# Should i buy this Ariens 36 inch?



## matte5299 (Oct 26, 2019)

Hello, 

This is my first post here. Probably not the last. 

I am about to go to meet a guy to see about this Ariens 36 inch 10 HP blower. 



1. How old is this machine?

2 Is it a good deal at $300 if everything works properly?
3 Are there replacement parts for it when things break?
4. Please feel free to give any advice when going to purchase as to what to do to it to make sure its a solid machine. I was told that it is super solid and had the carb just replaced, and no other issues.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)




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## Zavie (Sep 23, 2014)




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## dman2 (Sep 22, 2019)

I heard those old Ariens snowblowers are well made (thicker metal and everything), but they are old and don't sell very well. They seemed to throw big volumes of snow, but not very far (it is just how they were made). Those big wheels look good, but they have zero traction (install chains on them is a must).

There is no way you can find OEM parts for those 30 years old, or more snowblowers. Used parts maybe available if you are lucky. I saw people on here having trouble to find parts for those snowblowers.

Unless you are handy and you want it as a project (modify and restore it), you should look for something else. Unliked old classic cars, not many people want vintage snowblowers. That snowblower for $300 is a "nah" for me. For $200 more, you should be able to find a good used snowblower. Ariens is the right choice.

Used snowblower is used. They have wore out parts and rust. They will need maintenance. Even my 10 years old Ariens have rust and many things to be replaced. Most people don't take care of their snowblowers.


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## Jackmels (Feb 18, 2013)

Looks More like a 32" Machine, and it's the Earlier Round Bucket. I have one, it's my Go-To Machine. Virtually Bulletproof, Add Impeller Seal, and swap out Chute with a Taller One, and that will Kick Ass, and Last for Years with No plastic Bullshit or cables to Break. Ariens is Very Good with Parts Availability, even with the Older Units. If it Runs and works, Buy It- It looks to be in Good Shape. Make Sure You get the Airbox/Carb Cover.


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## dman2 (Sep 22, 2019)

Jackmels said:


> Looks More like a 32" Machine, and it's the Earlier Round Bucket. I have one, it's my Go-To Machine. Virtually Bulletproof, Add Impeller Seal, and swap out Chute with a Taller One, and that will Kick Ass, and Last for Years with No plastic Bullshit or cables to Break. Ariens is Very Good with Parts Availability, even with the Older Units. If it Runs and works, Buy It- It looks to be in Good Shape. Make Sure You get the Airbox/Carb Cover.


Paint looks good for a 30-50 years old snowblowers. I wonder if it is lead paint.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

If you get it, I would put on some XTrac tires …. I would not put chains on those lawn tires, you'll bounce that machine creating all kinds of issues and early wear. See if you can get it down in price, since you have to put on new tires.

I have quite a few of the older units, there solid and work great.


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

I agree..it is a 32.....bulletproof, add chains, tall chute, impeller kit and you can run with the big boys. If the Tec craps out.....a 420 cc Predator and no one will ever keep up....I've got a few just like that one....love them.


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## Landngroove (Oct 12, 2015)

dman2 said:


> Paint looks good for a 30-50 years old snowblowers. I wonder if it is lead paint.


 Even if it is lead paint, do you really think kids, or anyone else is going to eat it off a snowblower ?


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## Jackmels (Feb 18, 2013)

dman2 said:


> Paint looks good for a 30-50 years old snowblowers. I wonder if it is lead paint.


Whatever that Paint is, it is Very Tough and Durable. Two Things I didn't like from Ariens was the Powdercoating and the Bronze Auger Gear that came in the ST's.


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## matte5299 (Oct 26, 2019)

You guys are right it's a 32 inch. It was improperly posted in the ad.


Thanks you guys for the valuable input. 


This is my first 2 stage. I got him down to $200 because he replaced the original carb with a POS aftermarket one instead of rebuilding the original.... and now it does not idol correctly. It was done by an 80 year old man so I, didn't make a big deal out of it. 



It revs up and down due to carb not being correctly tuned.....i think. I managed to get it to idol decently by playing with the choke on the new carb. I think it just needs a carb adjustment...I hope. 


He put the original carb cover back on, but, the carb intake is wide open. He tried telling me that it's perfectly ok for nothing to be on the intake. That does not seem right. It needs a freaking filter or something right?

Other than that it is in amazing condition for it's age, All the bearings and bushings are good. I guess we'll see how well it throws snow. 




Not too sure about all the seals. It was garage kept and was not used for many, many years. But it fired right up. Starter it strong and fast. 

Tires need chains or new knobby tires. 


I did notice little bursts of fire in the muffler. Is that normal? 
Maybe it was becasue the oil was thin and smelled like gas. He said it flooded from the old carb.


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

Landngroove said:


> Even if it is lead paint, do you really think kids, or anyone else is going to eat it off a snowblower ?


Some of those old industrial machines back in the day were painted with DuPont "IMRON".
It was a pretty durable paint back then and took a lot of abuse, polyurethane enamel, it was flexible, that was a good hazardous paint when painted but it held up well and was expensive.
It was probably better for the kids to eat, except it didn't chip off that easily like the leaded paint did. Sarcasm.


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

matte5299 said:


> You guys are right it's a 32 inch. It was improperly posted in the ad.
> 
> 
> Thanks you guys for the valuable input.
> ...


It might have tight valve clearance causing the rough idle and little bits of flame coming out the exhaust, but a lot of that is common with an old motor like that, also a "lean" condition in the idle circuit can cause a bit of a surge when running as can an improper float level.
Also check your valve seat and valve face condition in case they may be worn in an older engine. The old engines usually gave more tolerances to re-cut the seats and re-grind the valve face, or just re-lap them to make sure they seal properly, but after doing that, check and adjust the valve stem clearance so the valves seal properly. Set the intake valve a little bit on the loose side to help build your compression a bit higher and it will have a little more power.
Check your valve clearance first, if it is too tight, then you will have to remove the valves to grind the stems to adjust the clearance, then you can inspect the valves to see if they need any service or replacement.
Sounds like the float needle and seat may not have been seating properly, an easy replacement item, that could cause the flooding and oil contamination from gas.
Most snowblowers don't use an air filter because they would freeze up, they may have used a deflector or a screen, that was about it on the older machines.
Stay away from tire chains, unless you want to scratch up your driveway and destroy your drive-train on your snowblower, and shake it apart to death.
Use a good set of X-Trac or Snow-Hog type tires instead, plus it will be easier to move around without the engine running.


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## Ian Ariens 924 (Dec 22, 2015)

You have a 924 series 32” there.Probably a 924044 since its a 10 hp.
If it has a 6 blade impeller, you have the holy grail of the series.
Fantastic machines, don’t wear out unless not maintained.
I have had a 924024 for about 10 years, runs great.
Yes, it is well worth $200


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## Ariensboy (Apr 2, 2019)

Jackmels said:


> Whatever that Paint is, it is Very Tough and Durable. Two Things I didn't like from Ariens was the Powdercoating and the Bronze Auger Gear that came in the ST's.


Jack- why don't you like the powdercoating?

I would buy this machine with the understanding you will have possible projects sooner or later. I have a 1968 10,000 series and will never buy new! Start at $200 and go up if need be. Good luck!


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## Zavie (Sep 23, 2014)

https://www.briggsandstratton.com/eu/en_gb/support/faqs/browse/engine-backfire-afterfire.html


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## badbmwbrad (Jul 30, 2019)

I'm told the 32" _Sno-Thro_ is a commercial grade machine and having inspected Jack's go-to machine, I see it has much thicker skid shoe material, more impeller vanes and a larger tractor housing.

Get the appropriate tire chains for it and you're good to go. Turf-saver tires should be outfitted with smaller chain material diameter which creates smaller links that don't sit as high above the tire tread surface. You'll want 2-link cross chain spacing pattern. This gives you more cross chains for a given tire diameter and less bouncing. 

Do not get the big chain material diameter as used on snow hog tires. These chains sit much higher above the tire tread surface (necessary to clear the snow hog's knobbies) and will bounce around on a paved driveway; especially if they're of a 4-link cross-chain spacing pattern. See link below.

Presence of those turf saver tires means that machine accepts Ariens _Trac-Team_ attachments. 

https://www.tirechain.com/12x3.htm


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## Jackmels (Feb 18, 2013)

Ariensboy said:


> Jack- why don't you like the powdercoating?
> 
> I would buy this machine with the understanding you will have possible projects sooner or later. I have a 1968 10,000 series and will never buy new! Start at $200 and go up if need be. Good luck!


Powdercoat was not very durable. Like Night and Day Compared to that Paint used earlier.


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## Jackmels (Feb 18, 2013)

Ian Ariens 924 said:


> You have a 924 series 32” there.Probably a 924044 since its a 10 hp.
> If it has a 6 blade impeller, you have the holy grail of the series.
> Fantastic machines, don’t wear out unless not maintained.
> I have had a 924024 for about 10 years, runs great.
> Yes, it is well worth $200


I'm pretty sure the 6 blade wasn't available in the Round Buckets.


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## Jackmels (Feb 18, 2013)

matte5299 said:


> You guys are right it's a 32 inch. It was improperly posted in the ad.
> 
> 
> Thanks you guys for the valuable input.
> ...



That Engine has Points Ignition. I would Check the Condition of the Points Before Doing Anything else. If it Revs up and down, try adjusting the Screw on the Side of the Carb. Keep us Posted.


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

Jackmels said:


> I'm pretty sure the 6 blade wasn't available in the Round Buckets.


I agree, all the round buckets had 4 blade impellers


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## Stick (Feb 11, 2015)

As you go thru the machine. make sure the auger gearbox has lube in it. The 8/32 that I had, had run dry on me, and the replacement gears are like hen's teeth. They are unobtanium. I got lucky and found a gent in Mass. that had NOS, but he wanted $150 for the pair of gears. I think I talked him down a bit, and THEN, there was the challenge of R&R the gearbox. 



Again I got lucky, and have a friend with a 20 ton press (and a lot of other tools!). The thing that finally broke the shaft free of the gear that we were removing was his blacksmithing sledge hammer. I thought we were going to bust his garage floor with the amount of hammering he was doing! 



But we were able to revive the old beast, and it sold last year with my house. The new owner said that he wanted it with the house deal.


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## firedudetl1 (Jan 26, 2016)

my 2 cents - I have 2 similar machines (32 inch & 28 inch buckets) in that the handle\controls look the same I think one is a 1970s and the other 1980s - both run great and do a lot of sidewalks for me - I would get "thinner" tires for it - the wide tires are good for not marking up the grass but tend to slip in the snow (unless you have chains)
I don't know if anyone else "said' anything, but there is no air cleaner/filters for the snowblowers 
good luck with it


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## matte5299 (Oct 26, 2019)

It is model 924029 built in 1976 or 1977 so it's i remarkable condition for being 40 years old. 

Stick, I'll check the gearbox lube. What lube do i put in if it's low?

I will def get new tires, although my driveway if pretty flat. 

I just leveled out the the runners they were wearing uneven. The scraper blade is looking low. It only has about 1/2 inch left on it. The bolts are a bit shaved already. 

My driveway is gravel, so i want to make sure rocks don't get in the impeller. I guess Ill just keep the runners at a good height. I know it will leave about 1/2 inch of snow but i don't care. 

How do i know if the impeller seal is bad? Someone said to get an impeller kit. Why?


Also what is the on/off switch on the wheel?


Thanks


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

dman2 said:


> There is no way you can find OEM parts for those 30 years old, or more snowblowers. Used parts maybe available if you are lucky. I saw people on here having trouble to find parts for those snowblowers.


If you go to the Ariens site there are still parts availale for that vintage of a machine. Ariens and Toro are both good at providing support and parts for the old stuff. I have a 1032 so I know. That's not to say everything is still available but it's a very heavy, well built machine worth keeping if you have some skills, IMHO. You can get the part number from the Ariens site and then use it on Amazon, Ebay, Searspartsdirect, search engine, .... any of the on line parts suppliers and even some of the easy stuff like belts and bearings can be found at big box stores, harware or auto parts.

https://parts.ariens.com/

Lots of good info on Scot's site - - > https://scotlawrence.github.io/ariens/index.html

The on/off is a way to unlock or lock the wheels together. Either both wheels are driven together or one is released from the drive and allows for easier turning. You'll likely almost always want to have them locked together for better traction. The 32 isn't going to be that much harder or easier to spin around unless it's during the off season and you're moving it on dry pavement. Then it's a huge difference.

I have gravel too. I try to drive over the first couple snows to pack some snow over the gravel and I set my scraper bar a bit over .5, more .5-.75" especially since I have a bit of a mound between the tire tracks. Really need to have it groomed next year.

Better tires are a must as the weight can work for you with traction or against you if you can't get any. Trust me you want that machine to be doing all the work. It's one thing to muscle around a 24" but a 70's Ariens 32 will make you feel like your arms are going to fall off once you get back inside if you have trouble with those lawn tires. Been there, done that. 

.


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## SHVLHEAD (Feb 12, 2017)

Nice pickup Matte5229,

I have an 832 of same vintage...actually I have two. The second is a parts unit which has come in handy in the past. I was lucky enough to find it for cheap so I picked it up as an insurance policy. A wise gentleman on this forum mentioned it to me so I am just paying it forward.

As far as the turf tires, I have a slight downward grade to my driveway and my machine has never struggled in the traction sense...I have chains but have not seen the need to use them. I have had to muscle her around once or twice but that is not the norm. I’m north of 50 yo and I don’t feel beat up after spending some time behind the controls, even if I clear the neighbors drives as well. I don’t want to discount what others are saying about new tires, other than what you have described (flat and gravel)I don’t think it’s warranted. I may be mistaken but I believe the sno-hogs etc. may be a higher profile tire which may cause problems when mounted...I will defer to others on this board to confirm as I haven’t tried. Maybe use the turf tires for the first season to test it out. Also, those older machines are susceptible to cracking at the handlebars down near the bend and where they bolt onto the tractor...you may want to add a little reinforcement in case you see any cracks.

One other thing, we’re the pictures you loaded in your original post at the house of the gentleman you purchased the unit from or at your house? I ask because there are a lot of tools next to the unit. Did he recently fix something or are these your tools and you are working through the machine on maintenance?

Again nice pickup. I think you will enjoy this machine. Take the above for what it is...simple things to consider.


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

#2 on the reinforcing the handles....many I get are cracked...a brace on the angle is a great idea....


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