# Sticker rant



## loneraider (Oct 26, 2013)

Ok so this is late night nic picking but I have two Ariens machines 927 & deluxe 28 and both have the bottom ID Tags serial# crooked on the tractor. Ariens makes great snowblowers & I have a few of them but really?? All that goes into assembling them, paint ,engine, controls, ect...
and some dude just slaps the serial # tag on any old way! There you go boys...box em up & ship em out//
Bet you'd be impressed to find you new bmw or chevy emblem crooked.lol


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## guilateen02 (Nov 23, 2014)

Might be a Monday machine. I'd keep a close eye on that one.


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

guilateen02 said:


> Might be a Monday machine. I'd keep a close eye on that one.


or a Friday machine


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## Kielbasa (Dec 21, 2013)

In all honesty, that would bother me also.


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## ELaw (Feb 4, 2015)

Heh... when I saw the title of this topic I thought it was something else.

The Ariens I'm restoring needs the sticker that goes on the differential lock. I priced one up on Jack's small engines' site and they want almost $17.00 for that crazy thing!

C'mon Ariens... that sticker probably cost you less than $1.00, considering how many thousands of them were made.


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

ELaw said:


> Heh... when I saw the title of this topic I thought it was something else.
> 
> The Ariens I'm restoring needs the sticker that goes on the differential lock. I priced one up on Jack's small engines' site and they want almost $17.00 for that crazy thing!
> 
> C'mon Ariens... that sticker probably cost you less than $1.00, considering how many thousands of them were made.


I couldnt find that listed on Jacks site..
I dont believe Ariens has any decals available directly from them..perhaps for newer models, but not for 1960's or 70's models..

this company makes reproduction decals:

Reproduction Lawn Mower Decals - Ariens - Vintage Reproductions

scot


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## ELaw (Feb 4, 2015)

They have them!

P/n 07864400: Jacks Small Engines Search

But the site you linked has WAY better prices and I like the look of the stickers better too. Call me an old fart, but I like words better than cryptic graphics.


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

ELaw said:


> They have them!
> 
> P/n 07864400: Jacks Small Engines Search
> 
> .


Interesting! thanks for the link..
That decal is not listed here:

https://www.jackssmallengines.com/Products/Decals

Jack needs to work on the webpage..

Scot


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## nafterclifen (Oct 14, 2015)

I'm goofy but you guys are way beyond me.

I consider myself quite particular and anal. If I was putting that sticker on, it would definitely be straight. But that sticker, where it is and the information that it has on it, would not bother me one bit.

If it were a crooked sticker on the dash or engine controls, then it might bother me a bit depending on the situation.


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## ELaw (Feb 4, 2015)

To me the issue would not the the sticker itself since as you say it has pretty much no importance functionally.

But it could be an indicator of the work ethic of the people who made the machine. If they're willing to let something like that go, are all the bolts torqued correctly? If a part didn't fit quite right, was it dealt with properly or did they force it? If there was a defect in the finish or plating that could allow rust to form prematurely, was it fixed or rejected? Those things *do* matter.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

I sent a heads up to Ariens. If it was me, my OCD would force me to try and remove and apply it straight.


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## nafterclifen (Oct 14, 2015)

ELaw said:


> To me the issue would not the the sticker itself since as you say it has pretty much no importance functionally.
> 
> But it could be an indicator of the work ethic of the people who made the machine. If they're willing to let something like that go, are all the bolts torqued correctly? If a part didn't fit quite right, was it dealt with properly or did they force it? If there was a defect in the finish or plating that could allow rust to form prematurely, was it fixed or rejected? Those things *do* matter.


Understood and I agree. But it's not fair to compare a sticker to torquing a bolt. I'm willing to bet that there is MUCH more attention to detail and importance to torquing bolts than the application of a sticker. It's only logical business sense. Ariens isn't a new company and I don't see their quality of product declining.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

Umm.. It's a snowblower.:icon_whistling:


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## Motor City (Jan 6, 2014)

It's customer perception of quality.


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## guilateen02 (Nov 23, 2014)

Are they not declining in quality? ST models with paint that didn't stick. Light shining in operators eyes. The belt slipping kit. Bad gear case and then going back to cast iron gear. Another member just posted about paint not being properly applied with full coverage on a Platinum Sho model. Do you think todays Ariens machine will last like the Ariens of the earlier years?It's just a sticker right.


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## KrowNB (Mar 23, 2015)

BUT... will the sticker sticker-oner get promoted some day to a bolt torquer?


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## nafterclifen (Oct 14, 2015)

KrowNB said:


> BUT... will the sticker sticker-oner get promoted some day to a bolt torquer?


That made me laugh, thank you!


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

nafterclifen said:


> Understood and I agree. But it's not fair to compare a sticker to torquing a bolt. I'm willing to bet that there is MUCH more attention to detail and importance to torquing bolts than the application of a sticker.


I've seen companies that have laser overlays to show exactly where it's stickers go and to assist in getting their stickers straight. On a car assembly line it's never make it off the line without being flagged and redone.

True the torque of the bolts is way more important but almost no one is going to go through the machine and check every fastener for correct torque. That sticker on the other hand is out in the open and sticks out like a sore thumb to anyone looking the machine over.
It may not be as important to the operation as torquing the bolts but it's a glaring example of something being wrong. If that's being applied crooked then it stands to reason the person spotting it is going to be wondering if that person also tightens the handles and if they are tight or installs the wheels and are they pinned in place or .......

IMHO When that brand new machine hits the showroom floor it should be as perfect as possible to support the companies assertion that it's producing first class quality machines.


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

I bet Ariens will start taking extra steps to ensure whomever or whatever is responsible for placing the sticker on there gets it on straight...


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## loneraider (Oct 26, 2013)

Thanks for all the replies/ Each & everyone has very valid points from its just a sticker and has no bearing on how well the machine will perform to its a sign of quality or a master of trade signing their name on a product.
Now a signature can be on a car dash ( Carroll Shelby) or engine block but its a signature and a given that they are not straight. A label on the other
hand, visible to the purchaser that contains valuable information such as
serial # model # one would expect it be applied as even & straight as possible. I worked on an assembly line for yrs and there was always a jig
of some sort to setup when applying decals/stickers. I wonder how many members checked their snowblowers after reading this post? LOL I think someone contacted Ariens about this issue so we'll see if we get some feedback from them.


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

I would just rip it off of there. stickers make it look cheap.mg::emoticon-south-park


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

At least it is not upside down.:facepalm_zpsdj194qh

I am with you, it should be straight. 
Who ever put it on should be told to put them on straight!


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## bwright1818 (Dec 2, 2014)

I have seen it in my work place over and over. There are as many types of work ethics as there are people. The sticker dude.....or the quality control dude..... is probably fired by now; but these things take time to weed themselves out, unfortunately.

As for the peeling paint thing, this is just an educated guess....But back in the 1980s, OMC, makers of Johnson and Evinrude outboard motors, had to change the way they prepared their products to be painted, to comply with new environmental regulations. Despite their best efforts, their paint peeled off, too. It was a learning curve. I have always guessed Ariens went through the same thing.


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## Flexin (Oct 24, 2015)

That would bother me. A guy at work put a decal on his truck with his father. They put it on the windshield. It was off center and crooked. It drove me nuts. I wanted to rip it off. Thankfully it is off now. I only had to look at it for about a year. Then he asked me for one of my website decals. I put it on for him and spend 20 minutes measuring it and remeasuring it. I had it set at one point but he let his end slip and I had to do it again. 

It wouldn't have taken a whole lot of time for that one to be put on straight. For some it will just drive them crazy. Some would start to question quality of the whole machine. So at the end of the day it is more than just a sticker.

James


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## wdb (Dec 15, 2013)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> I've seen companies that have laser overlays to show exactly where it's stickers go and to assist in getting their stickers straight. On a car assembly line it's never make it off the line without being flagged and redone.


I got a replacement stick-on logo from Subaru that went onto the trunk lid. The part came attached to a piece of backing paper that was the exact shape and curvature of the corner of the trunk where it was supposed to go. Made it dead simple to apply correctly. They could do the same with those Ariens stickers in the factory. Engineering FTW.


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## jsolo (Feb 4, 2015)

nafterclifen said:


> Understood and I agree. But it's not fair to compare a sticker to torquing a bolt. I'm willing to bet that there is MUCH more attention to detail and importance to torquing bolts than the application of a sticker. It's only logical business sense. Ariens isn't a new company and I don't see their quality of product declining.


Tell that to the customer who just got his machine back from the shop for a leaking crankcase cover due to under torqued bolts (see one of my other threads).

Good workmanship is a declining entity in many fields these days...


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## nafterclifen (Oct 14, 2015)

jsolo said:


> Good workmanship is a declining entity in many fields these days...


Agreed 100%


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## Ariens Company (Nov 1, 2013)

loneraider said:


> I wonder how many members checked their snowblowers after reading this post? LOL I think someone contacted Ariens about this issue so we'll see if we get some feedback from them.


Yes, I am following your thread and appreciate your feedback as you are right, they should be put on straight.

I passed along the link to our product manager for snow, and he is working with production to make sure this issue is fixed.

I'm sorry this happened, and if you want a new sticker, please send me a message with your contact information, and I will make sure you get one.

Thanks.

Mary Lyn


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## loneraider (Oct 26, 2013)

To Mary Lyn

Thank you for the prompt reply, I can't speak for everyone but most folks on this Snowblower forum are quite happy with their Arien machines
as you have built a reputation over the yrs for a great product and service.
Thanks for bringing this concern to your production/quality control team at Ariens.

Dave 
Toronto
Canada


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