New snowblower

Go look at Toro PowerMax blowers. Their thinking is a bit different than Ariens but the blowers are phenomenal. I'm not sure which engine is going to be on them this year (last year was the Briggs) but their blower design is THE most user friendly I've run yet. The composite parts and unique impeller housing shape on that machine really help keep the machine from clogging in the nasty wet slop we call snow here in the Northeast. Wet snow sticks to metal!

Ariens builds bullet-proof machines and that's the focus on their professional units, durability. They perform great but keep in mind their will be some maintenance in keeping the chute smooth and rust free.

Not sure if your driveway is gravel, but could that be a factor with the plastic parts.
My wife actually was able to blow out the driveway a couple years ago after I had a knee worked on, and that was a 24" Ariens with a locked differential.
I'm sure they're crappier than they used to be, but the Ariens at the HD are amazingly cheap - they had two models, one better than the other.
For ease of use, the differential that you can lock and unlock with the flip of a lever would probably be best for the turns, especially on a larger unit.
Don't forget also, the larger snowblower takes up more room in the garage. That's what I tell myself after making multiple passes on my driveway.

When I was looking for snowblowers, the dealer I went to sold Ariens, Husqvarna and Simplicity. I was looking at the Ariens but they steered me towards the husky and simplicity. They said they thange the models almost every year on the ariens so the bugs don't ever get worked out from one year to the next. I went with the simplicity over husqvarna as it has heavier gauge steel and there are a couple more serviceable parts to it than the husky. I'm happy with the Simplicity.

I have a several years old Ariens 824. I'm unimpressed with the drive mechanism. It always seems to slip when I really need to push thru some heavy stuff. Yes, I've cleaned the flywheel plate and adjusted the tension on the drive donut wheel.

Luckily, I also have a 42" snowblower I use for the driveway, so the Ariens 824 only has to do walks and patios.

My vote goes to the "real" John Deere's. I used the 11 hp at the school for 6 years. That thing moved a lot of snow with very few issues.

We have the JD 826, the best snowblower I've walked behind.

zap

MasterMech said:

Go look at Toro PowerMax blowers. Their thinking is a bit different than Ariens but the blowers are phenomenal. I'm not sure which engine is going to be on them this year (last year was the Briggs) but their blower design is THE most user friendly I've run yet. The composite parts and unique impeller housing shape on that machine really help keep the machine from clogging in the nasty wet slop we call snow here in the Northeast. Wet snow sticks to metal!

Ariens builds bullet-proof machines and that's the focus on their professional units, durability. They perform great but keep in mind their will be some maintenance in keeping the chute smooth and rust free.

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I can vouch for this, I have one and its the best blower Ive ever owned, its never let me down and the only money Ive spent on it is regular maintenance.

Fifelaker said:

My vote goes to the "real" John Deere's. I used the 11 hp at the school for 6 years. That thing moved a lot of snow with very few issues.

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Deere hasn't built their own blower in decades. Even the old blowers like the one Zap has, they are awful similar to a Bolens of similar vintage. The Deere's have far nicer contol setups tho.

I'm guessing you used an 1132D or similar. Those units were built by Ariens (similar to their professional series units) and are indeed some of the best to ever wear the Deere name.

Joful said:

I have a several years old Ariens 824. I'm unimpressed with the drive mechanism. It always seems to slip when I really need to push thru some heavy stuff. Yes, I've cleaned the flywheel plate and adjusted the tension on the drive donut wheel.

Luckily, I also have a 42" snowblower I use for the driveway, so the Ariens 824 only has to do walks and patios.

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Have you tried increasing the speed of 1st gear slightly? These type of drives (almost universal in snowblowers) don't perform well if 1st gear is too close to the center of the drive plate. The problem is aggravated if the driven wheel (donut) is worn flat across the rubber face. Should have a bit of crown to it.

zap said:

We have the JD 826, the best snowblower I've walked behind.

zap

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Zap, I'd love to score an old 1032 from the same series for a decent price. Nothing seems to stop these units. They may not throw 50 feet like the newer units but they just keep digging.

For those that haven't heard, Deere is completely exiting the walk-behind market for snowblowers and residential mowers. Dealers were given the option to carry Honda Power Equipment to replace those product lines.

velvetfoot said:

Not sure if your driveway is gravel, but could that be a factor with the plastic parts.

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The reports coming in from "the field" are two thumbs up on plastic parts vs. gravel drives. Believe me, it beats up metal parts as well.

I'm sure they're crappier than they used to be, but the Ariens at the HD are amazingly cheap - they had two models, one better than the other.

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You get exactly what you pay for. No more, no less ...

For ease of use, the differential that you can lock and unlock with the flip of a lever would probably be best for the turns, especially on a larger unit.

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Whole-heartedly agreed. I wouldn't be interested in a two-stage unit unless it had these. They just take away all the work that used to be involved in running a larger two-stage blower.

Don't forget also, the larger snowblower takes up more room in the garage. That's what I tell myself after making multiple passes on my driveway.

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I'm sure there are people that own and enjoy them, but unless it had a hydro drive and real power steering (not the freewheel steer type) a 42 inch walk-behind blower is useless to me. I chuckle every time Sears puts out the dual-tired, 13HP 42", folded up sheet-metal monstrosity on the floor. It costs as much as a tractor mount blower would, is a real b&*%^ to run unless you have long, straight passes to make. Might make the neighbor jealous tho.

I personally feel the practical limit to walk-behind snowblower width is 32" and really like 'em at about 26-28". Any more just makes the unit awkward to control in any kind of tight area. The manufacturers also don't usually increase the discharge opening or impellor size for the ultra-wide models so the actual lbs/minute of snow the thing can heave remains the same as a smaller width unit with equivalent HP, impellor size, and discharge opening. That means in order to use the width of the unit, you'd have to slow the ground speed down unless snow accumulation was relatively light. And when you get that light of a snowfall, plows/shovels are faster.

I have a small parking lot for a driveway and I have two tractors with front mounted snowblowers. One is a 38" single-stage and the other is a 42" two-stage. Both are mounted on lawn tractors, not garden tractors or a compact utility. I am S-O-L-D! I will probably never go back to using a walk-behind on this drive again. The tractor mounts take half the time a decent walk-behind unit takes to clear my drive and is a blast to run. I do keep a small 21" W/B unit to do the walks and an 18" plug-in electric for the deck and patio. For you guys that can get your wives to clear snow, , it doesn't get any easier to run than a tractor-mount.

MasterMech, do you have any details on the lawn tractor mounted blowers? I have a late model Ariens (same as Husky) lawn tractor and was under the impression that it wasn't possible to mount a snowblower it. Thanks.

MasterMech said:

Have you tried increasing the speed of 1st gear slightly? These type of drives (almost universal in snowblowers) don't perform well if 1st gear is too close to the center of the drive plate. The problem is aggravated if the driven wheel (donut) is worn flat across the rubber face. Should have a bit of crown to it.

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I'll have to check it again, as the season approaches. I got this unit used, and I'm pretty sure the driven wheel has no crown left.

MasterMech said:

I have a small parking lot for a driveway and I have two tractors with front mounted snowblowers. One is a 38" single-stage and the other is a 42" two-stage. Both are mounted on lawn tractors, not garden tractors or a compact utility. I am S-O-L-D!

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Ditto, and why the Ariens 824 is so low priority now. I have a 42" snowthrower mounted on the front of a 1965 vintage Cub Cadet 123 garden tractor with Hydro drive. Sit back, steer, and watch her throw! I also have a 42" plow for the same tractor, but have trouble with putting the HP to the pavement when the snow gets deep or heavy. Only thing I'd add, if looking at tractor mounted snow throwers, is to get a spring assist or hydraulic lifter. Those snow throwers (and even plow blades), can get very heavy when lifting with the implement handle.

Don't pass the Honda blowers by they are top notch as well. I've got an old HS55 track drive that's been in the family since new still starts on 1 pull and has had no repairs besides a set of belts and a friction disc.

festerw said:

Don't pass the Honda blowers by they are top notch as well. I've got an old HS55 track drive that's been in the family since new still starts on 1 pull and has had no repairs besides a set of belts and a friction disc.

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Very true, they are indeed excellent machines. But the price of admission to the Honda club is rather high.

I was a big fan of the models that had a hydrostatic transmission.

velvetfoot said:

MasterMech, do you have any details on the lawn tractor mounted blowers? I have a late model Ariens (same as Husky) lawn tractor and was under the impression that it wasn't possible to mount a snowblower it. Thanks.

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If your OEM doesn't offer an official snowblower attachment, then Bercomac may have something for you. We did a couple Husky's up with Berco blowers and they perform very well indeed.

http://www.bercomac.com/products_snowblowers_for_Tractor.php

If your Ariens is built by HOP (Husq. Outdoor Power) then it may also share a frame with a Craftsman model. Your snowblower attachment may be sitting on the Sears showroom floor.

Yes it is built by Husq. Thanks for the leads!

Just looked at the bercomac site. They all seem to be spec'd for cast iron axles. I could be wrong, but I think mine is an aluminum casting.

velvetfoot said:

Just looked at the bercomac site. They all seem to be spec'd for cast iron axles. I could be wrong, but I think mine is an aluminum casting.

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I've yet to see a cast aluminum front axle on a lawn/garden tractor. Magnet test should eliminate any doubt there.

Almost all rear transaxle assemblies are made from aluminum now. From the cheapest models all the way up to the legendary Tuff Torq K92's in high-end ($10K+) Deere machines.

Thanks, I thought they were talking about the rear axle.

Now, all I'd have to do is pay for it.

Since most manufacturers have taken the "How cheap can we built it" attitude, I would find an older built like a tank machine and repower it with a new motor. I have a Toro power shift with a 9hp. Honda on it That I have about $200 into that I would put up against a new machine the same size. You can also change pulley sizes a little and get a little more impeller speed to throw the snow farther.

Joful said:

I have a several years old Ariens 824. I'm unimpressed with the drive mechanism. It always seems to slip when I really need to push thru some heavy stuff. Yes, I've cleaned the flywheel plate and adjusted the tension on the drive donut wheel.

Luckily, I also have a 42" snowblower I use for the driveway, so the Ariens 824 only has to do walks and patios.

Click to expand...

I made the HUGE mistake of not checking the friction disc on my Ariens 824 often enough. It wore down to metal and scored the drive plate. What a pain to replace that drive plate. You may want to bite the bullet and just replace that friction disc, its pretty cheap and easy - it's possible the old one has hardened and that's why it slips.

Joful said:

. I have a 42" snowthrower mounted on the front of a 1965 vintage Cub Cadet 123 garden tractor with Hydro drive. Sit back, steer, and watch her throw! I also have a 42" plow for the same tractor, but have trouble with putting the HP to the pavement when the snow gets deep or heavy. Only thing I'd add, if looking at tractor mounted snow throwers, is to get a spring assist or hydraulic lifter. Those snow throwers (and even plow blades), can get very heavy when lifting with the implement handle.

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I have a 36" thrower that will go on my '72 Cub Cadet 149 this winter. I was able to put snow on the roof of my house when this thrower was on my Cub 125. The hydraulic lift on the 149 will be a big improvement. I never had enough snow to stop my 125 with 42" blade. Chains, wheel weights and me seemed to work well.

MasterMech said:

Deere hasn't built their own blower in decades. Even the old blowers like the one Zap has, they are awful similar to a Bolens of similar vintage. The Deere's have far nicer contol setups tho.

I'm guessing you used an 1132D or similar. Those units were built by Ariens (similar to their professional series units) and are indeed some of the best to ever wear the Deere name.



Have you tried increasing the speed of 1st gear slightly? These type of drives (almost universal in snowblowers) don't perform well if 1st gear is too close to the center of the drive plate. The problem is aggravated if the driven wheel (donut) is worn flat across the rubber face. Should have a bit of crown to it.



Zap, I'd love to score an old 1032 from the same series for a decent price. Nothing seems to stop these units. They may not throw 50 feet like the newer units but they just keep digging.

For those that haven't heard, Deere is completely exiting the walk-behind market for snowblowers and residential mowers. Dealers were given the option to carry Honda Power Equipment to replace those product lines.

Click to expand...

The mechanic at the Wood Chop Shop told me the 826 was built by Ariens for Deere.

zap

Flatbedford said:

I never had enough snow to stop my 125 with 42" blade. Chains, wheel weights and me seemed to work well.

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Are you plowing on smooth asphalt? My problem with the 123 is not HP, it's traction. I have 2 x 50 lb. John Deere wheel weights on the rear, plus tire chains, plus my 180 lb. Still spins the rear tires.