I’ve had this beast for 12 years now and it has never failed me! In upstate NY we get about 10 feet of every kind of snow and it has always come through. I do Al, the maintenance and my only ding is access to the spark plug is way too tight and I have to remove a couple heat shields to access the plug or risk cross threading. I always run ethanol free gas and it starts on the first pull. Totally satisfied.
I have a 1979 (40 yrs old next year) Ariens 8 hp snow blower that is still going strong. Chains on the wheels make a big difference for traction. Nice machine! Thanks for posting!
Just moved from an off-grid location where we didn’t get snow. Had an Ariens 27 Ton splitter that was amazing, so I just got this Ariens snowblower to use here. Good review, thanks.
Ariens makes a great machine. Have been using mine since 2001 with no issues. I have only changed the friction disc once in the 21 years I"ve had it. The only things I do religiously is grease, change oil and drain the gas at the end of each winter season
Ive had mine for about 12 years. The differential cable just went on it. A lot of videos recommended removing the differential completely and welding the gears on the axle or just cleaning them so they made contact. I just adjusted the cable to tighten it and it was fine and worked like new.
Just bought mine and picking it up on Saturday. Watching your video makes even more excited. If its good for the east coast, it should be awesome for Wisconsin 😁💪🌨🌨
Used my two year old Deluxe 28 today on 18" somewhat heavy snow. Ariens knows how to make a snowblower. It ran flawless for two straight hours nonstop.
It's an awesome machine! I'll be using mine again this weekend. The only thing I wish was different if the chute handle. I'm a righty, so it's awkward to gas with your left hand then walk and turn the chute with you right. I wish there was a conversion kit to put the chute crank under the auger throttle handle.
Hi, I bought this machine few weeks ago, we got snow today. Though i know how to operate this, i just finished watching your video before starting the machine. Very detailed explanation. Thank you for this video. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 🎉🎉🎉
Awesome I have the exact same blower and my shoot likes to wonder and won't stay in place after watching this I now know how to solve that problem thanks man very helpful
This is a great machine, i had one for 2-3 years. My only complaint Is the the small gas tank. This snowblower is solid. I’ve gone 2-3 uses before filling. Every time if the snow is heavy. The electric start can be a god send. @idorado75 you won’t be disappointed with this snowblower. It can handle , light and heavy snow. Love this machine.
I have a 2014 model and absolutely beat the crap out of it. Never had a problem with the auto turn until today but I’m not surprised because I beat the crap out of it. The deluxe is a fine model. A great machine i would highly recommend, no need for an SHO or platinum.
This was a fantastic review. Five stars! Thank you for taking the time to make and post this. It was extremely helpful--better than the salespeople at a dealer! I've purchased one of these in a heavy snow clime and will follow up with my own thoughts come winter. Thanks again. I've subscribed and will rely on this channel for a lot of good postings.
I bought a new Craftsman snowblower in 2015. I live in Minnesota & I have not even used it more than 3 or 4 hours in 3 winters. I haven't even used it this year. I have the auto steer & I also have the electric chute control. I have a joystick to turn the spout & tip the spout. I love it
Just got one today, here in Virginia it may be a little over kill but after last year its nice to have. My last blower had those cables and joy stick and is the reason I sold it. I think I'm going to like this one.
just a note on the deflector part of the chute, they tend to bend in and actually pinch on the chute, if you just bend(slightly out ) on the deflector it will move freely again, provided the return spring and cable move freely, a great machine
Nice snowblower....congratulations. Just a couple points - there's nothing wrong with plastic chutes, for the most part. Particularly the Toro composite plastic which are excellent and designed not to break in frigid temperatures and also not clog. Regarding the gear box; yes the cast iron is nice but what's the most important are the gears inside, not the housing.In any event, darn fine snowblower.......enjoy!
The gears aren't that bad and the aluminum case okay too for the most part. What the majority of the problem comes down too is maintenance and stupidity. If people don't remove the shear pins and grease the auger shaft, then it will eventually rust and start to drag or totally lock itself to the inner auger shaft, so when the shear pin breaks there is no drop in the stress to the gearcase. The other mistake people make is using non approved shear pins or just plain old bolts. A sure recipe for disaster. Remember, remove shear pins and rotate augers when greasing to distribute the grease evenly on the shaft, especially on older aluminum gearcase models with full length inner auger shafts.
Hi James, There’s nothing that you have to do to activate that function. There is a centrifical clutch that stop one wheel to allow the machine to turn easier. Hop this helps out.
I was pretty much sold on hondas since people here in canada keep them for 20 years + (with more than 12 feet of snow a year) but I gotta say this one looks like a good one
Looks like a very nice blower but some of its controls seem cumbersome to use. I have a TroyBilt with the 357cc and yes, it has a plastic chute and fully cable-driven chute controls. All of which has lasted 9 years worth of New England winters with no problems whatsoever. I have to clear a 150 ft. gravel driveway along with two separate garages with large parking areas in front of them. Takes me about 2 hours start to finish. I love every bit of it but especially the engine, absolute beast.
please add lesson on the controls...do you start the auger moving first before the tires move, or do you start the machine moving forward and then use lever for blowing snow out. ? is there a right and wrong sequence?
I have a 4yr old 28 deluxe. I have had 2 other Ariens that lasted 20+ yrs. This unit is a beast when it works. I have a problem with the drive belt coming off and jamming the wheels which means you have to repair where it stop. Not easy if your in deep snow far from your tools. I had a spring break also. Not the quality of the older units.
You can knock the choke back one click as soon as it fires and it'll run a lot smoother. As soon as it runs rough knock the choke back one click. It's also not a bad idea to start it at idle since it has throttle control. This is all from a longevity stand point. Good video though. That's a sweet machine!
Nice machine. I'm looking at some vlogs because i'm shopping around for a snowblower. I've noticed that the Ariens have the chute rotation crank on the left side, which is normal, but in order to operate the machine with one hand you have to use your left hand, because that's the lever that locks out both the auger and the drive. Which means you have to reach with your right to operate the chute. To me, it seems counter intuitive. I would think it would've been better if the lock out lever was the right, so wouldn't have to reach across to the other side. What is your opinion? Thanks
@@HomeownerRepair I'm glad you understood what i was trying to say. I hope it's one of those things you learn to get used to. I've narrowed it down to your machine, or the Toro powermax HD. That whole reaching over with the right hand might be a deal breaker.
@@HomeownerRepair Yeah, i agree. I was even thinking of installing a little power window motor at the end of the shaft, under the cowl. I don't know, that might work.
I bought this exact same snow blower. Mine is a lemon. I'ts been repaired once for not starting but it was a big process to repair. (no cost to me) Now it is very hard to start and to keep running. The bottom of the front shoot leaves a 28" rust spot on my garage floor where it touches the floor after every use. I'm glad yours is working fine. I bought this thinking Ariens was great machine. But I was fooled, $1250 later. I'm glad I have a 5 yr. warranty. One more thing: one of the shoes that it rides on is already worn to the born, with not much use. The other is fine. And no it is not riding uneven. And another: it only will start with a full tank of gas, not half. I probably need to adjust the fuel filter hose inside the tank. But why? I paid $1250 for a machine that is suppose to be good and it's been nothing but bad. Good video thank you but bad machine.
If you have uneven wear on your skids that likely means the impeller housing was not squared up when assembled. Put the machine on a level surface, loosen off the skids, loosen off the two bolts on either side of the impeller housing. Place a 1/8" strip under the scrape blade by tipping up the machine gently. Lower the machine on the spacer and tighten the impeller bolts and skid bolts and your problem should be resolved - the auto steer will work better too!
The 2014-2016 models with the Auto-turn were difficult to drive straight on anything but flat and level pavement. Ariens did improve the design somewhere in 2017. Perhaps worth knowing for those looking for a 2nd hand unit. Side note, when the engine is hot, no need to prime it - the manual even says not to prime it. Choke on and pull the wire / starter
Agree, after many adjustment attempts, Auto-Turn is garbage. It’s a constant fight to keep it going straight on slightly uneven ground. Especially after any vehicle traffic. Ariens failed. HATE IT!
Ha! I actually came here looking for ways to turn it off! Turns out what I thought would disengage the steering is the oil drain, good thing I watched the video.
Did they fix the auto-turn problem with the 21/22 models. I had a new Toro 826 and returned it due to the machine was very twitchy . I had to make constant corrections to keep it straight. It wore me out after a few min. I was thinking about the Ariens 28 Deluxe hoping the auto-turn was better
Spark plug location is at weird angle. I have to remove 2 heat shields to access spark plug. Other than that it’s an awesome machine can’t wait for my first snow with this. I got deluxe 28. 2024 model.
I wish they kept the old locking differential system. I have a brand new 2018 deluxe 24 with the AutoTurn clutch and it sucks! I’ve adjusted as recommended by the owners manual and their RUclips video and I am still fight to keep it going straight down the driveway!! Machine is really really nice except for the AutoTurn function. I’ll try to raise the scraper bar/ lower the skid shoes a little lower, but now I think I’ll be defeating the purpose of having the scraper and will be leaving more snow on the ground. Any ideas on this issue ?
Maybe too late but the video you talka bout is unscrew the side of the auger and put it on a flat surface? Also, the poly skidshoes instead of the metal one do a big difference.
I bought a sears 28 at a garage sale for 30$ it still had the nubbins on the tires, looks like new. Electric start, can't wait to try it. I serviced it a week ago, it's noisy. if it does last I'm only out a few bucks
For this model. I am worried about the throttle control. I like to start them up and while running, I decrease or increase the throttle. For example, I start out with a low throttle, engage the auger and drive, then floor it. This saves belts from the instant slip of engaging at high revs. can one do that with this model? the throttle seems cheap looking at it.
I like Ariens products, but I don't like that you have to reach across to turn the chute. If it's on the left your free hand should be on the left as well. Oh well, small inconvenience I'm sure
I'm a righty, and It's awkward to let go of the auger control with the right hand, use the left hand for throttle, and turn the chute with the right. Throttle should be on the left like a bike..lol
You should consider doing the snowblower impeller mod that on RUclips. There's a gap between the housing and the impeller that causes wet snow to jam. You screw/bolt on pieces of rubber, plastic, or old mudflaps to close that gap. doubles the throwing distance.
Never had that problem. No chute blockage. I use the little shovel to clean the snow out of the auger and impellor before putting it to bed. Delux 24 with Autoturn. 3 years. From wind packed to pure slush.
@@MGCoin333 Agreed, if you add a rubber piece you will create drag and a load. If you pick up a stone you will score metal or possibly jam the mechanism causing damage. The impeller is a fan to blow the snow. The clearance around the fan is there for a reason. I would not recommend this hack.
I have not used it on a gravel driveway. You may have to set the bucket height so that it does not scoop up the gravel, but that's going to be with any snowblower. It does well with heavy snow, but you have to go a little slower to enable the snow to clear the chute. This again would be with any snowblower. I really enjoy using this machine.
I wouldn't leave the choke in for that long the engine was struggling whenever I start my snowblower up i turn the choke off immediately after it starts.
Great video! What kind of extension cord do you use on this? Also do you normally mix your gas with some substance for this or just plain gasoline(fuel)?
+mossboss8 my father just bought the next model up. It's s nice snowblower. I noticed that you also get less tired with this machine. My old Toro needed to be muscled around.
One problem I've had with snowblowers is the inability of the chute to remain locked either left or right in its most extreme positions. Some chutes tend to wander to the center, forcing you to keep your hand on the chute control. Would have been nice to see a demo of that.
The spark plug you need to pull on the cover on the spark plug on the side. There's some space on mine (4 years later answer lol) but I actually remove the metal grill thing and the cover as my sparkplug remover is a bit too large.
Looks like the same exact engine on the husqvarna st224. Same oil drain, same choke and controls locations. Who makes this engine? I guess it is branded to the given manufacture
I was told by many people that the quality of one bought at Home Depot is not the same quality as one purchased my a dealer . Opinions please .. thank you .
I know this is true pertaining to lawn mowers and push mowers. I think a dealer unit comes with aluminum decks instead of steel which should provide less corrosion potential and lighter weight.
Nice video bro. I am thinking about buying a snow blower and wondering about the auto turn feature. How was it and have you ever heard anything about if your driveway or side walk are a little uneven. Does the autu turn keep turning like you have to fight for it..
HomeOwnerRepair fairly big. we also have a deck and flat roof i thought about using this on, but id imagine these gas powered snow blowers are quite heavy so i may be stuck with a shovel for that aspect. my only concern is storage, wedont have a garage so rying to see whether the bigger model would be more hassle to move around you know?
You may want to use a smaller snow blower for the deck and flat roof. Check out this video I have of the SNO Joe ION electric snow blower it works great! and it has a rubber impeller so it won't ruin your deck like a big machine might. Here's a link to the SNO Joe ruclips.net/video/HkB8EJyTrRU/видео.html
randomrazr Use a snow thrower for roofs and decks. They are small,light weight and will do great for that. I knew a guy that had a flat roofed house. He kept a regular snow blower on his roof all year around. He even built a small shed on the roof to keep it in.
I have the 24". We get high winds and wind packed snow and wet snow so I thight I would get more HP to the inch that way. My paved driveway is a bit rough in places so I figured it would be less of a lever to work against if a glide shoe caught. I have used it three winters now, never a problem. I use fuel stabilzer, in a full tank, over the summer and this year it started on the first pull. The reputation of throwing the snow far is true. I am working between a 6 foot high wall/ bank and the house and the shed. It has to throw high and far. 2 car widths. Delux 24" a beaut. PS: My worst job, 2ft of settled, 3 days, wet snow. 20ft of plow berm, packed 4 ft high. 140ft of 2 car wide driveway with an 8 foot rise. Took 5.5 hours. Only one car in the driveway. Had to cut down some of the deeper snow with a shovel at the road. Concrete packed.
how does it do on 12 inches of wet snow. Ariens are notorious for riding up over the snow. You have to add at least 20 pounds of weight on the front of the machine in order for it to stay down. They even sell a kit for this reason. You think after all these years that they would fix that problem
@@HomeownerRepair must have a problem then. This is the third time we call a technician because does not start and black smoke is what we get when we try to do it. thanks any way
i just purchased same model and used for first time last week. Whenever i release the right lever so the auger stops spinning i get this "schreeching" type noise from the auger (i think). Is this common, does your's do the same?
+boostspike if you have your left hand on the throttle and let go of the auger lever while the machine is moving forward, the auger will stay engaged until you let the throttle go. This is so yo can control the chute. It's great if your a lefty, but I'm right handed and it gets confusing.
This is a great machine, i had one for 2-3 years. My only complaint Is the the small gas tank. This snowblower is solid. I’ve gone 2-3 uses before filling. Every time if the snow is heavy. The electric start can be a god send. @idorado75 you won’t be disappointed with this snowblower. It can handle , light and heavy snow. Love this machine.
An old Ariens 824 (with a Tecumseh engine) KICKS A$$ I can only imagine how wonderful your machine is. Thanks for a wonderful video, Do you know who makes the engine?
Liquid Combustion Technology (LCT) builds the "Ariens AX" engines. They are Chinese built, but US designed evidently. They bought out Tecumseh when they went under, so I'd imagine there is a lot of older Tecumseh DNA in there... hopefully not the part that makes them snap rods after a few hundred hours haha.
Thomas Gronek The older ones were made better trust me. You should always buy the commercial grade Airens,not the ones sold at Home Depot,Lowes or K Mart . Those are NOT built with heavy duty gear and drive systems. Only the commercial grade is built better.
I bought one of these new for last winter, after 2 months the friction plate went, this winter now it idles down under load all of a sudden. When it works it's great but I've never had so many issues with a new snowblower before.m Will never buy an ariens again.
@@HomeownerRepair Just my luck I guess, but the machine I have isn't worth the money I paid for it, after this winter will be trading it in for a different machine. And their warranty is garbage, covers very little
sky hodgkin I've been serving small engines and machines for over 8 years and I can say without a doubt the Ariens snowblower is far superior to any "3 stage" snowblower. I can go into the reasons why if you'd like. But suffice to say the Ariens is vastly better.
Were those paths you cleared on grass? Does it work well on grass? I have some paths I need to be able to clear on my grass as well as doing the driveway and such, just wondering if it worked well on grass.
It's 254 cc. I would opt for the 24" model rather than the 28" model. Reason being, both have 21" auger height.Both have 14" auger but the 24"width is smaller meaning the snow will throw farther. The smaller one has same size engine and clears less of the width, meaning it has less snow to throw. ") Has for hP, about 8.5
@@Romulan112 Even the 28" on 254cc throw VERY far for a such snowblower. And in very very thick snow, you can just use a smaller part of the auger and it's working fine!
Mine is 2 years old..used only 3-4 times in light snow..went to use today and it runs very sluggish!, wouldn’t throw the snow far enough...I have Trufuel gas in it..no phone number for Ariel’s...frustrated!
Unfortunately, all these later snowblowers use rubber friction discs that wear very fast, very cheap quality rubber to them - all snowblower makes, not just Ariens. My friction disc lasted 5 years and needs replaced which is not a small task. The older snowblowers made 20-30 years ago had discs with good rubber that would last many years, the market these days is using much lower rubber quality.
You open the choke as the blower warms up. Choke, as it says, closes/restricts the air going into the motor. When air is restricted and the vacuum of the motor is created it has to pull a certain amount of "something" in to fill the void. If the choke is on (restricting air intake) then the motor will begin sucking more fuel into the combustion chamber. The purpose of the choke butterfly is to suck in more fuel to keep the engine running while in it's "cold" condition. That is because simply priming the carburetor doesn't supply ample long term running fuel for the engine.
When starting mine I open the choke one notch immediately after it fires up, and then I open it all the way within a minute. It runs smoother that way. That works from 20f to 32f. I set it on fast idle before I start it and leave it there.
I got one from Home Depot. The guys who delivered it were great and took time to show me how to use it. The machine works great, throws the snow like fifty feet and it is quieter than I thought it would be. I did have problems starting it after the first year, but it is totally due to the crappy ethanol-laden gasoline. It was so frustrating until I figured out what was wrong. This is NOT Arien's fault. You MUST drain out the old gas at the end of the season or if the machine is not used for a few months. You MUST start with fresh gasoline at the start of the season. Ethanol gas absorbs condensation, and when the fuel evaporates, it leaves behind white deposits that will clog anything. The carburetor jet gets white deposits in it, clogging fuel delivery. It doesn't take much to clog any small engine carb. There are videos here on youtube showing how to fix this problem on small engines, using copper wire or a toothpick, (never use steel wire as it will damage the jet). TIP: There is a small rubber gasket sealing the carb bowl. It looks like a little rubber band and it's damn near impossible to put back correctly once you take it the bowl off the carb. This gasket is crucial for sealing the system. If there are any leaks, the primer bulb won't work. I simply put a tiny, tiny dab of gasket sealer on it and pressed it carefully in place on the bowl side, then reassembled. Worked perfectly, no muss no fuss. Also important, the bowl on my model had to be lined up a certain way, match the tangs of the carb bowl with the body of the carb. NEVER use silicone sealer with gasoline, silicone will dissolve in gas and go into your engine. Bad things will happen! Best to avoid trouble -- use gasoline without ethanol, and follow the routine of draining out the old gas and using fresh every year.
The position of those shear pins has me concerned. A properly built blower will have a hardened shaft that runs the entire length of the auger assembly, many blowers who put the shear pins there do so because they just have little nubs on the gearbox and no shaft in the augers, making those shear pins a structural part of the assembly. This often causes binding of the assembly if you hit some large debris, which in turn does not allow the pins to shear, but instead the gearbox breaks. I am an Ariens fanboy, but, if they started building them like that, I'd move to a Honda, Yamaha, or maybe even a Toro. Thankfully, I have a pretty new blower now and I don't expect to replace it anytime soon.
I've got one of these, used it a couple of times, and now the piece of shit won't start no matter what I try. Pisses me off. I don't feel like loading the 300 pound snow blower up to take it in for service. It's brand new, why should I have to!
HomeOwnerRepair I was referring to end of runs, I’ve found it’s best to clear the chute before starting a new run. Oh and I suggest adding LED’s, I added two to my Deluxe 28 one on each side of the handle and love them, next I plan on adding two more on either side of the chute. The light the LED’s put out is so much better that the stock light.
I have an Ariens compact 24 works great but the only thing I do not like is there is no Throttle control . it is built into the choke. so you have choke and then full throttle on a cold engine not good in my opinion. my old snow thrower had a choke and a throttle control so I could start the engine on choke and take it off and let the engine idle to warm up because the oil for the most part is like Tar from being cold . you would not start your car on a bitter cold morning and just hop in and put it to the floor all the way to work ?????? your engine would not last long
The throttle moves independently from the choke unless they are frozen together. I only slow mine down when I want to leave it running while doing something else. Otherwise I set high idle and full choke when I start it and back the choke off over the first minute of running, leaving the idle fast.
The tires looks horrible.... why are they not standard squarish nub tread? This is an expensive machine and you would think the tires would be better than that? It's funny because on some of the cheaper Ariens you actually get the square nubby tires compared to the round ones like this, which makes me wonder if they did this just for cost savings? When there is heavy snow those don't look like they would grip, and slip all the time.
Narrow tires grip BETTER in snow than big fat ones that spread out all the weight. But "some people" buy stuff based on looks instead of function, that's why so many machines have the big fat tires, they know most buyers are morons.
Shop For Ariens Snowblower Amazon Store: www.amazon.com/shop/homeownerrepair?listId=1EC8QQJ29C8M7
I’ve had this beast for 12 years now and it has never failed me! In upstate NY we get about 10 feet of every kind of snow and it has always come through. I do Al, the maintenance and my only ding is access to the spark plug is way too tight and I have to remove a couple heat shields to access the plug or risk cross threading. I always run ethanol free gas and it starts on the first pull. Totally satisfied.
These are nice machines!
I have the Deluxe 28 in for three seasons now starts up with no problem no rust or corrosion excellent machine highly recommended
I love mine. Great machine
I have a 1979 (40 yrs old next year) Ariens 8 hp snow blower that is still going strong. Chains on the wheels make a big difference for traction. Nice machine! Thanks for posting!
Thanks for checking out our snowblower video.
Just moved from an off-grid location where we didn’t get snow. Had an Ariens 27 Ton splitter that was amazing, so I just got this Ariens snowblower to use here. Good review, thanks.
I love this snowblower. It's awesome.
Ariens makes a great machine. Have been using mine since 2001 with no issues. I have only changed the friction disc once in the 21 years I"ve had it. The only things I do religiously is grease, change oil and drain the gas at the end of each winter season
They are a great machine. A little maintenance goes a long way.
Ive had mine for about 12 years. The differential cable just went on it. A lot of videos recommended removing the differential completely and welding the gears on the axle or just cleaning them so they made contact. I just adjusted the cable to tighten it and it was fine and worked like new.
Thanks for watching our video, hope that repair works for yah!
Just bought mine and picking it up on Saturday. Watching your video makes even more excited. If its good for the east coast, it should be awesome for Wisconsin 😁💪🌨🌨
This Ariens snowblower is made well. Thank you for checking out our snowblower review video.
Used my two year old Deluxe 28 today on 18" somewhat heavy snow. Ariens knows how to make a snowblower. It ran flawless for two straight hours nonstop.
It's an awesome machine! I'll be using mine again this weekend. The only thing I wish was different if the chute handle. I'm a righty, so it's awkward to gas with your left hand then walk and turn the chute with you right. I wish there was a conversion kit to put the chute crank under the auger throttle handle.
@@HomeownerRepair I'M righty and I turn it with my left instead, but yeah it would be better close to the throttle handle. Otherwise it's perfect!
Hi,
I bought this machine few weeks ago, we got snow today. Though i know how to operate this, i just finished watching your video before starting the machine. Very detailed explanation. Thank you for this video. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 🎉🎉🎉
Glad I could help
Awesome I have the exact same blower and my shoot likes to wonder and won't stay in place after watching this I now know how to solve that problem thanks man very helpful
Glad this helped you out
Ordered mine today from Home Depot and it will arrive tomorrow! :)
You’re going to love it....Great machine
This is a great machine, i had one for 2-3 years. My only complaint Is the the small gas tank. This snowblower is solid. I’ve gone 2-3 uses before filling. Every time if the snow is heavy. The electric start can be a god send. @idorado75 you won’t be disappointed with this snowblower. It can handle , light and heavy snow. Love this machine.
I have a 2014 model and absolutely beat the crap out of it. Never had a problem with the auto turn until today but I’m not surprised because I beat the crap out of it. The deluxe is a fine model. A great machine i would highly recommend, no need for an SHO or platinum.
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This was a fantastic review. Five stars! Thank you for taking the time to make and post this. It was extremely helpful--better than the salespeople at a dealer! I've purchased one of these in a heavy snow clime and will follow up with my own thoughts come winter. Thanks again. I've subscribed and will rely on this channel for a lot of good postings.
Thanks for checking us out James!
I bought a new Craftsman snowblower in 2015. I live in Minnesota & I have not even used it more than 3 or 4 hours in 3 winters. I haven't even used it this year. I have the auto steer & I also have the electric chute control. I have a joystick to turn the spout & tip the spout. I love it
That will all break soon
Most are MTD other than a few brands!
Thanks for checking out our snowblower video.
Just got one today, here in Virginia it may be a little over kill but after last year its nice to have. My last blower had those cables and joy stick and is the reason I sold it. I think I'm going to like this one.
+rappsks this snow blower's awesome. It's easy to use and does a great job
Great demo! I just purchased mine and was able to follow your step by step instructions. Thanks!
+LJ gordian Thanks for watching. Fired mine up yesterday!
just a note on the deflector part of the chute, they tend to bend in and actually pinch on the chute, if you just bend(slightly out ) on the deflector it will move freely again, provided the return spring and cable move freely, a great machine
Thanks for checking out our snowblower video.
Nice snowblower....congratulations. Just a couple points - there's nothing wrong with plastic chutes, for the most part. Particularly the Toro composite plastic which are excellent and designed not to break in frigid temperatures and also not clog. Regarding the gear box; yes the cast iron is nice but what's the most important are the gears inside, not the housing.In any event, darn fine snowblower.......enjoy!
+Binder Dundat It's a nice snow blower. Ariens always makes a nice machine
The gears aren't that bad and the aluminum case okay too for the most part. What the majority of the problem comes down too is maintenance and stupidity. If people don't remove the shear pins and grease the auger shaft, then it will eventually rust and start to drag or totally lock itself to the inner auger shaft, so when the shear pin breaks there is no drop in the stress to the gearcase. The other mistake people make is using non approved shear pins or just plain old bolts. A sure recipe for disaster. Remember, remove shear pins and rotate augers when greasing to distribute the grease evenly on the shaft, especially on older aluminum gearcase models with full length inner auger shafts.
@@GNX157 plastic chutes suck had one on a craftsman had to replace almost a hundred bucks
@@GNX157 I am using old bolts instead of shear pins, just cut them 50% in place where originall pins are thinned. Well, I live too far from a dealer.
HOW TO change
I didn't hear you talk about the auto turn feature unless it was very brief and I missed it.
Hi James, There’s nothing that you have to do to activate that function. There is a centrifical clutch that stop one wheel to allow the machine to turn easier. Hop this helps out.
I was pretty much sold on hondas since people here in canada keep them for 20 years + (with more than 12 feet of snow a year) but I gotta say this one looks like a good one
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My first time using an ariens, very good videos! Thanks.
+Jennifer Tran Thanks for watching
Looks like a very nice blower but some of its controls seem cumbersome to use. I have a TroyBilt with the 357cc and yes, it has a plastic chute and fully cable-driven chute controls. All of which has lasted 9 years worth of New England winters with no problems whatsoever. I have to clear a 150 ft. gravel driveway along with two separate garages with large parking areas in front of them. Takes me about 2 hours start to finish. I love every bit of it but especially the engine, absolute beast.
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Great review! Thank so much. Way better then the manual for basics.
Thanks for watching. Hope this helps you out
please add lesson on the controls...do you start the auger moving first before the tires move, or do you start the machine moving forward and then use lever for blowing snow out. ? is there a right and wrong sequence?
There's not really a right or wrong sequence, either way you will be fine.
I have a 4yr old 28 deluxe. I have had 2 other Ariens that lasted 20+ yrs. This unit is a beast when it works. I have a problem with the drive belt coming off and jamming the wheels which means you have to repair where it stop. Not easy if your in deep snow far from your tools. I had a spring break also. Not the quality of the older units.
Parts in general are not the same anymore.
You can knock the choke back one click as soon as it fires and it'll run a lot smoother. As soon as it runs rough knock the choke back one click. It's also not a bad idea to start it at idle since it has throttle control. This is all from a longevity stand point. Good video though. That's a sweet machine!
Thanks for watching
Nice machine. I'm looking at some vlogs because i'm shopping around for a snowblower. I've noticed that the Ariens have the chute rotation crank on the left side, which is normal, but in order to operate the machine with one hand you have to use your left hand, because that's the lever that locks out both the auger and the drive. Which means you have to reach with your right to operate the chute. To me, it seems counter intuitive. I would think it would've been better if the lock out lever was the right, so wouldn't have to reach across to the other side. What is your opinion? Thanks
Yeah I’m right handed and it’s a pain to gas with your left hand and use the chute control with your right hand. It’s awkward
@@HomeownerRepair I'm glad you understood what i was trying to say. I hope it's one of those things you learn to get used to. I've narrowed it down to your machine, or the Toro powermax HD. That whole reaching over with the right hand might be a deal breaker.
It kind of a pain but I love my Ariens. They should make a right hand kit to change the chute direction
@@HomeownerRepair Yeah, i agree. I was even thinking of installing a little power window motor at the end of the shaft, under the cowl. I don't know, that might work.
I bought this exact same snow blower. Mine is a lemon. I'ts been repaired once for not starting but it was a big process to repair. (no cost to me) Now it is very hard to start and to keep running. The bottom of the front shoot leaves a 28" rust spot on my garage floor where it touches the floor after every use. I'm glad yours is working fine. I bought this thinking Ariens was great machine. But I was fooled, $1250 later. I'm glad I have a 5 yr. warranty. One more thing: one of the shoes that it rides on is already worn to the born, with not much use. The other is fine. And no it is not riding uneven. And another: it only will start with a full tank of gas, not half. I probably need to adjust the fuel filter hose inside the tank. But why? I paid $1250 for a machine that is suppose to be good and it's been nothing but bad. Good video thank you but bad machine.
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Sounds like you're a sucka! Should have purchased the Toro or Cub Cadet 3x!
That's where the actions at . .
If you have uneven wear on your skids that likely means the impeller housing was not squared up when assembled. Put the machine on a level surface, loosen off the skids, loosen off the two bolts on either side of the impeller housing. Place a 1/8" strip under the scrape blade by tipping up the machine gently. Lower the machine on the spacer and tighten the impeller bolts and skid bolts and your problem should be resolved - the auto steer will work better too!
The 2014-2016 models with the Auto-turn were difficult to drive straight on anything but flat and level pavement. Ariens did improve the design somewhere in 2017. Perhaps worth knowing for those looking for a 2nd hand unit. Side note, when the engine is hot, no need to prime it - the manual even says not to prime it. Choke on and pull the wire / starter
Thanks for watching
Agree, after many adjustment attempts, Auto-Turn is garbage. It’s a constant fight to keep it going straight on slightly uneven ground. Especially after any vehicle traffic. Ariens failed. HATE IT!
Ha! I actually came here looking for ways to turn it off! Turns out what I thought would disengage the steering is the oil drain, good thing I watched the video.
@@thomaseichstaedt4988 so it there a way to adjust it or turn it down at all?
Did they fix the auto-turn problem with the 21/22 models. I had a new Toro 826 and returned it due to the machine was very twitchy . I had to make constant corrections to keep it straight. It wore me out after a few min. I was thinking about the Ariens 28 Deluxe hoping the auto-turn was better
A great review and I subscribed. Not many ppl have good review vids.
Thanks for checking out the video Matt
Spark plug location is at weird angle. I have to remove 2 heat shields to access spark plug. Other than that it’s an awesome machine can’t wait for my first snow with this. I got deluxe 28. 2024 model.
Thanks for watching this video. Have a great day!
I wish they kept the old locking differential system. I have a brand new 2018 deluxe 24 with the AutoTurn clutch and it sucks! I’ve adjusted as recommended by the owners manual and their RUclips video and I am still fight to keep it going straight down the driveway!! Machine is really really nice except for the AutoTurn function. I’ll try to raise the scraper bar/ lower the skid shoes a little lower, but now I think I’ll be defeating the purpose of having the scraper and will be leaving more snow on the ground. Any ideas on this issue ?
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Maybe too late but the video you talka bout is unscrew the side of the auger and put it on a flat surface?
Also, the poly skidshoes instead of the metal one do a big difference.
I bought a sears 28 at a garage sale for 30$ it still had the nubbins on the tires, looks like new. Electric start, can't wait to try it. I serviced it a week ago, it's noisy. if it does last I'm only out a few bucks
Sounds like a pretty good score.
LOL, I almost have a brand new ariens and I feel buying a cheap one like this just to mess with it a bit. You can't be wrong at this price!
Excellent, practical review👏👍. Thank you!
Thanks for watching Jim.
Mine doesn't have the electrical cover is that normal?
Not sure what electrical cover you may be referring to. What model Ariens snowblower do you have?
Thought there was suppose to be a cover over the electric outlet on the blower. I guess not.
@@HomeownerRepair
Hey great video. Appreciate it. Looking forward to more. Thanks.
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2:00 no banging needed to remove the wheel clips. No tools. With your fingers, bend the clip out and slide it off the axle.
Thanks for the added tip
i have one of these i bought new and it will not start after 2 years how can i make this thing run?
Same issue
Maybe see if the carburetor needs to be cleaned.
For this model. I am worried about the throttle control. I like to start them up and while running, I decrease or increase the throttle. For example, I start out with a low throttle, engage the auger and drive, then floor it. This saves belts from the instant slip of engaging at high revs. can one do that with this model? the throttle seems cheap looking at it.
The belts are designed for that lol. The throttle is perfectly fine.
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got one today picking it tommrow cant wait to try it out
matthew jordan It's an awesome snow blower Matthew. Let us know how you like it.
I works awesome everybody should get 1
I like Ariens products, but I don't like that you have to reach across to turn the chute. If it's on the left your free hand should be on the left as well. Oh well, small inconvenience I'm sure
I'm a righty, and It's awkward to let go of the auger control with the right hand, use the left hand for throttle, and turn the chute with the right. Throttle should be on the left like a bike..lol
Yeah it's stupid haha. Otherwise it's perfect.
@@HomeownerRepair you mean throttle should be on the right like a bike....
You should consider doing the snowblower impeller mod that on RUclips. There's a gap between the housing and the impeller that causes wet snow to jam. You screw/bolt on pieces of rubber, plastic, or old mudflaps to close that gap. doubles the throwing distance.
Never had that problem. No chute blockage. I use the little shovel to clean the snow out of the auger and impellor before putting it to bed. Delux 24 with Autoturn. 3 years. From wind packed to pure slush.
There's a very good reason for this space.
@@MGCoin333 Agreed, if you add a rubber piece you will create drag and a load. If you pick up a stone you will score metal or possibly jam the mechanism causing damage. The impeller is a fan to blow the snow. The clearance around the fan is there for a reason. I would not recommend this hack.
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Love areins got one this year
+ryan Corvi This ones awesome. I love it
is it easy to pull backwards manually?
It's not to bad. It does have two reverse speeds.
How does this do with hard pack snow and, none paved drive ways. Any information you have would be helpful
I have not used it on a gravel driveway. You may have to set the bucket height so that it does not scoop up the gravel, but that's going to be with any snowblower. It does well with heavy snow, but you have to go a little slower to enable the snow to clear the chute. This again would be with any snowblower. I really enjoy using this machine.
Massachusetts? I just picked up ariens 28 deluxe sho but haven't had chance to use it here in northwest CT.
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Did not show important auto turn feature. Also kept backing up why. Does this ride up in deep snow?
It stays down and digs through the snow well
I wouldn't leave the choke in for that long the engine was struggling whenever I start my snowblower up i turn the choke off immediately after it starts.
+Jake Lesniak (im a boss) That's what I typically do
+HomeOwnerRepair Nicethe machine will last for years linger that way. Great video man I really liked it. Keep up the great work!!
Is the handel heated
No heated handles on mine but they are available
8:04, What is a shear pin?
They are the bolts in the front of the auger that shear off or break if you hit a clump of ice.
HomeOwnerRepair Cool. Thanks!
You'll find out with 10 minutes of running it
@@russcarneyjr2473 Never changed the shear bolts lol. Stop snowblowing bricks and you'll be fine!
@@MGCoin333 even small branches that falls off trees are breaking these shear pins....
Great video! What kind of extension cord do you use on this? Also do you normally mix your gas with some substance for this or just plain gasoline(fuel)?
I just bought an extension cord from the hardware store it's nothing special. I usually use the pre-mixed pure gas with fuel stabilizer built in.
I wish someone would demonstrate the turning feature this thing is supposed to have.
Thanks for watching
Does the auger automatically disengage in reverse or are you doing that manually?
I think it might
you dont had grease in theb gear box you had oil great machine i just bought one last week
+mossboss8 my father just bought the next model up. It's s nice snowblower. I noticed that you also get less tired with this machine. My old Toro needed to be muscled around.
i live in new brunswick canada so we get tons of snow cant wait to try it out
One problem I've had with snowblowers is the inability of the chute to remain locked either left or right in its most extreme positions. Some chutes tend to wander to the center, forcing you to keep your hand on the chute control. Would have been nice to see a demo of that.
This one doesn’t wander it stays in place
Under black plastic housing of chute rod there's an adjustment nut on a spring. Tighten or loosen as needed.
to change the spark plug do you just remove the carb. cover?
+Randy Halvor I hope not! I haven't had to do that yet. I'll have to take a look at it
The spark plug you need to pull on the cover on the spark plug on the side. There's some space on mine (4 years later answer lol) but I actually remove the metal grill thing and the cover as my sparkplug remover is a bit too large.
Looks like the same exact engine on the husqvarna st224. Same oil drain, same choke and controls locations. Who makes this engine? I guess it is branded to the given manufacture
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I was told by many people that the quality of one bought at Home Depot is not the same quality as one purchased my a dealer . Opinions please .. thank you .
True, you can't get the pro series line. Those engines are made all in China and they are replica Briggs an Stratton motors
I know this is true pertaining to lawn mowers and push mowers. I think a dealer unit comes with aluminum decks instead of steel which should provide less corrosion potential and lighter weight.
They are chinese Ariens AX rather than the briggs and strattons. You still get a very good machine for the price. It depend of your usage!
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Nice video bro. I am thinking about buying a snow blower and wondering about the auto turn feature. How was it and have you ever heard anything about if your driveway or side walk are a little uneven. Does the autu turn keep turning like you have to fight for it..
It works off of a clutch in the gear assembly. It makes turning easier, you don't have to fight with the machine.
Great video. Very informative
Thanks for watching. It’s a great machine.
is the 24 inch model just as good?
I would imagine that it is. My father saw this one and bought a model up. How big of a driveway do you have ?
HomeOwnerRepair fairly big. we also have a deck and flat roof i thought about using this on, but id imagine these gas powered snow blowers are quite heavy so i may be stuck with a shovel for that aspect. my only concern is storage, wedont have a garage so rying to see whether the bigger model would be more hassle to move around you know?
You may want to use a smaller snow blower for the deck and flat roof. Check out this video I have of the SNO Joe ION electric snow blower it works great! and it has a rubber impeller so it won't ruin your deck like a big machine might. Here's a link to the SNO Joe ruclips.net/video/HkB8EJyTrRU/видео.html
randomrazr Use a snow thrower for roofs and decks. They are small,light weight and will do great for that. I knew a guy that had a flat roofed house. He kept a regular snow blower on his roof all year around. He even built a small shed on the roof to keep it in.
I have the 24". We get high winds and wind packed snow and wet snow so I thight I would get more HP to the inch that way. My paved driveway is a bit rough in places so I figured it would be less of a lever to work against if a glide shoe caught. I have used it three winters now, never a problem. I use fuel stabilzer, in a full tank, over the summer and this year it started on the first pull. The reputation of throwing the snow far is true. I am working between a 6 foot high wall/ bank and the house and the shed. It has to throw high and far. 2 car widths. Delux 24" a beaut. PS: My worst job, 2ft of settled, 3 days, wet snow. 20ft of plow berm, packed 4 ft high. 140ft of 2 car wide driveway with an 8 foot rise. Took 5.5 hours. Only one car in the driveway. Had to cut down some of the deeper snow with a shovel at the road. Concrete packed.
how does it do on 12 inches of wet snow. Ariens are notorious for riding up over the snow. You have to add at least 20 pounds of weight on the front of the machine in order for it to stay down. They even sell a kit for this reason. You think after all these years that they would fix that problem
I never have a problem with this. I've gone through 24" of snow no problem. The front end doesn't ride up at all.
Not true.
and what if you did that start and electrical one and doesn't start ?
This machine pull starts very easily
@@HomeownerRepair must have a problem then. This is the third time we call a technician because does not start and black smoke is what we get when we try to do it. thanks any way
Clogged engine from old fuel fo the storage?
Three words in and I'm like, "Boston guy!"
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i just purchased same model and used for first time last week. Whenever i release the right lever so the auger stops spinning i get this "schreeching" type noise from the auger (i think). Is this common, does your's do the same?
+boostspike if you have your left hand on the throttle and let go of the auger lever while the machine is moving forward, the auger will stay engaged until you let the throttle go. This is so yo can control the chute. It's great if your a lefty, but I'm right handed and it gets confusing.
Ever found the issue?
Great snowblower and color
I’ll be using mine again today. Six more inches of snow in New Hampshire ...Ugh!
how long would you estimate it take to blow off 8"-10" of snow on a 12' wide x 60' drive?
A lot faster than shoveling 😎👍
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It sure is!
On the areins I have which is ten years old I never have to use the choke I just prime it and 1 or 2 pulls and it starts…
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My Ariens runs lousy on ethanol gas. Do new machines run better?
This machine runs fine off of the new gas
These aren't built for e85, it's not hot enough spark to properly run
Use aviation fuel 100LL , problem solved !!
This is a great machine, i had one for 2-3 years. My only complaint Is the the small gas tank. This snowblower is solid. I’ve gone 2-3 uses before filling. Every time if the snow is heavy. The electric start can be a god send. @idorado75 you won’t be disappointed with this snowblower. It can handle , light and heavy snow. Love this machine.
It is an awesome snow blower. My only complaint is slow reverse speeds.
Thanks for the video
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An old Ariens 824 (with a Tecumseh engine) KICKS A$$ I can only imagine how wonderful your machine is. Thanks for a wonderful video, Do you know who makes the engine?
This new machine is awesome. I forget what it has for motor I'll have to look at it
Liquid Combustion Technology (LCT) builds the "Ariens AX" engines. They are Chinese built, but US designed evidently. They bought out Tecumseh when they went under, so I'd imagine there is a lot of older Tecumseh DNA in there... hopefully not the part that makes them snap rods after a few hundred hours haha.
Thomas Gronek The older ones were made better trust me. You should always buy the commercial grade Airens,not the ones sold at Home Depot,Lowes or K Mart . Those are NOT built with heavy duty gear and drive systems. Only the commercial grade is built better.
How many horsepower is it? I'm debating between this and the SHO model. The SHO is 11hp I believe.
Sorry just noticed this comment. The specs should be online for it.
What motor oil do you use?
This video will show you how to change the oil. I use the Ariens oil in it. Hope this helps you out. ruclips.net/video/ymWuXEEJzIY/видео.html
Amsoil 100% synthetic 5-30 oil
I use 5W-30 full synthetic Mobil1.
I bought one of these new for last winter, after 2 months the friction plate went, this winter now it idles down under load all of a sudden. When it works it's great but I've never had so many issues with a new snowblower before.m Will never buy an ariens again.
I can't see how this is possible. I'm on my 5th year with this machine and I've never had an issue with the thing.
@@HomeownerRepair Just my luck I guess, but the machine I have isn't worth the money I paid for it, after this winter will be trading it in for a different machine. And their warranty is garbage, covers very little
You open the chock as it warms up . Because the Engine needs less rich gas to air ratio.
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What fuel do you use
Usually 93 octane with fuel stabilizer.
Whats the auto turn? Great video BTW thanks
There is a clutch mechanism
This Snowblower work for multiple driveways and walkway
This snowblower will tackle pretty much anything...it's awesome
should I buy Ariens deluxe 28 or Cub Cadet 26 3 stage?
I love this Ariens snowblower. It's easy to handle and made well
Thanks I just bought the Ariens deluxe 28 on saturday!
sky hodgkin I've been serving small engines and machines for over 8 years and I can say without a doubt the Ariens snowblower is far superior to any "3 stage" snowblower. I can go into the reasons why if you'd like. But suffice to say the Ariens is vastly better.
Ben Heatherman Thanks Ben! I cant wait to for some snow now to see what my Ariens can do.
why better?
Were those paths you cleared on grass? Does it work well on grass? I have some paths I need to be able to clear on my grass as well as doing the driveway and such, just wondering if it worked well on grass.
+jca203 it worked fine on my frozen lawn. The kids like me to snowblow a hill to play on.
+HomeOwnerRepair That's great. Thanks!
What's the horsepower on that motor I know it's 12 pounds of torque but I want to know the horsepower
It's 254 cc. I would opt for the 24" model rather than the 28" model. Reason being, both have 21" auger height.Both have 14" auger but the 24"width is smaller meaning the snow will throw farther. The smaller one has same size engine and clears less of the width, meaning it has less snow to throw. ") Has for hP, about 8.5
@@Romulan112 Even the 28" on 254cc throw VERY far for a such snowblower. And in very very thick snow, you can just use a smaller part of the auger and it's working fine!
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Mine is 2 years old..used only 3-4 times in light snow..went to use today and it runs very sluggish!, wouldn’t throw the snow far enough...I have Trufuel gas in it..no phone number for Ariel’s...frustrated!
Never had an issue with mine. I love this snowblower
Thank you! 👍🏻
No problem. Thanks for watching
You didnt mention how the steering works
It's nothing special, it almost acts like a limited slip rear end. One wheel stops as you turn the machine.
Unfortunately, all these later snowblowers use rubber friction discs that wear very fast, very cheap quality rubber to them - all snowblower makes, not just Ariens. My friction disc lasted 5 years and needs replaced which is not a small task. The older snowblowers made 20-30 years ago had discs with good rubber that would last many years, the market these days is using much lower rubber quality.
Yeah...I hear what you are saying. They need to be service typically around the 5 year mark, depending on how much the snowblower was used.
Along with the controls being backwards, the light shines in your eyes at night!
The rubber ring broke the first time I used it. In Maine, on a Sunday. Superglued the chunk and it lasted the whole winter! :-)
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The gearbox holds a synthetic oil you don't add grease to it. I think it's good for life.
Ariens wants you to change it every 25 hours.
That is the engine oil, 25 hours. The gearbox is unlimited unless it shows it is leaking.
@@Alyn4220 The 25 hours is the verification, or the first 25 hours for the first oil change.
Gearbox oil is illimited unless leak!
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Did a great job with this review and then at the end of the video you didn't show how the controls operate
Sorry, thanks for the feedback.
what is a 12.5 means?
bout equivalat to a older 9-10hp around there
12.5 = the amount of torque which is different than hp (horse power)
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The 254cc engine is 12.5 ft pounds at 3040 rpm about 7.25 horse power@@HomeownerRepair
You open the choke while running not close.
You need to start to
close it as the snowblower warms up
You open the choke as the blower warms up. Choke, as it says, closes/restricts the air going into the motor. When air is restricted and the vacuum of the motor is created it has to pull a certain amount of "something" in to fill the void. If the choke is on (restricting air intake) then the motor will begin sucking more fuel into the combustion chamber.
The purpose of the choke butterfly is to suck in more fuel to keep the engine running while in it's "cold" condition. That is because simply priming the carburetor doesn't supply ample long term running fuel for the engine.
When starting mine I open the choke one notch immediately after it fires up, and then I open it all the way within a minute. It runs smoother that way. That works from 20f to 32f. I set it on fast idle before I start it and leave it there.
Yes having the choke on makes the engine pull too much fuel and it will bog down. Opening it a little immediately after you get it running will help
No, you open it as it warms up. Closed is the starting position
What does 12.5 engine means ?
It’s 12.5 HP
Impossible. I know that 249cc is almost 8 hp. It must means the torque..
@@HomeownerRepair it means 12.5 ft-lbs of torque
i agree. Here is a HP/cc calculator www3.telus.net/findNchoose/engine_cc_to_hp_calculator.html
Bought one at Home Depot 2 years ago. I have had nothing but problems with this thing, from day one...a $1,000 brick.
+jmmuench I purchased mine from Turf Depot. It's been a great machine
+HomeOwnerRepair I guess ...don't buy from home depot.
WHy?
I got one from Home Depot. The guys who delivered it were great and took time to show me how to use it. The machine works great, throws the snow like fifty feet and it is quieter than I thought it would be. I did have problems starting it after the first year, but it is totally due to the crappy ethanol-laden gasoline. It was so frustrating until I figured out what was wrong.
This is NOT Arien's fault. You MUST drain out the old gas at the end of the season or if the machine is not used for a few months. You MUST start with fresh gasoline at the start of the season. Ethanol gas absorbs condensation, and when the fuel evaporates, it leaves behind white deposits that will clog anything. The carburetor jet gets white deposits in it, clogging fuel delivery. It doesn't take much to clog any small engine carb. There are videos here on youtube showing how to fix this problem on small engines, using copper wire or a toothpick, (never use steel wire as it will damage the jet).
TIP: There is a small rubber gasket sealing the carb bowl. It looks like a little rubber band and it's damn near impossible to put back correctly once you take it the bowl off the carb.
This gasket is crucial for sealing the system. If there are any leaks, the primer bulb won't work. I simply put a tiny, tiny dab of gasket sealer on it and pressed it carefully in place on the bowl side, then reassembled. Worked perfectly, no muss no fuss. Also important, the bowl on my model had to be lined up a certain way, match the tangs of the carb bowl with the body of the carb.
NEVER use silicone sealer with gasoline, silicone will dissolve in gas and go into your engine. Bad things will happen!
Best to avoid trouble -- use gasoline without ethanol, and follow the routine of draining out the old gas and using fresh every year.
Use STA-BIL in your gas you will never have a problem, but I think it is a good idea to get all the gas out anyway if it is going to sit.
The position of those shear pins has me concerned. A properly built blower will have a hardened shaft that runs the entire length of the auger assembly, many blowers who put the shear pins there do so because they just have little nubs on the gearbox and no shaft in the augers, making those shear pins a structural part of the assembly. This often causes binding of the assembly if you hit some large debris, which in turn does not allow the pins to shear, but instead the gearbox breaks. I am an Ariens fanboy, but, if they started building them like that, I'd move to a Honda, Yamaha, or maybe even a Toro. Thankfully, I have a pretty new blower now and I don't expect to replace it anytime soon.
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I've got one of these, used it a couple of times, and now the piece of shit won't start no matter what I try. Pisses me off. I don't feel like loading the 300 pound snow blower up to take it in for service. It's brand new, why should I have to!
Probably you not the Ariens bud lmao
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Wish I could get this engine on a 24 inch
As far as I know it's the same engine on the 24" and 28" machine.
It is the same engine on the Deluxe 24. Which actually will seem more powerful, as it is taking in a smaller amount of snow.
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Empty your hopper out at the end of the run, meaning sit there for a couple seconds with the impellers engaged.
I usually do that before putting it away
HomeOwnerRepair I was referring to end of runs, I’ve found it’s best to clear the chute before starting a new run. Oh and I suggest adding LED’s, I added two to my Deluxe 28 one on each side of the handle and love them, next I plan on adding two more on either side of the chute. The light the LED’s put out is so much better that the stock light.
I have an Ariens compact 24 works great but the only thing I do not like is there is no Throttle control . it is built into the choke. so you have choke and then full throttle on a cold engine not good in my opinion. my old snow thrower had a choke and a throttle control so I could start the engine on choke and take it off and let the engine idle to warm up because the oil for the most part is like Tar from being cold . you would not start your car on a bitter cold morning and just hop in and put it to the floor all the way to work ?????? your engine would not last long
The throttle moves independently from the choke unless they are frozen together. I only slow mine down when I want to leave it running while doing something else. Otherwise I set high idle and full choke when I start it and back the choke off over the first minute of running, leaving the idle fast.
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The tires looks horrible.... why are they not standard squarish nub tread? This is an expensive machine and you would think the tires would be better than that? It's funny because on some of the cheaper Ariens you actually get the square nubby tires compared to the round ones like this, which makes me wonder if they did this just for cost savings? When there is heavy snow those don't look like they would grip, and slip all the time.
+NewShockerGuy The tires work fine. I've moved quite a bit of snow with this machine
The newer models have the more aggressive heavy lugged tread design.
I noticed the tires also. My old Murray 5hp has the aggressive square nobs and a much flatter tire.
This shape of tire is better in the snow than wider tires.
Narrow tires grip BETTER in snow than big fat ones that spread out all the weight. But "some people" buy stuff based on looks instead of function, that's why so many machines have the big fat tires, they know most buyers are morons.