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

I bought this machine because I needed a rugged machine that would last me. I would rather purchase a "Tim Taylor" machine rather than fuss with an inferior one. This beast has 13hp, 36" wide, locking diff, heated hand grips, light, elec start, ect.... I have a 100 foot paved driveway. It has snowed 4 times since I purchased it, and it has broke down on me 3 times.  everything from a factory recall that i wasnt notified of, so it burned belts (4)!!, to nuts & bolts falling out, chute breaking, auger stops turning, wheels stop driving, etc.... The dealer has a special place for it in his shop that they dont fill when it is at my place. I believe this machine would last forever,  if i dont use it. The dealer stood behind me 100% when I told them enough is enough I wanted something done, money back, or a replacement. Now it has snowed today, 20", I have a bad back and have to shovel while the ariens company sits on my $3000.00. Anybody else have this problem?

I feel for you.  Few things are more frustrating than having a machine break down when you need it the most. 

Two years ago we had a major snow and my snow thrower let me down.  It was a small featureless Ariens...5 hp 24 inch cut.  The small hose that squirts gas into the carb slipped off the carb intake so when I pressed the primer bulb all that happened was that gas got sprayed on the tire.  Couldn't get it started.  Easy fix but I never noticed what was wrong until after I shoveled the driveway myself.  The machine was 12 years old at the time and that was the only problem that I had with it so this year when I wanted a bigger machine I bought an 11.5 hp Ariens.

Your case is very different from mine.  You have every right to be incredulous.  You bought a  top of the line professional model.  I feel that if an outdoor power equipment company names a model as "Professional" that should be a very meaningful designation...not just marketing lingo.  First and foremost it should mean reliability.  A "Professional" snowthrower should be just that...a machine that professionals can use to throw snow all day long, seven days a week, and with proper maintenance it should rarely break down on them as their livelihood depends on it. 

I hope that your dealer and Ariens come through for you to your satisfaction.  The fact is that there are a lot of snow thrower brands for us consumers to choose from.  And at the end of the day the most valuable asset that Ariens has is their name.  I would think that they would want to zealously protect their reputation.

Tom,

What is your model and serial  number?

heyyip,

I think that Ariens will treat you right.  They’re a good company.  Almost all of my outdoor power equipment is made by Ariens…and here’s why.

Back in 1987 I bought my first Ariens product, a 5hp 21” self propelled walk-behind lawn mower.  The mower operated great and I really liked it but after a few months the paint started coming off the deck.  Not wearing off but literally falling off in sheets the size of a playing card. 

I told my Ariens dealer about it and asked him to sell me a can of Ariens orange spray paint so that I could re-paint my lawnmower deck.  He said that it wouldn’t look the same since the original paint was baked on.  He asked me to bring the mower in…he called Ariens and they authorized him to replace the deck with a new one. 

Apparently Ariens had a problem with their painting process that year.  Anyway, they could have chosen to ignore the problem as an aesthetic issue but they didn’t.  At what must have been a considerable expense to them they fixed the problem in a way that exceeded my expectations.

Because of the way they treated me and handled the problem I subsequently purchased an Ariens 4 hp garden tiller, an Ariens 5 hp snow thrower, an Ariens 6 hp 21” professional lawnmower (with an amazing Robins engine), and just last month an Ariens 11.5 hp snow thrower.  And when I buy a zero turn rider this spring it’s going to be an Ariens.  In fact the only equipment that I own that isn’t made by Ariens are my generator and power washer.  And that only because Ariens doesn’t make those products. 

I don’t want to sound like a commercial for Ariens but the fact is that they sell a quality product for a reasonable price...and based on my experience they stand behind their products.   I’ll probably be buying countless Ariens products over the next 40 years and it’s all because of the way that they treated me 20 years ago back in 1987.  Hopefully they’ll handle your problem to your satisfaction as well.

Paul

I second the quality service at Ariens. One service question and they pointed me in the right direction. Because of the great service, I bought 2 Arien's snowblowers in 3 years. One for me and one for my Dad.

I don't understand "bolts falling off"? Ariens uses lock nuts on everything.

newjerseybt

I agree with you, Ariens is a great company, maybe Tom is the 1% customer who gets a (citrus) maybe that day on the production line, someone out there was sick, and forgot a few things to check on the blower before they crate it. I dont believe it was done volontary by Ariens.

Denis

heyyip

Snowmann works for Ariens and should be able to give you some good advice. The info he requested will be good for him to have.

Jonathan

My Machine is a 1336DLE Pro. as for the serial number it is with the machine at the dealer. we had snow AGAIN last thurs. and AGAIN it was in the shop. I told them I dont want it back (I was a little hot under the collar) it seems the motor developed an oil leak somewhere in the cylander head. they said I over filled it with oil, I never put any in it, hell there is only maybe an hour of use on it!  I've since talked to them, they had a meeting and they are going to try to fix it for me. oh boy. The dealer has been good about it so far, they called me that day and offered to come plow my drive for me, not everyone would do that. As for nuts and bolts, none of these had lock nuts on them, they were on the console, and cable guides (which are threaded into the base). also the left control handle bent sideways from the cable tension(!) how is that for thin, even the mechanic commented on how thin the metal is.

The model number should be similar to 92X,XXX and the serial number should be six digits long. It is also on your warranty paperwork I believe. This would be helpful if you need a hand diagnosing some problems.

After reading this, something doesn't smell quite right.

Get the information Snowmann requested and post it. Maybe the smell will get better after that.

marchhoops1 wrote:

Good call, I have been looking at Ariens machines for the last two years, at big box sotres such as HD and pro shops. I have seen some things that were caused by incorrect in store assembly but nothing that could be attributed to "flimsy" or "totally missing from the factory". It could be that the original poster is just fed up but I must admit I've been suspecting that we are being trolled ever since the remarks about flimsy and all lock nuts missing. One or two is possible, all would require a major problem at the factory which would show up on more than just one machine.

We shall see.