nibbler

The graduated eye droppers are also good.

Its hard to make a recommendation without knowing what conditions you live under, Tahiti is different from Nome .

I tend to lean towards anything that makes turning easier, I do a number of short driveways each year and turning fast and easily has a big effect on how fast I can do the job. The Platinum has ATC which is not explained on the site but I think it means a true differential where both wheels get appropriate power while turning, this was a feature found on all "D" models which were predominantly in the "Pro" line. The Deluxe has a remote locking axle which is also not explained but I think means there is/are one or two triggers on the handle bars to release one ( or both, not sure) wheels to allow easier turning than having both wheels locked to the axle. The differential has been considered the "top of the line" for ease of use, whether it is worth the premium paid depends on the individual user.

Battery powered electric start has never appealed to me. Most of the time my machine starts after one or two pulls so electric of any sort hardly ever helps. When I have benefitted from electric I was using the 120V version, plugged into the wall, to get a neighbour's balky engine going at the beginning of the season, after that no real problems. My experience with batteries in general is that if you don't use them regularly through out the year they either die or require careful maintenance. That tends to be more trouble than its worth in my mind for a snow blower.

The only other difference that jumps out at me is the 24" swath as opposed to 30". What you are clearing comes into play. If you figure on  loosing 2" per swath due to overlap then you are clearing 22" and 28" respectively, That means every 11 swaths at 28" is 14 swaths at 22". A hockey rink or parking lot will benefit from a large swath, driveways typically don't. When you do this calculation don't forget to figure out where you want the blower to end up. If the larger swath leaves you at the wrong end of the driveway then you have an extra trip to get back to the garage. Agility and ease of storage also come into play, especially with the large machine.

Personally I found the Ariens site confusing, lots of marketing BS with less than stellar descriptions of what the features actually are, here is an example from the "Deluxe 30 Overview"

Ariens models with a DLE have a true differential, that means there is power going to both wheels as you go around a turn but the turn is still easy. The so called "power turn" feature uses one ore two triggers on the handle bars to disengaged one of the wheels. The "power turn" is just the single powered wheel tending to push the unit to the side. The main thing with the power turn is that one of the wheels is disengaged which makes turning in either direction a lot easier. I have not used a true differential machine but it is supposed to be better than the power turn mechanism.

Peronally I think the number one reason for engine problems with seasonal/intermittent use OPE is  stale gas leading to carburettor fouling.

Sounds like you need to read some of the previous posts to get background in what oakville was saying. Mechanics go into much more detail.

The short answer is that the bigger the cc the more powerful the engine. Tecumseh "L" head has been a workhorse engine for years, the Briggs OHV is relatively new but has had very good reports ( I'm happy with mine).

"Is it worth it" is too general a question, what I consider a good thing you might not be interested in. That means you ultimately make your own determination. However if you want members of this forum to spend time answering your question you need to post details of your situation. There are already postings on what info is needed so do a search and get back to us.

Ariens has a very good reputation with many of the forum members however there are others that think other brands vie more bang for the buck.

Its for selecting what type of snow the blower will throw best, this one goes to "11" for just a little more "oomph" with slush.