# Ariens Hydro Pro Track 28 and Toro Snowmaster 824 QXE



## matto (Nov 5, 2016)

I started out my search for a track snowblower for my steep driveway and I ended up with two. An Ariens Hydro Pro Track 28 and a Snowmaster 824 QXE. 

I didn't need nearly as much machine as the Ariens pro, but I wanted tracks and the Ariens non-hydro top speed is half that of the hydro. Plus the hydro just seemed like it would be fun. I almost bought a Honda Hss928atd but got scared away after all the reports of clogging and shear pins breaking so often. I don't mind getting heated grips and 5 extra HP for only a little more money. 

Then after buying such a big beast I realized I might want a single stage for the light snow days. But enough dealers convinced me that I would be quite unhappy pushing a traditional single stage up a steep hill. So I decided to give the Snowmaster a shot. It has powered wheels to help climb the hill, yet is light enough that I can (hopefully) help with a push if the wheels start to slip. 

At first I was worried about moving the Ariens tracks around the garage, but once it's on the cart it's actually easier and more convenient than a normal machine. It's not even that hard to get on and off the cart while not running. I think it's going to be fine. 

I'll report back on how they're doing for the various types of snow I get.


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## matto (Nov 5, 2016)

The only problem I have with the Ariens is that it doesn't match my Craftsman tool chest. Dammit Honda for not making a better 928!! You're messing up the color theme of my garage.


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## ih8thepackers (Jan 4, 2014)

That Ariens looks like a beast!!


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## matto (Nov 5, 2016)

ih8thepackers said:


> That Ariens looks like a beast!!


It is! But to be fair it's up on a dolly which makes appear even bigger in the comparison shots. But it's still pretty beefy. 

My minimal experience with auto-turn on dry pavement wasn't great. You have to put a decent amount of effort into turning it before anything happens, and then once it does turn it suddenly turns pretty quickly. Long gradual turns are not easy at all. Hopefully it'll work much more smoothly in the snow, which is what really matters. 

What worked best on the pavement was to lift the bars slightly while turning. This relieved enough pressure from the tracks so that the auto-turn could detect you were trying to turn. When doing it this way it turned quite easily actually.


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## Duff Daddy (Sep 22, 2014)

**** that thing looks killer nice setup. Why not find a small 24" older ariens cheap, easy and match

Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk


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## Mike C. (Jan 28, 2016)

Two brand new snowblowers at the same time.I've never even owned a new snowblower.I think the newest of my four is a 1988.

Matto,you are legend.


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

* Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yes the lifestyles of the rich and famous. isn't LIFE GRAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*


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## NJHonda (Feb 8, 2013)

you will love the Toro snowmaster. In fact Il bet you will use it more the big boy. Faster, easier to maneuver and toss-able. Ill bet you won't use the orange monster that much


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## danmp (Nov 23, 2016)

I have a platinum sho with track. The track are awesome, you will love it. I would love to get the pro , but it was out of my budget. Even my platinum can get through a 16" of light snow in highest speed without slowing down.


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## matto (Nov 5, 2016)

Mike C. said:


> Two brand new snowblowers at the same time.I've never even owned a new snow


I've never owned a snow blower at all in entire life before this. I'm just making up for lost time.


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## matto (Nov 5, 2016)

NJHonda said:


> you will love the Toro snowmaster. In fact Il bet you will use it more the big boy. Faster, easier to maneuver and toss-able. Ill bet you won't use the orange monster that much


I've been wondering whether this might happen. I bought the Ariens first, then the Snowmaster. And then I started wondering if I really needed the Ariens at all.

Too late now. I suspect 1-2 times a year I'll be a life saver. The rest of the time it'll just clog up space. :icon-doh:


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## matto (Nov 5, 2016)

danmp said:


> I have a platinum sho with track. The track are awesome, you will love it. I would love to get the pro , but it was out of my budget. Even my platinum can get through a 16" of light snow in highest speed without slowing down.


Awesome! Glad you are digging it.


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## NJHonda (Feb 8, 2013)

The track machines are slow and hard to move around the area.. Wait till you see. We have 2 at work and no ones wants to use em ..The wheeled ones are by far the favorites


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## Blosumsno (Dec 7, 2016)

NJHonda said:


> you will love the Toro snowmaster. In fact Il bet you will use it more the big boy. Faster, easier to maneuver and toss-able. Ill bet you won't use the orange monster that much


+1, Before buying a Snowmaster for my mother's house I almost picked up a SnoTek 2 stage but the Toro won out due to ease of movement and less moving parts to wear out (no auger gearbox and the rotor is supported on ball bearings, belts look easy to change). There are several vids on YouTube from winter storm Jonas last year that helped sell it for me.


Check the manual for checking the oil as it states not to thread in the dipstick to read but that leaves a considerable discrepancy in oil level, might have to call Toro to find out which is correct.


Personal pace works good tho I haven't gotten snow yet I took it on a short dry run and I held onto the handle and started walking and the machine went with me, Pushing on the handle will result in jerky movement from reviews I've read.


The blower reminds me of the old 1960's single stage machines with the transverse mounted engine like the old Toro Snow Hound 20.


Congrats on the machines, you'll like them plus you're ready for anything now.


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## matto (Nov 5, 2016)

NJHonda said:


> The track machines are slow


The hydro pro track is not slow. It's basically the same speed as the wheeled pro models.
Snow Blower Ground speed-Old & New Pro series



> and hard to move around the area..


This I'm not going to argue with. It's harder on dry pavement for sure. I'll have to see how it works out on snow.


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## NJHonda (Feb 8, 2013)

You will see what I mean.. When i say slow I mean to maneuvering, not necessarily ground speed. You will blow a larger area faster with the Toro then you will with the big boy


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## matto (Nov 5, 2016)

NJHonda said:


> You will see what I mean.. When i say slow I mean to maneuvering, not necessarily ground speed. You will blow a larger area faster with the Toro then you will with the big boy


I hear you. And that's why I figured they're a good pairing. I'll rarely use the ariens but when I do it'll be the right tool for the job.


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## Hanky (Nov 14, 2014)

I would love to have a track blower again , the cool factor on the block.


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

POWERSHIFT93 said:


> * Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yes the lifestyles of the rich and famous. isn't LIFE GRAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*


that looks like FOUR GRAND in my neck of the woods !! am envious !


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## matto (Nov 5, 2016)

I just used both snowblowers. It was only 3" of snow so there was no need to use the Ariens but I brought it out just for fun. 

Short version: the Snowmaster is awesome. It's fast, easy to use, and throws snow pretty far! In comparison the Ariens is a huge pain in the ass. 

The Ariens tracks take a lot of force to turn. A lot. It's almost as if it doesn't have auto-turn. If you raise the bucket and tip the machine forward then it turns really easily and you can feel auto-turn doing its thing. But that's a lot of hoopla for a simple turn. 

Also I'm not sure how excited I am about the idea that the bucket height locks in one spot. My driveway isn't perfectly flat and has dips and undulations. It would be better for the front to naturally follow the height of the driveway. I might put a band around the bar so I can slip it over the lever to lock it in place, yet be able to unlock it when I want to raise the bucket up. 

It did get up the steep driveway just fine. But so did the Snowmaster on its little wheels. Based on this one experience I'm thinking maybe I should have gone with the Toro 1080 instead of the Ariens. 

One thing that the Snowmaster is not good at is going *down* steep hills. The only thing preventing it from accelerating out of control is you. You have to brake with your feet. Not good. 

I'm sure the Ariens will come in handy during really big storms. But I'll be reaching for the Snowmaster first any time I can.


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## Kielbasa (Dec 21, 2013)

Well I would never own a track machine. So... I can not comment on how they handle. But just wait until that next BIG blizzard. I know what machine you will be using. And I do not care if it is only once a year or every couple or every few years. It is well... worth having a 2 stage machine. 

Now I am not saying this Snowmaster machine doesn't have a purpose. I am sure it does. But just not for my property. 

And I have always been a believer in the slow... but sure way of doing things rather than the hurry up and get it done thinking. 

Go... Two Stage


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## matto (Nov 5, 2016)

Kielbasa said:


> But just wait until that next BIG blizzard. I know what machine you will be using. And I do not care if it is only once a year or every couple or every few years. It is well... worth having a 2 stage machine.


Oh I agree 100%. I don't have any delusions that the Snowmaster will be better for big storms. But I suspect I'll be using the Ariens less than I expected. Time will tell.


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