Related comments from Snowmann:
That is, effective this season for all Briggs snow engines and including the "Professional Series" which replaces the now-obsolete Max package.
The Polar Force Ariens spec 205cc and 249cc engines (built by Briggs) do however include the ball bearing crankshaft journals. Competitive Briggs snow engines (all 3 Briggs trim levels as well as the Briggs-built Husqvarna Endurance series) do not have this. They have sleeve bearings.
none of Briggs' domestically assembled snow engines (re: 305cc and 342cc) have ball bearing crankshaft journals, not even the Polar Force. The Polar Force engines of Chinese origin (all 205cc and 249cc horizontal shaft engines are made in China) are spec'd a bit more conservatively by Ariens to ensure manufacturing quality. For example, last season forged crankshafts were present on the Ariens spec engines (again, not on others) until test data was presented to sufficiently satisfy Ariens' durability requirements. That said, the 2010/11 models were finally approved for cast cranks as spec'd on their other engines.
You can tell a ball bearing journal from a sleeve bearing version by the longer extension of the PTO cover boss near the crankshaft seal. It would be hard to tell without looking at them side by side though. I believe the ball bearing versions have ball bearings at both ends.
Again, this shouldn't be a show stopper for decision making if there are other considerations. Most, if not all, folks may never know the difference. All things being equal however, the ball bearing journals are superior. I'd rather have them than not if there is no cost difference in the end product.
The Subaru powered Deluxe 30 (92102000) has pretty much all the high spec engine goodies if those matter most to you.
That is, effective this season for all Briggs snow engines and including the "Professional Series" which replaces the now-obsolete Max package.
The Polar Force Ariens spec 205cc and 249cc engines (built by Briggs) do however include the ball bearing crankshaft journals. Competitive Briggs snow engines (all 3 Briggs trim levels as well as the Briggs-built Husqvarna Endurance series) do not have this. They have sleeve bearings.
The 30" is a little large for your needs. If you have to turn a lot, the better features are the Quick Turn chute, remote cap deflector, and the ATC. That said, the unit you should be looking at is the 24 Platinum (Deluxe). The Quick Turn chute works well when it is adjusted properly (and it's fast). The narrower housing is also a benefit when blowing the EOD. The Compact and Deluxe are comparable in quality and durability, only that the Deluxe is capable of moving more snow, faster (than the Compacts, and many other units for that matter). The Platinum would be capable of moving more than than you'll see in central Ohio. All 205cc and 249cc Briggs snow engines are made in China, but most snow engines are so I wouldn't let that determine anything. The Briggs 249cc has plenty of power for your snow conditions. The 920015 would work too if you want to save a few bucks, but you'll be compromising the ATC and Quick Turn chute. That unit will move all the snow you need as well, albeit less quickly than the Platinum. The Subaru engines are excellent, but the models best suited to you are not equipped with such.
The "Quick Turn" feature on the Platinums and Pros is a single lever with ~80 degrees or so of travel that will turn the chute 200 degrees. It has a feature whereas the chute automatically locks and unlocks when the control is used. It is very fast, but it requires reasonably accurate adjustment to work correctly (expertise that you might not get during setup at a mass retailer). It's simple to adjust (detailed in the owners manual).
The Deluxe,Compact, and Sno-Tek models use a "2.5X Quick Turn" which is a crank mechanism that turns the chute 200 degrees (205 degrees on Compacts) with only 2.5 Turns of a crank. The "Ice Drill" variant of this is the same only that the handle is inline with the crank instead of at the end (like a manual ice drill). The chute is held in place during operation by friction materials under compression in the pivot axis. As this feature is much simpler in design, it has the potential to be less problematic than more complex systems (requires little or no adjustment, fewer moving parts).
The 26" Compact model with the 249cc Briggs has power to spare for any condition and will be more than enough for the EOD. This same engine is used on the larger 14" impeller (Deluxe) models whereas the power consumption and capacity can be much higher. That said, it's has plenty of reserve power for this model. The 26" Compact also does have a remote cap deflector.
I would say the Subaru engines are every bit as good a has been mentioned elsewhere in other threads, only that the Briggs models will do everything 90% as well. That fact that the Subaru engines may last ~8X longer isn't really worth much when the engine life far exceeds the rest of the Snothro. The power density is also only important if the competitiive displacements are the same (generally they're not, 287cc Subaru versus a 305cc Briggs, etc ). The other advantages (vibration, sound, emissions, governor) are less significant, but of some value. That is, my feeling is a Subaru should be preferred over a Briggs only if the upcharge is minimal. I'd personally pay an extra $50 for a Subaru equipped unit, but no more. I'd also not let it determine which unit to buy (if the unit I wanted did not have a Subaru equivalent). Ariens is still using the Subaru engines on 3 models (only 1 is in the standard lineup, 2 are limited production). 920013 is available at Home Depot (22" Compact). 921019 ST24E and 921020 ST30LE are limited production models.
The Auto Traction Control does have to generate a certain torsional load accross the axle to unlock. This is created when a person starts to turn the unit and one wheel spins faster than the other. It's not alot, but it isn't purely a freewheel load. I've only heard of one or two folks that thought it wasn't real easy. You should push one around a showroom and check it out for yourself. The nice part about the feature is that it is fairly tranparent. No triggers, you don't have to know how to work it, it just works.
The remote axle lock will lock and unlock the left wheel for easy turning. One "click" of the trigger unlocks, then the next one locks it, and so on. You don't notice much difference turning left or right except if you were to turn sharply right on dry pavement in one of the higher speeds. Honestly, turning sharply in one of the higher speeds isn't something I would recommend with any unit. Others on this forum might be able to chime in to comment on this feature. Again, the best way to have an opinion and make the best purchase decision is to run one yourself. In this particular case however, the unit would actually have to be under power to evaluate. You won't be able to do that at Home Depot.
Briggs no longer offers a cast iron cylinder liner on their snow engines, not even the "Professional Series". It's not really necessary.
Are these Subaru Engine Features Common or Unique
http://www.abbysguide.com/ope/discussions/49042-0-1.html
