# My machines



## MGreiner (Dec 12, 2011)

So, I've been itching to post a picture of my snow machines, too bad there isn't any action shots. 

All ready to go. From left to right:
1. JD 826, early 80s? Bought last Sept. from a local hobbyist that buys machines from garage sales, CL, auctions. He repaints after "checking the bushings and belts". Got it for $475, did I overpay, maybe but it is what I wanted. I bought a new scraper bar and took some time to get the frozen axel/differential to move again.
2. 1977 Ariens 932001, 2.7hp 20in cut, elec start. Free, spotted this poor soul setting by a dumpster on the way home one night early Dec. The body looked great in the headlights so I brought it home. After looking it over the engine was stuck, it didnt have a sparkplug in the hole, anyway took some PB blaster and seafoam down the bore, waited two hours and still couldnt pull the starter so I took the belt cover off and used channellocks on the shaft, it moved just a little and the more I went back and forth the engine eventually rotated a whole cycle. Added new sparkplug, gave it some fuel, and had it running in about 2 minutes. The only other thing I did was replace the fuel line, while I did that I washed out the fuel tank good.
3. 2005 Frontier 5hp 21in SS. Given to me 4 years ago by my step dad when he got a 2 stage and I had just got back from a tour in Iraq with a goofed up shoulder. It was a great change from the shovel and wheelbarrow method I had been using to clean out my drive, see my drive butts up next to the drive of the neighbor next door and there is no where to stick the snow inbetween the two houses so the wheelbarrow and sometimes the kid's sled was used to move snow to the back yard. The thing I dont like about this machine is first its china made and due to that I think John Deere is ashamed they even sold it that I can't find much documentation on the internet about it. I gave it a new scraper bar this year so now it too is hungry for snow.


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## bwdbrn1 (Nov 24, 2010)

Welcome to the group MGreiner! Fine looking line up of machines you have there. Really like your story about the Ariens and Frontier. Free is always good, not to mention the obvious savings on muscles and joints.

I think most of us are a little hungry for snow, but then, I guess the good thing is the heat bills are lower.


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

*Welcome*

Welcome to the forum. Nice looking fleet you have there. Hopefully Scotsman will chime in, he's the local Ariens expert and that may be an Ariens built John Deere you have there. He can identify it far better than I can. Nice to see the save on the smaller one, they're good machines from what I hear. It's also nice to pick the right size machine for the work at hand.


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## KansasJack (Dec 7, 2011)

Awesome collection! I have the same Deere 826 except yours looks way nicer than mine. Nice save with the Ariens. I love hearing stories like that.


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

Except for the handlebars on your early 80's John Deere,it look identical to my 1983 International Harvester Cub Cadet 8/26.

My cub has the 16" Auger with the 14" impeller and yours looks identical to mine,
even the gear box and gear box support are the same.

When i got mine it did not have an engine. It since has had an 11hp honda clone (direct bolt on) put on it and i suspect will do very well this winter.


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

Nope, thats not an Ariens built John Deere..its a Deere-built Deere! 
see here for more info:
The Ariens 1960's and 1970's Sno-Thro info site.
(scroll past the Cub Cadet info for the John Deere info)

Sweet find on the little Ariens! 
I have been wanting to find a smaller model like that just for my deck..
Scot


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## bwdbrn1 (Nov 24, 2010)

John Deere touts a line of agricultural equipment that carries the Frontier name. Looks like they used it on a residential line of power equipment at one time too.

John Deere Frontier Implements JohnDeere.com

Over the years their snow throwers have been made by different companies. I know Jacobsen used to make them, John Deere just had them made in green. Recently John Deere announced that they were going into partnership with Honda and dropping their own line of power equipment because it wasn't making the money they expected. 

From what I could tell googling around, your Frontier might have been made by Murray, but that's just a guess. The name comes up when looking for information on John Deere Frontier ST0522.


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## Wayne195 (Nov 16, 2010)

Welcome to the forum MGreiner; you've got a nice lineup of snowblowers there!

Hope you enjoy your time here!


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## MGreiner (Dec 12, 2011)

When looking for a replacement scaper for the Frontier, my JD dealer said he had to order it so I didn't pick one up the day I got the scraper for the 826. I got on Amazon and kept searching for one to match, finally came with one that did and it was for a Noma and Craftsman. Well the measurements were the same so I ordered one, and guess what the parts sticker read....John Deere. What ever the part # it was the same for a JD branded machine sold prior to the frontier line. I think the whole Frontier plan was simular to the Coke vs New Coke deal. Sell crap (compared to vintage JD equipment) and then introduce the not so crappy stuff to replace it.


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

*Universal parts*



MGreiner said:


> I got on Amazon and kept searching for one to match, finally came with one that did and it was for a Noma and Craftsman. Well the measurements were the same so I ordered one, and guess what the parts sticker read....John Deere.


That just goes to show how many companies outsource some or all of the pieces and parts for their snowblowers. Cheaper to buy from someone else than make their own in many cases (why reinvent the wheel attitude) plus it's not a proprietary part. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it give you options once a model is discontinues to still find replacement parts, as long as you know what to look for. 

Congrats on finding a replacement.


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## fleetfoot (Dec 21, 2011)

Your Frontier snowblower is the same as the John Deere TRS21 and the Husqvarna 521 SSR. I know there are Craftsman and Noma versions but I do not know the model numbers.

I have a John Deere TRS21. It has been my sole snowblower for about 15 years. I have replaced the primer hose, auger rubber and the scrapper. I got all the parts off of eBay. Things to watch out for are the muffler bolts may loosen over time, the hose from the primer bulb to the carb cracks when it gets brittle and make sure to drain the carb at the end of the season. Mine starts on the first pull after setting the choke and priming.


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## MGreiner (Dec 12, 2011)

Thanks fleetfoot! The muffler check and fuel sytem is something I can do while waiting here with out snow. The only problem I've had is the cable to engage auger gets frozen. There is a nice little sag in the cable and under the exhaust where the water collects. I went ahead this fall and tried to fill the cable sheath up with wd-40. In the past I've needed to haul the blower down to the basement to thaw.


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