# does the weight kit effect Auto turn?



## trellis (Mar 14, 2018)

Is autoturn any more difficult with the extra weight on current models?


thanks.


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## knu2xs (Jan 6, 2015)

I have both versions of Auto Turn (axle positions) and weight kits on both and didn't experience any change in how my Auto Turn(s) performed.


On my 2018 Pro Hydro I have 20 lbs. installed (2 weight kits) and one season of use on it.


With that said, I have Armor Skids on both machines...…...


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

trellis said:


> Is autoturn any more difficult with the extra weight on current models?
> 
> 
> thanks.



its all subjective trel
5 can say yes 5 can say no
is your machine set up right
is your driveway junkie
i have the orig axle auto turn more down force my driveway is junk auto turn works perfect based on that id say it wont matter for you
its all subjective
glad i have the orig axle location
i thought someone said they didnt relocate it on the pros
and someone said they felt light in the front
most on here have had no issues with the auto turn


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## trellis (Mar 14, 2018)

>I have both versions of Auto Turn (axle positions) and weight kits on both .... With that said, I have Armor Skids on both machines

I have a 24 SHO arriving soon and armorskids on backorder, so I really appreciate the review! I do have a gravel (mostly hard packed and level) so that may make a difference.

any chance you have the new design of the Armor skids, if so did you try both points?

Wheels are unfortunately perfectly located to pivot the unit up, tracks flatten out the pivot point and add the resistance along with the additional traction. So... unless we put training wheels on the back that we can't change that problem. But I was wondering about the other effect of the lift from the skids and the auger that wants to climb up. 

goofy thought.. could a piece of angle iron mounted along the side of the bucket pitched slightly downward and slightly in front of the bucket grab into the packed snow and add some resistance to riding up?

no... I'm not going to start drilling my new snowblower


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## rslifkin (Mar 5, 2018)

1132le said:


> i thought someone said they didnt relocate it on the pros
> and someone said they felt light in the front


I'm pretty sure the Pros started out with a slightly more forward axle placement and less bucket weight than the others, so they didn't get the axle move the other models did. My 2018 Pro was definitely fairly light on the bucket from the factory. Not excessively so, but enough that I certainly didn't mind the extra weight from adding a battery up front.


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## knu2xs (Jan 6, 2015)

trellis said:


> >I have both versions of Auto Turn (axle positions) and weight kits on both .... With that said, I have Armor Skids on both machines
> 
> I have a 24 SHO arriving soon and armorskids on backorder, so I really appreciate the review! I do have a gravel (mostly hard packed and level) so that may make a difference.
> 
> any chance you have the new design of the Armor skids, if so did you try both points?


 
When I got my 24 SHO the new design wasn't out yet and when I got the new ones I installed them "skinny" end forward so I have used both end types.


On just our main driveway it's 275 yrd's from the garage to the road with a big portion being through open fields, which tends to drift. The wide ends of the Armor Skids do want to climb in hard packed drifts with the skinny ends much better at cutting into the drifts.


Our driveway is also hard packed gravel and is rough in places. I know this, I wouldn't be able to do what I do without Armor Skids so one of the first things I did when I got my new 28 Pro Hydro last year was to order Armor Skids and a weight kit. The one weight kit didn't quite cut it and after adding a second I was good to go. The reason I needed the 2nd weight kit is that our driveway can drift, in just a few hours, where a 200+ lb. person can walk on top of the drifts so cutting through them can be a challenge at times. They aren't like an EOD (End Of Driveway) situation where you can just hit 'em from the side. They are like waves that kind of ramp up so it's easy just to drive right up on them with a blower with a lite front end.


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## trellis (Mar 14, 2018)

Hi knu2xs

A great photo!

Mind if I hit you up for another question? I see chains in the photo, do you have them mounted on both units? I have an older set of chains from a different unit, they should fit the Ariens tire but the chains are a different style. They zig-zag across the tire, not back and forth. When I used them in the past I waited for the driveway to freeze first so that they didn't dig up the gravel. I'll a have to see if I need them this year. I do like the design of your chains better and they seem to fit the knobby tires better too.

thanks again, much appreciated


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## knu2xs (Jan 6, 2015)

trellis said:


> Hi knu2xs
> 
> A great photo!
> 
> ...


 
Right now I only have chains (those pictured on the SHO) on the Pro Hydro. The SHO is in a back-up role and if I need to I can move the chains over to it.


I did buy some chains specifically for the Pro Hydro but they are much, much heavier than those pictured and a little too long so I would have to cut them down some to use them.


Some here on the forum say chains aren't needed, but that all depends on your situation. I started out without chains on the 24 SHO and ended up stuck so bad that I thought I was going to have to go up and get a shovel to get out. While this was going on I couldn't help but think of the irony of the whole situation. I haven't got stuck once since adding chains...…


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## Ariens hydro pro (Jan 24, 2014)

trellis said:


> Is autoturn any more difficult with the extra weight on current models?
> 
> 
> thanks.


What makes the autoturn more difficult to control is the resistance to the front shoes. If on a hard surface some put on plastic shoes which help the shoes slip some and it makes the auto turn work better. I put little "wheels" on the front instead of shoes. That works very well.
Yes I have weight kits on my machines with no issues with the auto turn.


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## trellis (Mar 14, 2018)

>What makes the autoturn more difficult to control is the resistance to the front shoes. 

So I'm back from my first run with a new 24 SHO, and I have to admit I feel that AutoTurn is less efficient than triggers, which means more effort on my part and less agile to. I revisited the Ariens video and noticed that most sharp turns are with the bucket up in the air. I'm hoping that I will grow to like it as I get more accustomed to using it. 

Here's what I am sensing, I'd be interested in your thoughts... when I sliced a heavy pile of snow, I feel that AutoTurn interprets that as a turn similar to pulling on the handlebars or as you mentioned resistance from the front shoes. And losing the second drive wheel means less push into the snow pile. 

In general the wheels had some difficulty with traction but that would not have been any different with or w/o AutoTurn. I do have chains, and a weight bar that I am waiting to install until my ArmorSkids arrive. But the good news was that when the bucket did fill with heavy, wet junk snow it never balked at tossing it out of the way.

So... is the action of hitting the side of a snow pile the same as resistance on the skids, pulling the handlebar, offset bucket etc?


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

Adjust air pressure on tires adjust bucket then adjust scrapper even with the metal skids it should be fine
I have the orig axle location and a junky driveway still worked good with metal skids
it's butter with the poly skids setup right


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## relaycruz (Sep 14, 2018)

I had the weight kit on my 2015 Pro 28 and it didn't bother the Auto-turn at all. Also didn't do much as the front bucket would still climb up over everything. Never had a machine fight me so much before. Still needed about 30 more pounds!


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## knu2xs (Jan 6, 2015)

trellis said:


> I do have chains, and a weight bar that I am waiting to install until my ArmorSkids arrive.



Based on my limited experience with stock Ariens, steel, skid shoes I think you'll see a difference once you get the ArmorSkids installed.


I used my 24 SHO one time with the stock skids and I did have some minor "wandering" with the AutoTurn. 


When I removed the stock skids I was surprised to see that they were not only severely scratched up, but had deep gouges in the metal that had to be a source of friction and kinda "grippy".


Because of this I've looked at my ArmorSkids from time to time and have been equally surprised that they, too date, don't even have any scratches in them and they've have been used many, many, times.


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## trellis (Mar 14, 2018)

Thanks for the responses, I do look forward to getting the ArmorSkids. The dealer did a good job setting up the snowblower. And because it has the stock skids I setup the scraper set at a full 1" since it's early in the season and I will adjust it down as I go. 

The unit tracks fine in light snow, and along a straight away, so there aren't any wandering issues as have been reported. It was only when I was dealing with packed snow. I tried to scrape the along the side so that I didn't have to fill the entire bucket with heavy snow. Only one side of the bucket was in contact with the snow wall and what I think I was seeing was that pressure on one side of the bucket initiates the autoturn, the same as if I was putting pressure on the handlebars to turn. And, therefore only the wheel on the outside is in drive mode while it thinks it's turning, not the wheel on the side of the snow. This wasn't the case lighter snow, just heavier snow that would create some resistance.

I had better luck going straight into the pile, I assume because of the balanced pressure on the front of the auger housing, and it didn't think I was turning. 

Hopefully for the next snow, I will have the chains, weight and Armorskids to work with and just plow straight through and not bother scraping the piles in half. Which was why I went with the Plat 24 

thanks again for the help, sorry if I didn't explain it well in the beginning. I attached a graphic for reference.


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## trellis (Mar 14, 2018)

> >Based on my limited experience with stock Ariens, steel, skid shoes I think you'll see a difference once you get the ArmorSkids installed.


I took your advice, and added 2x weight Ariens weight kits and the balance feels so much better. The additional 20lbs is hardly noticeable, it definitely doesn't feel like too much weight and didn't bother at all with AutoTurn. Even though I've been throwing more water than snow lately it made a big difference. The other thing was me getting over the idea that AutoTurn is entirely different than turn levers... just grab it and point it in the right direction. Now that I'm over that hurdle, added chains, weights and a little mod to adjust my skids easier I finally feel like this Ariens is a keeper.

thanks again for the help.


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