# Ariens Deluxe 30" EFI (921049)



## VeRium

Holy Kamole! This is one awesome machine. My tests are 3 different days of about 38" accumulative of snow fluffy/wet. Pics attached below of first run with about 16" on the ground, also post assembly.

I am not one of those guys that types out a mile long page but I had a hard time resourcing information on this machine (921049). Figured I would pass forward. Spoke with many friends and family that have owned all other competitors but I wanted to purchase one with the best reputation, support, and overall performance for moving snow. After all who want to be out there finicking with a machine in the cold.

Pros:
-Auto turn makes this thing a breeze! Wife was using after very simple walk-through.
-Starting, can u say easy.. electric or pull is one crank/pull and ur off.
-Heated hand grips, I do bare hands, nice with a smaller driveway I am not out for hours, it def keeps em from freezing.
-Snow throwing distance, cleaned up some mid/fully stuff on full tilt and was lobbing a good 70ft
-Power/TQ, it seems to punch through everything, i went through a 28" pile on full power and it bogged a little but never hesitated. (With 6 forward gears obviously i take it down to 3 for bigger piles)
-Color/style is one of my favorites that I see, not important to some but I like the Aesthetics of the machine.
-Assembly went together smooth, no issues following instructions
-Fuel economy. 0.3 gallon tank, i have used for maybe 1 hour full power and have about a 2/3 tank left.
-Weight, though heavy at like 257lbs it makes for a solid machine and feels rigid, I like the stability.
-Tires, with weight and grip of these tires i have had zero problems in snow, obviously ice is another ball of wax.

Cons:
-Tank: I wish it had the bigger tank, but I am hoping to see a longer duration in use due to the fuel eco.
-Light: just plain terrible. In *****/snowy conditions you cant see anything. Its more to see the cute direction or to refuel i suppose ( today I ordered a bunch of parts to build an elaborate LED lighting system.)
-Skids, many users agree get the poly skids. Way nicer on smooth or exposed agg concrete. I wish i would have never installed the factory ones. Thinking about making wheels for it...
-Power knob, its so easy to turn, like zero resistance or notches, its easily bumped, or i can see if you ran for a long time it could vibrate and change setting.

Honestly I really love this machine, id buy it all over again, granted I have only used 4 times, but I am impressed by the build quality, the EFI consistency, and overall experience using the machine. I am looking forward to the maintenance aspect of the machine and not fussing with carb'd systems. I also have not experienced any issues with the auto turn system. It is a pretty neat system, I never feel fatigued or like I am fighting the machine.

I plan on updating this thread with mods and changes as they come about. I am excited to join the SBF and talk shop  I appreciate all the members here that have been a great resource for many years. Tons of information here and its cool to be a part of it. Hopefully some can find this useful.

Looking forward to more conversations!

Pics attached below of first run with about 16" on the ground, also post assembly.


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## Zavie

:white^_^arial^_^0^_ Wow, nice pics and post. :goodjob:


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## JD in NJ

Thanks for the review! When I decided to get a new blower this year I went with the standard Deluxe 30 rather than the EFI one, based largely on cost... But it was a near thing. This is one of those decisions where I second, third and fourth-guess myself for months on end.


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## VeRium

Zavie said:


> Wow, nice pics and post.


Thanks! I dont rate or review half the cool toys I buy, but I couldnt keep my mouth shut or fingers at bay. lol.



JD in NJ said:


> Thanks for the review! When I decided to get a new blower this year I went with the standard Deluxe 30 rather than the EFI one, based largely on cost... But it was a near thing. This is one of those decisions where I second, third and fourth-guess myself for months on end.


JD, you bet! glad to give some contrast to see whats really worth buying. Though from what I have read its hard to go wrong down the Ariens road. I have seen this advertised at local dealers for 2K, I sourced mine from a online dealer at the $1699 price point. Shipped to the door. You can PM me for details if you want. I am a handyman of sorts and have no problem dissecting the system and repairing anything that needs attention. In general the warranty covers the failure on system, obviously not abuse. I am fine with that given Ariens reputation and US made products. Not saying foreign products arent good, but seems to be getting worse and worse as we venture into a throw away world with cars, small engine tools, and even snow blowers. (hopefully i will have this bad boy for many years to come.)

I have kicked myself in the arse many times later for choosing cost over features, but in the grand scheme of things, marketing the technology is a added cost and you will pay for it. Some like to think the simpler it is the better maintenance it will be. Ariens seems to have been in the EFI game for some time, but I think time will tell if it truly lasts and as care free as promised. Bleeding edge is expensive, but the Ariens name, I surely doubt you will be disappointed in the model you have. It was my 3rd choice behind the SHO models, but I dont live in an area to justify more power. GL with your machine and thanks for the kind words.


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## Strato

*Nice Review!*

Great job on this review. I like the "bullet point" format.

The pics are also excellent.

Your's is the first review I've read on the EFI Deluxe 30.

This year I purchased the EFI Platinum 24. If I had a larger driveway, I would probably also have gone for the EFI Deluxe 30.

Like you, I went with the poly skids - which seem to work well. I never tried the metal skids. 

I haven't noticed an issue with the light. But, I've also not yet used the machine in snowy conditions. 

I like everything on my machine that you seem to like about yours, especially Autoturn - a great concept. 

In my view, the extra $300 for EFI was well worth it. I love the ease of starting, plus never a worry about carb-gumming.

I'll soon forget about the $300, but will enjoy the EFI for (hopefully) decades.


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## uberT

Verium, welcome aboard, and thanks for the nice write up. I'm always interested in hearing more user experiences with this newest (EFI) technology.


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## Hanky

uberT said:


> Verium, welcome aboard, and thanks for the nice write up. I'm always interested in hearing more user experiences with this newest (EFI) technology.


I am a Toro guy but I do respect honest reviews from people that have used the product. A huge plus :good job, when it comes to new technology.


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## VeRium

uberT said:


> Verium, welcome aboard, and thanks for the nice write up. I'm always interested in hearing more user experiences with this newest (EFI) technology.


Thanks uberT, you bet glad to help. I am definitley happy with this unit, got a few more days of use, and not really any further complaints. In fact the wife has to tell me to stop going out and doing the lawn, and the neighbors driveways. I really am just looking for an excuse to use it!



Strato said:


> Great job on this review. I like the "bullet point" format.
> 
> The pics are also excellent.
> 
> Your's is the first review I've read on the EFI Deluxe 30.
> 
> This year I purchased the EFI Platinum 24. If I had a larger driveway, I would probably also have gone for the EFI Deluxe 30.
> 
> Like you, I went with the poly skids - which seem to work well. I never tried the metal skids.
> 
> I haven't noticed an issue with the light. But, I've also not yet used the machine in snowy conditions.
> 
> I like everything on my machine that you seem to like about yours, especially Autoturn - a great concept.
> 
> In my view, the extra $300 for EFI was well worth it. I love the ease of starting, plus never a worry about carb-gumming.
> 
> I'll soon forget about the $300, but will enjoy the EFI for (hopefully) decades.


Glad I could give some good contrast. Yeah 300$ isnt much to think about. I ran like 2 hours full tilt on one tank of gas, That doesnt say much considering this machine calc altimeter, baro, humidity, and overall oxygen levels for the most precise fuel stoichiometry. I am impressed it doesnt miss a beat.



Hanky said:


> I am a Toro guy but I do respect honest reviews from people that have used the product. A huge plus :good job, when it comes to new technology.


I am somewhat a sucker for technology, working in a technical field, I sometimes grab the tools hook, line, and sinker. Often it proves to be a pain in the arse, in this case I think it was well worth it.

I am working on the lighting system currently, wife is at work so its in the middle of the living room :icon-embarrassed:


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## JD in NJ

VeRium said:


> Thanks uberT, you bet glad to help. I am definitley happy with this unit, got a few more days of use, and not really any further complaints. In fact the wife has to tell me to stop going out and doing the lawn, and the neighbors driveways. I really am just looking for an excuse to use it!
> 
> 
> 
> Glad I could give some good contrast. Yeah 300$ isnt much to think about. I ran like 2 hours full tilt on one tank of gas, That doesnt say much considering this machine calc altimeter, baro, humidity, and overall oxygen levels for the most precise fuel stoichiometry. I am impressed it doesnt miss a beat.
> 
> 
> 
> I am somewhat a sucker for technology, working in a technical field, I sometimes grab the tools hook, line, and sinker. Often it proves to be a pain in the arse, in this case I think it was well worth it.
> 
> I am working on the lighting system currently, wife is at work so its in the middle of the living room :icon-embarrassed:


What are you doing with the lighting? I went ahead, took a gamble, and just plugged in an LED replacement fog bulb that actually seems to be working. I figure if it goes out I'll snip the wires and build the needed rectifier/capacitor circuitry but so far so good. It seems bright and flicker-free to me.


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## deftguru

VeRium said:


> Ariens seems to have been in the EFI game for some time, but I think time will tell if it truly lasts and as care free as promised.


I am debating between the platinum 24 sho EFI and the same model (non EFI) version. Just the platinum 24 sho. 

This may be a silly question, but I don’t have power in my shed and want to know if the battery dies completely in the EFI model will the unit still start? Don’t want to run an extension core in ge dead of winter in order to use the blower!

Would really appreciate any feedback on this. 

Thanks!


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## WVguy

deftguru said:


> This may be a silly question, but I don’t have power in my shed and want to know if the battery dies completely in the EFI model will the unit still start? Don’t want to run an extension core in ge dead of winter in order to use the blower!


I can't answer directly (don't have an EFI engine) but we do own a lawn mower with electric start. In the winter I pull the battery and put it in the basement on a battery maintainer. That works for a lead-acid battery, but if the EFI snowblower uses a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery you'll need a charger specifically for that type of battery. Don't even THINK about using a regular battery charger for a Li-ion battery or you'll start a fire.

I've been active in R/C airplanes for years and the electric ones use Li-ion batteries. Easy to use but one does need to read up on them and know what you're doing.

I looked around for what type of battery it uses (and what connector) and couldn't find that information. If it uses a Li-ion battery the "storage charge" is about 50% charge +/- 10% for longest life, one of the reasons for a special charger because the better ones will have that setting.


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## tadawson

They come with a charger - no need to find anything. And as far as I know, no you can't start it since the fuel pump can't run to pressurize the system prior to cranking (the battery isn't for the starter - it's for the EFI . . .). I think you can pretty easily remove the battery and charge it elsewhere worst case . . . .


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## snowman123

I bought the 30" EFI two weeks ago after I thought my 29" died. We haven't had any real snow to test it out but I was very impressed with the EFI and just over a half pull to start it.


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## aldfam4

Nice write up, strangely I don't see your pictures.


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## zandor

IIRC my Platinum 24 EFI uses an NiMH battery. I think it's 7.2V... reminds me of the remote control car we hand when I was a kid. Alas, it will not start without battery power. You need a battery for the fuel pump and electronics. The battery is also unnecessarily hard to get to. It's stashed up under the dash.

Personally I think the battery setup could use some work, and have a few ideas for improving it. First they could build a charger/transformer into the machine and set it up so you could plug in 110VAC to start it. The current setup requires unplugging the battery from the machine to charge it. The other is they could make the battery easy to remove so you could charge it indoors. In an ideal world Milwaukee, DeWalt, Ryobi, etc. would all use the same type of 18V Li-Ion batteries and my snowblower would too... but the tool companies make way too much $$$ ripping us off on batteries.


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## GeorgePowell

Great review. I just took possesion of my first ariens deluxe efi 30in snowblower and am looking at all reviews. In the users manual it does not seem too complicated. During the the summer charge it every 2 or 3 months and the machine charges the battery while using it during the winter. If you have no electricity in your shed, pull it out and plug it in with an extension cord while doing some outside work around the house.


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## MSB1766

I pickup up an Ariens Deluxe 30 EFI a few weeks ago, So easy to start and the engine runs so smooth only used it for a few minutes in a snow drift that was about 6" deep and 10' long but it has plenty of power. I liked the auto-turn steering.


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## Mtntracker

Your best bet is to remove battery and keep inside if storage area isn't heated. l-ion batteries don't handle cold well and cheap charger that comes with blower will quit working.Follow connection wire and you will find the battery.It is same 7.2v battery that the better remote control cars use.It is a standard tamiya connector.Get a short tire chain bungy to strap battery to handel bar when using.Cant boost with regular 12v car booster without damaging efi controller I'm sure so if it's dead it's unusable untill battery is charged.I haven't had an issue since keeping battery inside.


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## Mtntracker

Sorry.Battery is NiMh but still doesn't handle cold well


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## tadawson

You might check dates before you hit "post" . . . your replies are to posts over 2 years old, and long since resolved . . . .


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