# 28" Ariens Deluxe Good Buy?



## ICECOLDBEER (Nov 3, 2015)

Hey all, my first post here but I have been lurking for a month or two. 

Wondering what you guys think of this machine. Is it a good deal?

28" ARIENS DELUXE LIKE NEW SNOW BLOWER | snowblowers | City of Toronto | Kijiji

Went and checked out similar models at home depot they seem well made. Not a big fan of the engines as they appear to be an off brand? 

There seems to be mixed reviews on Home Depot website. But its hard to tell which model the reviewers on there were talking about. Most people seem to not like the "auto turn" feature. 

I am planning on using this for residential driveways as a winter business. Should I be looking at a bigger badder model? This seems like a half decent machine for a fair price. 

What do you guys think?


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

1000.00 bucks for used????? for the extra cash I would go brand new. but that is my 50 cent on that 1. anyhoo,* ALOHA from the paradise city.*


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## Keith177 (Sep 28, 2015)

POWERSHIFT93 said:


> 1000.00 bucks for used????? for the extra cash I would go brand new. but that is my 50 cent on that 1. anyhoo,* ALOHA from the paradise city.*



OP is from Canada. The $1000 is CAD and the Ariens Deluxe 28 new in Canada is $1600 CAD at HD plus 13 percent tax. Dam that exchange rate. So for used it is a good price .

For a business the 254cc might be under powered for 28 inch. I guess it would also depend on the size of the driveways/sidewalks you have to clear. The deluxe 28 SHO with 306cc is $1802 CAD. 

My 2 cents (although we no longer use pennies here in Canada). Cash is rounded up or down. $2.12 becomes $2.10.


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## Cardo111 (Feb 16, 2015)

ICECOLDBEER said:


> Hey all, my first post here but I have been lurking for a month or two.
> 
> Wondering what you guys think of this machine. Is it a good deal?
> 
> ...


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

The Deluxe 28 is a well made machine that will last for many years with proper maintenance. I have owned this machine and ended up selling it because it did not perform well on the EOD plow pile, the toughest test for any machine. The 254 cc engine is underpowered for a machine of this size and heft. It worked well on everything else. I would buy a more powerful machine like the Deluxe 28 SHO or a Platinum series model depending upon your budget for this, especially if you are going to do multiple driveways with it where more power and speed will get you home faster.

Regarding off brand engine the LCT is a very good engine that is built well, all of the commercially available snowblower engines are now manufactured in China including Honda and Briggs engines, so I would not make this a factor in your decision.


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

Keith177 said:


> OP is from Canada. The $1000 is CAD and the Ariens Deluxe 28 new in Canada is $1600 CAD at HD plus 13 percent tax. Dam that exchange rate. So for used it is a good price .
> 
> For a business the 254cc might be under powered for 28 inch. I guess it would also depend on the size of the driveways/sidewalks you have to clear. The deluxe 28 SHO with 306cc is $1802 CAD.
> 
> My 2 cents (although we no longer use pennies here in Canada). Cash is rounded up or down. $2.12 becomes $2.10.


 I have no clue what cad means. I never have priced any of the new one's. simply for the fact I will never have a new one. the ones I have will be the last. I will ever own!!!! they do not make them like they used to. the tax here in the paradise city is just under 7.5 cents on the dollar. a crime in Italy if you ask me. so in short maybe oot there in Canada that is a deal of a life time.k:k:k:k:k:


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## db130 (Feb 16, 2013)

CAD = Canadian dollar.

Well, it's a moot point as the snowblower appears to be no longer for sale. So someone must have grabbed it.


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## ICECOLDBEER (Nov 3, 2015)

No longer for sale because I went and picked it up yesterday. Pretty happy with it honestly. Looks almost like new starts up and runs great. One or two pulls. Changed the oil today and fixed the the chute deflector as it didn't want to move.

Some things i am wondering. There are 3 grease fittings on it. Two by the auger one on the right side by the wheel ( I am assuming this is for the gear drive?). Should I be using a specific type of grease for either of these? I believe I have mobil one sythetic grease in the gun at the moment. 

What type of oil should I use. Manual says 5w-20 or 10w30. I just threw 10w30 in as I had it on hand. Would it be smart to switch to 5w-20? I have never understood when they show you the temperature range for oils in a manual. It says 10w30 is good down to -20C and +30C. The 5w20 is good from like -5C to -30C. Does this mean if I use 10w-30 I wont be able to start/may do damage if it is below -20C? If I use the 5w-20 I cant use it when temp is around 0? Also would synthetic be a good idea or just conventional? 

How do I know if I need to adjust the skid shoe/ cutting edge? 

Any tips for keeping it looking good? Should I be spraying it the metal with oil or something to prevent rust? Do you use anything in the chute the keep from clogging? 

Sorry for all the questions. I appreciate all of your help. 
It is a little concerning that you guys think it is underpowered at 250cc with 28 inch cut. I am betting it will be fine for 99% of what I need to do. I am probably buying another as back up. And if worst comes to worst I will break out the shovel.


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## ICECOLDBEER (Nov 3, 2015)

The auto turn feature works great!!!

I am looking at a Honda for the next one. Do they have anything similar to the auto turn feature?


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## Stuofsci02 (Feb 16, 2015)

ICECOLDBEER said:


> No longer for sale because I went and picked it up yesterday. Pretty happy with it honestly. Looks almost like new starts up and runs great. One or two pulls. Changed the oil today and fixed the the chute deflector as it didn't want to move.
> 
> Some things i am wondering. There are 3 grease fittings on it. Two by the auger one on the right side by the wheel ( I am assuming this is for the gear drive?). Should I be using a specific type of grease for either of these? I believe I have mobil one sythetic grease in the gun at the moment.
> 
> ...


Are you sure it mentioned 5w-20 and not 5w-30. I don't think I have seen a small engine call out 5w-20. Seems a bit thin.

I would suggest going with 5w-30 or 0w-30 synthetic. The 0w-30 will give you really good low temperature flowability making starting easy and offering very good protection. I use that in my blower and cars to replace the normal 5w-30 that is recommended..

Cheers


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## loneraider (Oct 26, 2013)

Welcome to the Ariens 28 club

I have the same machine but a couple yrs older than yours and I have no trouble or issues with mine. I've got the briggs & Stratton 250cc and it works great. It can bog down a little with the end of the driveway stuff if its really thick & heavy but if take your time i'll chew it up and spit it out easy.
You made a good purchase and that machine will last you 20 yrs plus!
I use mobil 1 5w-30 engine oil. That grease you have will be fine to use in the grease fittings. There are 3 i'm guessing. The 2 n front are for the augers, you could remove the two shear bolts/pins add some grease and spin the augers by hand to move the grease around then install the bolts again. Did you get the heated grips with yours? They are handy when its minus 20 lol. A good coat of wax before the snow flies & spray the linkages
with wd40 or fluid film ( Canadian tire )
Some folks wax or use cooking spray inside the chute, optional I guess.
Get yourself a 5x4 floor mat ( Walmart ) I park the blower on it as it helps keep the melted snow in one place and doesn't leave rust stains on the garage floor. I have a pair of Baffin industrial winter boots black/yellow
ones Talk about warm....expensive but worth every penny we also use them for sledding.
Enjoy the warm weather this week cause it won't last/
I live just east of Toronto/


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

If you are up in Canada or the north where you get the colder winter temps, I recommend the 5W30 oil (or 5W20 if that is indeed what it is calling for) I would never use anything heavier than 5W30 for a winter machine.


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## kwk11 (Oct 9, 2015)

Is that fluid film safe to use? I thought I read on the can it can swell rubber?
I bought some anyway but not sure where to use it.


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## ICECOLDBEER (Nov 3, 2015)

loneraider said:


> Welcome to the Ariens 28 club
> 
> I have the same machine but a couple yrs older than yours and I have no trouble or issues with mine. I've got the briggs & Stratton 250cc and it works great. It can bog down a little with the end of the driveway stuff if its really thick & heavy but if take your time i'll chew it up and spit it out easy.
> You made a good purchase and that machine will last you 20 yrs plus!
> ...


Wow great tips thanks! Got the manual here now it says 5w-30. I didn't get the heated hand grips is that something I could buy and install myself? 

One thing I am wondering is if I should replace to skid shoes? I saw online people bought aftermarket skid shoes and they said it was a night and day difference. 

It's been forever since I have used a blowers. But I am wondering do I need to be pushing down on the handles to keep the box/auger slightly off the ground. Or should I just let it sit flat and scrape along the ground? 

Let me see if I can get a pic of this thing up.


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## ICECOLDBEER (Nov 3, 2015)

Of course the pic goes sideways!!! I love that it still had the tag around the oil fill. 

Do these things really not have air filters? I have looked all over this thing and cant find one.


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## dbert (Aug 25, 2013)

That does indeed look new.
Yes on the no air filter thing. Air filters can freeze, and there is little dust during snowy situations to worry about.


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## Normex (Feb 21, 2014)

ICECOLDBEER said:


> Wow great tips thanks! Got the manual here now it says 5w-30. I didn't get the heated hand grips is that something I could buy and install myself?
> 
> One thing I am wondering is if I should replace to skid shoes? I saw online people bought aftermarket skid shoes and they said it was a night and day difference.
> 
> But I am wondering do I need to be pushing down on the handles to keep the box/auger slightly off the ground. Or should I just let it sit flat and scrape along the ground?


 For the heated grips you have to find out what is your stator output and you can ask Ariens with model and serial number of the blower or engine.

Many have installed poly skids with good success.

Depending on the surface you are working on but let's say it is asphalt just loosen both skids and put one tooney under the scraper bar at each end with gives you 1/8" then with the skids touching ground just tighten them and you're set as you won't need to push down on handles but rather pull up in deeper or more packed snow. Good Luck


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## pdesjr (Feb 7, 2015)

I have the poly skids on my 28 and they work great.Make sure the tires are inflated at the same pressure .


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## loneraider (Oct 26, 2013)

+++++1
On the poly skids I have heard great reviews & if you have interlock stones
for a driveway they will not leave marks. I use a paint stick for measuring
the skid shoes height and you can order the heated grips from a dealer or online and are pretty easy to install.


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## knu2xs (Jan 6, 2015)

loneraider said:


> +++++1
> On the poly skids I have heard great reviews & if you have interlock stones
> for a driveway they will not leave marks. I use a paint stick for measuring
> the skid shoes height


+2 on the poly skids.

I did the "Goldilocks" thing by starting out with stock skids, then 
ArmorSkids (which didn't work well on drifts) before trying the 
poly skids, which were just right. Your mileage may vary. :wink:

P.S.
This had nothing to do with my AutoTurn, just my overall conditions.


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## Blackstar (Dec 27, 2010)

Great machine you got there. I got a new Platinum 30 SHO last December... just in time for one of the worst winters in the last 20 years. Performed flawlessly. I also like the auto steering. Heated grips are great in these Eastern Canadian winters...


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## ICECOLDBEER (Nov 3, 2015)

knu2xs said:


> +2 on the poly skids.
> 
> I did the "Goldilocks" thing by starting out with stock skids, then
> ArmorSkids (which didn't work well on drifts) before trying the
> ...


Where can I buy poly skids? Is that a brand name or are they just made of poly? I have a unilock stone driveway I will be blowing.

In a post above someone said to spray the "linkages" with Fluid Film what exactly are the linkages?


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## knu2xs (Jan 6, 2015)

ICECOLDBEER said:


> Where can I buy poly skids? Is that a brand name or are they just made of poly? I have a unilock stone driveway I will be blowing.
> 
> In a post above someone said to spray the "linkages" with Fluid Film what exactly are the linkages?


The "Poly Skids" are an Ariens product. 

I got mine at my local Home Depot. 
They actually had them on "the shelf" so I didn't have to order them.

Here's the link, just so you know exactly what they are.........

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ariens-Non-Abrasive-Skid-Shoes-72600300/100646414


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## ICECOLDBEER (Nov 3, 2015)

knu2xs said:


> The "Poly Skids" are an Ariens product.
> 
> I got mine at my local Home Depot.
> They actually had them on "the shelf" so I didn't have to order them.
> ...


Thanks alot


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