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

Hi,

I am looking to purchase either the Ariens 5524 (last years model - new) or the Ariens 624E.  Normal snowfall is is 4-6 inches and I have a short driveway but very long sidewalk and walkway.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Denis,

Is the 624 an upgrade over the 5524?  My local dealer likes the 5524 better.

Your help and advice is appreciated.

Did the dealer tell you the reason why he likes the 5524 better? I don't see much of a difference between the 5524 and the 624, in fact the 624 appears to be a 5524 but with a different engine. I suppose it's possible the 5524 has a more reliable engine, or at least one the dealer likes better, but it's also possible the dealer just wants to get rid of a surplus unit.

Doesn't the 624 have the newer oHV engine? I got my 624 a couple weeks back (been through 2 snowfalls now). They didn't have any of the 5524's left in stock, had sold that last two on discount. Love my 624, welcome to the club!

Sorry Im late to chime in on this, but whatever you do, DO NOT buy the 5524!  I own one and I can tell you that it is horrible.  Ariens thought of every possible sneaky way of cheapening this blower to make it look good on paper but perform horribly.  It has 2 main faults that render it virtually useless:

1. Take a look at the bolts that hold the impellers on.  These are a soft material bolt that are designed to break just before the breaking point of the gear case.  As you can see, these bolts are TINY on this unit, and they are also extremely soft.  This tells you a lot about the quality of the gear case.  These bolts break constantly, and you don't even have to hit a rock to break them.  Just hit an icy patch of snow and they break.  USELESS!

2. Now look underneath at the joke of a transmission that this model has.  The rubber spinning disc gets very hot after about 10 minutes of use, and it begins to slip.  After 15 minutes it's time to park the thing for a couple of hours to let it cool down, since the tires won't drive anymore.  And yes, I have tried adjusting it many times, it doesn't help.


I hope I'm still early enough to save you from wasting your money, I have been told that Ariens produces this junk specifically for Home Depot. If you go to an actual dealer you'll be able to find a much better model.

Sorry to hear about your issues. I'd be curious to hear if these issues were just with the 5524 or were they wtih all the compact throwers? I didnt' buy at the HD, found the mom/pop dealer in the area that is Ariens (and the one that services my single-stage).

personal preference though -- let's not just take the same post and respond to every other post with the same thing. What you typed here I've found elsewhere verbatim. It's bad form and lazy.