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

Hello All

I have a 2005-06' 926dle with the new chute rotation controll . The chute exhibits some strange behaviour. If you move the controll quickly left to right or vice/v,  there may be some backlash of the chute. By this I mean the chute has not locked into position properly. It may lock, but not where you want it to. Chutes gone wild. I took the chute gear assembly apart and it seemed to have to much play between the Chute Gear and the Locking Chute Gear at certain positions. On my unit the problem was worse on the left side. This design, as is, has a very narrow operating tolerance.  I replaced the two washers behind the chute gear (spacers to me)  with a slightly thicker nylon washer and now it operates as it was intended too. I am sure this will vary from unit to unit.  I think Ariens is going to get some calls on this. I don't mind fixing this myself, actually it  was kinda fun to figure it out and get it to work properly. YMMV.  When I was all done perfecting this setup I measured the chute rotation to be aprox. 210 degrees. With a different Chute Gear this could easily be more.

John

Orange,

I use a little Slick 50 to lube my rotating parts.

Even if the oil part is thrown off, the Teflon is still there.

                                                                        Fred

I have seen some complaints in this area before. This is a great example of having an experienced OPE dealer assemble the machine as opposed to the revolving help in the big box stores.

 Paying attention to details during assembly (like you have) will ensure the chute  works properly. A final quality control check
should have taken place before the machine went out the door.

Folks,

If you buy from HD or Lowes, buy it in the box!!

Save the assembly fee, do it your self!!

By doing it your self, you will learn more about your new toy and how it operates !!

                                                                  Fred

This is not an assembly error, IMO it is a design issue. Not the simple cable adjust issue that is common. I did purchase from Local OPE dealer, but I  have to check everything .....

John

Talking design, It look like Ariens is learning by the try and error method.

I explain: Over the years Ariens as try so many differents concepts and sometimes come back to old concepts they used in the past.

Exemple: The blower had 3 blades in the past, then 6, than 3 again, and 4 blades now. The blower diameter is changing all the time: Bigger, smaller, and bigger again (14 inch. now). The chute rotation system is changing every years (almost). Mine is an electric chute (love it), the years before it was a spiral styx, the year after a different system (fast rotation alike the one used this year but slower and it was moved by the force of the snow thrown (bad thing). This year they've come up whit a new system again!!! >>> Too imprecise, move too radically to me. I'll bet they gonna change it next year or two!  It look like they have a lack of ingeneering or something. They try over and over again until they finaly find the right way to built the thing. In the other hand, there is companies who seems to think more before doing something and they seems to have found the way to build their machine. Honda per exemple seems to have found the right concept for their machine. They haven't changes for years exept for details.

In fact Ariens change their concepts so often that I wonder if I would be able to find replacement parts for my electric chute if it breacks after some years. It must be costly to Ariens to have to keep so much differents parts in stock. 

I don't understand the point!

And I had to put spacers too on the dented weel of my electric chute to prevent the electric motor to go too far and spinning at the end of the rotation. The fitting between the body and the xhute was not good!

That was easy to figure out and to correct the problem, but it let an impression of poor conception or no constance in manufacturing!

Mads

Yes, I bet you can search their premises with a fine toothed comb and never find the Ingeneering Department.

Here's the point: Innovate, Automate, or Evaporate.

Ariens does listen to it's customers though......

There were complaints that the frame was too flimsy...they thickened it,  there were minor snow blowby issues 2 years ago...they gave a free baffle to fix it then redesigned the chute, there was perception the auger gear box was too small...the beefed it up, folks wanted a halogen light...they changed that, the chute action was too slow...they changed that, they added standard drift breakers and a shovel to save fingers, people did not like the baler bar on the compact series and they made the change.

Toro on the other hand did not make one change in the last 3 years on their PowerShift models. They did not even have a remote adjustment for the chute pitch...what happened....goodbye marketshare of their "high end" machines. They do make a good
residential model though.

I've have a 926 DLE and have had a hard time getting used to the new chute.  First for some reason the direction is counter intuitive for me.  When I want to turn it left I almost always start by turning it right.  Second I'm always a bit surprised by how quickly it moves.   Third it doesn't seem to work well on hills.  Gravity pulls it out of position before it locks.  I find I have to hold it with one hand before letting go of the control lever.  Somone on the other board suggest checking the adjustments.  I'll check out the owners manual when I have a chance.  I wonder if changing the size of the spacers like IlikeOrange did on his would help it work better on hills?

I just came back from the HD about 3 hours ago. I checked out the next group of Ariens snow machines which were just finished being assembled. There were 5 926LEs and 5 1128LEs. Two of the chute controls were totally botched and did not latch at all.

Only 5 from the entire group latched correctly. A few worked intermittantly.

This new design absolutely works great when assembled correctly but requires competent help that gives a sheet. (of cookies).lol

I was in HD last Friday....looked at an Ariens ...found the chute control did not work properly.  I brought it to the attention of the staffmember.  I suggested that HD should exercise more care when assembling a floor model.  His reply was interesting....HD doesn't do the Ariens assembly....Ariens sends in  local OPE Ariens service personnel to do the job!!!   Interesting!!!  Now, his saying so doesn't make it "the whole truth and nothing but the truth" - but it's an interesting slant on things.

*(:>)*

Newjerseybt: " Ariens does listen to it's customers though......"

It may be the problem!

The Ariens ingeneers are suppose to know what principles is best to built efficient snowblowers than their customers fantasy!

Will they build an efficient reliable chute one day? ..........  May be after having try out every concepts possible!

Would be more profitable to put something on paper prior to try to built it!

My opinion.

 

I think the electric chute was the one to go on whit. At least for some models. It was an argument over the other brands who don't have it and was working well. On the touch of a button you could throw the snow on the target you want.  Fast enough and verry precise to throw the snow exactly were you want it. Especially wen you dont have large area to dispose the snow .... Just like me.  An electric deflector would be a dream!

I plan to install a joystick (like the Honda 928TCD) and add a small electric motor on the deflector cable line to electricaly control the chute AND the deflector...... One day...... Next year maybe.  Seems pretty easy to do. Finding the right equipement for the job will be more difficult though!    But you can count on me to do some thinking before. I wont try 15 differents concepts!

Plugger give that spacer a try. It's an easy fix.

Assembly is not the issue here, although  incorrect assembly will lead improper operation. Even when the unit is assembled correctly the chute can have a mind of its' own. It does work when *fixed*, I like it. A new machine owner should not have to be tweaking  mechanical tolerances to obtain propper performance. You can test your machine with this procedure:

1) Operat the chute controll as if to change chute direction. Hold the controll in the slightly up position (lock disengagged)

2 )try to move the chute while performing the above

Even though the lock in disengagged at this point,  pressure on the controll will (should) hold it in position.

The problem is that at certain points of chute rotation the mating gears become seperated. The lock IS functioning but allows the chute to move. Yes, the chute can move even though it is "locked". As I said before, this design has a very narrow operating tolerance.

On another note I plan to make a ptfe(teflon plastic) collar to fit between the chute and main blower housing. I find my gap to be nearly 1/4 inch! rattle thunder clatter.  Hard to beleive there is that much slop there. Note to Ariens- fit and finish.

John

I  noticed a couple of members from other OPE sites who bought the new Ariens machines are also having difficulties with the new chute design. My neighbor has a new 926LE and it works fine. Maybe the "luck of the draw"?

I sent Ariens a "heads up" E-Mail hinting that a quick easy "fix" may be in order.

I will keep the forum apprised of any updates or of any new information I receive from Ariens.

newjerseybt wrote:

I think operating style/conditions contribute to the problem. My chute would operate fine up to a point.  When I got to aggressive with the controll,as in very fast lateral movement,  thats when things got a bit  tricky.  The chute would hit the end of travel and then bounce back to some undetermined position. The controll lever and the chute direction then did not corespond. It may be that this problem only surfaces under the right conditions.  That spacer size I think will vary from one machine to the next. There may be a problem with the alignment of this controll assembly in relation the the main housing.  I don't think the flex in the handlebars helps any. If you apply pressure to the bars it transfers some of it  to the area in question.  There should be much stronger handlebars. The high end Simplicitys' have some nice strong handlebars.

I have received an acknowledgment  E-Mail back from David Miller at Ariens. They will forward it on to their technical area. I wouldn't be surprised if they are already aware of the problem.

The top of the line Honda models do not use a box frame. Neither does Toro. I never heard of an Ariens having problems with fatigued/cracked handle bars. I would like a bit a flex and keep vibrations from the system from being fed back to the operator. It is just a preference. The Ariens machines already weighs plenty. 

As you said, the spacers that may be necessary to tweek the tolerances would vary from unit to unit as assembly tolerances are probably not very tight. 

As a retired USAF  Maintenance officer, it amazes me how Ariens does not test their equipment throughly befor going into production!!

They have had Drive problems, Blow By problems, and now this!!

That is why I did not buy an Ariens Snowblower!!

                                                                            Fred

I've been in HD several times in the last couple of weeks and every time the chute control didn't work. Up until today no matter how you pulled or pushed the control the chute would not move. Today no matter how you pulled or pushed the control the chute would not lock. I had a look and from what I can see I get the feeling the adjustment of the cable that goes to the chute is what may be off.

I also tried the one handed control lock and it didn't work. The actual mechanism is much more robust that the MTD machine that was beside it. The only problem was the MTD worked and the Ariens didn't.

In both cases I suspect its a setup problem.

I was at a Home Depot today and checked the 3 Ariens they had out on the floor; 926, 11528 and 1336 LEs. The chute controls seemed to work fine, but I didn't really like the way the chutes whipped noisily around from side to side. Perhaps under actual working conditions that would be mitigated.

But you dont have to pull or push. Just tap the lever and the lock is disengaged. I think it works rather slick, after I figured it out.  I'll be double checking all that was assembled.  As for the locking mechanism, mine was the same. After contacting Ariens, a slight tug on the housing was all it took to operate perfectly. Shipping, setup, probably. 

I looked at the MTD also, same as the sears model, and thought how can I spend 1000 on THAT after seeing the build of the Ariens.

I just picked up the 11528 from HD and feel fortunate. There was not an Ariens machine to be found in S.E. Mass. I called every dealer within a 100 miles.  When HD said they just got some in, I ran to get one.  Another store in my area sold out in 1 day a week prior.  I'd much rather purchase from the local dealer, and maybe would have gotten the DLE instead if they had been available. But being in panic mode, I'm happy I got what I did.

Jonathan:

When that engine roars to life, you won't hear the chute rattle! lol

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I could also add Honda to the list of improper drive control setups and discuss a certain internal drive pin on some models that shears off after a couple of years and about chute cranks that are placed so low that you tax your spine (if your tall) everytime you want to crank the chute. (poor design) 

So...it isn't just Ariens.

I could nitpick Toro to death over the years based upon stories from local OPE service shops etc etc. I could nitpick Toro for not making ANY improvement to their PowerShift line of snowblowers which cost them marketshare of their commercial line.

I was at a Home Depot today and checked the three Ariens they had out on the floor. I tried the chute control of the three and none of them was working alike the other one. Three differents snowblowers and three differents way of working. And on 2 of them the chute control worked fine 2 or 3 times and the next attempt: nothing worked. No matter how you pulled or pushed the control the chute would not move. Without the shadow of a doubt this chute control is a crap.

It's bad because four or five years ago Ariens were almost there. They had almost the perfect (weeldrive) snowblower. Now whit the new triger for locking the differential they should be closer than ever if only they could manage to build a decent chute control! Like I sayd; Put the 2000 Pro serie electric chute (and deflector) and now the new triger for the differential and you'll have the perfect snowblower!

Just hope Ariens is reading this site!    ..... and I will sold my 2000 1336 Pro to buy this new perfect snowblower anytime!

Correction: I'd better read what I write before posting.... must have written 1332 Pro instead of 1336 Pro.

Sorry. 

I bought mine from an OPE dealer and the chute works excellent.  By far it's the best innovation I've seen yet. No electronics to wear out or ice up , no bending over to rotate a chute, and it works flawlessly.

No , I'm not an Ariens fan. Before I bought the one I had I was looking at getting a Honda. Lets face it , Hondas will throw snow a long way!  Anyway after seeing an Ariens in action last year and seeing it too will throw snow a mile I decided to purchase one.

Ariens also had awesome plusses like heated grips, the remote chute and diff unlock lever . The Hondas had none of these.

I guess I'm nitpicking too. I think a lot of things on the market could use some improvment. Some easy, some not. Nothings perfect and I realize that. All said, I am very happy with the machine. Any changes needed are very small. I don't think there is a machine out there that you couldn't find something wrong with. I'm still an Ariens guy after all the B*ing.

John

" I bought mine from an OPE dealer and the chute works excellent " ... It seems that you picked up the one out of ten that work well. Happy for you !  Hope this will last! It's like a Volkswagen car. Some peoples have absolutely no problems whit them while many others spend all their time to the garage. It's not my conception of quality production. It need more constance in the quality.

" By far it's the best innovation I've seen yet " ... If slaming the chute to the right than to the left without any precision don't borther you. Ok. Why beeing so hurry to rotate the chute ?

"  No electronics to wear out or ice up " ... Mecanics wear out. Not electronics !  My electric chute never ice up in five years out on temperatures well colder than what most peoples have to experience whit their machine.

" Ariens also had awesome plusses like heated grips " ... An electric/electronic gadget?  >>> " No electronics to wear out or ice up " ?

" the remote chute " ... Don't know what is about here! ... " and diff unlock lever . The Hondas had none of these " ... In fact it is MUCH harder to steer my Ariens whit the diff lock than the Honda trackdrive whit the diff lock.  (Always locked in this case). The possibility to unlock the diff whit a weeldrive is a reel benefit but not that much whit a trackdrive because of the larger surface to distribute the weight and the design of the treads on the tracks that are parallels to the direction to go when steering. I assume that it's for that reason that Honda doesn't equiped their blowers whit unlockable diff.

I am not saying that Honda is better here. After all, I compare all the features of the two and I choose the Ariens in the end. And still happy of my choice! I am just saying that Ariens have a strange philosophy of progress. Instead of slowly improving their products in one direction over the years, they seems to guess and try out in every directions whit the result that their products are improving in somes ways and seems to regress in others. It's not a straight path to improvement. By changing their products concept like that in this kind of "mary go round", ( 3 differents concept for chute rotation in five years ) it look's to me like they take their clients as test dummys instead of testing toroughly their products before putting them on the market. "Locky you if you pick up a good year and too bad for you if this year concept fail... We gonna change it for the next year! ... and the next cusomers"   In fact I consider myself verry lucky cause I love my Ariens... I picked up a good year!   But for the others ? 

I Like Orange call's it  B*ing ?   .... Well it's a point of view... But not my intentions.

jubol wrote:
Sir, can you explain how being a former AF maintenance officer has anything to do with snow blowers?  The organization that brought the US taxpayer the B1 bomber  doesn't seem particularly pertinant to the discussion.

Ariens has sold over two million snow blowers, so someone, somewhere is going to complain about something. You don't have to look too far to see many, many positive references to Ariens units, including machines that are almost 40 years old. I have one that's 35 years old, and was able last summer to purchase all the parts I needed at the local dealer to rstore it completely.

Ariens also has an engineer who monitors this board and answers maintenance questions. He's not a salesperson and seldom if ever even posts in a thread by a prospective buyer unless there has been some factual innacuracy.

I certainly don't see anyone from Husquavarna/Electrolux/ posting here in support of their products. And the fact that their most powerful machines have 12" augers and impellers certainly doesn't impress most folks in New England, where Ariens probably outsells Huskie 10:1.

Now that you're hanging out on this forum exclusively, you can fill us in?

I think it all depends on where you buy the unit from.  The one from my dealer works great with the new chute control.  It works just fine even when you want fine adjustments.  At first I didn't think it was locking into position, but it was simply that it did it so smoothly that I didn't notice it lock unless it was all the way right or left, and when the engine is one you will never notice it.  I can see where the super fast aim can help though, i have accendtly aimed where I shouldn't with past blowers and quickly moving it away from that area was needed but I had to crank.

Now it isn't w/o flaws as this is more complicated but then again all the companies seem to be makeing complicated controls.  Mine works great and I'm sure more often than not when bought from a dealer these are correct.