Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

My local dealer just dropped off my new snow thrower. I decided to go with a Toro 828 LXE. I was going to buy the 926 DLE, the dealer had both side by side on the floor. I know the Ariens is built a little better but my wife & I both liked Toro's joystick & freewheel steering. I was a little dissapointed in the fact that the Ariens chutes were tough to move & would bind even when adjusted perfectly. I tried 7 units & found they all were more difficult to move vs. the Toro.  The Toro is a nice unit, the plastic concerns me a little but I think it will be fine over the long haul. In the end it was all about getting the machine that was easiest to use in case she needs to use it when I am away on business. Thanks for all the help in the decision process. Now all I have to do is wait for snow to make sure I bought the right machine for the job!

I also picked up a 10hp Billy Goat blower, I borrowed my neighbors last week & fell in love. This new house is costing me a fortune in OPE. My wife asked me if this was FINALLY enough power equipment, of course it is hun, of course

Plugger, yes both machines were on the showroom floor next to each other at the same dealer. Without a doubt I feel the Ariens is a better built machine, I would feel better as far as the long haul is concerned with the Ariens. The reality though is how long term are we talking? If I get 10-15 years out of the Toro vs. 15-20 out of the Ariens will it really matter? My concern would be if the Toro falls apart in 5 years (which I doubt) then I would be upset for NOT buying the Ariens. Also, the Ariens chute control was more difficult to use than the Toro, I really feel Ariens could easily have a better system without too much trouble.  For me it came down to my wife being more comfortable using the Toro over the Ariens. If I am gone & she needs to blow snow the last thing I want is her frustrated with a piece of equipment.

sabesh wrote:
And your comparing it to the Ariens 926 Pro?

Plugger: No, I was comparing it to the Toro 1028 LXE.  See, one thing I noticed about traction drive/differential equipped machines is that they have a "whiplash" effect during powered turns. So, I specifically looked for trigger release wheel disengagement systems. The combination of the Toro's lighter weight and the trigger release steering made it easier to turn (for me at least). Also note that some Ariens owners are stating that they have to "shake" their machines to get the traction system to engage (Pro models).

Here's my advise if you must get an Ariens blower: Make sure that the dealer assembles it perfectly before shipping --> Eliminate the need to shake the machine to engage the tracktion system; Make sure the chute controls work the way they are supposed to. Cheers, Sabesh.

I understood your original post to say you were comparing the Ariens 926 Pro to the Toro 1026LXE and you found the Toro to be easier to turn thant the Ariens.  Is that correct?  If it is then my original statement stands.  I find that hard to believe.  As I understand it the Ariens doesn't have any need of a lockout or lockin mechanism to facilitate turning. It simply redistributes the power similar to what a car's differential does.   The differential lockout mechanism is actually intended for when you need to lock both wheels going in a straight line.  As you said the response of the machine is not instaneous.  It takes a second or two and wiggling the machine seems to help.  I don't have any real working experience to say whether or not it's going to be a problem but at this point I'm not concerned about it.   I've been playing with the machine for a day now and it hasn't yet failed to lock or unlock the differential.

Plugger: I'm glad that your Ariens works well. I found them hard to steer at two dealerships. Everyone's got their preferences, and the Toro is mine ;)

Cheers, Sabesh.

A consideration my dealer told me to look into when turning is while at the dealer testing it out of course the Ariens will be harder to turn than the Toros, its dry pavement your not getting the true feeling of what they would be like with snow on the ground.  Even when clean down to the pavement usually it leaves some sort of residue which helps turn the machine.

fishwater wrote:
Amen! A lot of folks are basing their decisions on the color of the paint, texture of the plastic  or other showroom considerations.

When that d-d city plow truck cmes by and throws up two foot high berm of old, heavy, salt and sand saturated snow,  your mileage may vary. The #1 purchase criterion on this forum lately seems to be how easy it is to turn the chute on the showroom floor!

Sabesh, don't get me wrong.  I think the Toro is an excellent machine.  I hope to be able to buy a new machine in a few years and plan to try Toro next time.  I just don't want people to think the 926 Pro is hard to handle or in some way flawed because it isn't.

Fishwater, gratulations on getting the machine you wanted.  The 828 LXE is a great machine.  I'm sure it will serve you well.