# Advice needed for a new snowblower



## Iceman51 (Nov 27, 2017)

I currently have a craftsman 26'' that's about 3 years old. It's the 206cc model and since we moved to the new house with a bigger driveway, I saw that it struggled back up north with even regular snow.


My neighbor has an Ariens 24 SHO and that thing is a beast and he bailed me out couple of times with no effort. I was amazed at the machine since his is a 369cc.


So I will be putting my craftsman on craigslist for about $450 since it's a terrific shape and used it only 2 years, it looks new, so I should have no problem getting $450.


I'm looking at either the Ariens SHO 24 (369cc) or the SHO 30 (414cc). Price difference is about $300.


My driveway is about 50 ft long and 25ft wide and we do get some serious up here in the Northeast. Any advice on which one I should go for?


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## vinnycom (Nov 6, 2017)

for ur size driveway, small bucket w/big motor


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## Iceman51 (Nov 27, 2017)

vinnycom said:


> for ur size driveway, small bucket w/big motor


As in the Platinum 24 SHO with 369cc? or the deluxe 28 SHO?


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## vinnycom (Nov 6, 2017)

Iceman51 said:


> As in the Platinum 24 SHO with 369cc? or the deluxe 28 SHO?


u stated 30 sho in op.
u seem to have a 4 car drive.
i think maybe underpwered 30"@414cc imho
24"@369cc is better, more torgue for the 24 and shouldnt bog down too easily at eod
best would be one that is 24"@414cc if u could find one idk


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## Iceman51 (Nov 27, 2017)

vinnycom said:


> u stated 30 sho in op.
> u seem to have a 4 car drive.
> i think maybe underpwered 30"@414cc imho
> 24"@369cc is better, more torgue for the 24 and shouldnt bog down too easily at eod
> best would be one that is 24"@414cc if u could find one idk


I'm confused, are you saying that the 30'' 414cc would be underpowered but the 24" 369cc would be better?


My driveway can fit about 6 cars (2 side by side)


I don't see the 24" 414 anywhere.


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## vinnycom (Nov 6, 2017)

Iceman51 said:


> I'm confused, are you saying that the 30'' 414cc would be underpowered but the 24" 369cc would be better?
> .


yes, the more snow the machine can handle a bigger motor is needed.
engine size between the two is not as great as the size of machine, if the 30 had a bigger motor than maybe but for ur size drive 24 is easy to maneuver and store.
my thinking is smaller dimension w/bigger motor will clear/throw snow more quickly, imo


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

the 32 inch and 36 ariens pros have had as small as 342cc on them i have the tech ohv 358cc on a 32 wide i had a 358c on a 24 as well the 32 blows it away its silly to say a 30 inch with the 414cc is under powered the 30 inch with and impeller kit will go through anything my 8 hp 24 with the impeller kit will out throw a 13 hp without it my 32 with the impeller kit is insane 414 is around 20 ft lbs of torq the 369 is around 17 the 414cc blows it away


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Iceman, welcome aboard. Personally, I'd fly with the 24" SHO machine. That would be fine and a bit easier to store off-season.


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## Paulie139 (Sep 25, 2017)

To try and clarify, I believe vinnycom is looking at the engine size to bucket size ratio, which I'd agree with. 

A 24" bucket with a 369cc engine may perform more efficiently than a 30" bucket with a 414cc engine. It wouldn't be a huge difference, granted, - the Platinum SHO 30' would move more snow but it will also work a little harder to do it. 

So when you take the size of your driveway into consideration, the Platinum SHO 24" might be a better choice.

Ariens doesn't make a 24" bucket with a 414cc engine - that WOULD be a beast!


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## Iceman51 (Nov 27, 2017)

1132le said:


> the 32 inch and 36 ariens pros have had as small as 342cc on them i have the tech ohv 358cc on a 32 wide i had a 358c on a 24 as well the 32 blows it away its silly to say a 30 inch with the 414cc is under powered the 30 inch with and impeller kit will go through anything my 8 hp 24 with the impeller kit will out throw a 13 hp without it my 32 with the impeller kit is insane 414 is around 20 ft lbs of torq the 369 is around 17 the 414cc blows it away


So you don't agree that the 30" 414cc is underpowered?


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

i have a 208cc, 28" ariens snotek.......it is underpowered but does the job ! 414cc on 30" is in no way underpowered.


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## vinnycom (Nov 6, 2017)

i stated that the larger motor would be underpowered compared to the 24/369, not that by itself that it would be unperpowered.
which would have more power
24"@369cc or 30"@414cc?
now if someone made a [email protected] then hands down that would be ideal for his drive and most others too.
i would always buy a bigger motor versus a bigger bucket, imho

i still think the 24 is the better deal, its cheaper, easier to move and store. plus his neighbor confirms it was plenty enough compared to his current 208cc which might be fine for a single stage but not for a 2 stage, imho..


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## DriverRider (Nov 20, 2016)

Iceman51 said:


> So you don't agree that the 30" 414cc is underpowered?


How could it be, for years the big 32 and 38" sidewalk machines performed well with less. 420cc is as big as they get.


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

vinnycom said:


> i stated that the larger motor would be underpowered compared to the 24/369, not that by itself that it would be unperpowered.
> which would have more power
> 24"@369cc or 30"@414cc?
> now if someone made a [email protected] then hands down that would be ideal for his drive and most others too.
> ...


i fully agree......if i was purchasing.......the 24" would be coming home with me.


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## Paulie139 (Sep 25, 2017)

vinnycom said:


> i stated that the larger motor would be underpowered compared to the 24/369, not that by itself that it would be unperpowered.
> which would have more power 24"@369cc or 30"@414cc?
> now if someone made a [email protected] then hands down that would be ideal for his drive and most others too.
> i would always buy a bigger motor versus a bigger bucket, imho
> ...





nwcove said:


> i fully agree......if i was purchasing.......the 24" would be coming home with me.


Agreed 100% as well.


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## Iceman51 (Nov 27, 2017)

What about the deluxe 30'' with 306cc at lowes? Any good? I can get it for about $1299.


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

ive had the higher hp to bucket ratio it made zero difference the bigger 414cc has more torq then most 32 or 36s pro came with untill the 420cc motor came out and all those will smoke a 24 with the369
if you put a 30 inch with a 414 cc vs a 24 with 369 cc the 30 will run circles around it
if you are buying 1 time you get the bigger motor imo for only 300 more its a 20 yr investment its 15 bucks a yr for the bigger motor
end of driveway likes big torq the motor with 20 ft lbs laughs at it vs 17 ft lbs


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

vinnycom said:


> i stated that the larger motor would be underpowered compared to the 24/369, not that by itself that it would be unperpowered.
> which would have more power
> 24"@369cc or 30"@414cc?
> now if someone made a [email protected] then hands down that would be ideal for his drive and most others too.
> ...



208 cc 254 cc 306 cc are not enough to blow snow right they struggle on the end of driveway which puts a strain on the machine you get the biggest motor you can and the bucket size of your choice
you can get a 30 inch and take a 25 inch cut with the 414 cc buying1time if you have the room you buy the bigger blower with 414 cc imo


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## Iceman51 (Nov 27, 2017)

Is it true that the ariens you buy at home depot or lowes despite being the same model are not made as strong as the one you would buy at a tractor store?


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## Paulie139 (Sep 25, 2017)

Iceman51 said:


> Is it true that the ariens you buy at home depot or lowes despite being the same model are not made as strong as the one you would buy at a tractor store?


It's the same product from Ariens. Any difference there might - and I stress, might - be, is in the assembly which is done at the applicable store/dealer. 

The big box store vs dealer vs online purchase is a whole different debate but the product is exactly the same, to answer your question.


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

Iceman51 said:


> Is it true that the ariens you buy at home depot or lowes despite being the same model are not made as strong as the one you would buy at a tractor store?[/QUOTE
> 
> No thats a bunch of bs the blowers are the same however the machine needs to be set up right its not really hard to do
> that is what the dealers will tell you we set it up right vs the big box stores
> i woudnt even trust the stealership id would go over it myself and check everything anyway


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## celltech (Nov 8, 2013)

Iceman51 said:


> Is it true that the ariens you buy at home depot or lowes despite being the same model are not made as strong as the one you would buy at a tractor store?


No they are having exactly the same. I bought mine from the local Ariens dealer because I like supporting the small locally owned shops.


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## Paulie139 (Sep 25, 2017)

celltech said:


> No they are having exactly the same. I bought mine from the local Ariens dealer because I like supporting the small locally owned shops.


I bought from a dealer for the same reason AND the fact that they came in considerably cheaper than online stores.


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## Iceman51 (Nov 27, 2017)

Paulie139 said:


> It's the same product from Ariens. Any difference there might - and I stress, might - be, is in the assembly which is done at the applicable store/dealer.
> 
> The big box store vs dealer vs online purchase is a whole different debate but the product is exactly the same, to answer your question.


The sales guy at the tractor store kept saying how the deluxe 30 that he carries is made much better than the deluxe 30 at lowes. I get a military discount at lowes of 10% so that 30" deluxe would be in the mid $1200. But the tractor center guy insisted that his deluxe is much better and that the components are different because Ariens makes it for lowes and uses cheap parts.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Ariens-Deluxe-30-30-in-Two-stage-Push-button-Electric-Start-Self-propelled-Gas-Snow-Blower-with-Heated-Handles-and-Headlight/1000102383


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## vinnycom (Nov 6, 2017)

Iceman51 said:


> The sales guy at the tractor store kept saying how the deluxe 30 that he carries is made much better than the deluxe 30 at lowes. I get a military discount at lowes of 10% so that 30" deluxe would be in the mid $1200. But the tractor center guy insisted that his deluxe is much better and that the components are different because Ariens makes it for lowes and uses cheap parts.


gotta luv salesmen


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## Paulie139 (Sep 25, 2017)

Iceman51 said:


> The sales guy at the tractor store kept saying how the deluxe 30 that he carries is made much better than the deluxe 30 at lowes. I get a military discount at lowes of 10% so that 30" deluxe would be in the mid $1200. But the tractor center guy insisted that his deluxe is much better.


It's the same exact model - guaranteed. If you can get it for cheaper from someplace else and go over it yourself to be sure it's set up correctly (as 1132le said, it's easy to do), that's the wiser move.

And thank you for your service, BTW.


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## Iceman51 (Nov 27, 2017)

Paulie139 said:


> It's the same exact model - guaranteed. If you can get it for cheaper from someplace else and go over it yourself to be sure it's set up correctly (as 1132le said, it's easy to do), that's the wiser move.
> 
> And thank you for your service, BTW.


It's a privilege 

I initially went to lowes to get the deluxe 30 at 306cc then my neighbor told me about his 24 platinum with 369cc and we have the same kind of driveway. I saw my 26 craftsman struggle when he just did the end of the driveway for me like nothing. 

Then i went to the tractor store and saw the platinum 24 and 30, big engines. So im torn right now. I can get the deluxe with 10% off or get the platinum with no discount.


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

Iceman51 said:


> The sales guy at the tractor store kept saying how the deluxe 30 that he carries is made much better than the deluxe 30 at lowes. I get a military discount at lowes of 10% so that 30" deluxe would be in the mid $1200. But the tractor center guy insisted that his deluxe is much better and that the components are different because Ariens makes it for lowes and uses cheap parts.
> 
> https://www.lowes.com/pd/Ariens-Del...-with-Heated-Handles-and-Headlight/1000102383


Thats why its called a stealership he is lying to you why anybody would buy something from someone who lies to them is beyond me

306 cc is 9.2 hp 15 ft lbs is at 3000 rpm give or take so maybe 13.5 x3600 rpm 13.5x3600=48600 div by 5252= 9.29 hp
369 cc is 10.62 hp 17 ft lbs maybe 15.5 ft at 3600 rpm 15.5x3600=55800 div by 5252= 10.62 hp
414 cc is 12.33hp 20 ft lbs maybe 18 ft lbs at 3600 18 x 3600= 12.33 hp

they shoudnt even sell 2 stage blowers with less then a 369cc engine if you live north of virgina or anywhere that gets alot of snow
but thats up to the buyer to know that


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

Iceman51 said:


> It's a privilege
> 
> I initially went to lowes to get the deluxe 30 at 306cc then my neighbor told me about his 24 platinum with 369cc and we have the same kind of driveway. I saw my 26 craftsman struggle when he just did the end of the driveway for me like nothing.
> 
> Then i went to the tractor store and saw the platinum 24 and 30, big engines. So im torn right now. I can get the deluxe with 10% off or get the platinum with no discount.


369 cc on the 24 is better then the 306 on 30 inch get the big motor with the 30or get the 24 if you get the 30 with 306 and put the impeller kit on it you will be fine 95%of the time the end of driveway needs more 306cc imo


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## Paulie139 (Sep 25, 2017)

Iceman51 said:


> It's a privilege
> 
> I initially went to lowes to get the deluxe 30 at 306cc then my neighbor told me about his 24 platinum with 369cc and we have the same kind of driveway. I saw my 26 craftsman struggle when he just did the end of the driveway for me like nothing.
> 
> Then i went to the tractor store and saw the platinum 24 and 30, big engines. So im torn right now. I can get the deluxe with 10% off or get the platinum with no discount.


Both are excellent machines so you can't make the "wrong" choice here but I'd avoid the tractor store - they're either ignorant or being dishonest. My guess is a combination of both.


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

Iceman51 said:


> It's a privilege
> 
> I initially went to lowes to get the deluxe 30 at 306cc then my neighbor told me about his 24 platinum with 369cc and we have the same kind of driveway. I saw my 26 craftsman struggle when he just did the end of the driveway for me like nothing.
> 
> Then i went to the tractor store and saw the platinum 24 and 30, big engines. So im torn right now. I can get the deluxe with 10% off or get the platinum with no discount.


read what it say on paulies139 page

its better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it

Id imagine being in the military you have heard that a time or 2


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## Paulie139 (Sep 25, 2017)

1132le said:


> read what it say on paulies139 page
> 
> its better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it
> 
> Id imagine being in the military you have heard that a time or 2


Boy, you got THAT right!


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

Paulie139 said:


> Boy, you got THAT right!


I had that as a bumper sticker back in the day on my 70 duster 340 on the back window next to my NOS sticker


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## Iceman51 (Nov 27, 2017)

I think the decision has been made. Platinum 30" it is. Thank you all.


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## barney (Nov 21, 2017)

nwcove said:


> *i have a 208cc, 28" ariens snotek.......it is underpowered but does the job ! * 414cc on 30" is in no way underpowered.


*I definitely like reading statements like this. *:smile2:

When I read the plentiful 'big engine' posts I wonder if my 252cc 26 inch Toro will be up to the task.

I see you're in Nova Scotia so probably the same type/amount of snow I get on the Avalon here in NL.


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## vinnycom (Nov 6, 2017)

the bigger the engine the better, bucket size only comes to play in how big an area u have to do.
problem is sometime the makers of said snowblowers make the smaller bucket weaker and/or cheaper by using thinner metal for bucket and auger/impeller, weaker auger gears and bearings, smaller diameter auger shaft etc.

i have an 80's craftsman/murray 28/10, it weighs a ton and yes its hard to move around on dry pavement especially in the locked wheel mode, havent tried it in snow yet. but i was at home depot and cant believe the lightness to even the big machines getting made now and i see why they have weight kits to make them heavier


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

barney said:


> *I definitely like reading statements like this. *:smile2:
> 
> When I read the plentiful 'big engine' posts I wonder if my 252cc 26 inch Toro will be up to the task.
> 
> I see you're in Nova Scotia so probably the same type/amount of snow I get on the Avalon here in NL.


252 on 26 will be fine ! it may labour in deep heavy stuff on the first pass......after that first pass all you need to do is take smaller cuts , basically find the happy spot for the machine, it may be 3/4 of the bucket, or 1/2 the bucket in heavy wet stuff. 20 cm of cold snow isnt a problem for my 28/208 .


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