njg4756

I'm on long Island...It's been a while since we've gotten 24"+ in one shot, and who knows when it will happen again, but it sure feels good knowing I won't be shoveling from here on out no matter what happens...I have a gut feeling we will be getting more this year... The sharks were starting at $150 per driveway to plow, so if we get one good dump a year it pays for itself. I probably shouldn't stress the machine too much right out of the box and let it break in slowly...

Well I just got my Ariens Delux 24" 921011 with the 249cc B/S and14" auger and impeller...The 26" we got 5 days ago has settled down into a denser 18", still fluffy, but starting to melt for sure. Well right out of the box, the 921011 went right into a bank full throat and while the motor definitely strained a bit at times, was definitely able to keep up with the intake while on the slowest forward speed. I don't have much to compare this to, but I was impressed. I think a slightly larger engine wouldn't strain so much, so I would recommend spending the extra few hundred bucks on the 305cc or larger engine. If this was fresh, though, I can tell it would blow right through it without straining. I am convinced that the 14" auger and the 14" impeller makes a  huge difference in how much volume is able to go through the chute. The larger auger covers that much more surface area and the larger impeller feels like it can handle higher volume. It also means the auger doesn't need to pull the stuff so far into the center before it gets sucked up and out. The larger elements definitely scale up the demand on the motor, but what else would you want to do with the power if you had it?!

Is there a measurable difference between the volume throughput of the Ariens 14" impellers compared to the more common 12" ones? Is this "volume throughput" a meaningful spec such as CFM is for an air compressor? Is there a downside for the larger impeller such as less manuverability? Is the extra weight in front helpful?