# Ariens Deluxe 24 or Ariens Platinum 24 sho?



## VPPS (Oct 12, 2015)

Hi all! I have been poaching on here as a non-member for a while and decided to join the fun! What a great forum! 

I am in Boston and after last year I want to get a snowblower! I have narrowed it down really to Ariens Deluxe 24 ($999) or Ariens Platinum 24 SHO ($1,499). I am concerned that the Compact 24 will not be enough power, but am open to it - as I am sure it would blow away my Toro electric I have been using the past 4-5 years (not to knock the Toro - it has performed very well considering!). I have researched these snowblowers and know pretty much everything there is to read about them as far as specks, etc. I have never owned a 2-stage so I am looking for advice from you all.

To set the stage, I have a 2 car wide driveway (26' long x 20') and need to plow a path from the road to the back of my house for oil guy (maybe 60'-75'?). I would also like to keep the street pile (from the city) cleared so friends can park in front of my house in the winter (the road gets very narrow from the city plows)

My main question - is the Ariens Platinum 24 SHO worth the extra $500? I understand the pros and cons of auto turn and know that both of these machines have a bigger impeller than the Compact (+ the SHO has the high output impeller). *Has anyone used both (or all 3) machines?* I will leave the hand warmers out of the argument as I can buy them for the Deluxe if I go that route. My main need for advice is this: *Is the 369cc on the 24 SHO really going to be THAT more powerful than the 254cc on the Deluxe - and worth the investment?*

I'm getting ready to bite the bullet and would really appreciate anyone's 2 cents. 

Thanks!


----------



## drum3 (Oct 11, 2015)

I just got back from the dealer and purchased a Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO for $1199. It's a little bigger than what you were looking at but it is in the middle of the two prices. It has a 306 Eng.


----------



## mobiledynamics (Nov 21, 2014)

VPPS - If price was not a deciding factor to a degree, I would afford the biggest engine you can get . $ per yearly value, split the difference over 10-15 years.


----------



## Bryan78 (Jan 10, 2015)

I think there is substantially more power in the SHO.


----------



## Skeet Shooter (Oct 2, 2014)

The SHO has 369CC (larger) engine with a different torque curve, and it has a larger impeller pulley and belt which increases impeller speed over the deluxe models. 

It will dominate snow. You also stated that you were looking to clear EOD and in front of your house for friends to park in... One blower you may not have considered but will do very well is the TORO PowerMax HD 826. It won't ever get clogged... I can attest my 928 is fantastic and I never have any issues and you can't break any shearpins on it. Its roughly $1400. You get 2 extra inches and its probably on par with snow removing capabilities of the SHO.


----------



## Slinger (Oct 9, 2014)

My 2011 Ariens Platinum came standard with a 250cc Briggs Polar Force engine and it throws snow 40+ feet and digs through big EOD just fine. From the sound of your requirements either machine would do the job, it just comes down to whether you are willing to pay another half a grand for a bit more power and a couple of extra features.


----------



## ewhenn (Sep 21, 2015)

I recently purchased a 2015 plat 24 SHO w/369cc engine. I get the obvious end of driveway pile, but since I live on a corner where I'm the first driveway after the right hand turn I also get the corner carry. I went with the 24 over the 28 as I have storage constraints, my garage is only a 1.5 car and I have to store all of my lawn gear, my in ground pool filter is in my garage, plus one car - so space is at a premium.

It has more power with a better curve than the deluxe, bottom line is i'd rather have more power than i need than be short when i need it. I look at it this way, I'll probably keep it 15ish years at least so it works out to under $100/year. I don't count maintenance as all blowers need that. That's a low price for the work It will do over the time.


----------



## Cardo111 (Feb 16, 2015)

VPPS said:


> Hi all! I have been poaching on here as a non-member for a while and decided to join the fun! What a great forum!
> 
> I am in Boston and after last year I want to get a snowblower! I have narrowed it down really to Ariens Deluxe 24 ($999) or Ariens Platinum 24 SHO ($1,499). I am concerned that the Compact 24 will not be enough power, but am open to it - as I am sure it would blow away my Toro electric I have been using the past 4-5 years (not to knock the Toro - it has performed very well considering!). I have researched these snowblowers and know pretty much everything there is to read about them as far as specks, etc. I have never owned a 2-stage so I am looking for advice from you all.
> 
> ...


VPPS,

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

You are considering a brand that represents an excellent combo of value and performance for your money, with top notch customer support.

I bought a 254cc Ariens Deluxe 28 a couple of years ago, it was well built and performed well under most conditions and would throw powder about 40.' However the toughest test for a snowblower is the end of drive plow pile the town truck leaves for you. This machine was underpowered for this task and would bog down to the point of occasionally stalling. I sold it for a good price as it was almost new. Granted this engine would perform better with a 24 inch auger (more power per inch of auger a key measure when comparing performance all else being equal).

Let's get this out of the way and eliminate one from the list the Compact 24 will be underpowered especially since you mentioned cleaning a long plow pile in front of your property. As another member posted the Deluxe 28 SHO @$1200. would be a good compromise between the Deluxe 24. and the Platinum 24 SHO.

Regarding whether or not the Platinum 24 SHO is worth the extra $500. Only you can answer that question. Ariens is currently running some very good finance promos you can view my previous posts or their website for details.
The Platinum 24 SHO will give you the heated grips, the Quick Turn chute control and a 369cc engine that will give you among the most power per inch of any snowblower available.

Good luck with your search.


----------



## mobiledynamics (Nov 21, 2014)

Cardo -

Auger/per inch/CC is a excellent analogy ! I've had the idea in my head but never really put that as a whole...

I've been ~fascinated~ with the whole 24" SHO HEMI in a bucket but as always...there will be others that say their 196CC with dance around the 440CC.....

Granted the torque curve will be different per engine.


----------



## Cardo111 (Feb 16, 2015)

mobiledynamics said:


> Cardo -
> 
> Auger/per inch/CC is a excellent analogy ! I've had the idea in my head but never really put that as a whole...
> 
> ...


Good points mobile dynamics. I know it is not the whole equation but it helps, I prefer to go by (per ft. Lbs. of torque if that spec is available as it would be more accurate than cc's). There are other ways to skin a cat. Toro's ACS, seems to help its machines perform well with modest engine sizes and I think that you would agree that Honda's two stage machines are in a class of their own and their engines perform better than others of the same size do to superior design/engineering but at a price of course.


----------



## VPPS (Oct 12, 2015)

Cardo111 said:


> Good points mobile dynamics. I know it is not the whole equation but it helps, I prefer to go by (per ft. Lbs. of torque if that spec is available as it would be more accurate than cc's). There are other ways to skin a cat. Toro's ACS, seems to help its machines perform well with modest engine sizes and I think that you would agree that Honda's two stage machines are in a class of their own and their engines perform better than others of the same size do to superior design/engineering but at a price of course.


Thanks to everyone for your input.

How do you think the auto turn would work on uneven pavement and going through my yard which has twists and turns. Think it would be hard to handle? Thanks.


----------



## mobiledynamics (Nov 21, 2014)

VPPS -

The AutoTurn seems to be a mixed bag. Some Ariens owners love it. Some hate it. Some have said they have tuned and tweaked it per Ariens guidelines and it still turns unintentionally. Personally, that would play a huge role if I was deciding on this machine.

Last thing I would want is to scratch a car, etc. 

Good luck on your decision


----------



## VPPS (Oct 12, 2015)

Autoturn is a concern with a tight driveway and blowing past my car! Most have said it will not lurch out - but you may need to wrestle it a bit to keep it pointed in the right direction.

Can you guys recommend and other 24" blowers that have triggers and can handle the heavy stuff? I do want to blow it far. Not giving up on Ariens - just not sure about auto turn...


----------



## mobiledynamics (Nov 21, 2014)

The 3 that were in my consideration was the 

SHO 24"
Honda HSS724
Husqvarna 324

I went with the 324 over the Honda.
If you plan to use this heavily, the $1000 less you could have spent on the Honda, you could always report the 324 at some point. That thought has crossed my mind..


----------



## VPPS (Oct 12, 2015)

I've looked at that one too Mobiledynamics. I can't afford a Honda - but I do want something that will last and be capable.

You have the 324P? Is that the hydrostatic one? That would be really nice to have - such control...


----------



## mobiledynamics (Nov 21, 2014)

If Honda sold a 24" with more Horses, I would buy the red over the Orange.

Import to note....the trigger disablement via the handles IMO is huge this year both for Honda and Husq. On my older Honda, and all Hydro Hondas of the previous model, you needed to pull the pin to disable the transmission. Sorta like having your car towed and not in neutral....it could do bad things to the tranny.

That would be the most important think I could say about the Hydro- one needs to keep that in mind. 

I LOVE the hydro....infinite speeds in always a win anyday IMO


----------



## Cardo111 (Feb 16, 2015)

Most auto turn issues can be easily remedied by ordering your machine with the poly skids it's about a $35 option. Armor skids are another option that many people were very happy with. If you can go a little wider in auger width The Husky ST327P is another good option 27" auger machine and you would get the Hydro Transmission a nice feature to have it's made by Hydro Gear which is a very good company for these transmissions. Moving snow.com has a very good pictorial review on this machine. 

Good luck!


----------

