1st snow blower

[Red]

Last weekend I closed on a new home and I'm now in the market for my 1st snow blower. My driveway is only about 25'x60' plus the side walks.  I have my eye on the aries deluxe 28 does anyone have any experience with this model?

 

[G-Man]

2 hours ago, Red said:

Last weekend I closed on a new home and I'm now in the market for my 1st snow blower. My driveway is only about 25'x60' plus the side walks.  I have my eye on the aries deluxe 28 does anyone have any experience with this model?

 

You have kids..a shovel for each...lol

[slayer]

dont buy one at a big box store. spend your money at a dealer. 

[Nytracker]

Don't know anything about ariens  snow blower. I bought a poulan 9 hp  28 or 30 inch cut in 94. Electric start . It's been a great  machine. Change the oil every year. Non ethanol  gas. I chose this because it had the biggest infeed throat. It walks right through snow drifts chews through snowplow banks. And tosses even heavy  wet snow  across  a double wide driveway.  It's the only snow blower I have owned. I have used yard machine and an old arens they work but nothing like my poulan. Other than change the oil,gas,soft tire , shear pins , I  had to change a drive belt.

When I started looking for a snowblower  gramps told me  doesn't matter how big a cut it takes or how big the engine, if it can't move the volume  through it its useless.  Most notable is when the snow gets taller than the machine.

I have a kubota 2670 with fel now ..It only gets used  when the snow gets over a foot   anything  less the poulan gets the nod. 

[The_Real_TCIII]

I have a Toro snow thrower and I love it. We havent had snow it couldn’t handle in years, I don’t see the need for the beasts that take up a lot of space. Being in Clarence we don’t get the 20+” dumpings very often


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[turkeyfeathers]

Another nod for Toro. 8x24” here.  Have had it for many years.  Don’t know anything about other manufacturers 

[moog5050]

Up until a few years ago I was using an Ariens that my father used when I was born.   It ran forever.    Sold it but should have kept it.  Great machine 

[wooly]

Running the 30" Ariens here as well. She chews through lake effect snow like it's cotton candy.

Electric start took a dump but she starts on the first pull every time.

[Nomad]

My Ariens is a 1,975 model .......

Friend just put on new belts,bearing , muffler , worked on carb, and added rubber ends to the impeller ( really adds distance to the throw ) . $150. Good for another  40 some years .

I do driveway ,in front of mail box,around fire hydrant, patio, front walk and a couple neighbors driveways at times . 

One of the true, “ they don’t make them like they used to.”

If I ever need to replace it I’d buy Ariens again . 

[BizCT]

I have the Ariens compact 24. I love it. Anything up to 16” I just do it one shot




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[Lawdwaz]

I’m in need of a new one also....it’ll probably be an Ariens.   We use one at work and it’s very capable. 

[jperch]

I have the Ariens 32" DLE model, and a large double wide driveway.  It's a great machine, much better than the previous John Deere blower I had.  (I am pretty sure the JD blower was really made by MTD.)  The Ariens blower has two belts that drive the auger, I have not had to change them yet.  Changing belts on the JD was an every other year project, a real PIA.  The Ariens starts easily, runs well, performs great.  Here is a nice trick I have learned.  With wet heavy snow spray some Pam on the inside of the chute, this increases performance.  No dealer close by for me, I bought mine online from Snowblowers Direct.

jperch

[tommyc50]

old school but this is mine but I live in the city so its not as bad as you guys

[halfnelson]

I have the 28"Ariens and have a pretty long driveway.  It's the best!  Goes thru a foot of snow like nothing.

[landtracdeerhunter]

2 hours ago, slayer said:

dont buy one at a big box store. spend your money at a dealer. 

I don't know about the other brands, but Toro  2 stage snow blowers are the same exact snow blower in HD, the dealers are selling.  In fact, if you chose  delivery from a box store, a Toro dealer will delivering it to you.

[Dom]

I got lucky at a farm auction this past year and purchased a wheel horse with all attachments for 500 its from the early 60's and works great has a 42 inch snow thrower snow plow york rake mower deck and a wagon.Yup I like the old equipment better and can be fixed with just a few tools

[Jeremy K]

I have the ariens compact and hate it . It doesnt cut to the ground in heavy snow , it rides on top of the snow until it finds a comfortable amount of snow to go through. I should have kept my 1980 john deere . Im gonna try chains and weight on the front to see if that help.

[Steve D]

8 hours ago, Red said:

Last weekend I closed on a new home and I'm now in the market for my 1st snow blower. My driveway is only about 25'x60' plus the side walks.  I have my eye on the aries deluxe 28 does anyone have any experience with this model? 

 

I have one that is 20 years old and it has been very dependable. Love the heated hand grips. They sure make a difference. It has always handled anything I threw at it. I just upgrade to the 30" sho last year and it performs just as good as the old one and will throw the snow a lot farther. The new steering system is the cats meow. Ariens is the only one I will ever buy unless I hit lotto and purchase a rider with a front mounted blower. 

Here is an example of what my 10/28  accomplished in 2017. My driveway is a 100' long and I do the sidewalks etc. The snow is over 5 feet.

 

 

 

 

[grampy]

Don't know anyone who owns an Ariens, who wishes they didn't. 

Great machines. Buy once, cry once.

[wildcat junkie]

9 hours ago, Red said:

Last weekend I closed on a new home and I'm now in the market for my 1st snow blower. My driveway is only about 25'x60' plus the side walks.  I have my eye on the aries deluxe 28 does anyone have any experience with this model?

 

Airens is one if the best brands sold in big box store. Stay away from MTD and their clones. (Cub Cadet, Troy Bilt, Yard Machine, Toro)

 

Make sure you get a model with "power steering" which consists of clutches for each drive wheel. Even when moving it around in the garage when not under power is much much easier when you can disengage the drive wheels.

Edited December 24, 2018 by wildcat junkie

[Bionic]

I have an Ariens Compact 24 as well, scooped it up new on sale when I bought my home in 2011.  I do not sugar coat reviews, this  machine has been very good to me, I do not live up in the lake effect regions, but down in the Catskills in hilly high-ish elevation.  I work for a municipality so I do not get home until hours after snow fall ends.  Driveway is 300’ and I truly have not had an issue where I could not clear my driveway.  Next time around, I would go wider, and taller, but like I said I do not, and have never regretted it.  We have Honda on tacks at work, and dad has an old old craftsman 8hp, he has an MTD too, they are all decent really for this area of NY.  Once you get your first pass done, keep nibbling away if need be.  However, buy once, and be done with it, they will last a long long time.

Edited December 24, 2018 by Bionic

[moog5050]

My next snowblower (and my yard man stinks by comparison to ariens will be a plow on the ATV.  Seems like a fun way to move snow 

[Moho81]

Plow on the wheeler is ok. Keep in mind you need a spot to stack snow. It may not be an issue for your area but I’m in lake effect country and you can run out of room fast. Also I’d go for the manual lift versus using the winch as it’s faster to go up and down.


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[Steve D]

44 minutes ago, moog5050 said:

My next snowblower (and my yard man stinks by comparison to ariens will be a plow on the ATV.  Seems like a fun way to move snow 

I do both. I have pushed a lot of snow with the four wheeler but as noted by Moho81 once you run out of room  or the piles get frozen there is nowhere to push it any further. Plus if the snow is heavy a blower will move it a lot better than a four wheeler but a four wheeler can be faster.

[Daveboone]

Ariens owns the snowblower show...that is what they originally made, and are the standard. The first one I had was over 20 years old, still ran, but was in rough shape. I was given the next couple (off brand) which were allright, but when I went to buy a new one I went online for the reviews. Husqvarna tools I have always loved, but their snow blowers were rated quite low (from multiple sources, stores, amazon shoppers, etc). ARiens consistently had very high satisfaction. 

I agree, pay a few bucks more from a dealer. They will service it and take care of any problems you have.