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

Overview:

  Some testing was done between Honda and Ariens machines for traction, distance, and ease of use.  The machines will be described.  The test setups will be shown in pictures with comments and the results.

 General testing was done a few times over two days by using one machine then another getting a general feel for each.  That testing was same day same conditions and about 20 minutes between runs using different machines. The testing for these two day tests were with the machines above. 

  More specific testing was done on a third day over a course with the one Ariens 1028 big tire with pin locked wheels and the Honda 1132.  In addition, an Ariens 1028 with locked differential and smaller tires was taken over some of the course after the first more specific course testing was done.   The HS70W was also run for a short distance.  Also, for a short run the Ariens 1028 small wheel was run side by side for multiple 10-20 foot runs for about 150 feet. 

Tests (4):

(1) Gross same day tests by running one then another around the same area for a while a number of times over two days.

(2) Running two machines side by side over the same course.  One machine would be run 10-30 feet then the other for length of the run.  The course run was mostly up a slight incline.

(3)  Running the Areins 1028 big wheel and 1132 in the same sidewalk pile test.  The HS70 also cleared some of this area.

(4) Some general testing with the HS70 and separate from that running the Ariens 1028 small wheel and Honda 1132 side by side for 10-20 foot distances about 150 feet total.

Test areas(3):

   (1)Test 1 area not show.  My back yard.  Snow was 6-14 inches one day old. Temps below freezing from when the snow fell to testing days so decent condition snow with some areas covered with double throw.

   (2)The cemetery course.  Two days after the storm.  The sun had hit the area for two days.  Much of the area was covered with double throw from other testing.  The snow was 3 days old, sticky, and compressed by itself, sun, or overthrown with double throw.  It was much tougher going than a few days before when freshly fallen or the next day. 

   (3) The sidewalk area.  Mostly EOD buildup but there are two sections where a plow clears a drive across the street and packs against the sidewalk fence.  So this area is EOD piled up higher with EOD and driveway snow from across the street.  Its very tough going.  There are two places where this happens on my street and I go through them each storm testing machine ability in wicked tough compact snow.  The very dense pile has rocks, branches, dirt, bottles, cans, clumps of turf from the neighbors lawn, and sometimes chunks of the neighbors driveway in 6-8 inch blocks of 2 inch thick tar patches. 

Sidewalk area:

  May not look big as it is and was much higher on prior days.  Consists of street EOD, packed by additions from plow doing a driveway across from the fence.  In the sun for a few days so wet on the outside but the melt going in further is dryer and semi frozen i.e. not snow not ice, hard pack.  The higher sections are not shown as they were drilled through by the blowers.   The middle sections were over the Ariens bucket which was the tallest.  The day before another section like this was done and the snow was over the Ariens bucket by 18 inches.   The Honda 1132 and HS70W were run through the same pile.

Field course:

Start on lower left up double paths.

Turn right and across.

Turn left up a long stretch.

Turn left up hill.

Backup and turn right up hill to finish.

HS70 taken over some of the course by itself.

Sidewalk test area:

Sidewalk pile equal to EOD plus driveway, street snow and EOD from driveway across the rode.  Note the dark clumps of lawn turf. 1132 ans HS70 shown.  Ariens is out of view.  Several runs into the long pile was done for a few feet with the 1132 and Ariens 1028, later the HS70.  The top right shows another EOD buildup which was higher than this one and gone through with these three machines the day before.

Highest sections cuPt away.

 EOD is greatly reduced.  Third day after the snow and sun for two days so very wet and cold internaly to make very crusted hard pack, much tougher than regular EOD.

HS70 doing a great job. Note the smaller cut.

An area this size back down the hill a short distance has the same type of EOD with addition by a plow from a driveway across the street to make a 20 or so foot area of nasty buidup which was tested in the day before.

Short field test 2:

Lower left start.  Ariens thinner wheel vs Ariens track 1132.

Turn left up hill.  Note 3 day old snow in sun two days and double thrown too.  Very tough going.

Top middle 1028 with thinner 4.5 inch tires, full differential not locked.

Right 1028 used, full commercial grade.  Note snow in the Honda bucket.  After each run it was always filled with packed snow.  Unsure if it has an effect on throughput but certainly none on distance.