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?

Ariens does seem to be a gold standard in price/performance.  That's true here and just about everywhere else I go.  Nothing wrong with that.  However, it's just impossible to make that many machines without a lemon.  Whether all the tolerances lined up, it was a Friday afternoon build, or whatever, it just happens.  A good company isn't defined solely by defect rate -- it's also how it responds when the few unavoidable defects happen.  Obviously, none of us know the full story of what has happened in this case, but hopefully Ariens will use this as an opportunity to demonstrate the brand promise of the Ariens name.

When I was shopping for a new snow thrower about a month ago, the local Cub Cadet/MTD dealer had a similar, used, 2005 model Ariens 1336DLE on his lot.  I looked it over pretty good and it did look like an impressively built machine.  All steel construction, cast iron auger drive gear case, OHV Tec engine, 12 volt electric start, light, hand warmers etc.  The dealer wanted $1600.00 for it.  Upon close inspection, i noticed a few details on the engine that looked out of place.  It appeared to me that the engine had been worked on.  Dealer claimed that it hadn't been.  At least not by him.  That doesn't rule out that someone else may have had it apart.  He also claimed that it had very little time on it.  The attached maintenance minder showed 70 hours, which is more than very little in my book.  Another feature I disliked was the wheel lock down on the right hand wheel.  Now that I have read this post, I'm all the more pleased that I decided to go with a new Simplicity 9528 for considerably less money.  I looked at the HD models of Toro and Ariens and wasn't impressed.  Prices were substantially higher than the Simp and neither machine had all of the desirable features nor apparent build quality.  I would have looked at the higher end models of Ariens and Toro but the local dealer is worst price gouger I've ever come across.   So I didn't bother to visit his dealership.   Now I have to wait for some snow to put the Simplicity through it's paces to see how well it performs.  Will provide a review after a few months of operation. 

OK people, Here is the update on my machine: The dealer told me he was going to swallow the loss and get me a new machine, which he did last year. he had it all summer as an agreement between us because he was busy with mowers and the snow was gone, free storage, right? Just before our first storm, i recieved the new machine with "all the updates", evidently there were a few. I used it without any problems through 2 BIG storms. We got a wet snowfall last week of about 5 inches. I made 1 pass down my paved driveway, turned around, made a half a pass back, and I smelled something hot. 10 seconds later the machine was on fire. I put out the fire with snow, took pictures, and brought them to the dealer. They were back to my home as soon as I was to retrieve the machine. He called me back to tell me not to worry, it is under warrantee. He said the machine was wired wrong from the factory, and the wires chaffed and shorted out under the battery, and that he ordered a new wiring harness, and it will be good as new....I wonder, will it?  For the price of this monster I could have had a couple of K-Mart machines.

I think that las vegas wants you as a COOLER.

I guess the good luck is that the machine did not blow up or ignite anything else.

geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez

Wow...Was it the same model?  1336DLE Pro?  Perhaps you should consider a plow service.  Anyway, sorry to hear about your luck...or lack of it.

Well, I got it back, it does run and move. we had about an inch shortly after, it SEEEmed to handle tha inch with confidence. I have my doubts about much more than that. Not far from here they got 186" of snow this year. I would have retired 8 or 9 of these machines! Take a look for your self, Bethel Maine, home of the worlds biggest snow woman:  http://www.bethelmainesnowwoman.com/blog/

Oh My God.  I had to join this site just to vent.

For 10 years I had a Honda 828 wheeled snowblower.  It was a great machine.  It never once failed to start on 1-2 pulls, could eat anything, and was light enough I could pick it up and put it in the truck.  I beat on my machines.  I make money, not friends.  Everything about it was great.

I moved to a house with a 400' driveway.  The honda had no light, and I noticed the muffler starting to turn cherry red in about 12" of wet snow.  I figured it was time to upgrade to a bigger machine, because the 828 was taking me about 45 minutes to clear the driveway.  Of course I wanted another honda, but I didn't feel I could justify almost 3 grand new, and even people selling their used hondas were expecting close to full price.  I sold my 10 year old snowblower for $800, thinking it was unbelievable someone would pay that much.   I got what I thought was a good deal on an ariens 1336 dle pro.  All the bells and whistles $3000 msrp.  A lot of people like Ariens, so I figured maybe the pro model and not the home depot model, coupled with a real service dept. would be better, and I could save maybe $1000 and be done sooner.

This snowblower is a big, red piece of crap.  I can't see a major difference between this and my 1960s Snow King, for which I could no longer get parts for.  I buy my equipment used in order to save that big chunk of depreciation.  2 years into a product is a good way to tell how something is going to stand up.  Honda does, ariens doesn't.  Heated handles, a remote-control chute, and a light, that's about it.    The only difference between this snowblower and an ariens you could've bought 20-30 years ago is this one is made more cheaply.  Mind you:  This is the PROFESSIONAL model, and not the trumped-down Harry Homeowner model.

1.)  The snowblower is balanced with all the weight under the wheels, so it rides up.  If you pull up on the handles the wheels just spin.  Unlock the wheels and only one wheel spins.  Horrible, horrible traction.  Chains?  Tried it.  Weight kit?  Tried it.   This machine sucks.

2.) Chute is off center, so snow goes left easier than going right.  Does that matter?  It does because the battery is on the right, and the wide-open chute spills snow in ever-accumulating piles right on top of the battery housing, evetually building up to the point of clogging the chute, and/or making it impossible to turn using the nifty remote switch.  The switch has broken twice-its not waterproof, and the electric motor turning the gears has broken/clogged with water and frozen 4 times.  It is not weatherproof, and has simply been sprayed with an undercoating in order to give it a minimum amount of protection.

3.) You will only need 3 gears:  Reverse, 1st and 6th.  Because the impeller/auger doesn't spin fast enough to get rid of more than 4" of snow at a pass if you go any faster than gear 1, and 6 will get you back to the garage after you get the piece of junk started again.  BAD GEAR RATIO!!!!!!!  I bet its because the pully is the same one used for a smaller bucket, but no one bothered to do the math on engine speed/auger speed.  Piss poor engineering.

4.) It sucks gas.  I could do my driveway with 50% less gas with my smaller snowblower, even though it took me the same amount of time with a machine 30% smaller.  The disc-o-matic transmission is simple enough to work on, (and believe me you'll get the chance) but it sucks a ton of power.  The Snow King engine starts.  Power?  Plenty, but who cares because the auger doesn't turn fast enough so you stuck waiting anyway.

5.) It cloggs a lot.  New belts?  Yep.  Tighten the belts?  Yep.  Clean the belts, dress the belts, kiss the belts, silicone the chute?  Yep.  In 10 years of using my Honda, the only time the chute clogged is when I sucked up a 10x10 blue tarp, and it almost made it out.

I couldn't even tell you where the belt on my Honda snowblower was.

6.)  It rusts.  Do I take care of my equipment?  I'm hard but fair.  In 10 years my Honda didn't rust as bad as my 2 yr old Ariens.  Cheap.  Heated handles and a light.  Those are the only positive things.  Also, the handles on this piece of junk are the same handles you'll find on the 824, and blowers 200lbs lighter.   

Not only is this a out-dated design, the very balance of this machine is wrong.  It is out of sync, and doesn't work well.  I'm speaking as a mechanic/tech/designer who loves good tools and good machines.   This is a very low-grade snowblower, not worth 1/2 the price.    AVOID THIS MACHINE.

Well nhmatt, that was a rather harsh review. 

Don't have any experience with that particular Ariens machine although, I did look at a one year old, used one that was the very same model, last year.  It looked big and tough enough.   After I looked at it more closely, I could tell that the engine had been worked on.  Something that the sales person at the dealership denied knowing about.  I showed him that the valve cover was being held on by other than stock nor normal type bolts.  From the looks of the fasteners on the engine, someone had taken it pretty much apart, either several times or they were as sloppy as hell in their wrench & screw driver size selections.  The dealership was asking $1600.00 for it.  I passed on the deal and bought a brand new 9528 Simplicity for a hundred bucks less, taxes included.   Best snow thrower I've owned and a damned good performer too.    

I can't be harsh enough.  Every time I use that thing I have to work on it.  Whether it be a shear pin or a loose belt or a frozen shute or a clogged impeller.  SLUSH OMG!!!!! I totally forgot.  it doesn't throw slushy snow more than 5'.  It cloggs more than it thows.  Sure, I know all about the Pam/silicone trick.  Its a design problem:  The impeller/auger assembly doesn't move fast enough, or have enough torque to toss it out of the chute.  I've tried modifying it and "tweaking" it or whatever.  10" on the ground tonight, and slow speed was too fast.  The engine is strong enough, in fact I dont' think the transmission is strong enough to stall the motor.  

Its better than shoveling by hand. 

I have an Ariens 1128DLE Pro 924508 And It is a great machine. It did plug with slush until I installed Clarences impeller kit and now it is flawless. My Honda hs624 will still give it a run for its money but the Ariens is a great machine as it is the last year they made this style before the changes took place. I would never have considered a machine with an electric shoot.