# New Platinum 24, first thoughts . . .



## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

Yeah, I'm the guy who often discredits end user reviews as not being either objective, or having comparable snow conditions to be of much value. But, **** the torpedoes, I'm going to share my thoughts on my new blower anyhoo, just in case it is helpful to someone. . . .


It's a 2018 Ariens Platinum 24 SHO with the carbed engine (really wanted the EFI, but nobody up here stocked it, and didn't want to chance an order I might miss . . . Also not thrilled with the fact that the two local dealers didn't seem to be interested in learning anything about it either . . . ). 



Where: The middle of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Typical snowfall about 300 inches per year, the record snowfall 396 iirc in 1979 . . . 



Odd year so far, more melting than typical, but had it delivered in the middle of the last storm - fairly cold, but not a terribly heavy fall (maybe 5 to 6 inches of fairly light stuff, and a pretty modest EOD, other than some lingering ice in it from the prior week. Did three driveways in those conditions, maybe an hour run time. 



This AM, about 8 inches of heavy crap (about 30 degrees). Not slush, but the stuff that makes you wish you were dead when shovelling, and that I recall giving me fits in the past with the 10000 series Ariens we had way back when . . . Plow pile heavy but no ice or solids, about 12 to 16 inches deep. 



So, to performance . . . I have to say that I never really felt that the old 7 HP Tec L-Head in the past wasn't up to the job, but there is a heck of a difference! With the old, in crap like this, it was slow, and about a half wide pass . . . With the new machine, I was able to run speed 2 (might have been able to use 3 - didn't want to really beat it down while in engine break-in) and full width passes. It seemed bored on the overall driveway, and while you could hear it throttle up on the EOD, no signs of engine speed sagging, and it went right through without stopping to let the bucket clear, which was kinda amazing . . . No signs of clogging either, although there was a lot of crap stuck inside the bucket at cleanup time, making me think that these really were the conditions that would have caused a clog if it was going to. 



So, performance was good. Now to features:


Chute control: The jury is out on this one. The ability to move the chute quickly is nice, but the inability to be as exact as a crank in where you stop it isn't . . . especially when redirecting while blowing. Not sure, but I think I might have preferred a crank . . . The ability to remotely control the elevation was new to me, and pretty nice, especially since this thing has such a long throwing range. Personally, I can't see how putting both on one stick could do anything other than add a more complex point of failure. I found I very rarely needed to tweak both at once. 



Auto-turn: No issues whatsoever - it does what it is supposed to do. When there was still ice on the drive last week, the bucket would kick up a bit when I hit it (seems lighter on the bucket than what I am used to) but no swerving . . . Today with the crap off the blacktop, tracked perfectly, and on the neighbors steep driveway that still had ice, climbed like a goat and tracked fine. Compared to what I had (open diff with the ability to lock, or just locked axle) this really does work nicely for me. No need to either dork with a snow covered frozen locking knob on a wheel or to brute force around turns. EOD turns were in place and easy. 



Engine: The carbed 369 started easily and ran well. I tend to use the electric starter, since I have broken many recoil starters over the years on my older blowers, and want to make sure it's still alive if I need to restart out of the garage, so can't say how many pulls, but running inside a second with the electric. 



Throttle controls: Pure and utter crap! Once dealer lied to me saying that "Yeah, you can set any speed you like . . ." BULLCRAP! It's pretty much idle or full speed . . . had I known that, I likely would *NOT* have bought this and found a way to go to the EFI. The biggest gripes I have about most current gear are brain-dead throttle controls, and controls on the engine, not where you can actually reach them . . . both of which are solved with the EFI engine. Oh well, not buying another one anytime soon, so I guess I'll just need to adapt, but it sure would be nice if the dealers knew what the heck they were talking about! 



Fuel tank: Size is nice, but rapidly growing to hate the little filter in the filler that makes it impossible to see any tank level other than full to see what you have left, and a raging PITA to pull out to look. Size seems OK, but I don't run hours at a time either. 



Controls: Perhaps I'm odd, but I'd prefer the speed select more on the left, and chute to the right. Since the newer machines pretty much require you to plant your right hand on the augur interlock when changing speeds, and both clutch and shift with the left (which really makes handling/jockeying a PITA compared to the older machines . . . ). And when moving the chute in motion, the left stays on the drive clutch, and the right is free . . . so chute to the right might be easier . . . In any case, I'll get used to it, but my brain can't help but try to design a replacement for the augur interlock that will make it just latch in instead of wasting a hand on it . . . (and no, I don't want to hear the comments from the folks who feel that is a risk . . . personally, I think that not sticking your hands in a running snowblower is a given, and nothing more than a functional brain should be required on that one . . . . . ). 



Drift cutters: Added one on the right, since it's not a matter of "if" but "when" the banks here get far higher than the bucket. (I go right only since my history with the older short chute machines in that if you take the bank to the left, the chute discharges into the bank, dropping the snow on the ground next to you, mandating bank to the right . . . the tall chute may negate that, but old habits are hard to change, so only put the one on . .. ). I note that the cutters are a bit shorter and less vertical than they used to be, so it might be an issue later in the season . . . can't tell now. Mounting hardware seemed find . . . 



Balance: When there was ice on the drive last week (from storm prior to my arrival) the bucket would jump pretty badly when something was hit. Might be scraper, since it was set quite close, and that wasn't an issue today without all the crap under the snow pile, and it got the blacktop almost clean. Might add the weight bar, but can't call this one yet. 



Overall build: Seems decent. Paint is good, all controls work well. Not thrilled with some of the electrical connectors that are hanging loose near the engine or under the dash - I think that a bit better wire management would have been good, since if working near trees or other obstacles, I can see these fouling and getting pulled loose. Won't be an issue for me though . . .


Wheels/tires: Definitely like the bigger tires and tread on these tires. As I had noted, the neighbors driveway is quite steep (perhaps a 5 or 6 foot rise in a couple car lengths), and still had a fair about of ice under the snow from last weeks freezing rain. I slid all over walking, but the blower went straight up it like a mountain goat - auto turn kept the power even even if a wheel had no tractions . . . In the past, even with my axle locked, this would have been chain conditions. 



So, all in all, a few nits, but a nice machine! The biggest things that bug me are on my snowblower due to my choice (not going EFI) but that's likely my quirk, and likely not anyone elses. I've tried to give all observations overall, but the bottom line is that this thing performed beautifully - better than anything I have ever owned in these conditions, and I would recommend it highly! 



- Tim


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## PB617 (Oct 17, 2015)

I have the same machine except its a 2016. Its a beast. There has been nothing this machine could not handle. It has dug me out of some serious snowfalls these past few winters. 

I have been using it for my home and business, which is a pretty big corner lot that gets tons of snow pushed onto the sidewalk by the large city plows during big storms. This year i plan on using it primarily for my business lot, since its kind of overkill for the sidewalk and walkway i need to clean at home. Picked up an older Honda that should be sufficient for this.

Just keep up with the maintenance and change to synthetic oil after the first 5 hours of use.


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## Xilbus (Nov 30, 2018)

I hope it provides you with many years of good service.

I almost purchased that model last week. You should post pictures of your machine.


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

Xilbus said:


> I hope it provides you with many years of good service.
> 
> I almost purchased that model last week. You should post pictures of your machine.



I'm 56, so I'm hoping it's the last blower I ever need to buy . . . :smile2:


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## wxman2003 (Dec 18, 2018)

I would recommend the weight bar. Bought a 28 SHO last season and it would buck up at times. Put the 10 pound weight on it. Had out first 5 inch wet heavy snow a a little over a week ago with ice underneath, and no buck ups.


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## nafterclifen (Oct 14, 2015)

What's the issue with the throttle control? While I do have full adjustability on my current machine, I either have it low to idle for a bit or MAX for blowing snow. I don't see the issue?


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

No one likes to have control taken away from them  We like to be able to do it our way and control it our way, not be dictated how something can be done.. fast, slow, no inbetween.. drives those with OCD crazy I suppose? just kidding.


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

nafterclifen said:


> What's the issue with the throttle control? While I do have full adjustability on my current machine, I either have it low to idle for a bit or MAX for blowing snow. I don't see the issue?



I want full range, just like every machine I have owned prior, and just like is available on the EFI model. There are times I need to run at less than full to avoid hitting the house, and it's a PITA on this thing. I think it may well be an EPA reg due to the inability to hit emissions at part throttle, since it never used to be the case, nor is it with the EFI engine. I also hate having to to reach over to the engine to change it instead of the foolproof controls on the handlebars that were used for years . . . Maybe it's my quirk (and I'll live with it . . . ) but had they been honest, it would have been worth the extra $$$ to me to get both the above items the way I wanted them . . .


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## zandor (Dec 15, 2017)

I have the EFI model, and I managed to clog it once. Oddly enough it's not a pile of heavy, wet snow that did it. Mine did just fine on 6" of extra wet stuff with an inch of slush on the bottom late last November. The air temperature was above freezing the entire time it was falling. No, I clogged it with snow stuck to the inside of the chute and bottom of the deflector in 2" of semi-wet snow the first time I used it. I figure I wasn't going fast enough. I was still getting used to the controls and running on a low speed. Feeding the machine enough snow is pretty standard 2-stage operating procedure.

I haven't really tried it in 2" again since then. Next time I'll try to keep it set on speed 6 as much as possible and take full buckets. If we only get a little snow I check the weather report before getting the blower out. If it looks like it'll melt off before we get more I don't bother clearing my driveway and just shovel the sidewalks, etc. I'm in Chicago and have a 100' side drive to a garage behind my house, but only have 50' of sidewalk.


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

Well, someone asked for photos, so here you go . . . Also gives an idea of the snow that we deal with up here (and this is a day or so after a pretty big melt . . . ):























In the voice of Doug from Forged In Fire "It will cut!" . . . 



Now, to be fully honest, this is real, but I "borrowed" a neighbor's drive way that had not been plowed in about 10 days to test some "heavy lifting" (our fall last night was about 5 to 6 and fluffy, and frankly bored the blower . . . ). This was at least three decent snowfalls, two thaws, and freezing rain twice . . . Not exactly lightweight or soft stuff. First pass breaking in was speed one, and just go . . . It hunkered down but did not bog or kick at all on what was very close to full bucket height and full width . . . I kept going close to full width, with very little spillage from the bucket, and it got deeper towards the bank where these shots were taken. Oh, and this is my visual evidence that drift cutters are sometimes needed . . . and these banks are low (still early in the winter), but note the low angle and relatively low height of the one on the blower. (It did work well here . . . most of the stuff on top of the bucket was there before I hit this . . . ).


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## gibbs296 (Jun 22, 2014)

Nice looking machine, thanks for the pics. Wish we had some white stuff in Mpls...


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## z28lt1 (Oct 18, 2018)

Couldn't decide if I should start a new thread or add to this one, but I figured since there is some good discussion going on, I can throw my thoughts in here.

I was able to use my Platinum EFI 24 for the first times yesterday and today. 

We had about 11 inches total, although I went out twice (we got surprised by how much came after I went out the first time), so I cleared about 7-8 and then 3-4.

The snow (other than the plow pile) was not particularly wet, so as to be expected, this was not much work for the machine at all and not a true test of practically any machine, so instead of a full review I’ll summarize a handful of "findings"

1 – The throwing distance really helps me compared to my previous blower. We have a side entrance 3-car garage at the top of the driveway, so I can’t blow anything to that side. The ability to throw it 30 feet or more really helped, as I could blow to the top or just about across the entire driveway, making this much quicker than the crosswise cuts I had to do (forward, then reverse the way I came, repeat) previously. I’m sure with a wetter snow, I may have more challenges here, but so far, very happy.

2 – With apologies to @tadawson, I really like the EFI throttle control on the dash. Since I was out a little earlier in the day for the second go round, and only had to blow a few inches, running it at a lower throttle worked great and kept the noise down. Apparently saved some gas, but that’s not really something I was concerned with.

3 – I really have to get used to the power and light-ish bucket. Starting off going forward in anything but the two slowest speeds will immediately cause the bucket to tip up like a dragster doing a wheelie at the start if the ground isn't smooth below. Once I remembered to plan for it, it’s easy to avoid and is no big deal, just have to get used to it.

4 – Mostly auto turn was excellent. There may have been a couple of times (like doing the bottom in the street where the plow compacted some ice) that I had to fight it. Since 95% of the time it worked great, I’m really happy with it.

5- I had one strange occurrence, again over the street at the bottom of the driveway where the plow had gone through, where the machine started bucking like crazy. It was very odd and concerning, although it only happened the one time. I think I was moving a little too fast (3rd “gear”) when it him some hard pack that must have caused the programming to hunt. If it happens more I’ll need to investigate.

6 – I had the unfortunate luck of scooping up a rock that was just the right shape and size to wedge itself between the blade (the extra support part) and the bucket. Scratched the heck out of my new bucket. The shear pin did its job and sacrificed itself, but I had to hammer out the rock as it was wedged in there good. I couldn’t get the shear pin out at first as the hole for it was not centered over the broken pin. Once I loosened all the center support bolts, I was able to shift it over a little bit and then it came right out as it should. Next time this will be a much quicker process now that I now what I have to do if it’s not perfectly centered, but took a while for me to figure it out the first time.

7 – During the shear pin “adventure’” I started the machine a couple of times to have it rotate the auger so the pin was lined up in an accessible position. One of those times, maybe I didn’t pull far enough or something and there was a very loud backfire and the engine didn’t start on that pull. I was surprised by the backfire, but it started right up and had no other issues after that.

8 – I like the chute controls, and it mostly works really well, but it seems to be very tricky to get the chute all the way to the side (particularly the right side). Its natural movement seems to stop about 10 degrees short or so, and I need to pull back some more to get it to go the rest of the way. There may be an adjustment I can look for, but haven’t bothered yet.

9 – I really like the handwarmers, however at some point when out there some snow/ice got compacted underneath the switch and shut them off and prevented me from turning it back on. I’m sure had I had the desire it would have taken me no more than 30 seconds to grab a screwdriver something to slide under the switch and clean out the snow that was there, but as I was just about done, I didn’t bother. 

Overall, I’m really happy with it -- particularly the power, the ease of use of the EFI system, and how maneuverable it is for such a heavy machine. I’ll have to keep an eye on the bucking and the backfire, but both only happened once, and everything was great well afterwards. Definitely a step up and sped up my clearing significantly despite moving down from 26” to 24”


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

To clarify: I don'thave the EFI - I wanted it, but no local dealers had one, so I ended up with the carbed Platinum. The throttle I don't care for is the "hi or low only" knob atop the carbureted engine . . .


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## russ01915 (Dec 18, 2013)

z28lt1 said:


> 5- I had one strange occurrence, again over the street at the bottom of the driveway where the plow had gone through, where the machine started bucking like crazy. It was very odd and concerning, although it only happened the one time. I think I was moving a little too fast (3rd “gear”) when it him some hard pack that must have caused the programming to hunt. If it happens more I’ll need to investigate.”


The heavier the load, the slower you need to go, Gear 1 maybe Gear 2. The bucking had nothing to do with the programming of the EFI. I believe in your case it is operator error.


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## z28lt1 (Oct 18, 2018)

tadawson said:


> To clarify: I don'thave the EFI - I wanted it, but no local dealers had one, so I ended up with the carbed Platinum. The throttle I don't care for is the "hi or low only" knob atop the carbureted engine . . .



Yes, I know -- you said you couldn't get EFI, and hate the hi/low throttle, so I apologized not wanting to "rub it in" for saying the EFI throttle control is awesome.



russ01915 said:


> The heavier the load, the slower you need to go, Gear 1 maybe Gear 2. The bucking had nothing to do with the programming of the EFI. I believe in your case it is operator error.


Well, I admitted to probably going a little to fast when it hit the changing conditions, so its definitely fair to say "operator error" as the cause. On the other hand the machine when into a crazy bucking state and I was trying to hang on like a professional bull rider and didn't stop until I completely disengaged the drive and auger. I've been using a snow blower for 30 years and while I expect some surging/hunting in the hard pack, I've never had something operate like that, and don't believe that it is "normal" behavior for going a little too fast. Another user in this forum had an EFI machine surge badly under all conditions and Ariens swapped it out for a new one, that had no issues, so I'm not going to rule out an actual problem just yet. Again, since it only happened once and for less than 15 seconds, I'm not overly worried -- but I will try to recreate it or see what conditions cause it and determine if it is truly operator error, or an issue, or a one-time thing.


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