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

Can't decide between these machines. I live in the northeast and I have a 140foot driveway with two entrances. I'm looking for something that will take a nor'easter beating and chew through the EOD shizzle. Will the the Ariens Pro28 outperform the Ariens Pro32?

My driveway is roughly the same length as yours, and the first 50-60 feet are quite a challenge sometimes, especially if there's freezing rain, or ice patches. I decided to go with a tracked machine vs wheels, for maximum traction, especially for coming back up the hill. I also went with a 32" scoop (Honda HS1132TC)

seeker wrote:
They both have the same engine. 342cc briggs and stratton.

giocam wrote:
The cc rating is the same but the 32" has 16.5 of torque while the 28" has 15.5.

seeker wrote:
Do you have other areas that need to be cleared of snow, i.e. walkways, narrow passage ways, decks, etc... that might be better served by the smaller 28" bucket?  A big bucket is nice for the driveway but may be too large for other areas that are not as open or conducive to your landscape. Just something to consider... Sounds like either one will do the job.

I had the 1336DLE PRO for a 1/2 season and it was pretty much worthless.  I'd get the smaller one if the motors/gearing is the same. 

giocam wrote:

There were threads last year IIRC that this is simply marketing and all similar size blocks have the same horsepower. I think discussion was mainly about the 305cc though.

seeker wrote:

Your profile doesn't say where you are from but I take it you are from New England since you reference Northeasters. I would go with the 28. New England often gets wind-packed Northeasters, or very heavy, wet snow due to the ocean influence and the fact that we aren't at very high elevations. My ST824 wouldn't come remotely close to being able to munch full-width passes of heavier snow. Dealing with a packed, salted EOD pile is a big challenge. The guys out West get that light, fluffy powder snow that looks so great in the snow thrower ads. We don't....

Garandman wrote:
Hey all thanks for the feedback. Garandman I'm from New Hampshire and I think you're spot on regarding the salted EOD pile around here and I've got two!! I was concerned that if I tried to drive a bigger intake into that pile the bigger machine would bog down and I would be left to contemplate why I spent the extra $500...so I purchased the the pro28. Set-up was pretty simple but the small manual that Ariens includes isn't as useful as the manual you can download on home depot website. The most frustrating part about the set-up is the chute rotation adjustment. It takes a little time to dial it in but once it's dialed it's pretty sweet! Once I was finished setting it up I filled it with gas, pulled the cord and took it for a test drive around the yard. Wahoo!

The most important difference is that the Pro 28 has a 249CC engine to drive the 220lb machine and blow snow. Once you go up to at least the 30" the engine are either 287CC or 305CC which will greatly improves the power needed to move heavy wet snow and break through the banking at the end of the street. Also look at the height of the auger. alot of the less expensive ones have only 14" tall augers versus the Honda's 20" with the ice breaking design. If you have an incline or a long driveway then the tractor tread design is better than tires and chains and have the ability to scrape the driveway by the foot pedal height design instead of the side skids. Check out Honda 928TA.

JGtravelor wrote:

The PRO 28 and 32 are much beefier.  16" augers, and 342cc's; cast iron gearboxes and around 300 pounds, yet pretty nimble.

You're quoting the deluxe or platinum lines.  But if I were in the 32's price range, I'd look into the Honda's. Still think the wheeled version would be my preference but the hydro is appealing instead of feathering a friction disc drive for the truly heavy areas.  Everything is a trade off.  No such thing as a perfect machine.