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

As some of you may know after researching brands etc.. I purchased an Ariens 11.5hp 28 in cut LE snow thrower. It is only 2 months old and has been used 3 times, yes thats right 3 times.  2 of those times the snow fall was only 4 inches. 

Anyway , the first heavy snow fall we had (2 -3feet) the blower wouldn't throw snow any further than 10 feet. My OPE dealer loaned me a new husky 10.5 hp and took mine to fix a misaligned idler and replace the drive belt. 

The next light snow it blew snow well but barely threw the stuff at the end of my driveway 15 feet.  I called my OPE dealer and once again he came and got it. I called three days later and he told me some bushing came loose and did some damage to some main shaft. Anyway it's been a week and he's still waiting for parts. He offered to lend me a Husqvarna again but I'm wondering if maybe I should get a refund and go buy something else.

The Ariens has great reviews, it's heavily built and looks well put together,itn also has some nice features BUT  I can't say it works good because I haven't really seen it work.  The one good thing I can say is my service guy is excellent.

Should I get a refund?

I was thinking the opposite. 

Was it the auger bushing? That sure seems odd, they're extremely robust and are mounted with three bolts and a steel plate.

G-
after i sent the post, I too thought that it could be reversed.

The loaner thing is a very nice touch. Most  pple, do not have a coral of blowers.

Hi guys,

I'm not sure if it was a bushing or not, my OPE dealer said it was something that backed out from a shaft and misaligned some things. I'm not exactly the most technically gifted person, but I can make do.  I was kind of hoping I wouldn't have to open the machine up until the end of season to do some preventative maintenance.

I can't complain about the dealer, he has been more than willing to lend me a new machine , and that's where I'm torn, get a new machine (honda was my other choice) and I wouldn't get the service he offers.

I am deeply troubled by Ariens' lack of parts support.

toolpig wrote:
I don't understand how you can draw this conclusion? I've gotten any parts needed for my 1970 and 1995 Ariens in stock or within two days. The longest I ever waited was for a bottom cover on the 95 that took a week and isn't a commonly requested replacement.

However I've never bought anything but bog common parts during tthe season. A big storm can bury even a larger size dealer for weeks.

If you think you have a lemon ask the dealer for a replacement machine. But when a dealer starts talking about unspecified mechanical problems that are going to take him a while to fix - on a brand new machine - it certainly brings into question their setup and testing procedures, don't you think?

my dealer told me that after a season or two all blowers of all makes and models will lose their throwing distance to some extent, but with some adjustments they can easily make them throw like new again.  It sounds to me like the original problem wasn't fixed and it slowly crept back into play and cause more problems.

Hi Guys,

I called my dealer yesterday and got the same story of waiting for parts. He apologized and said he would see what he could do for me.  I got home last night and there was a brand new 11.5 le in my yard all fueled up and ready to go. He left a note on it saying that the damage that happened to my machine was uncommon and uncalled for. He hoped a new machine and an apology would be enough to keep my buisness.

Well I cleaned the remaining snow out of my yard and the mahine worked great!  I'm very pleased I didn't let my temper get the better of me and demand a refund.  This dealer is a great guy.

Apparently one of the drive shafts on my other machine didnt have a part "pressed" on properly and caused some damage. It doesn't matter now, the new one works great!

We do not know where you live, but you might consider sharing your dealer's name, location, and phone number.
Some of us may be still in the market for a Ariens or Husky.

It is trying to snow in Cleveland, but mostly wind.

Gary

Toolpig,
Sounds like your dealer did you well......he deserves some online praise.
Where abouts do you live...?
Glad you like the Ariens.

Frank D.

I live in Northern NewBrunswick in Canada.  The name of the dealer is Bremner Farms in Center Napan.

By the way the guy called the next day to make sure the new blower worked well and that I was satisfied!

can't complain with that service!  Some patience pays off.  Looks like he is a great dealer and it looks like you just happened to indeed get a lemon blower, this new 1128 should give you trouble free service for years to come!