Abby’s Guide > Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) > Discussions > Ariens decision question: Compact series or Deluxe? (Morphed into Platinum vs Deluxe)
Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions
Ariens decision question: Compact series or Deluxe? (Morphed into Platinum vs Deluxe) Original Message Sep 22, 2010 11:37 am
I live in central Ohio and don't have a real Ariens dealer anywhere near me. We don't get a ton of snow but on occasion we get hit pretty good. My current single stage kind of gets me by but I have had to repair it already after only 3 yrs. I have a 3 car wide driveway (but not really long) so I need to be able to throw snow a good distance and also be able to handle the frozen chunky stuff at the EOD. I make a lot of turns. I'm considering 2 machines: 920015 ($899) on the low end or 921020 ($1249) as a higher end option. My questions are: How convenient/reliable is the new quick-turn chute & deflector vs the 2.5x crank? Is it a must-have? Are the materials in the deluxe better grade (steel thickness,etc.) than the compact series? I'm not sure if the 249cc Briggs motor is made in the US or China. Does this thing have enough power for the EOD? I'm kind of leaning toward the Subaru 287cc motor on the Deluxe series unit, even though I'm wondering if a 30" unit might be a little large for my needs. To me it seems like you're getting a Honda equivalent engine for a great deal. But perhaps I'm putting too much stock in the whole Subaru thing and overbuying on the machine. Given these questions and criteria, which model would be the best choice for the money?
Re: Ariens decision question: Compact series or Deluxe? (Morphed into Platinum vs Deluxe) Reply #22 Oct 2, 2010 9:07 pm
I tried the Hillard AutoLok on a Deere 1330SE today...it wasn't bad. There wasn't any snow, but it seemed easy enough to handle.
In the end the dollars and sizes are fairly small; over the next 15 years you will be spending 'quality time' with it for hours in bitter cold weather with a piercing wind. The Platinum Ariens should serve you well.
Re: Ariens decision question: Compact series or Deluxe? Reply #23 Oct 2, 2010 9:14 pm
slinger wrote:
Thank you again for your input. I don't really have an Ariens dealer close to me so HD is about it and the stores by me don't have either of these models on the floor. Do you have to stop the movement of the machine in order to use the Remote Locking Axle feature? I've heard it should not be operated under load. Also, what's the backfiring issue I keep hearing about on the Briggs motors. Is that just someone shutting an engine off without throttling down first? Steve, I like the idea of the Toro's dual triggers for steering. I've been a Toro guy for 30 years as far as mowers, trimmers etc. Just bought a new Zero turn this year. But they don't have this steering feature in a thrower at my desired pricepoint (~ $1300). Snowmann, I thought for sure I was going to buy a machine with a Subaru motor. You are starting to convince me that I really shouldn't put so much weight of my decision on the engine as that is going to be the last thing to go bad on the unit. I guess I'm starting to agree with your recommendation of the Platinum 24. But it's tough for me to give up on the Subaru...it's a $650 engine vs the Briggs 1150 series which goes for about $300 or so...
I guess it's tough to pony up the $$$ if you don't have it. I figure it's a huge savings over a plow if it lasts 10 years and the plows do an awful job and leave a lot of snow behind as well. For us we needed easy to use and reliable and cost while a factor was less important that being able to blow the driveway easily and without back breaking effort. The Briggs motor work very well no complaints with it yet. The dual triggers and the quick chute make doing the driveway a breeze for me. Just buy the machine you prefer and like to use teh best since it's a 10+ year decision.
"If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you live in New England." "If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in New England."
