Through a strange series of events and getting upset with Sears service department I have two snow throwers in the garage. I'm not going to rehash all the issues, but the last service call Sears said it would take two weeks before they even came out and I bought another machine and planned on taking back the Craftsman unit. Now that I have both units in the garage I am having a hard time making a decision. Yes, the Craftsman 14.5 needs service, but most units after they get running usually don't need service all that often. The other unit is an Ariens 1130 DLE. Both machines are 30" wide and roughly have an 11 hp engine. One comment is that the Ariens units are suppose to be so heavily made, but the truth is that this Home Depot sold machine is almost 50 pounds lighter than the Craftsman unit and you can see this is the thickness of the sheet metal. I have to return the Sears unit by the 30th if I decide to take it back. I tried to be methodical this morning and I put together this chart. Would appreciate your comments, The prices listed include a 5 year warranty that I bought from Sears on the 14.5, but the prices don't include taxes on either unit.
Rick
Craftsman 14.5 Ariens 1130 DLE
Cost: $1188 w/ 5 year warranty $1199 w/ 3 year warranty
Service: One to two weeks 2 to 3 days
Engine: B&S Snow 305 cc OHV Tecumseh L 358 cc, bankrupt
Housing Metal .10 .075
Chute Metal .085 .050
Weight 293 245
Tires 16 X 6.5 15 X 5
Intake height 23” 21”
Width 30” 30”
Chute rotation 180 degrees 200 degrees
Steering Power steering Interlock control
Auto traction control
Impeller 12” 14”
Auger 12” 14”
Drift cutters Standard $30 option
Heavy Extension Cord Standard $16 option
