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

I'm kicking off my fourth season with my Ariens ST11528DLE snowblower. For years I put up with an inexpensive MTD which had something or other falling apart nearly every time I used it, all the while promising myself that next time I'd spend more money and get a quality machine. I heard an

awful lot of people saying that apart from the super expensive Hondas, the Ariens were the best. So when the time came I shelled out nearly $2500 for this 11.5 HP, 28" Ariens "Pro" model that I was sure would be like going from a Chevette to a Rolls Royce. I couldn't have been more wrong .

First off I will say that the thing does throw the snow a long ways compared to my old MTD. However in three full seasons and the first two storms of this season I've had the following problems with this expensive piece of crap: the metal engine cowling split apart from vibration and had to be replaced only a few weeks after I bought it. The replacement did the same thing so I got that one welded and reinforced. The headlight quit working and the wiring harness had to be replaced. Both of the engagament levers have split open at their pivot points and had to be welded. The tension spring on the wheel engagement cable broke. As if all of this isn't enough on a practically new machine, yesterday the electric starter wouldn't engage and I thought it must be frozen up. On closer inspection the starter has broken clear of the engine, and the ear with the bolt hole has broken off one side of the starter and the bolt is gone altogether. The starter body is just sort of hanging loosely by one bolt. Obviously this is off warranty by now and it looks like a costly repair.

Besides being extremely frustraing I find this sad. Ariens has had a very solid reputation and now it is clear that their priorirty has shifted from maintaining that reputation to cutting their production cost by using cheap materials and parts. For the unsuspecting buyer the feeling of pride of ownership is replaced by disappointment and hostility, and understandably so. If Ariens loses just one sale because of this product review my time in writing it will be made worthwhile.

billywhiskers wrote:
I can't hep but comment again as this is a pet peeve of mine.  I feel that anytime a manufacturer labels a product "Pro" it should be just that...made to be used professionally.  For a snow blower that means by someone who clears snow for a living and runs his/her equipment all day long.  And it should be made to take abuse without breaking.  But no...the manufacturers simply put a "Pro" or "Industrial" or"Commercial" label on a machine that's not much different from a "homeowners" model and jack up the price.

There was a time when that distinction was meaningful.  I own an Ariens LM 21S lawn mowers and an Ariens Pro 21" mower.  The difference between them is substantial.  Steel wheels instead of nylon, heavier gauge steel components, grease fittings everywhere, a Robins engine with oil filter instead of a Briggs, etc.  The "Pro" model mower costs more but was made to last.  Not so with the Ariens "Pro" snow blowers...or those levers would be made out of thicker steel.

Regarding your question of motor alternatives to Briggs I would think that Kawasaki or Subaru would be acceptable options.

That just bites.  When I purchased my machine the difference between the PRO and the LE was Cast iron gear case, OHV engine , 12 volt car type electric start, and much much beefier tires and wheels.  If I had your machine I would get it running good and sell it.  Take the hit and buy another machine after reading touching and talking.  Buy something you will be happy about.   It sucks to take a big hit but sometimes its better to loose a little cash and be happy rather than curse and yell everytime you use it.  Anger will shorten your life.  LIFE IS GOOD so enjoy it while we can

Sorry to hear about all your trouble with your Ariens. I was considering purchasing a Pro model myself but I think I am leaning towards a Honda instead. I spoke to my Ariens dealer and he ordered two of the 921013 models with Subaru Robin engines and he and both of the customers that purchased them swear by the motors. The customers said they have more power and are quieter than the Briggs. I called Ariens to see if I could order a blower for next year with the Subaru engine and they said no. They only sell a compact model with the Subaru engine. I had more questions but they told me I should ask my dealer. Ariens is very reluctant to transfer you to someone that knows snowblowers. After, demanding to talk to someone that knows snowblowers instead of a women in customer service, they transfered me to Tech support. I waited on hold for 10 minutes and nobody picked up. I left a message. I bet they don't call me back. Bottom line, I am selling my 4 year old Ariens 926 and not going to purchase another one. Probably go with a Honda. Yes, it's a lot of money but it will probably be the last snow blower I buy.

lseap107 wrote:
There's only two reason I can think of that would limit Ariens to the Briggs on their larger machines.   Either they have contractually committed to a certain volume with Briggs to get pricing...or they fell that Subaru's largest snow engine at 9.5hp may be underpowered for their largest buckets.

I had my Ariens out this morning so I thought I'd take a few pics to illustrate some of the problems I've had wirth it.  These show where both of the engagement levers broke and have been welded, where the corner of the engine cowling cracked....twice, and had to be welded. There's a pic of a left side cable tension spring which I had to replace and as for the starter, you can see what was left it when they took it off and put a new one on for $170.

That's not very impressive. Is this machine kept indoors or outdoors when its not in use?

This machine has never spent a night outdoors since I bought it. When I'm finished using it I sweep it clean and it goes in the unheated shed. Any place that has been welded is oxidized, but at least none of the welds have broken. After this season is over I may take the welded parts off, clean them up and paint them with anti-rust paint. Of course by that time there will no doubt be some more wounds and bandages to further ruin the appearance of the machine. Some of what you're looking at is lithium grease which I put on various friction points to try and ward off further breakages.

No, I meant the rust on painted parts. The surfaces aren't prepared properly. I worked in a factory as a kid where we use to get sheet steel and then paint/bond things to it and one of the jobs I had was to run the buffer and any piece of dirt I had to buff as it rolled off, then it was run through an acid bath to clean it. This was high-end porcelain-ized steel, but the same principle holds regardless of the what you're making. That amount of rust for the few years you've had it is suspicious to say the least. I wonder if you got a lemon or is this endemic to recent Ariens?

billywhiskers, please put a carrige return (enter) after each picture you posted.  If viewed normally they spread the thread out 600%.  If viewed as some have their browsers set to "shrink to fit" the size is so small the detail can't be seen.

tkrotchko wrote:

Well TK, from what I've been able to find out most of the problems I've had are not at all unusual in Ariens of this vintage. Bottom line is you can pay top dollar and be darned, you're still not going to get what you pay for. I'm not so sure I shouldn't have bought another Craftsman from Sears.  The new ones seem to throw the snow a lot better than the old ones and they're frequently on sale. Frankly the Craftsman I had years ago was a piece of junk, but for the life of me I can't see too much difference between it and this Ariens...the quality is roughly the same.