling thing beforehand.
> Same deal with me, the right side touches the ground first still.
> Going to give it another go tomorrow.
> Did either of you guys take the bolts right out or did you just loosen them?
> Also, *Montclair*, how did you rack the unit? Did you grab the front and twist? Thanks!


We only loosened the bolts (there is some play) and I raised the handle on one side creating a twist until I felt the rear half move. Then while I held it up, he tightened one bolt on each side. Tested and saw that we went too far. Loosened again and torqued less and got it right the second time.


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## kwk11

montclair2525 said:


> We only loosened the bolts (there is some play) and I raised the handle on one side creating a twist until I felt the rear half move. Then while I held it up, he tightened one bolt on each side. Tested and saw that we went too far. Loosened again and torqued less and got it right the second time.


 Thanks for the info Montclair. I may try your technique.


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## Razir66

Being new to 'auto-turn' last winter, the issues I thought I had were a learning curve with new technology. Didn't use it much last winter because not much snow. My first real use came yesterday and I fought it tooth and nail, kept veering left, only the right wheel would spin. Extremely frustrated I did more online research. One fellow mentioned a drive key in the wheel. I popped them off and sure enough, no drive key on the left wheel. Unbelievable that it would be missed in some QC inspection. With the drive key in place on both wheels, the thing is amazing. Not happy about it being shipped that way, but extremely happy that I do not have to sell the machine, it really works great now.


----------



## liftoff1967

Razir66 said:


> Being new to 'auto-turn' last winter, the issues I thought I had were a learning curve with new technology. Didn't use it much last winter because not much snow. My first real use came yesterday and I fought it tooth and nail, kept veering left, only the right wheel would spin. Extremely frustrated I did more online research. One fellow mentioned a drive key in the wheel. I popped them off and sure enough, no drive key on the left wheel. Unbelievable that it would be missed in some QC inspection. With the drive key in place on both wheels, the thing is amazing. Not happy about it being shipped that way, but extremely happy that I do not have to sell the machine, it really works great now.


Interesting find. Something to keep in mind for others that are having major issues. 

I had more of a "learning curve" with mine. I found it helping more to turn left, to pull back on the left hand grip, as opposed to pushing forward on the right hand grip.


----------



## Catbob

*Ariens Auto Turn*

This being my 2nd winter with Ariens with auto turn and also my 2nd season calling customer service hoping they found a solution to their problem,but no luck.I have checked everything from tire sizes to pressure,watched the video with their ajustments, I have bought the armor skids, poly skids even bought chains and I'm still fighting to keep it going straight.Looking at how the drives are made it looks like a series of springs hold pressure to keep the gears together, if this is so, maybe quality control of spring tension could be some of the problem. I'm hoping Ariens will take the problems customers are having a little more serious, maybe coming up with a different drive component that works for their customers.


----------



## PaulP

Hate to say it but because of the Auto Turn I am going to go in a different direction. I am going to go with a track equip machine and honesty have zero faith in the Auto Turn. My current Ariens is good but doesn't have AT...has a trigger to unlock the differential...its a 2010 Deluxe 30. 

My next machine is gonna be a track equip machine....most likely the new Honda with power assisted turning. Just can't see dealing with this.


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## JRHAWK9

interesting. I LOVE my AT. I actually chose to take out the Auto-Lok in favor of the AT.


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## pdesjr

My autoturn works fine.Last storm used it in 12in on the driveway and made paths in the yard to the birdfeeder and the woodpile no problems.I have the poly skids and they made all the difference


----------



## PapaBill

*Check The Tires*

When I mentioned Auto Steer issues with my 28SHO to the Ariens dealer he asked me to measure the diameter of the tires, as it's been discovered there are discrepancies which can affect the Auto Steer function. The specs call for 16 1/4" diameter. My left tire measured 16 1/4" but the right one was 16 3/4" ! Same brand tire but different lot #s. Both tires were inflated to 20 psi. He checked the remaining 5 machines on his floor: all had the same issue: right side tires bigger than the lefts. He gave me one that measured 16 3/8". With that tire, loosening and re tightening the auger housing and adjusting the skids it's better - slightly. 

As it's been mentioned why, after spending $1200-1400 plus being told to spend another $40.00 for poly skids should the customer have to go through this only to arrive with the machine just being OK ? I point the finger at Ariens for this quality control blunder, for lack of a better word.


----------



## chrisexv6

PapaBill said:


> When I mentioned Auto Steer issues with my 28SHO to the Ariens dealer he asked me to measure the diameter of the tires, as it's been discovered there are discrepancies which can affect the Auto Steer function. The specs call for 16 1/4" diameter. My left tire measured 16 1/4" but the right one was 16 3/4" ! Same brand tire but different lot #s. Both tires were inflated to 20 psi. He checked the remaining 5 machines on his floor: all had the same issue: right side tires bigger than the lefts. He gave me one that measured 16 3/8". With that tire, loosening and re tightening the auger housing and adjusting the skids it's better - slightly.
> 
> As it's been mentioned why, after spending $1200-1400 plus being told to spend another $40.00 for poly skids should the customer have to go through this only to arrive with the machine just being OK ? I point the finger at Ariens for this quality control blunder, for lack of a better word.


In Ariens defense, they dont make the tires. But as you mentioned they should have been able to catch that issue before it got delivered to a dealer/customer.

Thats the first Ive heard of specific tire diameters....Im about to do the retrofit to my 926LE that came with 15" overall diameter tires. The 11528LE did too, but the retrofit kit makes no mention of changing the tire size.

I will, however, go measure the diameter of my tires to see if they are close/exact.


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## RobertNH

I've read through almost all of this and found one other stating he has a gravel driveway, as do I.

Will these 'skids' help in my case?
Or was it just a bad choice for Auto-Turn on a gravel Driveway?


----------



## vmaxed

RobertNH said:


> I've read through almost all of this and found one other stating he has a gravel driveway, as do I.
> 
> Will these 'skids' help in my case?
> Or was it just a bad choice for Auto-Turn on a gravel Driveway?


:white^_^arial^_^0^_

I would put Armorskids on for a gravel driveway and set it @ 3/4".


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## RobertNH

vmaxed said:


> :white^_^arial^_^0^_
> 
> I would put Armorskids on for a gravel driveway and set it @ 3/4".


 Looked, but couldn't find those for today. Ended up with the Poly-Skids.
Also set at 3/4". Seemed right to me..
Now I feel better about it.

Snow coming tonight and hoped to be changed over for it.
Otherwise would have bought from Amazon and saved a couple of dollars ($8 actually and 2 day free ship). 

Really hoping to see a change!


----------



## VictorWebb

Thanks for the wounderful video.


----------



## VictorWebb

This was a great video.


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## mike1050

I have a 28SHO. I attempted to make the adjustment because of the scraper sitting uneven. Mine is a 2016 model (921048) I only have one bolt per side NOT 2 of them. Can this adjustment still be made?


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## byz250f

back up...are people having issues still with Auto turn on the 2016/17 models?


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## NVA4370

Haven't seen any complaints about Auto-Turn on any of the new 2017 models that came out this (2016) fall. My Deluxe 24 seems to work just fine so far.


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## byz250f

Im picking up a used 2015 deluxe 28 so I will see how it performs.


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## rwtrask

*Ariens Platinum 24 SHO 286 pounds of junk*

Good Morning: Well I have a new 921038 and it runs like a lost puppy. I've checked the tire psi, adjusted the skids and even did the housing thing to no avail. My last Ariens sho 24 had a differential and no issues. My worst enemy is about to get 286 pounds of junk.


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## Ariens hydro pro

I understand what Ariens says about tire pressures and to make sure the bucket and skids are adjusted correctly. By adjusting it by the book, your problems are gone. 

But back in the real world, my driveway is not perfectly flat in all areas. Mine has repair seams and a few slight ruts that were fixed. My sidewalk has expansion joints which interrupt the smooth flow of me blowing snow.

To magnify the problem, I added the Ariens weight kit to the underside of the shovel. It holds the front down better, but it worsens the auto turn handling. Then my ground speed is on the higher limits so if I catch an expansion joint just right, it throws me into a different direction momentarily. 

The solution to this is to create less resistance to the skids. They offer polymer skids that should slip easier going down the driveway.

My solution was to make wheels up front using bearings. This set has been on my machine for 3 years and they still perform like the day I put them on. It tracks straight as an arrow and turns if I push on a handle. The wiper bar inside the shovel never needs adjustment and I don't have any wear items to replace. In addition to these wheels, I press down on the handlebars slightly so the front of the machine floats as I change direction.

It works for me!


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## mecram1

throttlejunkie450 said:


> Today I had the opertunity to try my new ariens with auto turn with the poly skids.they make a whole world of difference in how the machine handled compared to stock skids. I was using one hand alot of times .I dont know why ariens doesn't throw these on all the auto turns out the get go.its like a whole different machine.i was going to put my new. armor skids on but I think I might just wait a while.thanks ariens for the poly skids they made cleaning snow enjoyable.


Do the poly skids help with the auto turn problem in grass too?


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## rwtrask

Good Morning: Before I called them to pick up my new/deficient 921038, I measured and compared everything. Tires were the same diameter, drive axle height and distance to auger face was OK. However, the was about a 1/8 twist in the auger housing to the tractor housing. In order to permanently fix this, one would have to put a shim on the hinge bar, just inside of the tractor housing, along the bottom edge. Doing this would require one to elongate the four mounting holes on each side of the tractor housing so as to assemble both components to each other. I was NOT comfortable doing this, so I called them to come and pick it up. Two days later they came and picked up the 921038 and dropped off a brand new 921050 - without any questions. Bottom line, the drive axle of the 921050 is about a half of an inch closer to the auger face than the 921038 was. Now awaiting some snow to try it out with a new pair of ARMORskids that I just today received.


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## Strato

rwtrask said:


> Good Morning: Before I called them to pick up my new/deficient 921038, I measured and compared everything. Tires were the same diameter, drive axle height and distance to auger face was OK. However, the was about a 1/8 twist in the auger housing to the tractor housing. In order to permanently fix this, one would have to put a shim on the hinge bar, just inside of the tractor housing, along the bottom edge. Doing this would require one to elongate the four mounting holes on each side of the tractor housing so as to assemble both components to each other. I was NOT comfortable doing this, so I called them to come and pick it up. Two days later they came and picked up the 921038 and dropped off a brand new 921050 - without any questions. Bottom line, the drive axle of the 921050 is about a half of an inch closer to the auger face than the 921038 was. Now awaiting some snow to try it out with a new pair of ARMORskids that I just today received.


I'll be interested to hear of your experience with the new machine.

I also bought the Platinum 24 SHO this year (mine's the EFI version - 921053). Your new machine should handle exactly the same as mine.

I've never tried previous versions of Autoturn. But, the version on my 2016/17 machine works beautifully. Couldn't ask for more responsive, precise steering.

The only difference between our machines should be: instead of Armorskids I use the poly skids - a minor difference.

Best of luck with your new toy!


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## rwtrask

Thanks and good luck with yours. I will certainly post an operational update as soon as we get a decent amount of snow. By the way, I've had five Ariens machines since 1980 or so. I always keep them well coated (all over) with a good auto spray wax. Makes it easier to keep em clean and it seems to cut down on rust. This would be my first auto turn machine and I can appreciate that if either of the skids encounters some sort of resistance the machine will turn in that direction. If I had a choice at this moment, I'd rather have one with a push/pull button differential. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".


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## rwtrask

Update 8 Dec 2017: 6.7" of fluff, new 921050 still digs in on the left side - excessive wear on the left skid. I swapped out the OEM skids for the Armorskids - WOW! It still wiggles a bit, but much better at maneuvering under my control (not the auto turns). I did check this one for a Housing/tractor twist, it's about 1/8" on the left side. If it ever gets above freezing again, I'm going to try to put a 1/16 " shim on that alignment bar and see if it will bolt up without elongating either of the two holes. Note; the drive axial on the 921050 is closer to the housing face by at least half of an inch compared to the 921038. You can feel the difference as you push down on the handle bars- it's easier.


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## Strato

rwtrask said:


> Update 8 Dec 2017: 6.7" of fluff, new 921050 still digs in on the left side - excessive wear on the left skid. I swapped out the OEM skids for the Armorskids - WOW! It still wiggles a bit, but much better at maneuvering under my control (not the auto turns). I did check this one for a Housing/tractor twist, it's about 1/8" on the left side. If it ever gets above freezing again, I'm going to try to put a 1/16 " shim on that alignment bar and see if it will bolt up without elongating either of the two holes. Note; the drive axial on the 921050 is closer to the housing face by at least half of an inch compared to the 921038. You can feel the difference as you push down on the handle bars- it's easier.


If you have 1/8" misalignment on the left side, you may be able to address it by loosening the two housing bolts (just 2 on this version - not 4 as shown in the Ariens video), aligning and retightening. But, perhaps you've already done that.

I've not tried the Armorskids. I had the Ariens poly skids put on mine. I encounter no friction or issues with the poly skids. Smooth and precise steering.

Sounds like the new machine is treating you a lot better than the previous one.


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## JiminRI

*Bearing wheel modification*



Ariens hydro pro said:


> I understand what Ariens says about tire pressures and to make sure the bucket and skids are adjusted correctly. By adjusting it by the book, your problems are gone.
> ...
> The solution to this is to create less resistance to the skids. They offer polymer skids that should slip easier going down the driveway.
> 
> My solution was to make wheels up front using bearings. This set has been on my machine for 3 years and they still perform like the day I put them on. It tracks straight as an arrow and turns if I push on a handle. The wiper bar inside the shovel never needs adjustment and I don't have any wear items to replace. In addition to these wheels, I press down on the handlebars slightly so the front of the machine floats as I change direction.
> 
> It works for me!
> 
> https://youtu.be/VG1giQ0heaY


Very clever solution! I used my Deluxe 28 SHO for the first time last week. It was terrible - apparently not set up properly by the dealer. I made the suggested adjustments from the auto-turn thread and it is 10 times better, but I think your modification would make it even better. Would you provide some details on how to construct and mount the modification?
Thanks,


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## Ariens hydro pro

JiminRI said:


> Very clever solution! I used my Deluxe 28 SHO for the first time last week. It was terrible - apparently not set up properly by the dealer. I made the suggested adjustments from the auto-turn thread and it is 10 times better, but I think your modification would make it even better. Would you provide some details on how to construct and mount the modification?
> Thanks,


If you click that movie you will see how I made them.

But I was having wear issues and in less than 1 season the shoes were all worn out, then grabbing on the sidewalk.

I got tired of replacing them, plus the adjustments to the scraper bar and re adjusting the machine bucket etc, so I found a set of bearings and tried drilling out the old shoe to see if it would work. 

They worked perfectly so I cut away the old shoe and painted the shoes and reattached the bearings to the shoes, They have been on now for 3 seasons. 

I bought a new machine and just added another set to that machine as well. So both my machines run these bearings up front.


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## rwtrask

Strato; Most mechanical devises will vibrate to a home or doweled position. The home position on an Ariens (mine is a 921050) is that bar inside and along the bottom edge of the tractor housing. If there is a twist (0.200" on the left side) between the auger housing and the tractor, one must compensate for about 40% of that twist on the right side. Therefore, I reassembled the auger housing to the tractor with a 0.060" shim on top of the right side of the tractor bar, with the auger housing's right side connecting/alignment fork sitting on top of that shim [Note; I bent the shim up on both ends so as to hug the fork and not vibrate out.]. There was just enough room to screw in and secure both of the bolts. The twist is gone. I'm just waiting for some snow to blow.


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## taglic

*Does a New Pro 28 Need Checking?*

Hello, I purchased a new Pro 28 Model 926065 several weeks ago, should I go through it and check the alignment of the bucket to tractor or have these models not been a problem with the Auto Turn? I looked thru all the comments and didn't see any issues mentioned with the Pro line, hoping it's OK once the snow flies.
Thanks, Carl.


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## Joninator

After this many years. Auto turn still an issue?


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## Paulie139

Joninator said:


> After this many years. Auto turn still an issue?



Looks like they corrected it in 2016. Per Scot's Ariens page:


*Update on the Auto-Turn situation:
* Ariens first introduced Auto-Turn for the 2014 model year. For the first three model years there were issues with it's performance, then Ariens moved the axle position, which fixed the problem. From a snowblowerforum.com thread:

Generally it wasnt very good on the first-year models with Auto-Turn, which was 2014. People did have a lot of issues with it, with the machine being skittish and trying to turn when it shouldn't..it could be improved with different skids..then Ariens did move the axle to fix the problem.

Year 1 of Auto-Turn: 2014 model year, machines sold Autumn 2013 - original axle position.
Year 2 of Auto-Turn: 2015 model year, machines sold Autumn 2014 - original axle position.
Year 3 of Auto-Turn: 2016 model year, machines sold Autumn 2015 - original axle position.
Year 4 of Auto-Turn: 2017 model year, machines sold Autumn 2016 - new, corrected axle position.
Year 5 of Auto-Turn: 2018 model year, machines sold Autumn 2017 - new, corrected axle position.


 2014 discussion:
ariens-auto-turn-adjustment

 2014 discussion:
auto-turn-revisited

 2016 discussion:
ariens-2016-auto-turn-fix


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## kgloff

I've read that the Ariens and Toro use the same autoturn differential in their machines. Does Toro suffer the same issues as Ariens does? I did a quick search but didn't find anything.


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## Dauntae

From my research the "Issues" were too much weight on the metal skids causing random turning but the switched to the new poly skids and it fixed the issue on the early machines and new wheel location lightened the fron and improved the performance. I put a auto turn kit on a older Ariens and then wheeled skids and only on dry warm driveway have I tried it but tracks great so far. Kist need snow to make sure it all works as it should.


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## kgloff

Dauntae said:


> From my research the "Issues" were too much weight on the metal skids causing random turning but the switched to the new poly skids and it fixed the issue on the early machines and new wheel location lightened the fron and improved the performance. I put a auto turn kit on a older Ariens and then wheeled skids and only on dry warm driveway have I tried it but tracks great so far. Kist need snow to make sure it all works as it should.


Based on the changes that Ariens made and the changes users have made it appears it was a design flaw by Ariens. It maybe then that toro hasn't suffered from the same issues. I still haven't found anything when searching for Toro autoturn issues and no one has replied with an answer to the question.


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## tonysak

Toro makes smaller, lighter machines. When you have a 32" which weighs 400lbs, i think you will notice it more.


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## Dauntae

Yes, Toeo makes smaller lighter machines which most likely did not have the issues Ariens did.


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## sscotsman

kgloff said:


> I've read that the Ariens and Toro use the same autoturn differential in their machines.


Not correct.
Toro differential has nothing to do with Ariens. 
Ariens designed their auto-turn mechanism themselves, no other manufacturer is using it.

the current Toro brochure:

https://cdn2.toro.com/en/-/media/Fi...owblowers/2017/sn_broch_490-9799_snow_17.ashx

Says:


> AUTOMATIC STEERING
> New design allows smooth, tight turning
> without pulling or straining — no
> triggers or levers required.
> Power Max® 37781 only


And then goes on to give zero detail about what "Toro Automatic Steering" actually is..
had to some digging for it, but I (sort-of) found it:

https://www.toro.com/getpub/106225

https://www.toro.com/getpub/30746

Im not sure exactly how it works, but you can see that the Ariens "differential" unit (perhaps not the right word) isnt in there..So its clear that Toro's system is totally unrelated to Ariens auto-turn.

Scot


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## Paulie139

This video is primarily a review of the Ariens Platinum SHO 30, but the very first portion has a great explanation as to how the AutoTurn system works.


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## Dauntae

I think it’s the Toro that there having issues figuring out.


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## kgloff

sscotsman said:


> Not correct.
> Toro differential has nothing to do with Ariens.
> Ariens designed their auto-turn mechanism themselves, no other manufacturer is using it.
> 
> the current Toro brochure:
> 
> https://cdn2.toro.com/en/-/media/Fi...owblowers/2017/sn_broch_490-9799_snow_17.ashx
> 
> Says:
> 
> 
> And then goes on to give zero detail about what "Toro Automatic Steering" actually is..
> had to some digging for it, but I (sort-of) found it:
> 
> https://www.toro.com/getpub/106225
> 
> https://www.toro.com/getpub/30746
> 
> Im not sure exactly how it works, but you can see that the Ariens "differential" unit (perhaps not the right word) isnt in there..So its clear that Toro's system is totally unrelated to Ariens auto-turn.
> 
> Scot


Ok. I thought they both were using the DI300. The Toro definitely is as it lists it in the 826oxe parts diagrams on Partstree. The Ariens looks somewhat similar but I take it they have developed their own.


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## LostinMaine

Guys,

I have a problem with my machine and I think its differential related. I have a Deluxe 30 Platinum from 2011 with Auto Turn and the 342cc Briggs engine.

When I switch to reverse from forward, or to forward from reverse, I have to hold down the traction cable lever for several seconds before it starts moving. I know the friction wheel is making contact and everything is spinning right.

When I put it into the service position and was manually rotating the wheels I noticed I could imitate this by spinning them forward for a while them spinning them backwards. They would free wheel backwards for a while until something in the differential "caught" and it was like a locked differential at that point until auto turn caught up. Same happened when going forward.

I'm not really complaining, I almost never use reverse and once a direction works, it keeps working until I shift to the opposite direction, I'm just afraid that this is a symptom of a bigger issue down the road.


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## jjlrrw

Paulie139 said:


> Looks like they corrected it in 2016. Per Scot's Ariens page:
> 
> 
> *Update on the Auto-Turn situation:
> * Ariens first introduced Auto-Turn for the 2014 model year. For the first three model years there were issues with it's performance, then Ariens moved the axle position, which fixed the problem. From a snowblowerforum.com thread:
> 
> Generally it wasnt very good on the first-year models with Auto-Turn, which was 2014. People did have a lot of issues with it, with the machine being skittish and trying to turn when it shouldn't..it could be improved with different skids..then Ariens did move the axle to fix the problem.
> 
> Year 1 of Auto-Turn: 2014 model year, machines sold Autumn 2013 - original axle position.
> Year 2 of Auto-Turn: 2015 model year, machines sold Autumn 2014 - original axle position.
> Year 3 of Auto-Turn: 2016 model year, machines sold Autumn 2015 - original axle position.
> Year 4 of Auto-Turn: 2017 model year, machines sold Autumn 2016 - new, corrected axle position.
> Year 5 of Auto-Turn: 2018 model year, machines sold Autumn 2017 - new, corrected axle position.
> 
> 
> 2014 discussion:
> ariens-auto-turn-adjustment
> 
> 2014 discussion:
> auto-turn-revisited
> 
> 2016 discussion:
> ariens-2016-auto-turn-fix



So does the new axle position correct this from Post #117 in this thread?

"I did some measurements today comparing my older 8/24 to my 2014 deluxe 28

I put a scale under the bucket
8/24 = 38#, Deluxe 28 = 69#
Then under the wheels
8/24 =179#, Deluxe 28 = 149#

I expected the 28 to be heaver on the front but not 80% more and didn't expect the difference I seen on the wheels but now makes sense why the deluxe 28 has poor traction"


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## HighlanderNH

*There should be a some type of RECALL*



jjlrrw said:


> So does the new axle position correct this from Post #117 in this thread?
> 
> "I did some measurements today comparing my older 8/24 to my 2014 deluxe 28
> 
> I put a scale under the bucket
> 8/24 = 38#, Deluxe 28 = 69#
> Then under the wheels
> 8/24 =179#, Deluxe 28 = 149#
> 
> I expected the 28 to be heaver on the front but not 80% more and didn't expect the difference I seen on the wheels but now makes sense why the deluxe 28 has poor traction"


This is a MAJOR design flaw for all the people who do not have level and/or non-sloped surfaces. Ariens has known about it for some time now. I spoke directly to an Ariens Engineer (NOT a customer support person) for 20-25 minutes (I'm also an Engineer) over a year ago. Finally, after 3 years Ariens moved the axel position...with varying results. Without a doubt, there should be "some level" of Recall on these particular machines. Living in New Hampshire and clearing a sloped/sometimes lumpy (tree roots) 100'+ driveway is a real workout. The (2015 Platinum 24 SHO bought at John Deere in NH) machine has a mind of it's own...yet on smooth level grass or pavement, it's laser straight. Ariens designed their own auto-turn mechanism in-house, but never really considered all the different negative cases customers could run into. If they had, it would have been thoroughly redesigned...before it was released to the public. 

Forget the third party skids..there should be a Recall on these machines for all the people who get into a wrestling match almost every time they use their machines.

Thanks,
-mike-


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## WinterWhite

The video says to set the housing at 1/8" and then tighten the skid plates. That sounds as if it set up for smooth pavement. But about about gravel and uneven dirt drive ways and surfaces where the gap needs to be set higher than 1/8" or will snag and catch on stones and frozen little protrusions that are reality for a natural surface? Will the AutoTurn feature work with a wider gap than 1/8" for gravel driveways? Does the need for a wider gap change anything else in the video settings?

My point of comparison: I have 1984 ST824 that has bumped along (with difference lock-out on wheel) and cleared pretty well for 34 years but has a series of cumulative issues that has me planning on buying new Platinum 24 for extra power (large areas to clear, big, heavy piles from plows at both ends of drive), heated grips standard, and chute control over Deluxe, but have read of Auto-Turn problems. I will buy from local dealer who will set up.


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## jjlrrw

The engine in my older 8524 (Tecumseh HMSK85) had the piston rod bust through the block so I had to bring my Auto Turn deluxe to the cabin, we have about 150' 1/2 circle drive most on a slope nothing level. I got it clear but WOW what a work out if there would have been a referee he would have called a TKO a few times before I finished. My older 8524 was so much easier.

I was hoping to find a replacement engine but the Tecumseh HMSK85 is no longer available not sure If there is another option the Tecumseh has two output shafts most don't. Hoping to go look at a older CL blower of still available. It's a pain hauling a blower every time we head North.


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## PlatSHO

*Nylon Skids with Platinum SHO*

I have a brand new Platinum 24 SHO and would like to comment on the use of the black Ariens composite skids. My driveway is in very poor condition, with very rough asphalt and numerous high and low spots. Knowing that this could cause issues with the auto-turn, I adjusted everything as prescribed and checked tire pressures. Bottom line is that the steel skids do not work on this kind of surface, as the machine is very difficult to handle. I ordered the composite skids from Ariens and used them today. Difference in handling is like night and day, as the skids do not create the same kind of surface drag. I'm not sure how long they'll last, but they are reversible so perhaps a season or two.

Interestingly, my neighbor purchased the identical unit and told me he was having a very difficult time controlling his machine while going downhill on his driveway. Unlike mine, his driveway has a smooth and very even asphalt surface. He had me try it and it was very difficult to keep the machine straight. I brought mine over as a test and again, with the composite skids, my machine tracked perfectly straight and smooth.

Regardless of how smooth the asphalt surface is, it appears that the steel skids do not work with this machine. They create just enough friction to cause the auto-turn system to kick in, making it necessary to manhandle the machine to keep it straight.


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## northsider

Greetings from Minnesota. I just joined the forum and saw this thread.
Have spent many hours over the last 2 days blowing snow with my Ariends Platinum 30. 
I have a rough driveway and also some unpaved area that I clear.
The auto turn is very frustrating and takes much more upper body energy to keep the machine going straight than any of my previous blower with solid axles required to turn when needed.
Is it possible to lock out the auto turn or is there a retro fit to eliminate it completely.
If not, this 2 year old machine will be up for sale.
Thanks for any suggestion.


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## bisonp

northsider said:


> Greetings from Minnesota. I just joined the forum and saw this thread.
> Have spent many hours over the last 2 days blowing snow with my Ariends Platinum 30.
> I have a rough driveway and also some unpaved area that I clear.
> The auto turn is very frustrating and takes much more upper body energy to keep the machine going straight than any of my previous blower with solid axles required to turn when needed.
> Is it possible to lock out the auto turn or is there a retro fit to eliminate it completely.
> If not, this 2 year old machine will be up for sale.
> Thanks for any suggestion.


First off ensure it is properly adjusted. Some people also claim plastic skids help.






Otherwise see Stroggle's posts towards the end of this thread, this is the only method I've seen so far and appears pretty straightforward:

http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/ariens-snowblowers/3226-thoughts-ariens-auto-turn.html


Specifically posts 339 and 343:
http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/1432538-post339.html
http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/1434850-post343.html


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## viper8315

northsider said:


> Greetings from Minnesota. I just joined the forum and saw this thread.
> Have spent many hours over the last 2 days blowing snow with my Ariends Platinum 30.
> I have a rough driveway and also some unpaved area that I clear.
> The auto turn is very frustrating and takes much more upper body energy to keep the machine going straight than any of my previous blower with solid axles required to turn when needed.
> Is it possible to lock out the auto turn or is there a retro fit to eliminate it completely.
> If not, this 2 year old machine will be up for sale.
> Thanks for any suggestion.


Greetings, and welcome to the forum!

Definitely do the bucket adjustment procedure as outlined in this thread. My brand new machine was off slightly when I got it recently. Check your tire pressure beforehand as well, make sure the tires are equal and to the proper pressure.

You could also try a set of aftermarket skids.
Snowblower Skids For Sidewalks and Gravel Drives

You would need p/n ASE0310-B and a set of spacers. Of course, double-check on your machine for the proper bolt sizing.

Lastly, you mentioned you were doing unpaved areas. If the ground is super rough, you could just try to adjust your current skids so that the scraper bar is higher (maybe 3/16"). Granted, it would leave more snow on smooth surfaces. People do have some luck changing out the skids though either to the Ariens poly ones or the aftermarket ones I linked. 

Either way, I'd do some adjusting to that beast of a machine before getting rid of it.


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## my87csx481

A couple months ago, I purchased a brand new Rapidtrak Hydro 32 (mfg. date is late 2017....so I'm not sure what year it is considered). I WISH I did more research.



I used it for the first time last night. It is impossible to keep this thing tracking in a straight line. It's a nightmare in wheeled mode. Forget about the middle position. It seems like it's constantly hung up on something, and I'm fighting to stop the auto turn from trying to turn it.



My driveway is paved, but it is old. Has some cracks, some mild ruts in some sections. It seems like I'm fighting the auto turn literally every step I take. Whether it's on the driveway, or doing an exit path around the house in the yard.


The machine is stock (no mods or aftermarket parts), poorly prepped by the dealer. I went through it, adjusted belts, cables, skid shoe height, etc. No tires to deal with mismatched circumferences, and uneven pressures. I set the wear bar at 3/16" and tightened the skid shoes. The bar did land evenly on the ground, and on the 3/16 shims with the shoes loose....so I don't think it's suffering from the misaligned issue that the video at the beginning of this thread is meant to fix.



I don't know what to do, short of welding the diff, or trying to retrofit the diff out of my old Simplicity. I just moved to northern Maine from CT over the summer. I bought this thing to deal with the 100" average snowfall but, I don't think my shoulders are going to be able to make it.


What do you guys think? Should I contact Ariens? Should I try poly shoes? Or something else? I miss the lock up diff in my old Simplicity. Pull the trigger, it turns. Release the trigger, and you can carve a nice straight line (along trailers, trucks, buildings, etc.). You know, stuff you care about, but don't have a place to store indoors.


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## Town

I would get the poly skid shoes from Ariens and install those in place of the steel skid shoes. That is what I did, and never had an AutoTurn problem.

The AutoTurn from a users perspective turns because there is more resistance on one side compared to the other. The user usually applies the slight amount of resistance required, but steel shoes add a lot of resistance that varies with the surface. The plastic poly shoes have almost no resistance regardless of the surface so the machine differential does not see any difference in left or right resistance and goes straight. 

Users of the plastic poly skids usually have a very positive view of the AutoTurn while users of the steel skid shoes usually have a less positive view. If you call Ariens you will likely get a very informed response which will include all the points you have mentioned, and then will suggest the plastic poly shoes.

Good luck.


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## Cutter

Town said:


> I would get the poly skid shoes from Ariens and install those in place of the steel skid shoes. That is what I did, and never had an AutoTurn problem.
> 
> The AutoTurn from a users perspective turns because there is more resistance on one side compared to the other. The user usually applies the slight amount of resistance required, but steel shoes add a lot of resistance that varies with the surface. The plastic poly shoes have almost no resistance regardless of the surface so the machine differential does not see any difference in left or right resistance and goes straight.
> 
> Users of the plastic poly skids usually have a very positive view of the AutoTurn while users of the steel skid shoes usually have a less positive view. If you call Ariens you will likely get a very informed response which will include all the points you have mentioned, and then will suggest the plastic poly shoes.
> 
> Good luck.



I totally agree with Town....i have been there and done that. I was really wondering what kind of machine I had bought last year. BUT, after reading from members on this forum, I decided to try the Poly Shoes. Best $32 Canadian I ever spent. It tracks perfectly now, and like Town said, it's the resistance that the steel shoes provide. Once you try the Poly Shoes, You'll love your machine.:smile2:


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## my87csx481

Thanks for the confirmation. I picked up a set of poly shoes today. I'll have them installed this evening, and will have the opportunity to try them out tomorrow. I mentioned my issue to the dealer. They didn't have anything to suggest. They said they would contact their rep. I also submitted a ticket to Ariens.

The poly shoes have been redesigned....I think. All pictures I've seen show them as one solid, machined piece of plastic. The pieces I picked up today are molded plastic, with a metal plate that nests inside the plastic. This metal plate is what the bolts go through....so no mushing over time, and less chance for loosening of the bolts/movement of the shoe as a result of the mushing.

An aside....I had a couple things break the first time out too. Auger brake spring, and the clip that holds the auger handle interlock cam (under the dash). Not sure on the brake spring (I think it just broke, where it clips into the frame....noticed it when checking over belt tension after the first use) but, I suspect the cam clip was not installed correctly, or it just broke too. Dealer warrantied both. I do not feel like I'm off to a great start here.lain:


----------



## clifish

where did you get the 2 piece skids?


----------



## my87csx481

clifish said:


> where did you get the 2 piece skids?


 
Lowes.

Took it for a spin tonight, to push back the drifts before another storm tomorrow. Seems to be an improvement but, it's hard to tell (first use storm was 8" deep). 

Part of the improvement could be a change in my driving style. There's a post somewhere in this thread about pulling back on the inside of the turn side, instead of pushing forward on the outside side....so pull right handle to turn right....I think I started using this to my advantage when it starts to skip around....instead of pushing/pulling out towards the sides to apply force against the auto turn's "mind" of direction.....if that makes any sense.:icon-rolleyes:


----------



## northpole

Paulie139 said:


> Looks like they corrected it in 2016. Per Scot's Ariens page:
> 
> 
> *Update on the Auto-Turn situation:
> * Ariens first introduced Auto-Turn for the 2014 model year. For the first three model years there were issues with it's performance, then Ariens moved the axle position, which fixed the problem. From a snowblowerforum.com thread:
> 
> Generally it wasnt very good on the first-year models with Auto-Turn, which was 2014. People did have a lot of issues with it, with the machine being skittish and trying to turn when it shouldn't..it could be improved with different skids..then Ariens did move the axle to fix the problem.
> 
> Year 1 of Auto-Turn: 2014 model year, machines sold Autumn 2013 - original axle position.
> Year 2 of Auto-Turn: 2015 model year, machines sold Autumn 2014 - original axle position.
> Year 3 of Auto-Turn: 2016 model year, machines sold Autumn 2015 - original axle position.
> Year 4 of Auto-Turn: 2017 model year, machines sold Autumn 2016 - new, corrected axle position.
> Year 5 of Auto-Turn: 2018 model year, machines sold Autumn 2017 - new, corrected axle position.
> 
> 
> 2014 discussion:
> ariens-auto-turn-adjustment
> 
> 2014 discussion:
> auto-turn-revisited
> 
> 2016 discussion:
> ariens-2016-auto-turn-fix


I have model number 921032
does this model have the old axle position?


----------



## my87csx481

Just an update on mine. The poly skids showed signs of major wear after only one use. To me, they're useless unless your driveway is smooth as glass. (Mine is not. The asphalt is like it's textured. NOT smooth.)

I put the steel skids back on and raised my clearance a little more. This seemed to help a little, over what I was experiencing originally.

Dealer had no information or suggestions. Ariens had no suggestions, other than to contact the dealer. Thanks for that.

For anyone doing research, model 926069 rapid trak with auto turn is useless....unless you have a perfectly smooth and flat surface to clear. Anything less than that, you will have to fight the machine, or replace the skids several times a season if you are in a snowy climate. Ariens support is useless. They just kick it back to you, suggesting to contact the dealer....even when you say you have already done so.

$3400 for nothing but frusrtation, aggravation, and a severe beating to my body every time I need to use the machine.


----------



## Precision1971

*Auto Turn Frustration and Injury*

I'm at wits end with my Ariens Proffessional 32 Model# 926039 Serial# 095302.
I've been wrestling with this "Auto Turn" feature for years.
This was not designed for real world conditions.
I have a 200 foot driveway that's uneven in places.

This beast pulls me all over the place and it's actually causing me injury now with my shoulders and neck.
I've done all the adjustments outlined in the Ariens video for "Auto Turn" adjustments and it didn't help at all.
I contacted the Ariens dealer and asked about the Update Kit for it and he acted like he didn't know what I was talking about.
He was supposed to "look into it" and never called back. 

I sent an Email to Ariens about the problem and they closed the case without even offering me one bit of advice as to what to do about the problem.
Is there anyone on this site who can tell me if an "Auto Turn" Update Kit is available for this model and if it is what is the part number.
Thanks a lot
I appreciate it


----------



## RedOctobyr

I don't recall hearing about an AutoTurn update kit. What was that supposed to be? 

They modified the blower layouts a few years ago to move the axle forward, taking some weight off the bucket. This should make the skids a little less likely to catch on things. 

Using the Ariens plastic skids is a frequent suggestion, or you could try the AmorSkids. Either is supposed to make the bucket ride more smoothly, and be less likely to be pulled to the side, confusing AutoTurn. 

You can't really move your axle. The plastic skids are an easy, and fairly-inexpensive solution. If you really want to take weight off the bucket (like shifting the axle), you could try adding some weight hanging off the back of the tractor (towards the operator). But that feels clumsy, vs swapping skids. 

Ariens plastic skids at Home Depot: 
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ariens-...VkIqzCh3OTQEjEAQYAyABEgKwUfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

There are cheaper plastic skids on eBay, but I don't have experience with those. I've had my Ariens plastic skids for several seasons, with very little wear. I don't have AutoTurn, so I can't comment on how they help with that.


----------



## foggysail

RedOctobyr said:


> I don't recall hearing about an AutoTurn update kit. What was that supposed to be?
> 
> *They modified the blower layouts a few years ago to move the axle forward, taking some weight off the bucket. This should make the skids a little less likely to catch on things.
> *
> 
> 
> Ariens plastic skids at Home Depot:
> https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ariens-...VkIqzCh3OTQEjEAQYAyABEgKwUfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
> 
> There are cheaper plastic skids on eBay, but I don't have experience with those. I've had my Ariens plastic skids for several seasons, with very little wear. I don't have AutoTurn, so I can't comment on how they help with that.


And now they sell a 'weight kit' to secure to the bucket to make the bucket heavier. :icon-thumbsdown:


----------



## RedOctobyr

Yup, but to be fair, they've sold that weight kit since long before AutoTurn  And if you're using it because you bought a cab (which is why my machine originally had it), you're mainly trying to maintain the machine's balance, not necessarily hold down the front. 

Personally, if Ariens offered 2-triggers steering, that would probably be my preference. Triggers are less likely to get confused by stuff on the driveway surface.


----------



## Lottstodo

My 28 dlx + was a bear , following all the procedures helped a lot, however what I ended up doing is keeping the cutting edge 3/8 of a inch up by adjusting the skids as I found that if the cutting edge grabs or puts any resistance it will try to turn that direction and when you have not ideal or uneven surfaces this can be a huge factor.
When blowing it still cleans down to where there is nothing there really and I am not wearing myself or the cutting edge out. 
So if you have done all squaring and set up try putting more gap on the cutting to surface.
I initially started at 3/4" and through trial and re adjustment found that 3/8 cleans the best without leaving hardly anything and does not abuse your body.


----------



## foggysail

RedOctobyr said:


> Yup, but to be fair, they've sold that weight kit since long before AutoTurn  And if you're using it because you bought a cab (which is why my machine originally had it), you're mainly trying to maintain the machine's balance, not necessarily hold down the front.
> 
> Personally, if Ariens offered 2-triggers steering, that would probably be my preference. Triggers are less likely to get confused by stuff on the driveway surface.


OK, I did add the cab. I should have weighed it prior to installing it but it doesn't weigh much. We both recognize that the purpose of the bucket weight is to minimize its climbing. My humble, worthless opinion is those who manufacture snowblowers would be far better off if the old, really true differential was used instead of contraptions. Sure the differential had a couple of flaws that could easily have been rectified.

I am referring to the John Deere differential. It was used by others, my Bolens used it. Steering was very,very easy


----------



## RedOctobyr

I have the real differential. It's great for ease of use, and it never fights me. 

But I'll admit that at times I struggle with traction, especially going up our driveway's incline. That's when I wish I had both wheels "solidly" driven, like with triggers, or AutoTurn. I have to stop and lock the differential. Great traction that way, but harder to turn, and the chains slide on the driveway. 

I'd much rather have the differential than a solid axle! But triggers do sound nice to me. AT might be awesome, I haven't gotten to use that either. But I kind of like the idea of an "on demand" system like triggers. Merely my perspective.


----------



## foggysail

Have to add another comment. If Arien's auto turn performed as well as users would like it to perform, Ariens would not have screwed around moving the axial nor would there be a 'sticky' that continues to have complaining replies about their system. I predict the autoturn will continue to see comments until the system is eventually replaced. Again, just my worthless opinion.


----------



## foggysail

RedOctobyr said:


> I have the real differential. It's great for ease of use, and it never fights me.
> 
> But I'll admit that at times I struggle with traction, especially going up our driveway's incline. That's when I wish I had both wheels "solidly" driven, like with triggers, or AutoTurn. I have to stop and lock the differential. Great traction that way, but harder to turn, and the chains slide on the driveway.
> 
> I'd much rather have the differential than a solid axle! But triggers do sound nice to me. AT might be awesome, I haven't gotten to use that either. But I kind of like the idea of an "on demand" system like triggers. Merely my perspective.



OK, I grant you the a real differential can cause one wheel to slip. And that was one of the drawbacks to the John Deere's differential. Their solution created a weak point in the axial which was subject to break. But back to slipping, I ran into that problem with my Bolens so I installed chains. Never ever in the 30 or so years that machine was used to clear snow from my driveway....which has about a 20 degree slope did I have a steering or wheel slipping problem


----------



## RedOctobyr

That's a fair point. My driveway is definitely a shallower incline, I think 10%. My chains are about 18 years old at this point, and have already been flipped once. They're worn pretty smooth, so I'm sure they're not providing as much grip as they used to. Plus, for maybe 10 years, I was using an MTD with a solid axle, so the chains got slid around every time I'd turn. 

I could replace them, though it's also tempting to try better tires, like X-Tracs (vs my Sno Hogs), and possibly get away without needing chains in the first place. Just replacing the chains is a lot easier than removing and reinstalling tires on the rims, though. Especially with no guarantee on how the better tires would perform. If I went to the cost and hassle of swapping tires, and then needed to buy new chains anyhow, that would be a bummer


----------



## WVguy

foggysail said:


> Have to add another comment. If Arien's auto turn performed as well as users would like it to perform, Ariens would not have screwed around moving the axial nor would there be a 'sticky' that continues to have complaining replies about their system. I predict the autoturn will continue to see comments until the system is eventually replaced. Again, just my worthless opinion.


I dunno, my experience with Ariens Auto Turn has been very positive. The Deluxe 24 I bought two Decembers ago (a 2017 model, after the axle shift) has been an easy to use piece of machinery from day one. Granted the first year I didn't use it much at all (almost no snow) but this year we've had a bit more and hopefully tomorrow some more yet. The Deluxe 24 replaced a perfectly good Ariens 824 that I gave to a brother-in-law. I gave it away because I'm 68 and have some cardiac issues that mean I don't have the endurance that I did even five years ago. And even then the 824 was an upper body workout to repeatedly turn that thing around at the end of a row because the straight shaft meant one or both wheels had to drag on the ground.

After reading this thread, I put the poly skids on it from the first time I used the Deluxe 24. I have had no issues with the Auto Turn doing anything other than what it was advertised to do. The machine is as easy to turn around as any walk-behind lawn mower I have ever used. While my driveway is asphalt, it is neither even or level, although there isn't much of a hill to it. If there was a problem, it seems from my perspective anyway that the issue has been fixed.

Very clearly, my experience differs quite a bit from those of some other people's. But yet others, like me, report no difficulties at all. Therefore, to make the claim that the entire system is worthless, when many others report that it works fine, is without sustainable merit.


----------



## GoBlowSnow

I admit, I prefer the previous style trigger handle release and re-engage on the ariens vs the auto turn.


----------



## foggysail

WVguy said:


> I dunno, my experience with Ariens Auto Turn has been very positive. The Deluxe 24 I bought two Decembers ago (a 2017 model, after the axle shift) has been an easy to use piece of machinery from day one. Granted the first year I didn't use it much at all (almost no snow) but this year we've had a bit more and hopefully tomorrow some more yet. The Deluxe 24 replaced a perfectly good Ariens 824 that I gave to a brother-in-law. I gave it away because I'm 68 and have some cardiac issues that mean I don't have the endurance that I did even five years ago. And even then the 824 was an upper body workout to repeatedly turn that thing around at the end of a row because the straight shaft meant one or both wheels had to drag on the ground.
> 
> After reading this thread, I put the poly skids on it from the first time I used the Deluxe 24. I have had no issues with the Auto Turn doing anything other than what it was advertised to do. The machine is as easy to turn around as any walk-behind lawn mower I have ever used. While my driveway is asphalt, it is neither even or level, although there isn't much of a hill to it. If there was a problem, it seems from my perspective anyway that the issue has been fixed.
> 
> Very clearly, my experience differs quite a bit from those of some other people's. But yet others, like me, report no difficulties at all. Therefore, to make the claim that the entire system is worthless, when many others report that it works fine, is without sustainable merit.



And yes.....upper body workout, that is what I see using my 28 Pro. There is no need for that! Like many others who did a trade off of machine benefits vs liabilities it may be a long time before significant improvements get incorporated. My original idea was to replace my 32’’ Bolens with another machine of equal width. Today I am over joyed that I DID NOT! If I was making a choice today I could even consider a 24’’ over the 28’’ to minimize the upper body workouts.

You report your experience with the auto turn is positive, that is wonderful. Just think about it though after reading the very many contributors who have complained about the auto turn. I doubt others who report troubles would say so in a public forum without true justifications. There are machine choices, Ariens has enough positive things going for it for many to overlook their shortcomings, self included.


----------



## foggysail

Ariens hydro pro said:


> I got the bearings quicker than I thought, so here is the video of what I did so hopefully it will make the auto turn feature run better on my machine. I added 2 sealed bearings on the skids. Here is the short youtube video of it.
> I edited the movie. The last minute of the movie the machine is snowblowing 6 inches of heavy wet snow. It runs perfectly!
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG1giQ0heaY&feature=youtu.be


HEY GUY......are you still around? If you read this, please share your bearing idea/experience with us! I though your idea was great....if it has longevity, if it does I might copy it for my machine. Thx—


----------



## tadawson

I still wish I knew the difference . . . my Platinum 24 bought this January will steer easily with one hard, and that is on stock skids with the scraper touching the ground (delivered that way . . . too cold to have wanted to adjust it this year).

Turns a bit harder than my old machine with the open diff, but that was quick to get used to. Compared to wrestling a solid axle machine, it's a dream.

And regarding users who gripe - it's not a lot, making me think that thesilent majority are not having any issues . . . again, making me wonder what is different. Perhaps my being on pretty decent pavement, and almost never getting ice or chunk buildup? Dunno . . .


----------



## RedOctobyr

Since it's a recent purchase, yours would have the shifted-forward axle position, which apparently helped with some of the AT "twitchiness". 

foggysail, there was another thread recently about roller skids:
https://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/toro-snowblowers/145009-roller-skids.html

Arnold makes some universal roller skids. If they fit, they could be an easy way to try the idea: 
https://www.amazon.com/Arnold-Universal-Roller-Thrower-Shoes/dp/B00PBGM7RM


----------



## foggysail

tadawson said:


> I still wish I knew the difference . . . my Platinum 24 bought this January will steer easily with one hard, and that is on stock skids with the scraper touching the ground (delivered that way . . . too cold to have wanted to adjust it this year).
> 
> Turns a bit harder than my old machine with the open diff, but that was quick to get used to. Compared to wrestling a solid axle machine, it's a dream.
> 
> And regarding users who gripe - it's not a lot, making me think that thesilent majority are not having any issues . . . again, making me wonder what is different. Perhaps my being on pretty decent pavement, and almost never getting ice or chunk buildup? Dunno . . .


This is my first season to use my Ariens. What I notice to cause an upper body twist is when my machine encounters an ice patch. That thing behaves as if I had given it instructions to make sharp turn in the direction where the bucket hit ice or old frozen snow. Now sure, maybe if these conditions didn’t exist using it might be easier. I was away for most of February giving my driveway ample time to develop frozen sections including at the bottom from street plows. OK..... I beat this thing to death. I mentioned in one of my above posts there are trade offs one makes or should make prior to making a purchase. Ariens with its faults is still a very good machine that I expect to serve me well into the future.


----------



## tadawson

I think that even a solid axle is going to turn into a spinning wheel that is on ice . . . are you certain that autoturn is doing this to you, or just a spinning wheel? I can see catching on icy bumps causing autoturn to skew, but not just slippery spots . . . (unlike an open diff that would just stop dead on the ice . . . spinning the onr wheel). If one spins at normal speed and the other still drives, then auto turn is likely staying locked up properly.


----------



## trellis

>turn into a spinning wheel that is on ice

I think FoggySail is referring to the problem of hitting ice or old snow on one side of the bucket... but I could be wrong.

For example if you have cleared a driveway or sidewalk and you want to widen the path but it's old frozen snow or ice and you only hit the front side edge of the bucket, Autoturn has no way of knowing if the resistance is you pulling on the handlebar or hitting an obstacle and as a result it disengages the wheel on the side of the obstacle and turns in that direction. Plow straight into a bank of snow with even pressure across the front and this doesn't happen. I have experienced this and with all of the suggestions from Ariens to carefully adjust the bar, skids, tire pressure etc to balance out the resistance it makes sense that this is a common battle.

I like my new 24 SHO but this does occur and it would be something that drive levers would not encounter since the wheels don't unlock until you pull the levers.


----------



## foggysail

trellis said:


> >turn into a spinning wheel that is on ice
> 
> I think FoggySail is referring to the problem of hitting ice or old snow on one side of the bucket... but I could be wrong.
> 
> .




^^^^^^:thumbsup:


----------



## tadawson

Well, that explains why I don't see issues then. I always cut the drive full width,, and for us, ice is rare . . .


----------



## foggysail

RedOctobyr said:


> Since it's a recent purchase, yours would have the shifted-forward axle position, which apparently helped with some of the AT "twitchiness".
> 
> foggysail, there was another thread recently about roller skids:
> https://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/toro-snowblowers/145009-roller-skids.html
> 
> Arnold makes some universal roller skids. If they fit, they could be an easy way to try the idea:
> https://www.amazon.com/Arnold-Universal-Roller-Thrower-Shoes/dp/B00PBGM7RM


Thanks RedOct—— I MISSED THIS EARLIER! Heck even Home Depot sells something. I am going to look into it. The ONLY concern I have with my Ariens is the auto turn....very limited concern. But heck the cost to try out a pair of roller skids is not that much to learn if they provide any benefit.


----------



## Cutter

foggysail said:


> Thanks RedOct—— I MISSED THIS EARLIER! Heck even Home Depot sells something. I am going to look into it. The ONLY concern I have with my Ariens is the auto turn....very limited concern. But heck the cost to try out a pair of roller skids is not that much to learn if they provide any benefit.



I had issues until I put the Poly skids on.....and I have the non corrected axle position 2014 model. Since I put the Poly Shoes on, I have no issues with the Autoturn whatsoever.:wink2:


----------



## foggysail

But what is their life expectancy?


----------



## RedOctobyr

I've had mine on for 4 seasons, with seemingly minimal wear. They can also be flipped. Life expectancy is not a concern with these, IMO.


----------



## foggysail

OK.... decided to try the poly shoes. I noticed there are various.....at least two companies. Which ones did you guys purchase? Now with spring approaching, I may not get to try them until next year


----------



## RedOctobyr

Mine are the Ariens poly skids.


----------



## foggysail

RedOctobyr said:


> Mine are the Ariens poly skids.



I have apartments in Rhode Island that sort of makes getting to Home Depot in Providence (On Charles Street) easy. I checked online, they have some in stock. If still available, I should have them within the next few days or so.

Thanks RedOct


----------



## mrbill11

I have the 28 sho going into my third year and and it will go thru any amount of snow but the auto turn still does not work correctly 
I have done everything adjustment wise and ariens poly skids , scrapper bar is high enough it is not even close to surface,body level etc
is it possible from moisture and sitting the differential is stuck together
it cost $50 for dealer pickup and delivery ,dealer pickup 2x already it gets old after $1300 for blower


----------



## trellis

MrBill - is the problem that it won’t stay in a straight line, or turns?


----------



## mrbill11

turns, no assist in turns


----------



## trellis

I don't have any problems going straight either, and wide turns are OK. But, I find that it's better to not have the drive engaged while doing tight turns.


----------



## tadawson

Is it dragging a wheel in turns, or are you feeling the 'click-click-click' sensation of auto turn releasing? Not also that auto turn does *not* shift power, it simply allows the faster moving wheel to overrun so you don't have to drag the tires as would be the case with a fixed axle, with the inner staying under power.


----------



## trellis

> it simply allows the faster moving wheel to overrun so you don't have to drag the tires as would be the case with a fixed axle, with the inner staying under power.


My feeling is that the it disengages one or both of the wheels depending upon whether the operator is pushing or pulling on the handlebars?

are we saying the same thing?


----------



## trellis

Mr Bill



> turns, no assist in turns


Check out this video at 1:42, my opinion is that this tight turn is not-powered. Then backup the video to 1:36 and you can see the gears for both wheels are skipping. This is why I disengage the drive for tight turns because I don't like the "click-click" as it tries to engage, causing a less smooth turn and I find myself fighting it. But wide turns are fine.


----------



## tadawson

trellis said:


> My feeling is that the it disengages one or both of the wheels depending upon whether the operator is pushing or pulling on the handlebars?
> 
> are we saying the same thing?



I think so, but I'm not sure it will disengage a slower moving wheel . . . I thought it was overrun only, but I might be wrong. Otherwise, it would tend to cut out when powering along and one wheel slips . . .


----------



## tadawson

trellis said:


> Mr Bill
> 
> 
> 
> Check out this video at 1:42, my opinion is that this tight turn is not-powered. Then backup the video to 1:36 and you can see the gears for both wheels are skipping. This is why I disengage the drive for tight turns because I don't like the "click-click" as it tries to engage, causing a less smooth turn and I find myself fighting it. But wide turns are fine.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVuRuHGZFeA



Doesn't bug me a bit, and I can turn on a dime under power . . . it does feel different than what I used to have though . . 



But yes, turning under power will tend to go a bit wider, since a wheel is still driving, pretty much prohibiting "turn in place" that an open diff would give you.


----------



## trellis

I realize there are differences with the General Transmission DI500 but their site does say:



> "When turning the machine the DI 500 will automatically disengage one or both wheels, allowing on the spot turning."


https://www.generaltransmissions.com/en/products/snow/di-500




> Doesn't bug me a bit, and I can turn on a dime under power . . . it does feel different than what I used to have though . .


I've wondered if the 1st speed on my 24 Plat is faster than it should and maybe the problem.... or I'm just slowing down


----------



## mrbill11

I have no turning help, I am pushing and pulling the blower like a" normal " blower


----------



## RedOctobyr

You mean it behaves like a "locked", solid axle? It does not release at all, and forces one tire to slide against the ground, when you turn?


----------



## tadawson

trellis said:


> I realize there are differences with the General Transmission DI500 but their site does say:
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.generaltransmissions.com/en/products/snow/di-500
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I've wondered if the 1st speed on my 24 Plat is faster than it should and maybe the problem.... or I'm just slowing down


1st on my 24 Plat is barely a crawl . . . good for huge EOD, not much value elsewhere.


----------



## Town

Yesterday we got 3 to 4" of heavy wet snow. A great opportunity to try my neighbours 2013 John Deere 11/30SE, which is same as the Simplicity, Murray and Snapper. They have a very smooth operating limited slip differential and the stock metal skid shoes. On the smooth driveways it operated just like my Ariens with AutoTurn in driving straight as a die. On the rough uneven driveways it also behaved like my Ariens but with steel skid shoes, a bit squirrely, not wanting to keep a straight line. So AutoTurn is not alone in disliking high friction skid shoes.


----------



## RDoc

*Autoturn not unlocking*

I just got a Platinum 28 SHO Rapidtrac, which has Autoturn. I've not used it in snow yet (it's 80F outside), but am concerned that the Autoturn isn't working properly. When in transport mode, that is with the front raised so the system behaves like a wheeled machine, Autoturn will unlock the axle, but only if I give it a very strong shove. If I'm in the normal tracked mode (not the dig in mode), it will never unlock the axle, no matter how hard I push going forward. Sometimes it will unlock when going backwards.

My dealer has very little knowledge of this system so isn't much help. My opinion is that this is not correct, it's pretty much useless as it is.


----------



## Town

RDoc said:


> I just got a Platinum 28 SHO Rapidtrac, which has Autoturn. I've not used it in snow yet (it's 80F outside), but am concerned that the Autoturn isn't working properly. When in transport mode, that is with the front raised so the system behaves like a wheeled machine, Autoturn will unlock the axle, but only if I give it a very strong shove. If I'm in the normal tracked mode (not the dig in mode), it will never unlock the axle, no matter how hard I push going forward. Sometimes it will unlock when going backwards.
> 
> My dealer has very little knowledge of this system so isn't much help. My opinion is that this is not correct, it's pretty much useless as it is.


AutoTurn unlocks when the machine is turned right or left in forward or reverse or in neutral. You talk about push and shove but not about trying to turn the machine. I am not familiar with the Rapidtrack and the extra traction you get from the tracks. 

Good luck.


----------



## RDoc

Town said:


> AutoTurn unlocks when the machine is turned right or left in forward or reverse or in neutral. You talk about push and shove but not about trying to turn the machine. I am not familiar with the Rapidtrack and the extra traction you get from the tracks.
> 
> Good luck.


By "shove" I mean a strong push to one side to turn the machine.


----------



## RDoc

Well, the problem was that they sold me one of the old tracked versions, not the RapidTrak. I didn't recognize the difference at first, but after some research and looking more carefully, it was the wrong model. However, the dealer MB in Plaistow, NH was totally supportive. They actually didn't know there were two versions and special ordered the correct one, took back to other and charged me the difference (plus tax).

Now having briefly played with both versions, the RapidTrak is totally amazing compared to the normal tracked version. In fact, the dealer is now saying they'll be ordering them since they were so easy to steer.

All's well the ends well.


----------



## rugy04

*track auto steer issues*

I am also having issues with my brand new 28SHO track old style track not rapid track auto steer, it will not turn unless you lift the blower housing way up off the ground, the local dealer has had zero experience with these and has no idea how its supposed to work, this cant be how it is supposed to work, if it is it may as well go into the scrap bin or have a recall done on them. any information would be appriciated


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## TooTall999

Ariens "Auto Turn" is the same differential used in several brands of snow blowers. It's a vendor supplied differential made by GT- General Transmission. https://www.generaltransmissions.com/en/products/snow/


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## BTL#22

I have a 2017 921046 28” Deluxe.
I have watched the video at the start of this chain in regards to adjustments to housing and shoes.
My model does not have the 4 bolts t Olsen the housing and frame. Is there another video to show which bolts I am to loosen, or am I not able to do this.


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## Aussieplay

*Auto turn mechanism disassembly anyone ?*

Hi all from Nh -my auto turn on my deluxe 28 will engage and then click click click while the wheels don’t engage and move the machine. 
I can engage and disengage the handle pull with the machine randomly doing this. 
It is 5 years old bought At dealer - I suspect the lubricant in the mechanism is simply dragging and needs to be replaced. 
This auto turn has worked flawlessly until now. 

All belts and friction wheel new. 

Has Anyone ever taken the auto turn apart ?


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## Aussieplay

The auto turn on my 2014 deluxe 28 would not always engage. It would make a clicking sound without the wheels moving the machine. Ariens told me the automatic differential is not serviceable. Not true, I took mine apart To find the grease had hardened. So I cleaned it all out with brake cleaner and replaced the old nasty Grease with fresh. Now it does not stick anymore works great. I save myself $150 and I will be servicing this every two or three years. And they say a monkey can’t learn new tricks,


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## tadawson

It amost alway seems that when a mfg. says "non serviceable" it simply means "we don't want to" It has been very rare that I have found something I can't work on if I put my mind to it. The issue is more one of "is it time or cost effective". Even hard riveted can be worked on, even if not designed to. A fully stamped/bent/captivated that way part maybe not so much, but fortunate, we don't seem to get too many of those.

That, and those kind of statements don't say much of anything positive about the skills that are expected from the dealers . . .


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## johnwick

Aussieplay said:


> The auto turn on my 2014 deluxe 28 would not always engage. It would make a clicking sound without the wheels moving the machine. Ariens told me the automatic differential is not serviceable. Not true, I took mine apart To find the grease had hardened. So I cleaned it all out with brake cleaner and replaced the old nasty Grease with fresh. Now it does not stick anymore works great. I save myself $150 and I will be servicing this every two or three years. And they say a monkey can’t learn new tricks,




This is nice to know! I looked mine over... how did you get into it?


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## Aussieplay

Hi there - There are screws on the right side - took pictures. Used carb cleaner to blow out old grease and reduce damage to gaskets you can’t get again. 
I found it quite a hassle , but it did work ; but the time spent I now look back and think I really should have bought a new diff. This is me , (contractor) cause I’m working in the best years ever and really didn’t have the time to take off. I did learn through ....

Have a large piece of white cardboard for all the parts lol. 

So everybody who buys a new auto turn - grease up the whole of the outside of diff. twice a year. Nothing is “sealed” this auto turn can go bad in 5 years. 
My auger bearing was trashed and I replaced. I replaced all springs ( handle bar trigger ones too) and belts. Belts are cake. 

If you watch one of the Ariens videos it does give a quick 3D of the guts. All Ariens maintenance vids are good. 

I love the deluxe 28 here where I get tons of snow except this year so far it’s been a lot of rain. I need a rain blower lol. 

Have a great day

If your in a canoe and a wheel falls off , how many pancakes does it take to fill a doghouse? None because ice cream doesn’t have bones ! JB


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## cpchriste

Aussieplay said:


> So everybody who buys a new auto turn - grease up the whole of the outside of diff. twice a year. Nothing is “sealed” this auto turn can go bad in 5 years.


What variety of grease is in the diff?


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## 140278

i doubt he will see your question as he made 4 posts than disappeared 8 months ago hopefully someone else can help you


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## Kiss4aFrog

cpchriste said:


> What variety of grease is in the diff?


If you don't get an answer and can't find what Ariens uses, which is likely as Ariens calls it non-serviceable I think a safe application would be "00" grease. Same as used in most geared riding mowers. It's part way between grease and oil as it will flow but barely.
I'm not sure how it would mix with whatever is in there now but if you disassembled to clean it and removed most of what in there the 00 IMHO would be the way to go.
I used to get the Prime Line brand at O'reilly but it seems they don't carry it anymore. Have been going to Tractor Supply Co. 
If you want to go crazy you can try asking at : Bob Is The Oil Guy They really get into deep discussions about all things oil.

00 grease search: - - > 00 grease at DuckDuckGo



.


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## Town

cpchriste said:


> What variety of grease is in the diff?


When I took my Auto-Turn diff apart there was little grease. It was brown and caked and useless as a grease and not everywhere in the housing. There is no point in putting grease on the outside (except to lubricate the gear teeth) since the housing is well sealed with O ring and regular seals at the axles. I used wheel bearing grease everywhere inside the housing. It appears that none of the seals or other parts are available for actually re-building the diff. I did describe the diff and took some pics in this thread about my Ariens Platinum: Inside the Auto-Turn Differential

After re-assembly the diff worked as well as before but without the clicking when turning. Seems greasing the "gears" (that were not greased when new) has resolved the clicking. That is now my spare since I bought a new Auto-Turn differential which is also quiet and without any clicking. I have tried it twice so far this year on the 6 driveways that I clear and it seems to work very well in very wet and less wet snow of about 4" on smooth and rough surfaces using Ariens plastic skid shoes. So I think packing the unit with grease helps the diff work better.


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## cpchriste

Town said:


> I used wheel bearing grease everywhere inside the housing. It appears that none of the seals or other parts are available for actually re-building the diff. I did describe the diff and took some pics in this thread about my Ariens Platinum: Inside the Auto-Turn Differential


Thanks for the info and the reference. I just got a 921003 that is making tranny noise and behaving strangely so I'll be going into it to explore. I'll report any differential work.


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## RIT333

If it is under warranty, why not let dealer fix, and save your expertise when warranty is over ?


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## cpchriste

RIT333 said:


> If it is under warranty, why not let dealer fix, and save your expertise when warranty is over ?


I'm not sure you're answering me, but this 921003 is now 13+- years old.
I wish the dealer would fix it!


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## RIT333

Sorry, I was thrown off by your comment "I just got a". My bad.


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## Town

cpchriste said:


> I'm not sure you're answering me, but this 921003 is now 13+- years old.
> I wish the dealer would fix it!


The current Auto-Turn came out in model year 2014, so you will have an earlier form of differential.


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## Mr. JT Monk

Town said:


> The current Auto-Turn came out in model year 2014, so you will have an earlier form of differential.


Good to know. . .


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## TooTall999

This is a link to the company that makes the differentials used in Ariens, Toro, DR and others. Snow Blower Differentials | General Transmissions Service parts may be available through them( I haven't checked this but if you need parts it may be worth contacting them)


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## Mr. JT Monk

TooTall999 said:


> This is a link to the company that makes the differentials used in Ariens, Toro, DR and others. Snow Blower Differentials | General Transmissions Service parts may be available through them( I haven't checked this but if you need parts it may be worth contacting them)


The exact General Transmissions part number is GT82015 which is the same for Ariens or Toro.
Of course, the snowblower makers have their own replacement P/N.
Also. . . it is available on the well known "Amzn" place for a good price I might add.


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## PlOM

Mr. JT Monk said:


> The exact General Transmissions part number is GT82015 which is the same for Ariens or Toro.


Recently, as part of my quest for a new machine, I was comparing parts diagrams for the Toro 928 and the new Toro 828. In a YouTube video comparing the two, Paul Sikkema suggested they are probably the same other than the engine size and the chute configuration. But looking at the parts lists for them I came across another difference.

According to Toro's 828 parts list, it uses the Di300 differential. The differential is connected to separate axles that go to the wheels. The wheels are attached to the axles by clevis pin that passes through the axle. The pin both holds the wheels on and drives them.

The Toro 928 parts diagram I was initially using showed a different setup, more like the Ariens. There's two axles that are driven by the differential, but also a single, shaft that goes through the center of the axles and protrudes out beyond the wheels. In this arrangement, the wheels are driven by keys in the axles, while spring clips in grooves at the ends of the shaft keep the wheels in place. According to Ariens parts diagrams, this is also the arrangement used in the current, similar, Ariens auto turn models.

That seemed to be a distinct difference between the 828 and 928. But there was more. Images of 928s on the web generally show the wheels with the spring clips, as was expected, but I noticed that in some advertisements, they appeared to have clevis pins in the wheels. So back to the Toro 928 parts lists; there's four different lists based on ranges of serial numbers. I was using a list for the lowest range. But when I looked at the other three, I found that the third and fourth ranges showed the same auto turn axle arrangement that the new 828 has, i.e., clevis pins to retain and drive the wheels with no central support.

Also, according to the part number lists, the lower serial numbers with the spring clip use a Di310 differential, whereas the higher ranges with the clevis pin drive use the Di300, and the axle components are different. 

Paul Sikkema (YouTube video comparing the two Toros) suggested the difference in the differentials is the size of the splined openings for each axle; in one they're the same for both sides, in the other they're different. 

So, not all blowers with auto turn necessarily use the same differential, and even within a single model there can be significant differences.


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## Mr. JT Monk

PlOM said:


> Recently, as part of my quest for a new machine, I was comparing parts diagrams for the Toro 928 and the new Toro 828. In a YouTube video comparing the two, Paul Sikkema suggested they are probably the same other than the engine size and the chute configuration. But looking at the parts lists for them I came across another difference.


Agree.. I've seen some of those differences and that there is a GT DI310 differential. I think at some point Ariens and possiblyToro switched over. What I haven't been able to find out is the Ariens or Toro P/N for any models that use the DI310 with the cross reference to the General Transmission part number.
I am unsure which of the two differential drive system arrangements that you describe are "better" or if there is some other reason for the changes. Based on the serial number of my 928 I have a mid range 928 by serial number IIRC.
The DI300 is/was used by both Ariens and Toro and indeed shows the GT82015 on the General Transmissions chart. I haven't done a thorough search to find if there is another " Diff Intuitive " part as GT calls them, for the the Toro. Were you able to find info on the DI310 and its GT part number?
I guess I may have to take an actual closer look at the differential in my Toro. .. 
According to one Toro Parts list on the Parts Tree website my 928 has the DI310, but I can not find a GT part number for it.


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## PlOM

Mr. JT Monk said:


> According to one Toro Parts list on the Parts Tree website my 928 has the DI310, but I can not find a GT part number for it.


Paul suggested that the two differentials are the same internally and functionally; the only difference mentioned was the size of splined opening, where one has the same on both sides, whereas the other has two different splined section diameters. In the Toro higher serial number units with the Di300, there's less parts involved; could be a cost-cutting measure, with neither necessarily being "better".

There might not be a public GT part number for the Di310 if, as was also suggested, it's specific to a particular customer, such as Toro or Ariens, in which case only the Toro or Ariens part number would apply. (No doubt GT would have a cross reference, but it's not public.)

Are you aware that Toro has downloadable parts diagrams with part numbers on its website? This is where I found the four different serial number series. (Customer Support | Toro ) Start with filling in the 5 digit model number (928 = 38840) and go from there.


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## Mr. JT Monk

PlOM said:


> Are you aware that Toro has downloadable parts diagrams with part numbers on its website? This is where I found the four different serial number series. (Customer Support | Toro ) Start with filling in the 5 digit model number (928 = 38840) and go from there.


Thanks, yes about the Toro website parts and support. That's where I got my parts info and also downloaded the manuals. I've been down loading and bookmarked so much info forgetting half of what I have. But my S/N is in the 4063xxxxx range so it has the keyed wheels and clips.
Been busy too with other matters and family things. Bought 2 laptops for us so looking up things for them and some accessories. Busy time of year.


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## 140278

sad part is there SEEMS to be no/ zero serviceable parts for them, only part numbers for a costly full unit come up. gt in thier web site don't show any service information either.


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## Mr. JT Monk

captchas said:


> sad part is there SEEMS to be no/ zero serviceable parts for them, only part numbers for a costly full unit come up. gt in thier web site don't show any service information either.


Agree. . . . costly now , but probably price will come down. The earlier DI300 which was/is up to $150 now can be found for less than $70 if a person needs one.
However, there is a thread here where a member disassembled one on his Ariens (that was really used a lot) and found it could be easily taken apart, cleaned of thickened old grease, apply new grease and worked fine.

Link: - - Inside the Auto-Turn Differential

Not too much to wear inside apparently and the only other replacements that might be needed are a couple of thin o-ring seals. There are just a number of torx screws holding it together and easy to disassemble and out back together.
Now the newer DI310 is still up there around $110. From the looks of it, for the average residential owner, the "Intuitive Differential" should be good for many years without needed service.
If an owner wanted to. .. I would think removing and relubing every 5 or 6 seasons would be more than enough. I actually think it would be more like 8 to 10 years before it might need servicing.


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## WIHD

Does the video in the first post (from 2014) hold for all newer snowblowers as well? I assume so, but wondered if any design changes affect this procedure.


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## 140278

WIHD said:


> Does the video in the first post (from 2014) hold for all newer snowblowers as well? I assume so, but wondered if any design changes affect this procedure.


i would think YES! many times a manufacture makes internal improvements to a item yet retain how they assemble and repair the item. simply superseding the part number with the newer design . 

real world it's not meant to be serviceable only replaced as a assembly. that's becomes a haha, like the link shows. take it apart clean, re-lube, reassemble. downside is if something is worn out or broken you need a new one as there are no parts listed JUST yet


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## Groucho

Ariens Company said:


> Some of you have mentioned that your auto-turn function is not working properly. Here is an instructional video as well as steps to adjust the housing to fix this problem.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ​Steps to adjust the housing​​If you try these things and still are having trouble, the second link is our Support Page where you can reach out for additional answers.
> 
> If you have additional questions, let me know.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Mary Lyn



Hi,
I am hoping you can help. I bought a new 28" Professional to the tune of 2,200$. The Autoturn is horrible. I have a paved drive but about 1/2 of it is curved. The autoturn seems to be either in or out. So I am finding myself wressleing it for most of the drive.
I called Ariens today and mentioned it, as well as the plastic shoes and they offered to sell me them. Honestly..after spending about 400 more than Cub Cadet I didn't feel I should have to pay to have something work properly.


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## Oneacer

Boy, I really love my Ariens 10000 series ....


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## foggysail

Groucho said:


> Hi,
> I am hoping you can help. I bought a new 28" Professional to the tune of 2,200$. The Autoturn is horrible. I have a paved drive but about 1/2 of it is curved. The autoturn seems to be either in or out. So I am finding myself wressleing it for most of the drive.
> I called Ariens today and mentioned it, as well as the plastic shoes and they offered to sell me them. Honestly..after spending about 400 more than Cub Cadet I didn't feel I should have to pay to have something work properly.


Yeah.....And think of the gonads Ariens has when they SELL, not give a weight bar for the bucket they recommend as a result of their engineering team moving the wheels forward. 

But getting back to your auto turn which should be the same as my 28 Pro. I found that both added bucket weight (25# SS bar mounted inside the bucket, purchased from Ebay) along with plastic shoes made a big improvement in turning. In my humble, sometimes told ‘’know it all’’ opinions I am lost why Ariens did not use a differential. My old Bolens had one and that thing was so easy to turn Wifey could have done the driveway if I could have talked her into doing it.

I forgot who pioneered that differential, John Deere maybe? Others here in the forum I am sure will be able to comment on its genesis. Yes!!! It had flaws but flaws that resulted from cost cutting. For example, the wheel shafts that attached to the differential lacked water proof bushings or bushings of any kind. It also was not fitted with a zerk so that it could be lubricated. Last of all, engineering pinned one of the shafts to an outer shaft which weaken the design. I know, my inner shaft broke causing me great pain replacing it with a new 1/2’’ SS rod I turned on my lathe to accommodate a retrofit. 

Enough! With all its faults aside, I think we both have great machines that do not use plastic bushings.


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## RickCoMatic

Blue Hill said:


> We appreciate the support Mary Lyn. Ariens has lots of friends here. Hopefully, with your help, the members with auto-turn issues can get them solved.





uberT said:


> I performed this chute-to-body re-alignment on my MTD machine this morning. It was identical to the Ariens machine pictured in the video  I can't believe the adjustment was so quick/simple  I've been wrestling with that thru 6 yrs of ownership. Aligning the skids now is child's play. Machine now sits square on the ground for the first time.



2015/Ariens/Plat24SHO/AX369

Consistently chewed-up the right-side skid on a hastily set-up blower. 
Wrenched all week. Full Monte season prep including scraper and poly skids.
The DIY Poly skids slid over bone dry blacktop like dull skates on an ice rink after doing
the whole square-'n-leveling the business end to the chassis.
No data to share on Poly Skid wear as yet. I think they're going to make any snow blowing this season fun.


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## Charlie

I have a Pro32 and I can not find a new differential 
does any one have a good on line place to het this part 05013000
thanks


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## Town

Charlie said:


> I have a Pro32 and I can not find a new differential
> does any one have a good on line place to het this part 05013000
> thanks


Based on your part number, here is one source: Ariens 05013000 DIFFERENTIAL AUTOMAT - Jacks Small Engines


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## Charlie

Town said:


> Based on your part number, here is one source: Ariens 05013000 DIFFERENTIAL AUTOMAT - Jacks Small Engines


Thanks they do not have one


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## 140278

thier site lists back in stock in 8 to 10 days meaning they order from ariens have it shipped to them than ship to you


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## Town

Charlie said:


> Thanks they do not have one


Try the Ariens parts on-line store here: Replacement Parts for Lawn Mowers and Snow Blowers - Ariens you will need your model and serial and part number.


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## Cutter70

Ariens Company said:


> Some of you have mentioned that your auto-turn function is not working properly. Here is an instructional video as well as steps to adjust the housing to fix this problem.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ​Steps to adjust the housing​​If you try these things and still are having trouble, the second link is our Support Page where you can reach out for additional answers.
> 
> If you have additional questions, let me know.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Mary Lyn


I find that using the Poly shoes makes the biggest difference. I have not had a problem since I switched.


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## Mr. JT Monk

Agree. . . the poly shoes make a world of difference. And do not leave marks or scrape the drive was.


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## Cutter70

When I bought my 921037, I was very disappointed with the Autoturn, so much so that I would never go close to anything that I would damage, or damage my blower. But, thanks to the many good folks on this site, they convinced me to try the Poly shoes, and it was amazing. I can now go within 6 inches of my vehicles, or buildings. Also, there was a You Tube Video someone put out where they set the scraper bar lower than the recommended height of 1/8th inch. I believe it was 1/16th, which you want a smooth driveway for. This also made a small difference. Hope this helps.


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## 2AriensGuy

Not sure if anyone has tried this, but I have seen it done with many "non serviceable" things, like Dodge Ram 2500 & 3500 wheel bearings, tie rod ends, Honda snowblower transmission gear case, etc.. 

Using a sharp drill bit, covered in grease, slowly drill a pilot hole into the auto turn gearbox (THAT IS NOT IN A CRITICAL SPOT). Keep wiping chips off drill bit & applying fresh grease to catch & hold the chips. Then repeat with the size drill bit you want the hole to be. Remember, not getting any chips inside the box is MOST IMPORTANT.

Do the same process with a tap. Make sure the bolt or plug does not protrude into the housing. You now have a simple way to easily add grease. You could also add a zerk if you wanted. But I have never seen 00 grease in a tube for a grease gun.


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## FarmerBob

Mr. JT Monk said:


> Agree. . . the poly shoes make a world of difference. And do not leave marks or scrape the drive was.


The Best thing I ever did for my Deluxe was these:









AND this . . .


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## Kielbasa

I adjusted my 2015 Pro 28" two seasons ago? And it turned out well. I have no issues with the operation of the "auto turn". The thing that annoys me is the noisy... clanky... grinding sound that it gives off.


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## Town

Kielbasa said:


> I adjusted my 2015 Pro 28" two seasons ago? And it turned out well. I have no issues with the operation of the "auto turn". The thing that annoys me is the noisy... clanky... grinding sound that it gives off.


I had the clicking sound from the differential on my 2015 Platinum. When I took it apart the problem was the lack of grease inside the diff. Added grease and the noise disappeared.


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## Kielbasa

Town said:


> I had the clicking sound from the differential on my 2015 Platinum. When I took it apart the problem was the lack of grease inside the diff. Added grease and the noise disappeared.


That sounds on the side of being pretty involved... so that would probably be a little past my ability...


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