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

Just bought an Ariens ST24DLE, Model  921017.  Seems a good deal at $1200 new, being delivered from new incoming stock in two weeks.

Is it being replaced by something else soon.... will there be a newer model with improvements worthwhile waiting for?

I think what I bought was a good choice.   Very easy maneuverability is prime concern.  Was it?

If the serial number is under 035000 then it is a non-current 2010/11 model. Upgrades to the latest 2011/12 include a cast iron gear case with 5 year consumer warranty and a new heavy duty control system (12 ga dash and paddles, blue color-correction reflector beam halogen light, heavier cable springs, etc...) The model number remains the same.

Thanks for that information, I had no idea.  Can you elaborate on the "etc" of what the differences are?

I originally posted some questions, but had a call today that it's on back order from the Ariens factory so I guess it'll be a 2011.

Happy camper here.  Thanks.

newtonian wrote:

Same deal as buying a left over car-If you get a good discount then by all means take advantage of it otherwise I would want the latest model. Marc

Was delivered today, serial number starts with 036xxx and it's the newer model for sure.

Quite an impressive machine!  Was able to nimbly do tight figure 8's in the yard and the controls are a cinch to use.  It's well balanced on the wheels, and if snowmann's checking up on this, the only recommendation I'd have is to add a throttle control on the dash or at least a means of quickly shutting it down, and to include a power cord. 

Two questions.  The manual states it has dual belts.  Do they do the same thing... ie making it fail safe for awhile if one breaks, or is it for transferring adequate power or both?  And can a throttle control be added?

All in all a happy camper here!

newtonian wrote:
I don't believe a remote throttle can be added without significant modification to the engine.

The dual belts share the load so they don't slip or elongate under sustained maximum load. Continuous slippage can reduce the impeller speed 5-10% affecting performance. The heat generated from this reduces the belt life. The tensile cord elongation from overloading a single belt also reduces belt tension and amplifies the aforementioned problem necessitating more frequent maintenance adjustments. Once the continued elongation unseats or snaps a tensile cord, the belt is not long for this world. That said, the dual auger belt system adds significant robustness to the machine.

Thank you for the clear and concise explanation.  It's good to have an understanding of the proper functions.

Can you retrofit a 2010/2011 to the new control system/dash? Does it use the same handles from the base to the control panel?

mmiguy wrote:
Same lower h-bar but everything above that is new (including the wire harness, cables, chute crank, and at least one shift rod). It is retrofitable but it would be expensive to retrofit that entire module.

I figured that Ariens might change the operation of the chute rotation control.  It really was a bad design.  I know because I own last year's Platinum 24 model.  The whole dash portion of the rotation control mechanism was kind of hokey.  I modified mine to work much better than the factory version, and mentioned it in this forum last year.  I will have to go visit a dealer to see if they did, and if so, what they came up with.

I have a last year platinum 24 as well. Not real happy with the rotational chute control either. I think they should offer a rebuild kit as it just isn't precise and flops around. I'd be interested in making changes if I knew what to change. I bought Ariens after using them my whole life. When I finally get in a position to buy a new one I find myself in this position. This isn't the cheap model, I shouldn't have issues. If it was an adjustment, it wouldn't have been redesigned. What should be done with this?