# My new Ariens Platinum SHO 30" model#921040



## 88racing (Jan 20, 2016)

Here's some pics of the beast....it's does a lovely job without bogging down

In some of the pics you'll see some out of place drift cutters...they are off the Poulan Pro I'm retiring... I was waiting for the ones I ordered from the Ariens dealer.







Crooked sticker...hmpf




The great job it did in cutting down drifts in my front yard ...


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

mmmmm.....eye candy !


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Need to delete this thread. It's nothing but snow blower porn !!

Very nice machine. You might be due for a good LED flood upgrade :icon_whistling:


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## joinjohn55 (Jan 19, 2016)

how is this machine climbing hills and slopes


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

88, it looks great. Enjoy! Ohhh, and welcome aboard !!


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## 88racing (Jan 20, 2016)

joinjohn55 said:


> how is this machine climbing hills and slopes


I really couldn't tell ya....my property is relatively flat


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## joinjohn55 (Jan 19, 2016)

I was going to purchase the ariens with the track but dealer felt their not as good and slower paced and that they will still climb hills cause of the tire having great tracktion


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## PixMan (Feb 14, 2015)

Nice machine! 

FWIW, the slightly older Platinum 30 (non-SHO) that I have has no problem at all with the hills I have to deal with. Not terribly steep, but still doesn't slow at all going uphill through the berm created by plows pushing snow against the cars parked in front of my house. 

Admitting I've never had a tracked machine, I've never felt as though it would be any better. Certainly the wheeled machine is a breeze to get in & out of my walk-in cellar, easy to spin it around inside too.

Absolute BEAST, those motors rock.


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## Cardo111 (Feb 16, 2015)

Nice machine seems to be getting the job done. We may finally be getting some real snow this upcoming Saturday hope to put my Platinum 24 SHO to work for the first time. 

The one thing I don't like at this point is the gas cap it seems difficult to remove (on these GEN III LCT motors it is almost like a car radiator cap less the spring) when the machine sits for awhile and is more complicated than it should be. I took it off today and the strainer nearly came off with it, did not go back on easily, just seems like a poor design relative to my 2 previous late model LCT equipped Ariens units.

Best of luck with it!


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

Cardo111 said:


> Nice machine seems to be getting the job done. We may finally be getting some real snow this upcoming Saturday hope to put my Platinum 24 SHO to work for the first time.
> 
> The one thing I don't like at this point is the gas cap it seems difficult to remove (on these GEN III LCT motors it is almost like a car radiator cap less the spring) when the machine sits for awhile and is more complicated than it should be. I took it off today and the strainer nearly came off with it, did not go back on easily, just seems like a poor design relative to my 2 previous late model LCT equipped Ariens units.
> 
> Best of luck with it!


I removed the strainer from the fill opening since it was hard to get the cut-outs aligned with the tank cut-outs. This was recommended by several users on this forum and it works. The cap now fits easily on the tank at first try so it is perfect now. 

There appears to be a small opening around the fuel shut off fitting in the tank and the inlet pipe is slightly above the tank bottom as well (when tank is empty there is some fuel left). The fuel pipe has an external white tube strainer too, so the carb float bowl is well protected from debris.


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## 88racing (Jan 20, 2016)

Town said:


> I removed the strainer from the fill opening since it was hard to get the cut-outs aligned with the tank cut-outs. This was recommended by several users on this forum and it works. The cap now fits easily on the tank at first try so it is perfect now.
> 
> There appears to be a small opening around the fuel shut off fitting in the tank and the inlet pipe is slightly above the tank bottom as well (when tank is empty there is some fuel left). The fuel pipe has an external white tube strainer too, so the carb float bowl is well protected from debris.


That was the first thing I took off too....I can see it keeping snow and ice from falling in the tank but if one cleans around the cap and uses a clean gas can before refueling then the strainer is not needed.


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## 88racing (Jan 20, 2016)

Oh how I want a substantial amount of snow to see how this machine really works


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

I'm not very happy with that strainer either. Going to keep mine out. Makes putting the cap on much easier. Not sure why they came up with such a bad design..


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## Rich (Jan 24, 2016)

Got the same model and used it for the first time today in the NE Blizzard. 14" with 2 - 3' drifts. Semi wet snow with some sleet thrown in. It truly is a beast. It replaced a 28" Ariens. Handles sooo much easier, a lot more power, throws the snow further, and is quiet, for it's size. Chute lever locked up a few times. Need to adjust the Cable, I suppose. No biggie. The only issue I have is that is a real gas hog.... Used twice as much fuel for the same area as my older 11 HP machine. Granted it was a deep semi wet snow.... So l'll have to see what it uses for a more typical 6 - 10 inch storm. Really happy with the purchase.


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## 88racing (Jan 20, 2016)

Getting ready for some snow tomorrow ....

Before I used the blower to back the snow off the sides of the driveway I installed the Ariens drift cutters....one note the knobs didn't tighten down like I thought they should...the inserted nut in the knobs appears to be a nylock type and I ended up using a channel lock to tighten them down....it's like they're missing a washer

Also looked into the quick turn chute control.... It wasn't turning fully right....took the cover off the quick turn chute gear....it appears its aligned correctly....then I loosened the cable nuts....turned the front 2 turns towards the front and then tightened the back one...works better now....the other thing I noticed is the rubber gromet might be getting hard(not a plyable) when cold and the would limit the chute catch also


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## 88racing (Jan 20, 2016)

Also found out that a full tank = around 50-55 minutes of run time


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

88racing said:


> Getting ready for some snow tomorrow ....
> 
> ........
> 
> Also looked into the quick turn chute control.... It wasn't turning fully right....took the cover off the quick turn chute gear....it appears its aligned correctly....then I loosened the cable nuts....turned the front 2 turns towards the front and then tightened the back one...works better now....the other thing I noticed is the rubber gromet might be getting hard(not a plyable) when cold and the would limit the chute catch also


The grommet at the chute control handle acts like a damper when the handle is pulled back to release the chute lock. This is most noticeable near max left or right where it requires more strength to control. I cut it back and the chute operates very easily now there is no resistance from the grommet.


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## knu2xs (Jan 6, 2015)

88racing said:


> Also found out that a full tank = around 50-55 minutes of run time


That's pretty good. Last year I got a new Platinum 24SHO, with the 306cc engine, 
and while I never timed it, due to the variables each time its used, I'm sure my 
run time on a tank is longer this year, now that it's broken in, than last year.

The end of our drive is 200 yds. from our garage, where the gas is kept, 
so I do keep tabs, at a certain point, on how much is left in the tank.

I really like your machine!


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

88racing said:


> Also found out that a full tank = around 50-55 minutes of run time


Yes, it is a small tank that holds up to 2.4 liters (2.5 liters in measuring container overflows tank and still has a liter left in it) rather than the 3 liters specified. Ariens claims 2 hours of operation on a tank, but I am close to your runtime and even less with 8" of heavier snow and sidewalks and EOD.


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## PixMan (Feb 14, 2015)

Yeah, tiny tank and I get about 40 to 50 minutes run time, on average. It's really my only annoyance, and not really a complaint because by then I'm usually due for a break anyhow. Overall, I am very pleased because the motor just plain KICKS BUTT on anything it faces.


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

PixMan said:


> Yeah, tiny tank and I get about 40 to 50 minutes run time, on average. It's really my only annoyance, and not really a complaint because by then I'm usually due for a break anyhow. Overall, I am very pleased because the motor just plain KICKS BUTT on anything it faces.


Yes everything else is great except for the tank design, capacity and location of the gas cap and its vent and the stupid screen. I would have bought the Pro wheeled model if I had known how thirsty the 414 cc LCT motor is; big power and big thirst needs an actual 6 liter tank. Having to fill the gas tank out in the open during a snowstorm is one of my least favourite things to do, especially when the bucket is full of EOD "snow" and the engine stops dead due to empty fuel tank. 

Cleaning off the snow around the stupid location of the cap is frustrating because snow accumulates there all the time. Then opening the cap and checking the fuel level is difficult with that stupidly designed screen with the two notches that move and make putting the cap back on very difficult without a screwdriver to force it back into place. But I removed the screen so now it is better.

Ariens needs to obtain the services of an engineer for their gas tanks rather than a stylist whose only concern is that the tank be LOW PROFILE.

Sorry for the rant.


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## gjm (Jan 20, 2015)

Funny just spent the last three days getting to know my SHO 30 here in South East Pa. 36" to 0" in our drive, and was asked to do three other drives. The fuel tank was the one thing that didn't perform as well as everything else. Easy to over fill, and the range isn't that great, I used 6 gals of gas. Kind of like putting a 20 gallon tank on a Kodiak blower.

Robotic Snowplow Helps California Combat Cannibalism - Telstar Logistics

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/03/30/article-1371474-0B65C27E00000578-18_638x381.jpg


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## 88racing (Jan 20, 2016)

Update.....Ariens poly skids work great! On fresh snow

On Friday I was trying to bust up and cut down some old hardened snow piles. Started out with the poly skids and it seemed I was constantly fighting them getting hung up. Switched the the stock skids and the front went through so much easier. 

Just by designed one can tell that there's going to be issues getting hung up on the hard stuff. 

Now I'm looking at making my own poly skids that are thinner with some taper to them.


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