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.

Give 'em a call. If you can do the repairs yourself, maybe they'll help you out with parts?

Better yet, e-mail your post and let them know you'll be plastering it all over the internet.  Maybe they'll come around.

By the way, what engine is on that Ariens?  Is it a Tecumseh or a B&S.   I hope you're not spending money on the welding.  That can get expensive in a hurry if you're pay a legit welder.  Another thing, don't spend money repairing the engine.   Chances are it will cost nearly as much as a replacement.  Go to the following site and look at their snow engines:  http://www.smallenginewarehouse.com/.  Chances are that for what it cost to repair your engine, you can buy a new one for a few bucks more.

The engine is a Tecumseh SnowKIng 11.5 OHV . It looks like Ariens has switched over to all Briggs & Stratten on the new models. I did email the company about all of the problems I've had and they haven't even gotten back to me. I'll go see the dealer next week, it's a half hour drive. I'm hoping the newest problem will just be a matter of getting a new starter which I expect will be expensive enough. I don't think the engine block is damaged,  just a corner brken off the starter where the bolt goes through into the block. As far as the welding, the dealer welded the first broken engagement lever while awaiting a warranty replacment and all of the subsequent welding was done by a friend who has a machine shop. Up to this point I'm not out a lot of cash but that is not the point. I was looking reliability and the satisfaction and confidence of having a trouble-free machine. What I have for my $2500 is something every bit as poorly built as the $1300 MTD it replaced.   

billywhiskers wrote:

You should have bought a Toro it would have cost you $1,800 and been trouble free  . Ariens isn't as good as it used to be but it shouldn't be as bad as you describe. See if you can lemon law it and get a Toro or fix it and flip in on CL. Every company makes lemons, sounds like you got one.

Steve_Cebu wrote:

Thats  real helpfull input.  I'm sure Toro never has a problem eh?

Billy does the machine have a three year warranty?  have the previous repairs been covered?

You may (do)  have a bad unit. Don't be too hard on yourself though as you did your research but some things fall through the cracks. Kind of hard to predict if you'll end up with a lemon. Ariens are generally decent machines as are the other top three contenders.

O 

Tecumseh engines are very reliable if you keep an eye on the oil level.  However, they are a bit rough and personally, I think power-wise, they're a bit over rated.  The so called 9.5 h.p. 305cc B&S engine on my Simplicity is  considerably more powerful than my previous two 10 h.p. Tecumseh engines.  The 305cc engine is rated between 9 to 11.5 h.p. depending on which label is stuck on the engine.  In reality,  after doing a thorough parts comparison between a 9 h.p. and an 11 h.p.  and seeing not one different part number, I'd say they're all  putting out around 11 h.p. 

Despite the fact that Tecumseh engines are a bit rough, from the problems you're experiencing, I'd say that your engine might have an imbalance issue.  It shouldn't shake so much to cause metal fatigue and broken parts.  Also, if it is imbalanced, it will not be making the power it's rated for.  It could easily be down by a couple ponies.   I'd also be watching for cracked welds and metal fatigue on the chassis.  That engine might have also contributed to other parts cracking as well.  The light and wiring may have been effected by the vibration too.

edit:  I failed to realize that you have an ohv Tecumseh.  My comments above were about their L-head Snow Kings.  However, the point about excessive vibration still applies regardless of engine type.  If the engine is securely mounted (as mentioned by mml4), it's likely an engine imbalance problem.   

billywhiskers wrote:

Billy- What you report indicates a tremendous ammount of vibration.As you may know Tecumseh is currently out of production which accounts for Ariens going to Briggs. The OHV Tecumsehs that were produced at the end of Tecumsehs production were smooth runners and if properly installed should no way vibrate that much. I would check the engine mounting system. I bought my son a Simplicity (2004 unit bought new in 2005) and when going over it prior to the first season we found two of the four mounting bolts for the Briggs engine were snapped. You wouldn't have known from looking at them from the top as everything looked normal. It wasn't till we removed the bottom inspection cover that we saw the nuts were missing and upon removing the bolts that they were snapped in half. This condition would as you can imagine cause a great deal of vibration.

Ariens Pro units are built like tanks-The kind of metal  failure you are experiencing is just not normal.

Marc

iLikeOrange wrote:

That is why I put a  wink there, just having fun, Toro is built well but I did say Ariens shouldn't have that many problems.  You are too serious.

Steve_Cebu wrote:
I think O has a headache and not in the mood.  :)

aa335 wrote:

Well no more dates for him then. LOL!

I had a 10HP Tecumseh SnowKing on my old MTD and I found it had a lot of vibration also. In fact I've seen an awful lot of blowers with Tecumseh engines and they mostly seem to show a lot of vibration damage, cowlings cracked, or sheet metal screws worked loose....the muffler even worked itself loose on my old MTD.  The engine on the Ariens runs smoothly enough at full throttle, but when it starts to force in deep snow there is just as much vibration as the old non-OHV 10HP engine.

I am on my second season with my Ariens ST1332LE, which has the Tecumseh OHV engine. I like the machine but it sure takes me for a ride and I am beat when done....... The engine is lacking in power and on our last storm I ended up setting the governor speed up and that seemed to help. I do get some vibration when the engine is under a HEAVY load. All in all though I do like the machine and I am doing a driveway that is over 600' long................... 

Well Billy. 

From the vibrations your machine is producing, something is definitely out of the ordinary.  All engines will produce more vibration when under a good load.  Nothing extraordinary but noticeable nonetheless.  The metal fatigue issues your machine is experiencing, likely are caused by a higher frequency vibration caused at higher engine rpms.

 I owned a new 1984 Suzuki ATV that had a solid mounted engine (not rubber mounted)  and it was notorious for cracking the front cargo rack.  There was nothing wrong with the engine but at high rpms you could feel buzzing in the handlebar of the machine.  I'm certain that the high rpm buzzing is what was cracking the rack.

I also have a KLR650 big single motorcycle that gets real buzzy at around 5500 rpm.  I mounted a set of PIAA riding lights on the bike's frame and the brackets on the lights housing would last about one year then crack and drop the light.  These PIAA lights are expensive and well built and all steel shell construction but could not hold up to the high frequency vibrations.  

Does your engine transmit vibration to the handles at high rpms while not under load?  

I can't say for sure, but from the evidence you've provided, I'd be willing to bet that sooner or later, that engine will cause metal fatigue problems elsewhere on the machine.  I'd be looking for a replacement engine with Ariens sharing the cost before the chassis develops serious problems. 

Steve_Cebu wrote:

My bad I missed the wink totally.

iLikeOrange wrote:

No snow for you then!

Borat wrote: " Does your engine transmit vibration to the handles at high rpms while not under load? "

Well no, not that I've noticed. And as I mentioned, I don't notice any more vibration on this snowblower than on the the MTD it replaced, or on the much older Craftsman blower I had before that. Both of those had 10HP Tecumsehs and both of those engines shook themselves apart over time. The Ariens has a bigger engine and OHV and I was sure that it woud be a much smoother engine but it isn't particularily smooth under load. Nice and smooth before the governor kicks in and then it shudders in exactly the same way as the other two Tecumseh equipped blowers I've owned. ( and this Ariens cost about double what I paid for the MTD)  I don't know if the Briggs and Strattens are any better in that regard. I also bought an Ariens 27 ton log splitter last summer with a Subaru engine on it and although it's early days that seems like a really solidly built, smooth running little engine and it remains smooth under load.

I'm womdering if a Briggs & Stratten engine would fit on my Ariens blower without modification to the chassis.  Over the years I've owned several pieces of equipment with B&S engines ( lawn tractors, push mowers, a tiller ) and to me they're always seemed like better quality than the Tecumsehs. But I'm not an expert and that's just my impression.

billywhiskers wrote:
If you go to: http://www.smallenginewarehouse.com/, you will see their list of B&S snow engines.  Most of them have downloadable files that give dimensional detail diagrams, bolt pattern and even operator's manuals.  You can also contact them to verify if there would be any issues concerning re-powering to a different engine.   I know that some engines need spacer plates installed under them to get the drive pulley(s) to the correct height.  The plate may also be made available if required. 

I'm sure there are participants in this forum that might be able to give you more info concerning a B&S engine conversion.

I'm sorry to here you are having so much trouble.When did you buy it? I don't see a ST11528DLE listed at Ariens. Is it old?  My Ariens is 15 years old. Still looks and runs freakin great. Who put your machine together. If it was Home Depoit they are known for shotty  assemblies . You must have a bad vibration problem. Check all your bolts especially your engine mounts.Take a good close look at your frame for cracks. If they refuse Then call Ariens.   If  unit is under warranty so they must fix it or replace it.   I think it was very poorly set up. Your levers should never be that tight. I bet it so tight your friction disk plate bent. Go read your set up manual, If you don't have one they are on line at Ariens. 
       Put your machine on blocks , remove your belt cover and your disk cover. Run your machine and look for anything vibrating or bent. Look also for things making noise and try to isolate it. You should not here anything other than your engine , a churp from your auger belt, and  a  small rattle from your cables. NO BIG VIBRATION

I agree, I have an 1128 pro 2003 tecumseh ohv and it runs as smooth as can be.  No cracks, No problems at all.  What model is your machine? 924508? 924XXX 932XXX ?  Sticker on back of tractor.  Post your model and serial.

bus708 wrote:

Most of the stuff you mention is already pre-assembled at the factory. You don't have dealers mounting engines or levers. Basically, the factory builds most of it and the don't assemble the stuff that would make the box too big. They leave that to the dealer, but its pretty simple stuff like handles, chutes, drift cutters. Most of your advice is very good, basic trouble-shooting, however.

Since we are talking about vibration within Arien models, the biggest issue I had with my 2004 624 was with the excessive vibration, that would eventually move my chute location all the time.  I ended up wrapping bungy cords around the chute adjustment arm to keep it in place and eventually sold it this summer for a 2011 Honda HS928TA.

My Ariens chute was very easy to move like yours so I added some thick grease to the worm gear and it stopped the problem.  I also have had several Honda's and they all did the same thing.  What I did to correct it on the honda was to remove one of the plates that hold the chute on and bent it down just a touch and remounted it.  Put just a bit of tension on the chute and fixed it.  

Knee_Biter wrote:

The model number is 926016, but the blower is a 2007. I was thinking it was 2008 but it's a year older than I thought. Mind you last winter we had almost no snow so it only got out of the shed about three times. Nonetheless, it's off waranty and I'll have to buy a new starter for it out of pocket unless the dealer makes some sort of benevolent gesture. I was planning to drive out there with the blower today but we're having a minor snowstorm. ( which means I need my blower so I hope using it without the starter bolted on won't hurt it )

I must say that the first time I used this machine it impressed the hell out of me...finally a blower that would blow the snow far enough that none of it would have to be gone over a second time to be clear of it.  But the honeymoon fizzled as soon as things started to break. I don;t think this one vibrates any more than the other two I've owned with Tecumseh engines ( which was plenty...enough to loosen both the muffler bolts and the carburator bolts on the MTD) , unless it's high frequency vibration that is less noticeable to the operator. I'm just wondering if the whole problem started with improperly tightened bolts on the starter. Being fairly inaccesable and hidden those bolts may have been loose for a long time without my being aware of it. Of the four metal mounting tabs on the starter one is boken off altoghter and at least two other are cracked. Maybe that set up a vibration that spread and affected other parts of the machine.

My neighbor had similar issues. He sold it at a garage sale and bought a Simplicity... then moved to Minnesota. He said the Simplicity (Large frame) was worlds better in quality than the Ariens.

Billy,  I am not familiar with that model.  But I would think like others have stated that something is out of balance causing the problems.  If I were you I would remove the electric starter and use the pull start for some time and see how it goes without that mounted.  If all is good then you know it was loose to begin with and it caused your problems. 

I would also run the machine without the belt cover and look and see if all is smooth with no wobble or flapping.  The OHV should be pretty smooth.  I have a 2003/04  model 1128dle pro 924508 and it is built like the old platform very solid.  Same engine and I like it.   You 100% should not be having the problems that you have.  Check out what I have posted and get back to us.  I am sure you will get it fixed.  Just take your time and check it out yourself.  When you are done you will know your machine inside out and thats a plus.  Also where are you located?  If local I would help you take a look and try to figure out whats going on.

>>The engine on the Ariens runs smoothly enough at full throttle, but when it starts to force in deep snow there is just as much vibration as the old non-OHV 10HP engine.

    The description is very subjective.   I've had a number of 10hp L-head and 11.5 OHV's and if I overdrive them they thump and vibrate much differently than a well  loaded engine working $#%*fortably under governor control.   If you were overdriving into tough conditions I would think it very reasonable the things would loosen and fall off.  Having a cowling "crack" or "split" is another thing and hard to imagine.  I've never seen anything close to that.  Never seen cowling damage.  Can you describe the splits and cracks or better post a picture of the repaired cowling?  

   Also the levers if you can?  Seems like the levers would have split from movement when trying to hold onto a bucking bronco.  Are you turning the machine by lifting it by the handles when clearing?  

   I have seen machines owned by big guys with the handlebar bold mount holes at the tractors worn out to an ovel from being man handled.  Not on an Ariens but happened on Toro's. 

Knee_Biter wrote:

I appreciate the thought Knee_biter, but I'm way up in northeasterm Quebec. I am going to take the starter right off tomorrow and while I'm at it I'll try and see if anything else is vibrating abnormally.

trouts2 wrote:

When I speak of the old non-OHV 10HP I'm referring to the ones I've owned personally, it's not a generalization. As far as the cowling is concerned, when that first happened I just noticed that it was drooping down and I thought a sheet-metal screw had fallen out, but when I looked closer the thing had split in two. They're paper thin so I'm not surprised. I took it directly back to the dealership and nearly got in a fistfight with the mechanic who tried to tell me that it wasn't on the warranty because it was part of the engine and not part of the Ariens blower.( as if the brand new engine didn't have its own warranty) The owner wasn't around but after some harsh words the guy put a new cowling on ( they had one on hand which tells me THEY had most likely seen it before).  That one didn't last too long either and when it started to crack around the screw hole I got it welded and I think we welded a washer to reinforce the area around the screw hole. It's been fine since that.

As for the engagement levers, they haven't been abused. They both cracked in exactly the same place, right where the rods are welded on...or actually just  outside the radius of the actual weld. I'm not a mechanic but I've owned everything from snowblowers to brushsaws and as far as I'm concerned those levers simply cracked from metal fatigue and use because they were made with too light gauge material. I had my MTD for thirteen years and although it had a lot of problems the engagement levers certainly never broke.

What bothers me the most about your ordeal is Arien's lack of responsiveness.  I started buying Ariens products in the mid 1980's and have owned and still own a lot of their products...lawnmowers, both front and rear tine rototillers, sno-thro's, etc.   For the first twenty years the company seriously stood behind their products.  I remember calling them to ask where I could buy a can of Ariens orange spray paint becuase the paint was peeling off the top of the deck of my Ariens lawn mower.  They said that what I described sounded like the metal deck wasn't completely cleaned of stamping oils before it was painted.  They explained that spray painting it wouldn't give the right look so they authorized a dealer to put a brand new deck on it free of charge even though it wasn't covered by warranty.   Ariens became my outdoor power equipment company because of that, but now, it's all changed.  They're not the same company.  When I called them about an engine issue I was having with my two month old 2007 Ariens 11.5hp 28" LE snow thrower they weren't interested in talking to me at all.  My dealer just closed and minimally my expectation was that they would refer me to another authorized dealer but I just got the bum's rush. 

Sadly there are no true North American OPE manufacturers, who care about their reputation or product left anymore.   Ariens sold out to the mass merchandisers.  Snapper sold out to Simplicity, who in turn sold out to Briggs, who are rapidly selling out to China.  John Deere just buys Simplicities/Snappers and paints them green. Toro outsources their residential equipment manufacturing to MTD and sells them at Home Depot.   Lawnboy, Gilson, Jacobson...all gone.   I miss the days when we had real choices...today we only think that we do. 

We, as consumers are our own wost enemy when it comes to the slide in quality of much of our mass produced goods.  The reason?  We buy it!

There are still some decently built domestic machines available if we want to pay for them.  Airens and Simplicity Pro serices, and Toros high end machines are still well built. 

Wise consumers will do their homework then spend the extra bucks to get a premium machine.  However, there are not a lot of wise consumers.  Most people who buy a snow blower don't know what they're buying nor what is actually available to them.   From my personal experience, the local dealerships don't do much to keep consumers coming to their show rooms.  Their prices are usually MSRP or higher and they don't deal.  In addition to the initial sticker shock, parts and labour pricing is virtually criminal.   It's particularly bad in this town because Ariens and Toro are sold by the same gouger.  So, if you want to be left with a dime in your pocket, you're pretty much forced to go to the big box stores and buy a watered down version of what you really want.  Fortunately, the local Simplicity dealer isn't as bad for initial price of the machine but is just as guilty when it comes to parts and labour. 

There are a lot of savvy people on this site who are re-powering/refurbishing old Ariens, Simplicity and Toro products that were in decent condition.  I'd be willing to bet that those old machines will do the job as well, be less problematic and much more durable than most of the new offerings available today.  I know that if I encounter any problems with my machine, I'll do the same.           

borat wrote:

My opinion is that with any snow blower, you must be prepared to do your own maintenance and repair.

Although in theory you can go to a good dealer, the reality is that when it breaks, it will break in the middle of a storm, and if you're counting on a dealer driving out fixing it to get you going, then I'm assuming the dealer is your next door neighbor.

Buy a good machine, do the maintenance and learn how to work on it. None of it is that hard, nor does it require extraordinary tools. Mainly common sense and a mail order supplier for parts.

Don't be like my neighbor who had a good MTD track machine and a good John Deere tractor and basically gave them away because "they just stopped working". No joke, bartered about conservatively $5,000 worth of OPE and accessories for a $400 plumber bill. I almost cried when they told me last spring.

borat wrote:

And I guarantee you that I'll be right there with you.  I'm saving my father's old 7hp Snow Bird circa 1980.   Talk about being built like a tank.  Cast Iron everything, grease fitting everywhere, and in 30 years has never needed a repair outside of normal maintenance.  I currently don't have the knowledge on small engines to be as competent as I'd like.  My most ambitious repair to date was changing the points and condenser on my Ariens front tine rototiller.  So a total re-power job may be over my head right now but I started taking an online small engine repair course to fix that.  It's not a money thing...I made my money and can easily afford to buy whatever toys I want to own.  I'm fearful that sounded like bragging but I didn't mean it that way.   I just wanted to make the point that even with significant resources I'm unwilling to pay for junk...no matter how fancy that junk may appear.  So manufacturers can keep on looking for ways to use plastic instead of steel, aluminum instead of cast iron, and engines that don't know what horsepower they are...and I will keep on refusing to buy their products.  Especially so for those manufacturers who forgot what customer service means.  

Paul7 wrote:

Generally a repower is easier than points and condensor job.  If the new engine has the same mounting pattern and shaft size/height you just unbolt the 4 bolts holding it down and drop the new one in.  Then all you have to do is move over the pulleys and such.  Much easier than tearing an engine apart to fiddle with it.

The problems occur when you use a different size/type engine and have to start moving things around, drilling new holes and making custom covers.

You might have to deal with the electrical for the safetys and kill switches, but most engines come with a kill switch already mounted on them.  I just disconnected everything on mine and use the pre-mounted engine ones.  I probably should hook everything back into the old switch on the handlebars for safety reasons, but I think I'll take my chances and wait.

Paul7 wrote:
We pretty much share the same circumstances and values.   I've been buying used stuff over the last year or so.   Mostly small two cycle equipment in decent shape, needing a little work.  As you said, not because I cannot afford new stuff, but for reasons you stated above.  I also enjoy buying someone else' "junk" and turning it back into useful OPE which I will use myself or just give it to someone who needs it.  I also appreciate the fact that I don't pay HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) on any of it either. 

Getting back to the OP, I suggest he make every effort to isolate the source of vibration before it causes serious damage to the chassis.   Otherwise, it won't be suitable to re-power.

Shryp wrote:
Shryp, that's good to know.  Frankly the only reason I was able to get my engine back together was because I took pictures with a digital camera every step of the way.  It was a big job for me.  I wasn't getting spark because spiders got into the engine and the points were covered with those big white sticky spider cocoons. 

Borat I just bought a well used 1987 John Deere SX75 rear engine rider and I'm refurbishing it back to it's shiny showroom glory...literally down to the decals.  Back in 1987 I really wanted one but was I barely making ends meet and couldn't afford it.  So 24 years later I'm going to have my little rider.  The irony is that it will end up costing me more than the original sticker price when it's all said and done. 

Regarding the vibration I do know that the Tecumseh 13hp OHV engine that Ariens used was counter-balanced and should be the smoothest engine in their whole product line.  Is it possible that the counter-balance is out of whack. 

Just to update my ongoing problems with my Ariens Pro, I spent most of the morning at the dealership and ended up buying a new starter which cost me with taxes, over $170.  I asked the dealer if he'd seen this before and he said it happens quite often and described it as one their weaknesses. ( not sure if he meant a weakness of Ariens in particular, or a weakness of the Tecumseh starters)  They were very busy and while I was waiting I spoke with several guys who were also waiting for service and when I told one guy about how both of the engagement levers had broken and had to be welded he said, " oh don't talk to me about the levers! I've got an Ariens and the levers are broken half the time" .  So it looks like the problems I've had are no great rarity with these machines. I stand by what I believed to be true all along: The older machines that they built their reputation on were solidly built and pretty much reliable. Now, even if you pay the premium price for a " Pro " model like I did, what you get is a machine that has been seriously compromised by corner cutting.  The engagement levers are flimsy and that's why they break. If they were a few thousandths thicker there wouldn't be a problem with them but obviously they'd cost a few cents more to make. Same goes for the engine cowling part that cracked open.

There is another general problem common to all of the North American blowers I've seen and that is a disconnect between the chassis manufacturer and engine manufacturer.  If you buy a Honda blower it is mounted with a Honda engine...same story with Yamaha. To me it makes a lot of sense for the manufacturer to have quality control over every part of the machine they are producing. With Tecemseh out of the picture is there any other choice of engine besides Briggs&Stratten on any of the American or Canadian made machines?  The dealer was helping another guy load a new Simplicity on his truck and got me to translate a warning for the guy not to pull too hard on the recoil starter when the B&S engine is cold. Apparently they're having trouble with the new 'plastic' assembly breaking. More corner cutting.

I can live with paying a bit more in order to have good quality, after all, material cost have gone up and labor costs rise. But what we see all the time now is that prices go way up while quality goes way down. That I have a big problem with.

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.

It's unbelieveable to hear of all the problems you've had and how bad that looks after only 4 seasons. You should write a letter to Ariens and see if they'll do the right thing and replace it.

billywhiskers wrote:

Well hindsight being 20/20 you should have bought a Toro.  Mine looks like new but it's only 2 years old. But nothing is rusting except the bottom of the skid shoes.

Although I think that your Ariens is probably a lemon, made on a friday the 13th, right before a holiday. I've seen older Ariens and they aren't all rusted and broken like that.

Billy, thanks for adjusting the pictures.

 

>>>I asked the dealer if he'd seen this before and he said it happens quite often and described it as one their weaknesses. ( not sure if he meant a weakness of Ariens in particular, or a weakness of the Tecumseh starters)

 

   There are bazillions of snowblowers with starters so seeing failures would be expected.  I had about 150 used machines and I can’t say Tecumseh has a problem with mounting starters.  There have been a few with cracks or a chunk has fallen off at one of the mount holes.  Some have stripped holes but no telling if it was a customer mount or not.  Generally I see those problems in older machines over 15 years old.  For newer machines that have not been replaced by a user I’ve never seen a starter mount issue.

   Possibly yours did not get screwed in fully and eventually vibrated to the condition it’s in.  Pro come stock with electric start so should have been mounted by Tecumseh and inspected by Ariens.  The likely problem was not having the bolts tightened down enough.  It could have been the starter maker had a defective mount leg like a crack and no one noticed.  Ariens sells many machines so problems expected.  No flood or starter problem have shown up on the net that I’ve seen.

 

   I’ve had bunches of that style Ariens lever mount and never had a problem.  I’ve had 5 11.5 28’s and no issues.  I currently have an 11.5 28 that was used commercially for 4-5 years in excellent shape except for a blown motor.  After changing oil the owner did not screw in the drain plug fully, the oil leaked out and he did not notice it.

 

   Is that the picture with the rusted section and nut the cowling issue?  That’s the heater box.  That’s mounted with a screw on the top, one the shown nut and two small screws on the side.  With the two small screws in that thing should have almost no vibration so I can’t see how it would crack.  So may be it’s not the issue but I’m not sure.  Does it have it’s two screws in place?  With those there is no way the heater box should develop a crack.

 

>>>The engagement levers are flimsy and that's why they break.

    Weird place for metal to crack and I’ve never seen an issue with Ariens levers.  Never saw a problem on the net about levers.  I don’t see how under normal force enough pressure could be applied to crack that metal even if it was half as thin.  It’s only resistance is a spring.  For a lever to crack there something is unusual.  Possibly the cable/belt tension was so high much more force was required than overcoming the spring tension.  For regular operation I don’t see  how the lever metal is under spec’ed.

 

>>To me it makes a lot of sense for the manufacturer to have quality control over every part of the machine they are producing.

    The above was in reference to engines.  Makers order engines and have some leeway for quality.  They can spec builds to Teccumseh for beefier or flimsier parts to offset cost.  Craftsman, Sears, Murray, MTD were usually on the reduce cost side and Ariens on the add side.   

 

   I have not seen anywhere on the net or with machines here any problems like your have had.  Some of what you have is Tecumseh related not Ariens.  For the Ariens issues, if they were real issues common to many machines it would show up and it has not. 

  BTW: Once the starter had fallen off the chances of mount hole damage are very high.  If you mounted the starter did you check the holes, use loctite or something to keep the screws in?   

Billy have you found the cause of the excessive vibrations under a load?  Seems if that's the problem then you may have ongoing issues until it's corrected. 

Some possible things that may contribute to vibrations:

1. Poor compression

2. Sticking throttle/restricted movement

3. Leaking cylinder head gasket

4. Overheating

5. Broken, worn or sticking piston ring(s)

6. Incorrectly aligned flywheel and/or flywheel housing

7. Loose or broken mounting bolts

Quote:  "

   Is that the picture with the rusted section and nut the cowling issue?  That’s the heater box.  That’s mounted with a screw on the top, one the shown nut and two small screws on the side.  With the two small screws in that thing should have almost no vibration so I can’t see how it would crack.  So may be it’s not the issue but I’m not sure.  Does it have it’s two screws in place?  With those there is no way the heater box should develop a crack. "

Well it did, when the machine was only a few weeks old the first time. And as I said previously, they replaced the part and the second one cracked in exactly the same place. All of the nuts and screws are in place. I called it the cowling, but I'm no expert on terminology...whatever, it broke. Since it was welded over three seasons ago it hasn't cracked again and that's because with the weld it is now thick enough around that bolt hole. If it had been heavier gauge metal it wouldn't have cracked in the first place.

I can't speak to whether or not there have been online reports of these types of problems from other Ariens owners but I would guess that locally there would be a lot of Ariens owners but very few who would be online discussing them. The dealer I bought it from has been in business for probably thirty years and he told me starter issue is common. And I'm not the only one to have the levers break either. And again, it's been a couple of years since the first one broke, but it's never broken again after being welded and that should tell you something. 

I honestly don't feel that my engine vibrates any more than any other similar engine. I've owned three and operated several others and there has always been vibration, it's no worse....but no better on this one. And I know that a lot of this relates to the Tecumseh engine rather than the blower it's mounted on, but that's what I mean when I talk about the disconnect between the two. To my way of thinking a blower manufacturer can't, or shouldn't put their brand on a machine and then when there's a problem cop out and say " well the problem is the engine and we don't make the engine so we aren't responsible". It's up to them to put a decent engine on there and then stand behind it. Or better yet, make their own. 

I should say that I contacted Ariens with a complaint through their website. There is supposed to be a 48 hour response time. After a week or more I got back a short response asking for a model and serial number and a statement that my case would be reviewed. That was awhile ago now and I've heard nothing.    

    I’m on pretty good terms with the guys at Boston Lawnmower, the biggest stocking dealer for Ariens on the east coast.  I’ll put what they said at the applicable spot.

 

>>>With the two small screws in that thing should have almost no vibration so I can’t see how it would crack

 

   That’s what I think.  Also if the machine is vibrating like crazy and the 4 screws are the right screws and inplace properly I don’t think any part of a heater box would split.   If the heater box were vibrating that much the carb mount could probably break before anything else.  But just say there could e movement enought to cause presssure at that front side screw.  Take it out an look what that's screwed into.  That would probably rip out long before any cracking of the metal.  Right you say but it happen.  It did and I certainly can't explain it or understand how.

   I take off the heater box on every machine I get and never saw one with thin metal. 

   Boston Lawnmowers (BL) response was they never saw one cracked like yours.  Never saw one “just damaged” without a story i.e. no broken as in defect.  They said they have never had a warrantee claim for a defective heater box.

   

 

>>>  The dealer I bought it from has been in business for probably thirty years and he told me starter issue is common

 

BL guy said he never saw a machine that was sold with a factory installed starter that fell off. Never had a warrantee claim for that.

 

>>>Broken handles

 

  My take is they are not so strong but plenty strong for the job if things are in adjustment or even off by not so crazy amount.  I have over adjusted the auger lever to where the pull down would eventually break the cable or lever but that was for testing.  I could easily see fighting a blower and twisting the lever if someone were rough with their machine. 

The BL guy said the levers are not that strong.  He said they see broken levers mostly on machines with some age but never had a warrantee claim for them. 

 

 

>>>I should say that I contacted Ariens with a complaint through their website. There is supposed to be a 48 hour response time. After a week or more I got back a short response asking for a model and serial number and a statement that my case would be reviewed. That was awhile ago now and I've heard nothing.  

This one is inexcusable. 

 

Your heater box split at a weird place very early.  You had a second break in the same way.  You had early lever failure and a starter fall off.  All in all I’d go with bad Karma rather than try to balance what happened to you against the grillions of machines that don’t have those problems and fault Tecumseh and Ariens for what happened.  My own take is there is nothing to indicate vibration as the cause other than the starter falling off.   The starter was probably drilled, tapped and installed by a robot.