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

and why doesn't the engine have a name?  Everything else looks the same except its black not orange...I these beasties at HD....I wonder if Ariend makes them....hell I wonder if Ariens still makes the Orange ones!

I asked the same question.Sno Tek is not even listed on their website.Only God knows who makes them lol.

They are cheaper home owner units made as a price point for Home Depot. The engines are Chinese LCT:

http://www.lctusa.com/

AJ

stay away from those engines..................?

Is an engine made in China a bad thing? Has it failed to do what it is intended to do? Any actual testimony or is it a perception that Chinese made are cheap and poor quality? Have we thumb our noses on foreign products from Japan 30 to 40 years ago?

not thumbing my nose...just asking if they have a rep out ther.  To be honest I assumed the Brigs etc were made over their as well.  Still, Brigs etc have a reputation and I would expect them to last for some time.  I just never heard of these engines and was curious...

There's a thread on the "other" forum which discusses this. The Sno-Tek is essentially an enlarged Ariens Compact platform built at Ariens plant 3 in Brillion, WI.

Differences between this model and the Ariens Compact are:
Recoil start only
Polymer discharge chute (easily the most heavy duty poly chute on any snow blower; steel cap, steel backing plates, steel mounts, .180"  wall high impact HDPE)
Enlarged blower housing (taller)
LCT OHV engine (vs Briggs OHV or Subaru OHC on the Ariens Compacts)
2 year warranty (vs 3 year on the Ariens)
Black paint and some styling/decal differences

A few more notes:

The Sno-Tek models received the same high flow discharge chute geometry and fan speed increases that the Ariens Compacts received this year to take advantage of the power increases (no fan speed increase on 22").

Thousands of man-hours of engineering and test time were spent developing the snow package (over a period of 2 years) to alter and validate it for Ariens' approval (much of which by former Tecumseh and Briggs engineers employed both at Ariens and LCT). Solid engines.

This is the second year this engine has been available. In 2008 there were production releases in Canada under the Craftsman and Poulan brands (from HOP). Results were good (according to LCT).

.

How many asiatic cars are sold in America each years? If they're aint no good why GM and others going down? So I think for now in 2009 and in the future, the snowblower market will change for the best, it's sad for the industrys around here but it's the reality

Their Baaaaack.  I see Sno Teck at HD for the second year...and also at Indy dealers.  Anyone have one?  What has your experience been? Thoughts?

mikiewest wrote:
As usual -- Mikie bashing Ariens and backing it up with a lie.  Sno-Tek is absolutely on Ariens website.  Heres the link:

http://www.ariens.com/products_snow/sno_tek/Pages/default.aspx

Sno-Tek is the budget line of snowblowers for those who dont want to or cant drop 1k+ on a new dual stage snowblower.

andrelaplume wrote:
I'm not fond of all-black OPE.  There should be some contrasting colors if you're operating it, and highly visible to bystanders from a safety standpoint.  Just my two pesos.

Well, in all fairness it may not have been on the website when I first posted this last year.  I agree on the all black but one could put an orange stripe or something on it.  Regular Ariens start at $699, not 1K so these are a hundred bucks less. Just curious if anyone has any real world experience with one...

Ah, right you are -- didnt realize the price gap was that close.  It looks like the same exact unit with a chinese engine -- so I guess as long as the engine runs its probably a good unit (I wouldnt buy one, but I guess if you dont care where the engine is made you're fine).

My experience with chinese engines has been real mixed:

Portable generator runs awesome
Had a quad with one that ran well (had other issues but not with the engine)
My father has a trencher with a chinese engine that runs like garbage

So I guess it depends on

1) The quality control
and
2) How well the company in china that is making the engine was able to copy a honda or whatever company they copied (because thats all they do is copy someone elses engine and use cheaper materials usually)

So, now a year later...(I just kept my Two stage Toro last year) and HD is back with a Special Buy;  24" Electronic start Snow tec by Ariens for $499.  Anyone care to comment...these have been around a few years now...chinese engine and all....whacha think after a few years on the market?

andrelaplume wrote:
Not that saying Chinese engine is bad or anything, but its hard to buy anything that isn't made in China.  No one in USA wants to make toys for kids these days.

With prices like that for the Sno-tek, I'd buy two of them.  One for use, and one for back up!  Redundancy ensures that you're never without a snowblower in the big storms.    Why repair and paint snowblowers when you got another shiny new one waiting in your garage?

HD has 2 different 24" Sno-Tek models.  One has a smaller engine, plastic chute and manual deflector.

The one that costs $100 more comes with a bigger engine, metal chute and remote deflector control.

Here is a quote from Snowmann:
Keep in mind there are 2 different Sno-Tek 24's at Home Depot (USA stores only I believe). One is a special promotional version 920404 (for $100 less). The differences between this one and the standard 920402 model is that it has a polymer chute, manual chute cap, and a 136cc LCT Storm Force engine instead of the 208cc (7.0 torque instead of 9.5). I believe the 208cc is 6.5hp (as stated on the side of the engine on the emissions decal). Don't quote me on this, but I thought the 136cc was 5.2hp or something of the sort. It should say on the side of the engine on one of fine print decals. It does have electric start, but it's pretty unnecessary. With the smaller displacement, the recoil pull force feels like it is a "dummy" engine with no piston. Very light pull and easy to start. I used this engine all last year and was pretty happy with it. Barely used any fuel too...

you are saying you used the 5HP snow tek and it performed ok?  How did the chute hold up?  Is this something to move on?  Sounds like a good deal.  How fast does an engine wear out...I mean we might get 3 -4 snow falls a year where I am...everynow and then we get 6+ inches and I feel like I am straining my single stage when this happens.  How is the Snow Teck 5hp in 6+ inches...THANKS!

Oh crap...snowman said that... WHERE's TEH SNOWMAN?!!!

I've heard good reports about this line on other forums. You really can't beat the price and like everything else these days, people are looking for a bargain. I checked them out at HD a few times and they seem to be built pretty well for a $ 500.00 or so snowblower.

I have a relative with a landscaping / snow removal business.  He is always picking up 'good buys' as spare equipment.  I had him check the unit out as well as check with the person he uses for repairs.

Neither like the plastic chute...they eventually succumb to cracking.

The major knock was on the Chinese engine and availability (or lack there of) of getting parts.  Supposedly there is one distributor on the east coast with a week wait on parts.

Now they are in the bussiness of snow removal and obviously use the equpiment in a different manner than a home owner.  They also need a quick turn around on parts.  So, I guess you could take all this with a grain of salt.

They reccomeneded waiting till I could affor the $799 (on sale for $729) orange model and likely never worry about purchasing another or getting parts.