snowgo

I originally thought there was no way I'd ever make use out of electric hand warmers on a snow blower. But after using them for the first time this morning, they really did make a difference. My gloves were wet and cold, which meant my fingers were also. So I turned the hand warmers on. I was surprised to see that they really did make a difference. Nice!

By the way, I'm sorry if my posts don't seem formatted too well. It seems that the text editor for the software being used for this forum is disregarding my "return key" ... maybe other keys as well. ?? For what it's worth, I use a Mac with Safari as my browser.

(sscotsman quote): the machine starts just fine without it.. it takes 3 or 4 pulls if using the rope, starts first time if using the electric start.. (unquote) Hmmm ... okay maybe my '71 Ariens isn't exactly the same as yours. There is no electric start on mine. Difficulty starting the old machine is also a big reason I bought a new one. In really cold weather, the rope wouldn't recoil back into the engine until the temps outside warmed up a bit ... which could be for weeks at a time. Not a good situation. My fix for this was to store the snow blower in the heated rear entry way to my house. When I had the snow blower stored in the garage over the winter, it was a real bear to start (at the times when it was warm enough for the rope to recoil back into the engine). Sometimes I'd get so tired pulling the cord that I'd have to take a break for a few minutes before going at it again. I worked up quite a sweat too. But since storing it in a heated area, it would start after maybe 4 to 15 pulls (as a guess).

Thanks Scot, I'm having fun reading your web pages as I have been using a 1971 Ariens just like yours up until this year. My father bought it used back in the mid-70s. It has served us very well all these years. I just bought a new Ariens (30" Deluxe Platinum) a couple of weeks ago to replace it as my 1971 Ariens was having trouble with the large amounts of heavy, wet snow we've been getting the past couple of winters. I hope your new blower/thrower serves its purpose for you and that you get many good years out of it. Bob

Hi goatman ... Like you, I also live in Wisconsin (near Door County) and also broke in my new Ariens 30" Deluxe Platinum snow blower with this latest blizzard. Depending on who you talk to, we got between 9 and 14 inches of that heavy wet snow. It's really hard to tell because of the strong winds blowing it all over the place. I'm not sure how to gauge the performance of the snow blower because it was the first time out and also because it was such a beast of a storm. One thing for darn sure, it far far far out-threw my older 1971 Ariens that I had been using up to yesterday. Where I struggled the most was trying to get through the EOD stuff left by the city plows. There were many times when I came to a complete stop and had to keep backing up and ramming forward again until I finally got through. I felt a little better about the snow blower's performance after learning of a friend who does snow removal as a business. He was working on somebody's driveway, when both of the snow blowers he was using broke down and he was forced to stop altogether. So maybe these Ariens did better than it seems. ??? Just a hopeful guess. I was very pleased with the Automactic Traction Control. With all the turning I was doing, I can't imagine how confusing it might have been to have to remember to click the remote cable switch every time I wanted to turn. It was nice not having to think about it at all. And the tall chute on the Ariens was also very nice as it just reached over this row of hedges that I have to snow blow against. Nice! I noticed how heavy this new machine is to move around compared to my older one, but I suppose that's to be expected. Overall, I'm happy with the machine. But it was only one snowfall ... and a blizzard at that. I'll be anxious to see how it performs under more normal circumstances.