Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions |
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seabird
Joined: Nov 10, 2005
Points: 34
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Re: Ariens 722
Reply #2 Jan 25, 2009 8:40 pm |
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hi guys. i bought an ariens 722ec about three years ago after doing a fair amount of research. basically it was between the 722 and the toro 2450. i ended up buying the ariens because it had 2 more hp, the chute control and limited lifetime warranty on the paddles. - all for the same price as the 5hp toro well three years later, i saw a used 2450 on sale and picked it up. i have always heard good things about the toros and curiousity got the best of me. one of the first jobs i used the toro on was wet slush at the eod...about 8" or so. the ariens would have had a tough time with it...it did well with light to packed snow, but wet stuff it couldn't handle and it poured out of the chute like toothpaste. the toro worked like a champ as was throwing the slush 10' with little problem. at that moment i was sold and the following week i ended up selling the ariens. so short story is that "my" experience with the ariens vs toro is that the toro wins hands down. my guess is that most single stage machines will work fine with light to light packed snow, but when things get wet, thats what separates these machines. why does the toro outperform? not really sure, the basic design of these machines is very similar...i'm going to have to say its the paddle and chute design. good luck. rob
This message was modified Jan 29, 2009 by seabird
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seabird
Joined: Nov 10, 2005
Points: 34
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Re: Ariens 722
Reply #5 Jan 26, 2009 6:33 am |
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Thanks for providing your feedback. I was always wondering why the Ariens 722 while having higher horsepower and even lower price than a comparable Toro model did not sell very well. I suspected that the 2 extra hp of the Ariens didn't seem give it any extra performance. I also suspect that the Ariens 522 and 722 would perform the same in heavy wet snow when the load prevents the 722 engine to attain the higher RPM to produce the extra 2 horsepower. That's just my guess since both engines are Tecumseh 139cc 2 stroke engines. The Ariens did seem to have good build quality and I like the molded auger paddles which are lifetime warranty. Seabird, seems like you have a little bit of interest in Toro snowblowers. Wink. Would you mind sharing details of your collection? i would agree, the build quality of the ariens was as good or even superior in terms of materials i.e plasitcs used in the main body of the machine seemed more durable than the toro. if you hang out on the other forum then yes you know i also have a ccr2000 and older 826 2 stage. i picked up a couple ccr2k machines this year as i've always heard good things about the suzuki engines. i fixed them both up with new paddles, carb clean etc. and have sold one and kept one for myself as a back up to the 2450. i havn't had the opportunity to test it out due to the lack of new snow but the engine runs great, starts up on the first pull every time. i suspect it will work as well as the 2450, but we'll see.
This message was modified Jan 26, 2009 by seabird
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seabird
Joined: Nov 10, 2005
Points: 34
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Re: Ariens 722
Reply #6 Jan 26, 2009 6:41 am |
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Yes, thanks for the feedback. Assuming that the belt was tensioned correctly on the Ariens the difference probably is in the paddle design. It appears that the Ariens paddle was designed to capture more snow that the Toro's paddles. That might explain why heavy icy shush might bog it down if the paddles are slowed by trying to handle too much of a load. thats the only variable that i could not confirm was belt tension. having said this, since new the machine never liked the wet stuff and it was bought from a dealer...vs big box, so i'm assuming it was set up properly. i was going to tinker around with it before i sold, but it was basically sold within a few minutes of advertising. your theory may be right on the paddle design...all i know is i understand why all the contracters use toro single stage machines and also i remember when i was shopping around 3 years ago and one OPE dealer swore the smaller 5hp toro outperformed the 7hp ariens...i should have listened.
This message was modified Jan 26, 2009 by seabird
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seabird
Joined: Nov 10, 2005
Points: 34
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Re: Ariens 722
Reply #8 Jan 26, 2009 10:54 am |
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At work here we had a 3 hp. toro that we used for a long time, then replaced it with a 5 hp. and now we have the 6.5 hp. model and I have to say that 5 hp. I think worked harder than the 6.5 that we have now. We use it on heavier stuff than we should sometimes and those machines have stood up well. I haven't used an ariens single stage though so I can't compare them that way.
Coldfingers if its the 3650 you are referring to, i find that surprising that the 5hp or 2450 worked better. i've heard nothing but good things about both machines...the 2450 and 3650.
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seabird
Joined: Nov 10, 2005
Points: 34
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Re: Ariens 722
Reply #10 Jan 26, 2009 12:17 pm |
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What's the difference between the 2450 and 3650 besides the HP rating? i believe the 3650 has a manual chute control.
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seabird
Joined: Nov 10, 2005
Points: 34
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Re: Ariens 722
Reply #13 Jan 28, 2009 7:18 am |
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i don't know the definitive dates and models but i believe the ccr1000/2000/3000 series and possibly a few other of the ccr models prior to the 2450/3650/snow commander had zuki engines. these were made from the late 80's to mid 90's i think. i havn't googled but i would be interested to know as well. from what i understand the ccr2000 in particular with the 4.5 zuki engine was basically replaced by the 2450 with the toro rtek 5hp engine. i've heard that the hp rating on the zuki is under rated in this case is a stronger engine. i was also told that the new toro single stage machines are fitted with plastic carbs and can be finiky sp?..but are cheap to replace at only 30-40 bucks. good luck and if you find out more on the zuki engine dates, please post them up.
This message was modified Jan 28, 2009 by seabird
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seabird
Joined: Nov 10, 2005
Points: 34
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Re: Ariens 722
Reply #16 Jan 30, 2009 4:07 am |
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I'm seeing quite a few CCR1000 and CCR2000 on craigslist that are selling 50%-75% price of a comparable new models. I think these were trade-ins and someone fixed them up and post them for sale. Prices are a little high though at this time of the year, probably can do better in the spring. I think I try to find a cheap CCR2000 since this is the middle model with ample power. what exact prices are you seeing? as a reference i bought 2 used ones for 100-140 each. basically all that was needed were new paddles and a carb clean. the cheaper one did require some work to the housing but nothing too costly. when you are looking at them be sure to check out the belt housing cover at the bottom. most are worn and allow snow to get in the belt area that in turn creates slippage. you can do a diy fix or just buy the new part for around 25 bucks.
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seabird
Joined: Nov 10, 2005
Points: 34
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Re: Ariens 722
Reply #18 Jan 30, 2009 9:58 pm |
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where abouts are you located? that does sound high unless they are in good shape (i.e. housing) with new paddles.
This message was modified Jan 30, 2009 by seabird
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