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

Ariens 11528DLE

I purchased this sno blower two years ago and I am about ready to install my third auger belt. Anyone else having this problem?

Thought I was buying top of the line, my fathers vintage 1970's Ariens refuses to die and is still throwing snow like new. Very frustrated. Cold weather and no garage is no time to be replacing belts.

Brian

Are you using OEM belts or generic belts from an auto parts store?

3 does seem excessive.

Do you have the belt adjusted way too loose so it is slipping and burning?

Does the impeller freeze up between uses and burn the belt when you go to use it next time?

Was it routed correctly around the brake?

Are you running it very hard into very heavy snow?

Shryp wrote:

"OR" ARE THE PULLEYS IT RIDES ON OUT OF ALIGNMENT.I've seen that more than once and the belt gets chewed from the edge of the pulley.

hirschallan wrote:
I'm going with this possibility as well. 

Shryp wrote:

I guess I should be more specific, they are not really getting eaten, just stretched to the point where I have to adjust the pully to the far end to make the blower blow snow, then it stretches some more and wont blow. There are no signes of belt fragments anywhere. The second belt was a belt from a parts store. The pulleys look like they are aligned. The unit is only two years old, you not think that things would be that far out of whack, even after the first winter.

If it was a cheap belt that was not power rated some stretching is to be expected.  Also new belts have a break in period after which you should re-adjust the tension.  Also, if you are using generic belts maybe they measured it wrong?  I hope you at least looked up the Ariens OEM number to get the belt size.  You could try using a belt slightly shorter.

After 3 belts I would suspect an alignment problem but you also need to make sure you get the correct belt.

The belts for utility equipment are usually green. Another issue is if something hits and buggers up one of the pullies or

the belt is slipping when it is engaged. It is either chunks of rubber or a burned belt may offer a clue.

You have to really check the entire drive mechanism.

Starwarrior

Post a few pictures of your pulleys and belt.  That could help a little.

brjl-Copy the seral # off the plate or sticker on your machine and call Ariens. I can't be specific and I may be entirely wrong but there was I think some discussion a few years ago on a 28" Ariens unit with belt issues. If my memory is wrong I apologize to both you and Ariens.

Marc

I can't get the link to come up. It is from October of 2009. There is a dual belt kit for the 11528 auger drive. I will try to get the link to show..

Marc

I can't get the link to come up but the story is this- Ariens has an accessory kit #72600700 that fits 8.5-11.5 Tec. powered machines as well as  Briggs powered 926xxx machines. It was designed for 2005-2006 units and became standard on the 2007. If you would like to read the whole thread Google "Ariens twin belt kit". The second listing is the thread here on Abby's that you need to read. Snowmann's response in the thread is #2 so don't forget to click on "all" or you will see only reponses #5-14.Snowmann's reponse has the info you need..

Marc

Thanks for your  help, I am going to purchase an authentic Ariens belt in the next few days and checking the alignment of the pullys.

Thanks again

Brian

>>>The second belt was a belt from a parts store.

Auto belts at a parts place are made different than OPE belts you would get at a hardware store.  The OPE belts have a strengthened backing for OPE use.  Hardware stores often carry a couple of types of different quality in common sizes.   I have never had a problem with the lower cost belts and occasionally use the more expensive belts both of which are less expensive than a manf's belt.    One Murray belt was $42 which was $9 at the hardware store. 

Get the part number of your belt at the Ariens site and google it.  You'll get hits for various belt places and many list the size.  All belts I get for Ariens machines are hardware store belts and work fine.

I buy all my belts at Advanced Auto.  They sell a line of OPE belts. They are pretty heavy duty and I've never had a problem with them.  They usually run about. $9.50 each.

I relaced the belt with a OEM belt, seem to be about 1 inch shorter and much beefier than the last belt. All pullys are aligned and everything seems normal. After this winter is over, I will measure this belt with the old one I took out to see if it is stretched. Thanks again for the help.

Brian

Check  your auger drive for binding. Also check your idle pully for binding. Both should turn free by hand. Make sure you are adjusting it correctly. If you idle pully bolt is loose your belt will go out of adjustment

I had the same problem and I came to the conclusion that the engine is just so powerful that when the auger gets full of snow instead of the engine slowing down it keeps turning full speed and slightly slips on the belt and burns it.

Check if you have some black soot under the belt cover and around the inside. Also a belt that is all cracked up inside is overheating.

I have all the OEM sizes Ariens belts on my site at   http://www.c-equipment.com/snowblower-ariens-belts.html

Partsman, your a running advertisement not a contributor. Dennis, what are the rules on advertisers? Are we going to have to read ads in all posts?

It's quite easy to ignore the advertisement.  Quite subtle and not too annoying.

brjl! eating up belts should not be the norm! i would check the pulleys for allignment,burrs,dings,and free movement.i had a belt go on my cub cadet at 200 hrs of service.first i thought it was normal and figured i'd have to replace it every 200 hrs.i bought a new cub cadet belt for it and it didn't last a month of mowing grass.one of the two directional pulleys under the front end had the bearings going out and was so bound up it was putting extra load on the belt.the bearings finally launched and the bearing hub seperated from the pulley. replaced both pulleys and  not 3 hrs later the replacement belt seperated in half. if the belts are freyed it tells you one thing and if the belt is an abrupt shear it tells you something else.in my case the second belt broke in an abrupt shear just like pulling a piece of licorice in half.it had no free movement on the frozen pulley and the engine simply pulled the belt in half.

This machine has been looked at by two different dealers, and I have checked everything that I could, all looks normal. I know people who have the same machine with no problems. I am thinking about selling it and getting a Toro.