# Thinking of buying an Ariens, but have some questions/concerns.



## TSR7 (Sep 19, 2016)

We're quickly approaching my first winter in the new home. We moved in last march, and got dumped on with snow the first week we owned the home. Right then I decided a snowblower was in my future.

That being said, I'm looking at the Home Depot promotions (12mo no interest) - and narrowed down the options to either the Areins 24 Compact or the Areins Deluxe 28. I also looked at the Cub Cadet and Toro, but am leaning towards Ariens.

My driveway is 1.5 cars wide minus up by the garage, it widens out to 2-car wide for about a car length. The driveway itself is about 2,000 square feet including the parking pad on the side of the house.... have a nice setback from the road.

Now, I was thinking "Hey, bigger is better" and going with the Deluxe 28, but then I got into reading some of the reviews about the auto-turn being an issue - some of the reviews stated it's hard to keep the units with auto-turn tracking straight. Any word here? I also read a posting on another sit that the 30 was updated this year to help this? Should I be concerned here? If that is an issue, I would consider staying with the 24 Compact without the auto turn. My driveway isn't wide - it's just long.... and I do like the idea of the 24 Compact, as I would likely be storing this in the garage during the winter, and in the shed during the summer - but I am also concerned about the end of driveway too. 

Thoughts on my questions / concerns?


----------



## stromr (Jul 20, 2016)

*Welcome Aboard!*

:white^_^arial^_^0^_
Don't think the Ariens Auto Turn will be a problem, they made some changes for this years models. I imagine once you get it professionally set-up you'll be good. By professionally set-up I don't mean by the kids at Home Depot. I've heard you can buy snowblowers at Home Depot and get them set-up by a local dealer. If that service isn't available in your area and you still choose to buy from Home Depot rather than your local dealer I'm sure there are some experiences hands on this website who can walk you thru setting it up yourself. Just ask! We love to help!


----------



## TSR7 (Sep 19, 2016)

stromr said:


> :white^_^arial^_^0^_
> Don't think the Ariens Auto Turn will be a problem, they made some changes for this years models. I imagine once you get it professionally set-up you'll be good. By professionally set-up I don't mean by the kids at Home Depot. I've heard you can buy snowblowers at Home Depot and get them set-up by a local dealer. If that service isn't available in your area and you still choose to buy from Home Depot rather than your local dealer I'm sure there are some experiences hands on this website who can walk you thru setting it up yourself. Just ask! We love to help!


I'm pretty handy myself. I unfortunately took on the whole "we'll build your Weber grill for free" offer when I got my grill, and had to fix a few leaks.  I still regret that - should have just done it myself. 

I love Home Depot... but most of the folks that work there are certainly not their for their mechanical abilities. I'll aim that route thanks to zero interest and the Home Depot card. I should have no problem putting it together myself as long as it's not pre-assembed. 

I'm not sure how they handle it - it almost sounds like you purchase from them, and a local company assembles it and delivers it with "white glove" service. I'm still in the early steps...

I'm glad to hear the auto-turn thing shouldnt be a problem. I'd sure like to hear some more opinions here too.


----------



## Miles (Sep 16, 2016)

I agree with stromr about the set-up. The dealer's mechanics are setting up a lot of machines over the years and get very good at it. The big box stores can be hit or miss. You might get somebody who is a good mechanic or you might get a kid with no experience. I always try to buy from a local dealer. I think you get better service after the sale when the machine needs parts or a repair.


----------



## Cardo111 (Feb 16, 2015)

TSR6 said:


> We're quickly approaching my first winter in the new home. We moved in last march, and got dumped on with snow the first week we owned the home. Right then I decided a snowblower was in my future.
> 
> That being said, I'm looking at the Home Depot promotions (12mo no interest) - and narrowed down the options to either the Areins 24 Compact or the Areins Deluxe 28. I also looked at the Cub Cadet and Toro, but am leaning towards Ariens.
> 
> ...


:welcome: aboard!

You will be happy that you went with an Ariens a good balance of features and quality for the price, along with excellent customer support.

Personally I am not crazy about the 2 choices you listed. Both are underpowered if working a formidable EOD plow pile. I would rather see you go with the Deluxe 24 w/ the 254cc LCT motor or the Deluxe 28 SHO with the 306cc engine. Either of these machines will provide you with enough power per auger inch an important performance measurement. As I mentioned in many of my posts I ended up selling my Deluxe 28 because it did not have enough oomph for the big plow piles, worked good everywhere else but to me that's the true test of a machine's worth.

I am pretty sure Ariens is offering similar finance promos through their independent dealers (as others have posted IMHO you would be better off buying through a local dealer if possible for many reasons) you can check their website for the specifics. Best of luck on your search.


----------



## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

I have to second the local dealer thing. I do not trust the big box stores to set up the machine properly. And I went with a Deluxe 28SHO. You should do the same. Get it and don't worry anymore.


----------



## Erick (Aug 24, 2016)

TSR6 said:


> We're quickly approaching my first winter in the new home. We moved in last march, and got dumped on with snow the first week we owned the home. Right then I decided a snowblower was in my future.
> 
> That being said, I'm looking at the Home Depot promotions (12mo no interest) - and narrowed down the options to either the Areins 24 Compact or the Areins Deluxe 28. I also looked at the Cub Cadet and Toro, but am leaning towards Ariens.
> 
> ...


I'm also in the market for a new snowblower. From what I've read & researched, correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure the new compact 24's have auto turn as well as all other models. But like others have stated, the 2017 models have had some modifications done to improve the auto turn function. They've moved the axel to distribute weight differently allowing for better results.


----------



## NVA4370 (Sep 12, 2016)

Erick said:


> I'm also in the market for a new snowblower. From what I've read & researched, correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure the new compact 24's have auto turn as well as all other models. But like others have stated, the 2017 models have had some modifications done to improve the auto turn function. They've moved the axel to distribute weight differently allowing for better results.



:welcome:


I just purchase a 2017 921045, which is the Deluxe 24. The research I did showed that the Compact 24 does not have Autoturn. 

I had my Ariens delivered straight from the factory and set it up myself. 

Once you have a model number and serial number you can download the service manual from the Ariens site. It has all of the particulars needed for set up. The users manual also has quite a bit of information about proper set up. Assembly of the Deluxe 24 was pretty much just putting the handlebars into place, then checking some of cables, installing the chute rod (crank), the chute and routing the chute cable and hooking it up to the proper control on the console. Also, checked the tire pressure and made sure that it was correct for now. Will probably need some more air come cold weather. 

I had considered the Compact, but decided I wanted the larger engine and Autoturn. I have fired it up and drove it about 10-15 feet out of the garage and back. It seemed to track straight for me, but we'll see what happens when it snows.

(All the edits are due to difficulty getting the "Welcome" smiley posted.)


----------



## TSR7 (Sep 19, 2016)

Cardo111 said:


> :welcome: aboard!
> 
> You will be happy that you went with an Ariens a good balance of features and quality for the price, along with excellent customer support.
> 
> ...


Ariens is offering similar promotions - but it is with their YardCard. If I do the Home Depot route, the Home Depot card will be useful to me in more instances - including a lawn mower that is in the cards for spring/summer (not sure if I want an Ariens or not there yet) - or if the water heater craps, or when I insulate my garage. (yes...laundry list of projects.). In all reality, I'll likely be using the 12-mo no interest as a 4-5mo no interest card and paying it off early. I could buy outright too, but I'm trying to rebuild the emergency fund, and have heathcare bills to cover too - just had the first kid. Those things are pricey. I could have bought a couple of these snow throwers for the price of that bill!

Where I'm at now - looks like pricing falls:

$1,099 - Deluxe 28 - Model: 921030 (Home Depot or my local Ariens dealer)
$1,319 - Deluxe 28 - Model: 921046 (local Ariens dealer)
$1,419 - Dlx 28SHO - Model 921048 (local ariens dealer)

Now, I don't see any difference engine wise with the #030 and #046 - only if you upgrade to the Deluxe 28SHO - but the SHO is a little spendy. I was hoping to stay around $1K. I've never had a snowblower before, but I've also never had a driveway this long. The upgrade is just a little costly, and I'm not sure I can justify it for the oddball snowstorm if the standard 28's would be fine 90% of the time.

I know you NY'ers get slammed with the Nor'Easters a couple times every winter. In WI here, we get a lot of the 4-8" snowstorms with an occasional 8"+ storm and usually 1-2 blizzards a year. If I can get a snow blower that will have me covered for all the 4-8" and to where I can still manage the 12" snows without busting my hind end too bad (including the end of the driveway), I'll be happy.

Unfortunately, I've only seen one snow storm here... in march.... so I don't know how bad the plows pack my driveway. I assume it should be bad, as I'm on the inside of a slight curve.




Miles said:


> I agree with stromr about the set-up. The dealer's mechanics are setting up a lot of machines over the years and get very good at it. The big box stores can be hit or miss. You might get somebody who is a good mechanic or you might get a kid with no experience. I always try to buy from a local dealer. I think you get better service after the sale when the machine needs parts or a repair.


I really plan on putting it together myself.



GoBlowSnow said:


> I have to second the local dealer thing. I do not trust the big box stores to set up the machine properly. And I went with a Deluxe 28SHO. You should do the same. Get it and don't worry anymore.


See above... I would consider the 28SHO, but i am concerned on cost if I can make do fine with the Dlx 28. I do really plan on putting it together myself... big box store will likely just be a checkout counter...



NVA4370 said:


> :welcome:
> 
> 
> I just purchase a 2017 921045, which is the Deluxe 24. The research I did showed that the Compact 24 does not have Autoturn.
> ...



Sounds easy


----------



## Cardo111 (Feb 16, 2015)

In hear ya. Actually where I live in NY (NY Metro suburb) not in an upstate NY snowbelt region, the winters are similar to yours, last winter was a joke about 20 inches. Some winters we get hit much harder but only about 38-40 inches per year on average per the data I could find.

Regarding differences this year the most significant change was they moved the axle closer to the auger housing for better balance and to address potential issues with their Auto-Turn system (manufactured by GT Transmissions) that usually could have been addressed with changing the skid shoes. Additionally the logo changed and the wheel color changed from grey to black (not biggies).

My local dealer offers what Ariens calls "Online Pricing" and offers the Deluxe 28 SHO for $1199. USD (this may change his website is still showing last year's model #). I would try to negotiate price with your dealer if you're not satisfied buy it from HD, take your time putting it together and your local dealer will usually honor the warranty (this also varies by area). If you buy from one of the 2 local HD's in my area my local dealer assembles it and delivers it for free as part of the Ariens "White Glove Delivery" offered here.

I'm confident you will get a good machine for what you want to spend and for your needs. I almost bought an Ariens Pro 28 last year because of all the good financing/warranty extension promos that were being offer but was glad that I didn't , not because it isn't a great machine but it was beyond what I needed here. I only clear my own driveway. My issue with the regular non SHO Deluxe 28 is the engine is small for a heavy duty, 28 inch auger machine.

All the best.


----------



## TSR7 (Sep 19, 2016)

I have a RFQ in with my local shop on the 28 SHO, waiting for a call / email back from them. I did find it on SnowBlowersDirect for $1199 which is only $100 more than I was planning on spending at Home Depot, and it appears they've got 12/24 mo financing deals too.

I can have it shipped to my work (we have a dock) so with free shipping, NO TAX and no liftgate charge, I could consider doing this too.


----------



## TSR7 (Sep 19, 2016)

i got my RFQ (request for quote) back from my local shop. I had specifically selected the 2016 Deluxe 28SHO on the form.... but they sent me pricing on the 2015 model with a note "the only difference between 2015 model in stock and 2016 is the wheel location, which can effect the front weight. You want front weight to keep the blower edge on the pavement. still has full warranty, can pick up today"

So. They want to sell me their old stock. For $1355 with tax. I can get it on SnowblowersDirect a a 2016 model for $1199.

However. Now the wife is barking on price. I asked her if she was going to shovel if we didn't get a snowblower....aaaaaand I ended up doing dishes by myself.


----------



## stromr (Jul 20, 2016)

*"Remember I'm pulling for ya, we're all in this together!*

"I asked her if she was going to shovel if we didn't get a snowblower...."

Probably not the right question, maybe you should involve your wife in the purchase decision, new or used, there are some very women user friendly snowblowers etc. As Mrs. Stromr has pointed out to me many times over the years as a man I tend to get fixated on one purchase at a time and forget about all the other future expenses. Your wife may be thinking of all the expenses that will come with your new baby. At any rate it will get better.


----------



## TSR7 (Sep 19, 2016)

stromr said:


> "I asked her if she was going to shovel if we didn't get a snowblower...."
> 
> Probably not the right question, maybe you should involve your wife in the purchase decision, new or used, there are some very women user friendly snowblowers etc. As Mrs. Stromr has pointed out to me many times over the years as a man I tend to get fixated on one purchase at a time and forget about all the other future expenses. Your wife may be thinking of all the expenses that will come with your new baby. At any rate it will get better.


Oh, I know that wasn't the right question. I also reminded her that I was the only person who push-mows our 1 acre lot with a 20" push mower. 3.5 hours later... sometimes on Saturdays I can get other tasks done.

Oops.

I do agree... and I tried to keep it in the topic of how I'd be able to get the driveway done in the morning before we leave for work.

Finances are fun, no matter how much you plan, life throws you a curveball. Got the new house in March, we also fixed the septic system a month before our kiddo was born. Just got the bill for the kiddo about a week ago for the hospital visit and such too.


----------



## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

The Deluxe 30 has the same engine as the 28 SHO.. if you find a good deal on the 30, you'll be just fine.


----------



## TSR7 (Sep 19, 2016)

GoBlowSnow said:


> The Deluxe 30 has the same engine as the 28 SHO.. if you find a good deal on the 30, you'll be just fine.


I was originally looking at the Compact 24.. lol I don't want to go that big. Storage space is limited. It'll be in the garage with the wife's car this winter, otherwise stored in our shed with the lawnmower - hopefully in spring it'll be lawnmower*s*


----------



## stromr (Jul 20, 2016)

Have you thought about killing two birds with one stone? Why not go for a tractor with mower and snowblower?


----------



## TSR7 (Sep 19, 2016)

stromr said:


> Have you thought about killing two birds with one stone? Why not go for a tractor with mower and snowblower?


Considered that. Those units, surprisingly, cost as much if not more than a stand alone system.

John Deere for example, is around $1300-1500 for the blower, and $399 for the lift/drop kit, plus the cost of the mower.

Instead, I can get an Ariens for around $1200 and pay that off before I get a lawnmower in spring.


----------



## Grogey (Aug 18, 2016)

As a point to the Ariens Financing through synchrony they have some weird Financing closing charge and most of there options. Home depot doesn't.


----------



## TSR7 (Sep 19, 2016)

Grogey said:


> As a point to the Ariens Financing through synchrony they have some weird Financing closing charge and most of there options. Home depot doesn't.


Yes, but even with this charge, it's still less $ than what I can find it elsewhere for.


----------



## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

Tsr6, I know some folks don't like used, but you're right in the heart of Ariens country. Especially if you're looking to upgrade your mowing ability, why not look for a used blower? My dad is anti used anything, always buys new, so I understand someone not wanting others peoples stuff:eeek: Me, I'd look for something along this line (bring seven $100 bills and a trailer):
https://madison.craigslist.org/grd/5752320683.html
Any older Ariens is super simple to work on and they have parts anywhere you look, especially in WI:wink:. Mowing is a 1/2 year job, whereas snowblowing is hit and miss for realistically 3 months. You can have an entire year of broom or leaf blower snow, but the grass will always need to be cut. Being across the lake from you we get similar snow cycles and I've always had used blowers and been way ahead of several of my neighbors with $1500-1800 machines. Tractors with blowers on them are maintenance time heavy, take up BIG space, and are NOT the most nimble creatures. If you have to have new, I think the HD financing is the way I would go. Ariens 3rd party financing is goofey IMO. I'd much rather go local CU. Just my thoughts across the lake. Wish you well with your choice:yahoo:


----------



## SnoThro (Feb 20, 2016)

Bigger often isn't better when it comes to residential use. Smaller buckets are easier to turn, can sneak into tighter locations, and are generally better for sidewalks and walkways. 


Also for what its worth Ariens doesn't make a true compact anymore. They wanted to streamline(cheapen) production and got rid of them around 2013. The new "Compact" 24 and Deluxe 24 are dimensionally almost identical.


----------



## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

Well- You have the Compact 20.. The 24, and then the deluxe 28. You also have the Pro Path series.. for those who don't need something as big. And you have the Sno-Tek 24 

Ariens Compact 20: 
​Engine: Ariens AX 208cc
Housing: 20"w, 20"h

Ariens Compact 24: 
Engine: Ariens AX 208cc
Housing: 24"w, 20" h

Ariens Deluxe 24: 
​​​​Engine: Ariens AX 254cc
Housing: 24"w, 21" h


----------



## TSR7 (Sep 19, 2016)

Something happened to my old username... poof.... it's gone.... but HEY HEY HEY!!! My Deluxe 28" SHO will be delivered tomorrow!!!!


----------



## Cardo111 (Feb 16, 2015)

Congrats that is a nice machine, you will be very happy with it. Ariens customer support is also first rate. All the best and please post some pics once you've taken delivery.


----------



## TSR7 (Sep 19, 2016)

Cardo111 said:


> Congrats that is a nice machine, you will be very happy with it. Ariens customer support is also first rate. All the best and please post some pics once you've taken delivery.


Thanks, and will do!


----------



## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Good luck with it, TSR. I think Ariens makes a good decision by offering the SHO line up. 


May those flakes fly soon !!! Enjoy.


----------



## linksbox (Oct 20, 2016)

Congrats on your new machine.
SHO is definitely way to go. I don't see many people complaining about too big of an engine


----------



## TSR7 (Sep 19, 2016)

Thanks for all the replies - it was delivered today. I got it home, but haven't completed assembly yet. I'll have it together this weekend!


----------



## TSR7 (Sep 19, 2016)

How long would you let the engine run on a warm day in the 60's ? I'd like to get a little time on the engine before winter, but didn't know how long was "safe"


----------



## linksbox (Oct 20, 2016)

Those engines are designed to run in cold. They are also filled up with 5W-30 oil which is pretty thin.
Manual states that they are not designed to run in warm temp.

Few minutes at a time will not overheat the engine. But I would not run it for longer. Those engines do not need any special break in before you put them to work.
They are designed to finish break in process over time during regular work. I would just watch at the beginning not to overload the engine. Other than that just wait for the first snow.


----------



## TSR7 (Sep 19, 2016)

linksbox said:


> Those engines are designed to run in cold. They are also filled up with 5W-30 oil which is pretty thin.
> Manual states that they are not designed to run in warm temp.
> 
> Few minutes at a time will not overheat the engine. But I would not run it for longer. Those engines do not need any special break in before you put them to work.
> They are designed to finish break in process over time during regular work. I would just watch at the beginning not to overload the engine. Other than that just wait for the first snow.



I did start it up and let it run for under a minute. Shutdown, and then used the electric start to make sure all worked. Fired right up. 

I did notice the thin oil on the dipstick. Had almost zero color to it too... I'll swap it out for some synthetic after it gets some time on the motor.


----------

