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

Howdy,

I'm posting here in hopes someone can enlighten me.  I purchases a 926LE  new this year.  I did the set up procedures to ensure all was good and within specs.  I consider myself handy enough to do that competently.  I live in the Minneapolis area and got a chance to test the new blower today on about 3-4 inches of very light powder with about 6-7 inches EOD. I will preface this post by saying I'm a noob when it comes to snow blowers, my only experience being with a borrowed John Deere TRS 26.

Now  I know this isn't the best test of the machine, but hey, it's what we were dealt.  Here's what was going on.  When I started out, I had 1 wheel unlocked and this thing was almost impossible to keep straight--ok, no problem, lock other wheel.  Now, it still wandered around like a half drunk snake--not wide fluctuactions, but like short jerks on a steering wheel in a car.  It got better as the machine ran, so maybe  it was just something settling  in.  The really dissappointing part was when I hit the EOD.  Like I said, maybe 7-8 inches of piled  powder.  In low gear, the machine climbed up and over the pile without really blowing anything.  Ok,  so next pass, I tried a higher gear, same thing.  It seems like there is not enough weight on the front end to keep it down.  If  I tried to lift up a little on the handles, the tires would  spin.  My neighbor's John Deere had  no trouble next  door.  It took me almost an hour to clear a 40x60 drive that is basically flat.  I don't know maybe I had my expectations to high.  After looking at the Ariens & John Deere side by side, the Ariens body is about 8-10 inches longer, which moves the CG point back due to  the position of the engine.  While that does help for moving the machine around the garage, it seems to be a problem in the snow. 

The machine also would only throw the snow about 18-20 ft, but, I'm going to chalk that up to power with no mass behind it at this point.  One other question---on the scraper height--I put a finishing nail under each edge & adjusted the shoes.  It's about 1/8' all across.  Does that sound about right?

Anyone have any similar experiences or at least tell me what I experienced today was normal. Thanks in advance

maybe your belt needs tighting.  W/ a snowfall of less than 10 inches, it should eat EOD snow for lunch

The scraper bar height sounds fine for asphalt, to low for gravel.

As far as not throwing the snow, how did the engine sound when it started to hit the snow? If it revved up then its probably a belt slipping. If it doesn't rev then it could be too slow a speed.

The only other things I can think of ( not that I've every ... cough ... done this myself .... recently) is leaving the choke on after the engine has warmed up enough or not having the manual throttle fully open.

Guys,

I appreciate the responses so quick.  The engine was running great.  No choke issues.  when it did go through the EOD,  the motor dug in just like should, no abnormal revving, it just hunkered down & smoothed out.  The problem was with front end staying down, not with the engine.  It did throw snow when I could keep the front end from popping up-it just seem to want to "climb" vs "plow".  And yes, the drive is asphalt.

Any other thoughts

Ariens sells a weight bar that bolts onto the top of the blower housing. My 1028 had that same problem until the additional weight was put on. If you don't want to spend the bucks from Ariens (about $50 if I remember correctly) you could get some flat steel, drill some holes and paint to match. The other responses are correct on the adjustment of the scraper bar...that will throw the machine off course easily.

bbwb

The weight unit is normally sold to help counter the weight of a snow cab on the handlebars.

The other thing that can cause the machine to start climbing is when the auger is not able to feed material to the impeller fast enough to clear the way in front of the blower before the blower moves forward. If it can't feed snow to the impeller fast enough then it starts pushing it down and the front of the machine goes up. This can also happen if the stuff is too icy and the auger can't break it up fast enough. In either case, extra weight may help a bit but not much since its the engine whis is lifting the front end. In the case of too much snow select a slower gear. In the case of too icy you have to break it up by hand and then use the blower to throw it somewhere else.

Given how light the snowfall was I don't think your probelm is either of the above. Try putting a 5Kg ( 10Lb) bag of salt on the front and see if this makes a difference. If it does then its a weight issue, which sounds funny for a regularly setup machine, its supposed to be balanced properly to begin with.

I had "climbing over the snow" problems and found that if pedestrians walk on the snow first and compact it into ice, the blower will ride on top. That is why I always tried to beat the school kids right after a storm.

Make sure skids and scraper bar are set to spec on a flat surface. Also if the surface you are clearing is not perfectly flat, the blower may wander from side to side. (Finally, it is rare, but check to see if the intake chute is welded square to the blower housing.)

You can also try placing a bag of ice melt on the blower housing to see if there is an improvement.

sailor   ,  ariens does sell a weight kit for the front ends.   if you need help with parts call  763-783-9161   its an ace hardware chain.

Again,

Thanks for the quick responses.  As I read more and listen, it seems that it is mostly a factor of very low temps causing the snow to freeze and compact from it's own weight.  I will try the weight trick to see if it helps.

It is a little dissapointing that after spending a sizeable amount of money on the machine the first thing I have to do is go purchase an accessory to make it work properly.  Oh well, live & learn.  Now I'm beginning to question the Ariens. Please tell me I didnt' buy the wrong machine.

Thanks

No special brand of snowthrower will perform "magic" for you if snow has compacted to ice. These are snowthrowers, not ice throwers.

Try placing 10 or 20 pounds of ice-melt on top of the blower chute first before spending $50 on a weight kit. I think I am making sense here.

I just reread the original post and he says he's got light powder, 3-4 inches on the driveway and 6-7 at the EOD. Unless the conditions are different from described then this is NOT an ice problem. I also can't see overloading the auger/impeller with 3-4" of light powder, even at the fastest travel speed the snow should fly. He has also mentioned that the engine is reving up so it is getting enough load for the governor to kick in.

The only thing I cna think of is a slippling belt but even there he says the setup procedures were followed and implied that everything is to spec. Since it is blowing some snow the auger and impeller are turning. The only thing I can see is the shear bolts on the auger  have sheared and the auger only thing causing the auger to turn is friction. Its kind of hard to shear a bolt with out knowing it.

The hesitation and waundering sould an awful lot like the scraper bar may be to low  and the driveway is kind of "lumpy".

BTW - Per your request "Yes you got the right machine"

Maybe the shear bolt was missing altogether or the nut was loose and you just didn't notice.I was in HD last year and observed a brand new /never used snowblower waiting to be taken home missing one shear bolt.Go figure.

My 1028 climbed up over any snow build up because there was not enough weight on the front. Once the weight went on, it stopped doing the exact thing Sailor's machine is doing. <BR>bbwb

bbwb wrote:
The thing is you shouldn't have to do anything to the machine to make it work correctly unless you have changed something, such as adding a snow cab. If it is too light on the front end and you are using it in its stock configuration then there is either a design problem ( I think unlikely) or an operator fixable problem. You are right in that putting some weight, such as a small bag of salt would tell us if that is the problem but checking out the other possibilities is a good idea as well.

bbwb - I've been lusting after an Ariens DLE for some time and had just about decided on the 926DLE, what made you decide on the 1028 instead? For me the maneuverability of the slightly smaller machine was more important than the slightly larger swath. I also suspect that the engines are also the same, except for the HP stickers.

my 926DLE never rode up unless i was going too fast.  for some EOD, i would have to feather the drive lever because the engine had throttled up to handle the snow.  perhaps a lower first gear would help, but i really never thought of it as a problem.

and yeah, the DLE is an absolute gem to handle - spins on a dime when you want, rock solid straight when you want, and nice toasty warm hands.

Guys,

I guess I should kind of revisit and clarify a few things.

1.  The engine, Auger, impeller and all mechanicals were running fine. No shear pin issues, no belt issues

2.  The shoes were adjusted to 1/8" as per the manual

3. The driveway is less than a year old and smmoooth asphalt

4.  The machine was throwing snow, just not as far as I expected.  It was tossing it about 15-20ft max, but I do believe that is from the light power consistence.  Just no mass to make it fly farther. 

My concern is the riding up on snow.  It just really seemed to want to climb rather than dig.  It was about -8 below out so maybe that was causing premature ice forming.  I don't know.  It just seemed like the balance of the machine was heavy in the back. When the machine did go through some piles (neighbor has an atv with a plow, so he would pile it up and I would blow it into the yard) 1ft -1.5ft, the machine ate it up like cake.

Maybe I had my expectations to high, but at least I'm not shoveling and I am learning thanks to this board

I have the 926le and love it. I only have the pin on the wheels engaged on the right wheel. It makes the machine so much easier to manuver. As far as keeping it straight you will get the hang of it.  you just kinda guide it towards the right a bit. Kinda like steering. I tried it with both wheels locked but found the easier turning to be better and i still get plenty of traction. I can keep it straight with one hand. Heavy wet snow will go about 15 feet. The lighter snow will go 45ft. The more you become familar with it the happier you will be . I don't even use the elecric start because it starts every time with one pull. I try to get my drive done before the snow starts to pack down. Once it piles up and you drive on it it will thaw n frezze and you have a ice mountain.  Fear not its a great machine. Dave 

<BR> nibbler wrote: <BR>I would agree that if all things were equal, one should not need to do something to make the product work properly. All I can say is that the weight made all the difference in the world and eliminated the wandering and climbing over problems. I think that the new machines might be better, but am not sure.<BR>My 1028 is on it's fourth year now. The selection/purchase was determined by the sales price at HD. If memory serves, it was $950+/-.<BR>At that time, I had a John Deere TRS 26 (8hp)that was 11yrs old. I ran great, no problems, but I wanted to have the extra hp for the snow removal. With both wheels locked, it needs to be man handled to turn. This year with the pathetic snow we have received, it has not been out to play.<BR><BR>bbwb

Thomasd,

You really get the 926le to start with1 pull?  I primed & choked and pulled as recommended about 6 or 7 times without even a fire.  Hit the electric start and even it cranked for about 2-3 seconds before it fired.  But then again, it was -8 outside, so that could  have something to do with it.  When I test ran it earlier, it did start pretty easy and the  temp was around  25-30. 

Also,  out of curiosity, does anyone tecumseh "load up" when at low idle?  I had the macine idling for about 1-1.5 minutes and when I revved it back up, it belched blue/white smoke like a diesel going up a hill under a load.  Lasted about 1 puff then ran like a charm.  Just wondering if this is a trait of the Tecumseh--Always been B&S guy myself

Again, I appreciate the advice from  all

There's only one other thing to try before trying some extra weight on the front end, everything else seems to have been checked out. Use the blower as a plow, once you have a load of snow out front disengage the traction system and blip the augers. Once you've done it a couple of times you can try it without stopping.

If that doesn't work try adding some weight to the front end.

When I first got it I could not start it with the rope at all.I had to prime it as i was cranking it with the electric start to get it to even fire.  The gas I was using was left from the grass cutting season. Not that old but old enough to cause it to start hard. I use stabil in my gas can now when I purchase gas. Man I swear by that stuff. Yes it Starts one pull every time now.  The key to priming it is to pause between primes about one second.  I prime it four times with the choke on and the throttle at full.  Hope you get some fresh snow to get it out on. We are getting about 8-12 tommorrow.   

I have a new Aniens 11528LE and unfortunately I beleive that Ariens suffers from design problems caused by their own marketing department.  They chose to differentiate their 11.5hp deluxe model from their 11.5hp professional model by downgrading the deluxe model in three areas.  A different engine (fine), a different gear case (fine), and smaller tires (NOT fine).  The smaller tires that they chose to install on their 926LE and 11528LE models only saves Ariens pennies but costs the machines dearly in performance. 

I'm convinced that the smaller, narrower tires contribute the machine losing important traction when faced with hard plowed snow and may even contribute to problems keeping the machine running in a straight line.  They use the larger tires on their smaller 8.5hp classic model...why in the world would they put smaller tires on a larger heavier machine like the 11.5hp deluxe model???

As far as the optional weight kit for the front end...it is to help keep the machine from riding up over heavy plowed snow. 

From Ariens Website:  "Front Weight Kit  (#724065)  Provides added extra weight to the front of the Sno-ThroŽ when working with heavy frozen snow.  MSRP: $49"

I don't know why I have to buy an optional accessory in order for my machine to handle basic jobs.  I had an Ariens 5hp machine and while it did my driveway okay it always struggled with plowed snow at the end of my driveway.  My neighbors on either side of me would come over with their snowblowers and clear the plowed snow  for me.  One has a 10 yr old 8hp John Deere and the other has a 7hp Toro...both go through the plowed snow like butter. 

When I bought the 11.5hp Ariens I thought that my problems with plowed snow were over because it weighs over twice what mt 5hp Ariens weighed.  But unfortunely weight alone won't overcome design problems.  Another curious fact is that the engine on my 11.5hp machine is listed as having the same displacement (318cc) as their 9hp machine.  Perhaps Ariens is just going downhill. 

Paul7,

Go to Lowes or HD, buy some bar steel, cut to length, drill holes to match your blower.

Then paint and install on your blower, might cost you $15.00 total!!!!

My Husky blower came with the weight kit!!!

Fred

Paul7:

I believe my 1128DLE pro has the same 11.5HP engine as yours. The differential and cast iron auger gear case are the major differences with a few minor ones. I have wide SnowHogs and they still can sink in the snow as they dig down to the pavement.

I never had a problem with snow until the last big storm a month ago. Professionals landscapers with all kinds of big machines were "venting" at the local McDonalds as they were literally "spinning their wheels" all day trying to move 2 inches of ice and 18 inches of snow on top of it.

What made a huge difference for me was tossing a 20 pound bag of kitty litter on the intake chute. It made a 90% improvement for me. If you did not do your EOD on the same day of the snow, you were out of luck. The next day I got out the garden pick and broke the ice in order to clear a path in front of my mailbox. Out in the country, the mailmen get poe'd if you do not clear a path for their truck to get close to the box. They will not deliver your mail until you clear it.

newjerseybt wrote:

" Out in the country, the mailmen get poe'd if you do not clear a path for their truck to get close to the box. They will not deliver your mail until you clear it."

Through rain,sleet,and snow. just shovel me a nice path. 

My headlight quit after 10 minutes while running my new Sears snowblower for the first time.  It was purchased one year ago.  It's an 11.5 hp machine, model number 917.881150.

I guess it's a simple fix if a person knows what they're doing.  Any tips or recommendations before I try to figure this out on my own?  There's nothing in the owner's manual describing how-to.

Heavy wet snow today and it performed very well . . . . powerful !! 

SB,

You may have a burnt bulb.

Or check the light wire connection down by the engine, under/near starter.

Fred

If its the connection between the light bulb harness and the alternator then once you reconnect make sure you cover it, good quality eletrical tape and/or heat shrink tubing.

If its the bulb you will have to open up the casing, remove the old bulb and get a replacement ( buy two if you're really organized, I keep forgetting where I put the spare ). When you are closing up the casing make sure you get all the seals in place as that will help keep the bulb dry.

Jubol and Newjerseybt,

Thanks for the advice.  We got snow yesterday and my Ariens 11.5hp Deluxe did a good job this time.  I got to it before it froze.  On the EOD snow I did throw a bag of salt on the front end and it was an improvement.  It kept falling off though so I'm going to take Jubol's advice and add some bar steel to the front of the machine. 

I'm still a little irked that Ariens put smaller tires on this years 11.5 hp deluxe model.  The same model of previous years had the larger tires.  Heck I just saw a 10.5 hp MTD for sale and it even had the huge 16"x6.5" tires.  With the premium that I had to pay for the Ariens I don't think that they should have skimped on the tires.

Newjerseybt...Ariens current specs note that the 11.5 hp engine on my Deluxe model displaces 318cc...but the 11.5 hp engine on your Professional model displaces 342 cc.   I honestly don't know what that means in terms of performance but my sense is that the engine with more displacement may be more powerful even though they state the same hp..  Just a guess.

Paul

jubol wrote:

Fred & Nibbler:

Today, in broad daylight, I found the problem.  The wire connection from the headlight running down to and near the starter had unplugged from the internal wire  (best I can describe).  I replugged, taped it and then taped the wire to the oil dipstick.  I ran the blower to clean up last nights additional heavy, wet snow and the light worked throughout the cleanup in daylight.    

Thanks!

Not sure if I mentioned this before.  I have the Classic Cab (Deluxe) and it works great.  Last night, it was blowing snow with a mix of sleet and this thing kept me dry and sheltered from the wind!    I highly recommend it!  Watch the prices.  I found this one on Amazon for $79.95 and Sears wanted $109.95. 

Paul7 wrote:

A thought. . . .

My Classic Cab came with a vinal bag to hold sand (or kitty litter) as a counter weight to offset the cab weight.  It's designed to be mounted on the top of the auger housing.  I suggest you might fill a backpack full of "Play Sand" from Home Depot and attach it to the top of the housing using some kind of clamp.  My bag has two clamps that are held with bolts and it's very secure.  The Play Sand  bag weighs 50 lbs by the way.  I'm not suggesting you use all of this weight, but you can experiment from 50lbs downward.  Also, the sand is available (and replaceable) in case it's needed.

Clamps:  I would go to Home Depot to browse and be creative.

According to the Ariens website the Deluxe 11.5HP uses a Tecumseh OHV engine while the Professional uses an 11.5 B&S OHV. Different manufacturer, slightly different spec. How significant it is is the grist for many discussions.