# Just got a nice 1969 ( I think)



## turbokev (Nov 11, 2014)

A friend of mine from church just got a new snowblower and asked me if I wanted his old one..
Belonged to his Dad, and as far as he knows it's original.. He thought it was a 1966.
He's used it every year since his Dad passed 10 years ago and said he's just changed
the oil each fall and greased the fittings.. and changed the plug every 2 years.

I did some research (found Scotts site) and what I think I have is actually a 1969?

It's the 6hp motor, and has the locking differential.. Model number 10970
Engine model H60-75003H : serial number is 8290 16946
I think that may mean the motor is from Oct 17th, 1968 (290th day of 68)

It starts right up first pull and all the gears etc work fine.. I'm 50 and have never had a snowblower,
but I couldn't pass this up. I'll use it to make paths to the oil tanks and chicken coop.. I've got
a dedicated plow truck for the driveways.. ANyways, here's a few pictures~





































This is on the snow thrower attachemnt..










..and this is etched on to the body of the attachement just under the throw tube..





















Seems to be in pretty nice shape for an old unit~ I'm actually looking forward to
snow now so I can play with it~


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## cancon (Oct 16, 2014)

What a beauty! Museum condition!


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## Normex (Feb 21, 2014)

cancon said:


> What a beauty! Museum condition!


 Indeed a nice piece however I would check your skids as from the pics they seem to be at the end of their life. Good Luck


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## turbokev (Nov 11, 2014)

Yes they are a little thin at the bottom.. but this will be used on grass surfaces, not the driveway so they'll do for now~

I'll give it a good cleaning this weekend..and the gas line is a little dry rotted so I'll replace that too.
Better to do that now while it's not leaking than when I need the machine and it's ten degrees out~


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## Ray 1962 10ML60 (Oct 14, 2011)

That thing is sweet! A real clean, well maintained piece for sure. Congrats and enjoy the winter.


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

Hi Kev,
wow! thats a beauty!  one of the nicest I have ever seen..

You actually have a 1968 model, not a 1969. I started out writing this reply saying I was 90% sure..I am now 100% sure! 

yes I know this Ariens document:

says it would be a 1969, and not 1968.
but that particular document is well known to have a LOT of errors! tons of errors..
The problem is that it was made in 1974..who ever made it used very incomplete information..Its not exactly "wrong", its just very incomplete..
for example, your model 10970 is a 1968 *and* a 1969 model.
Here is why I am 100% certain you have a 1968 model 10970:

1. The engine date code, you are correct about October 1968.
That is perfect timing to go on a 1968 model, not a 1969.
yes, sometimes engines could wait an extra summer, but most of the time they went onto a snowblower the season they were made. And in 1968/1969 the "model year" was the winter that was coming up..it hadnt "switched" yet:
The Ariens 1960's and 1970's Sno-Thro info site.
So the engine says "1968 model"

2. When I enter your model and serial number into the Ariens manual lookup:
Ariens Order Owners Manuals
it brings up the 1968 owners manual:

http://apache.ariens.com/manuals/TIP-68.pdf

That doesnt _disprove_ 1969, because 1968 could be the first year the model came out, and it could have been made in '69 too. But oddly the '69 model does not list it at all:
http://apache.ariens.com/manuals/TIP-68.pdf
Which is strange..because I believe it was also offered in '69. so I cant explain that.
(its not a perfect science! 

3. Your scoop attachment model and serial number also brings up a 1968 manual:
http://apache.ariens.com/manuals/SSA-1-68.pdf

So all three sets of your model and serial numbers point to 1968.

4. The clincher..the chute "rotator cuff" changed styles in 1969! Yours is the 1968 style:

1965 to 1968 10,000 series chute rotator, the end of the crank has a "star" shaped gear that meshes with holes cut into the circular base of the chute:










1969 to 1974 10,000 chute rotator: a very different style, with a spiral gear that meshes with the side of the chute base:










1968 manual shows the older style:
http://apache.ariens.com/manuals/SSA-1-68.pdf

1969 manual shows the newer style:
http://apache.ariens.com/manuals/SSA.-1-69.pdf

1968 was the last year of the older style, and '69 was the first model year of the newer style.

conclusion: no doubt about it, its a '68! 

Scot


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

Nice machine you picked up, and can't beat the price. 

Hey sscotsman, in the first picture of that Ariens that you posted, are the skids upside down in the picture or did they come with reversible skids?

Be nice if all skids came as reversible? Are they?


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## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

Turbo that is a beauty I love the old girls, especially when someone obviously cared about it. Wish you good luck with it. Might want to ask your buddy just to check, but I'm guessing the etching is a personal number (don't want to type it so the spam bots hit, think Sam Stan) . If you find out it is, I'd pull that picture from here and where ever you stored it. They didn't have computers back then and would ID stuff this way. Today it can become a nightmare.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Big Ed said:


> Nice machine you picked up, and can't beat the price.
> 
> Hey sscotsman, in the first picture of that Ariens that you posted, are the skids upside down in the picture or did they come with reversible skids?
> 
> Be nice if all skids came as reversible? Are they?


The grass makes it hard to see, but the front and back edges look thicker so I am guessing reversible.

I was reading a an old Toro 3521 manual and it actually states to put them on backwards to help against riding up on hard packed snow and ice.


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## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

Ed, My wife bought me these a few Xmas' ago for my JD blower. She saw the link said JD, so she assumed they were green. Sent them back, and shouldn't have because I bought an Ariens project blower the next year and reordered the darn things. As Shryp noted they are very thick compared to stock. 








Amazon.com: ariens snowblower skids


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

Shryp said:


> The grass makes it hard to see, but the front and back edges look thicker so I am guessing reversible.
> 
> I was reading a an old Toro 3521 manual and it actually states to put them on backwards to help against riding up on hard packed snow and ice.


Hmm, put them on backwards.



jtclays said:


> Ed, My wife bought me these a few Xmas' ago for my JD blower. She saw the link said JD, so she assumed they were green. Sent them back, and shouldn't have because I bought an Ariens project blower the next year and reordered the darn things. As Shryp noted they are very thick compared to stock.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


OK, thanks, it makes sense so that when they wear out just flip them around. Then order replacements so that by the time the flipped around side wear out you have a new set in the parts box.
Though it must take a while to wear out mine are still like new.
I will have to see if there are any reversible Craftsman skids around on the market, throw them in my parts box.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Skids are pretty generic. Just make sure the bolt hole spacing is the same as yours.


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

Shryp said:


> Skids are pretty generic. Just make sure the bolt hole spacing is the same as yours.


Yes, I was just thinking that while looking at the skids shown above.
I was thinking as long as it bolts on they look like they would even work on mine.

I had mine on since it was new. I think I got it around 2002? I wish I could put a year on when it was made. I should have marked that in the hard copy of the manual.
I guess I am easy on skid wear? They still look like new?


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## Normex (Feb 21, 2014)

Big Ed your skids don't have the pressure at the front bucket as other with bigger everything and sometimes front heavy and depending how your scraper height is set by the skids you could leave a bit more snow which helps. Just my opinion


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

Normex said:


> Big Ed your skids don't have the pressure at the front bucket as other with bigger everything and sometimes front heavy and depending how your scraper height is set by the skids you could leave a bit more snow which helps. Just my opinion


Then I just have to get a bigger (most HP they make), badder ( over 40" bucket with a flame paint job), top of the line, heated grips, 4 led lights with an FM radio (with the weather channels), cab with heated windshield wipers, and a heater.

Your probably right, I didn't think of the extra weight. I guess the smoothness of the driveway and sidewalks come into play also. Mine are fairly smooth, and where I might have a little bump I go careful around them. I have a few pieces of the sidewalk the have sunk just a little. But I keep them in mind when I am blowing the snow.


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## Normex (Feb 21, 2014)

Thinking and wishing for a heated cab Kubota with all the works.


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## MassSnowblower (Oct 14, 2014)

Big Ed I bet the numbers scratched into the side are the owners social security number in case it got stolen.


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## MassSnowblower (Oct 14, 2014)

That was meant for turbokev not Big Ed sorry


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