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

Not sure if 2 stage snowblower purchases are on the decline that tip the scale in favor of a single stage, but Ariens have returned to the SS market.  Ariens 21" Path Pro.  The design looks like a safe bet, has all the right elements.  Nothing too revolutionary but it has a hinged cover easy service.  This is the only thing that sets it apart from other SS.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ7zSo2cGBk

aa335 wrote:

It would be great to see if Ariens could become a major player in the SS market. I never have understood why they have never been a major producer of them in all the years gone by. Toro has made both for years. I guess they probably thought the 2-stage machines were the way to go.

Ariens had SS available a few years ago.   They went in and out production almost as often as we have a new president. While their previous discontinued SS were decently well built, Arien did little to nothing to promote their product.  Distribution sales channel was sparse at best.  It didn't really stand out even though painted in Orange, IMO, against any other SS. 

So far, the new Ariens SS looks decent with good proven design (aka Toro's power curve paddles) with a decent size engine to boot.  The only thing I see as a potential problem is that chute rotation lever.   Hope it holds up.  I sure hope it does well in sales too.

Overall, I like Ariens solid mechanical design which is what you want for a severe service that snowblowers are exposed to.  These are robust machines, probably the best in the industry.  There are also industry leading innovations from Ariens.  However, I'm not crazy about the user interface of the 2 stage machines, although the newer ones are getting better.  Also, I find it confusing to decipher all the different product levels of options.  Deluxe, Platimum, Pro, Pro-Track, and now the recent cheap-to-compete line (S**tek).  It's like Ariens is the GM with all the Buick, Chevy, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Cadillac line up.  KISS (Keep It Simple Sam)  is definitely needed here. 

Ariens should make a SS with a decent remote chute rotation AND deflection control and a headlight. Look at the Cub Cadet model with these features...#1 seller on a popular snow thrower online retailer. If they could do this right, build it with quality and market it better (get it on the floor of HD stores) they would certainly gain some marketshare with the most popular SS brand. I'm not saying that these are things that hardcore snowthrower fans require, but it would help to capture more of the new or inexperienced buyers, and that's probably the thing that would increase sales the most. Plus, even us hardcore users wouldn't $#%* about the extra features as long as they are implemented well and hold up.

slinger wrote:
I've seen this model, I think Sears has something similar to it.  Although there's usually a mess of cable around the chute.  There's got to be a better way to implement the remote deflector.

You are right, I had the Sears model.  It worked great for my driveway.    I sold it to my brother in law and bought an Ariens deluxe 28.  I got tired of dragging and pushing the Sears model down the street to the elderly women's houses.  The Ariens model throws and goes with little effort. 

aa335 wrote:

If anybody gets a chance to see one, please let us know how well it appears to be designed & built. I'm looking to replace my old green 5hp 4 cycle Craftsman SS and was going to go with the Toro 621QZE, but if this new (less $$$) Ariens looks promising, I may be tempted to buy my Ariens Platinum 2 stage a new baby brother.

Very similar in design to the Toros, seems pretty obvious what the target market is. I looked at 2 of these recently, and liked what I saw for the most part.  I like Toro's chute remote much better, but the Ariens is easier to service. Otherwise, pretty equal in all respects to the CCRs and 621s. Good to see some more competition.

Ariens offers 5 variants- two 136cc models and three 208cc models. I'd bet the larger engine will sell better - they could easily cut two models from the middle of this lineup.

There are only 3 optional features offered - 50 bucks extra for electric start, another $169 for the larger engine, and another 100 bucks (you kidding?)  for the chute control. The flagship model ends up costing about 100 bucks less than a Toro 621QE, which may turn out to be a slick move. Aside from price, though, I'm not seeing any compelling reason to choose the Ariens over the Toro. Once Ariens has established a track record, that may change.

I'd be interested in seeing one in person too.  Unfortunately, Arien probably hasn't done anything aggressively to get this new product on the show floor of the big box stores so that people can actually see it. 

That does seem odd on Ariens' part. My local dealer knew next to nothing about the two machines I looked at - it was like shopping at Home Depot. He actually tried to sell me a Snow-Tek SS , bragging that it's bucket is 1 inch wider. Excuse me? The sales rag had less info in it than what I found on the website. Sounds like a real stealth rollout.

I dunno, maybe they're just trying to plug a hole after a couple mild winters. Come January, I'm sure folks here will snatch those machines up on name alone. The "Beggers can't be choosers" marketing strategy.

oldcrow wrote:
Probably because that black bucket isn't going to sell itself when parked next to a yellow and red bucket with established brand name. 

I'm surprised that Sno-Tek SS got floor space and the new Ariens SS doesn't. 

Personally, they should pull the Snotek SS off the market.  The Ariens is so much nicer.  See my observations below.