Re: Please Help with Snow Blower Selection: Ariens vs Simplicity #1 Dec 11, 2008 3:21 pm
goofienewfie wrote:
I see a lot of talk about people saying HD puts the Ariens snow throwers together wrong. But I cannot see this as being a big issue.
Yeah, it looks like the machine is 99% assembled when HD gets it. The guy at work said he had to attach the chute. I suspect there are a few other things that need to be done, but nothing most of us couldn't do ourselves by reading the manual. snowmann probably knows how much additional assembly is needed.
My concern is not having a dealer near by for repairs/maintenance.
Re: Please Help with Snow Blower Selection: Ariens vs Simplicity #2 Dec 9, 2008 10:52 pm
Underdog wrote:
Did you ask when/if they might get more simplicity blowers in.
Yeah. The dealer tried to order more, but they said they couldn't get any more. I sent an email to Simplicity to verify, but I never got a response. I don't know of any Snapper dealers in my area. Might be worth looking into.
I did contact other Simplicity dealers in the area. A couple said no one was buying them, so they stopped carrying them. One said he canceled his order because the shipping charge was too high. Another was ordering the 30 inch cut unit. The dealer who sold out was charging $1250.00, so that's my expectation.
The new John Deere is very similar to the Simplicity 1428, but the one thing I didn't like was the manual lock/unlock of the wheels. The Simplicity has the remote trigger. The Deere was also $100 more than the Simplicity.
Re: Please Help with Snow Blower Selection: Ariens vs Simplicity #3 Dec 9, 2008 10:09 pm
Others here will be able to help more than I can. I just wanted to add a few things since I was also looking at both of these units
After doing some research, I decided to purchase the Simplicity 1428. Unfortunately the dealer sold out a few days before my decision. I liked the heavy duty cast iron gear box and sturdy auger. Not sure if it really matters, but I also wanted the B&S engine on the Simplicity over the Tecumseh on the Ariens (Tecumseh no longer made)
The closest Ariens dealer is 45 minutes away. He carries the 1130DLE, but this unit is just too big to store in my garage. I spoke with Ariens about the 924DLE, but they are short on engines, so the 924DLE is no longer on the list. I wanted to stay away from HD because of the discussions of improper assembly. However I spoke with someone at work today about the 624E he bought from HD, and he said it came in a box and he put it together himself.
I checked out the 927LE today and it is also in a box, a very big box mind you. I would put it together myself so at least it would be my fault if I did something wrong. But again, according to the guy I spoke with at work, it sounds like there wasn't much to do.
I also checked out the Toro 826 LE. It's about $300 more than the 927LE. The Toro doesn't have the Fingertip remote lock/unlock axle control, and it comes with an 8hp Tec vs the 9hp on the 927LE. Because of the weight, the Toro does seem to be easier to move around, but it's hard to tell with the unit not fired up. The chute control on the Toro is slick too.
My main concern with the 927LE was buying from HD. If I buy this unit and have a problem, I'm going to have to lug this beast 45 minutes away. But my concern about HD putting the unit together may no longer be an issue.
Steelers, I just came across what I think is your model in question, except that it is an 11HP Ariens 1124DLE, from 2003 or 2004, not 11.5HP. At any rate, check this site:
How does the 9528 throw against the wind? I'll have to fight the wind about every time out to avoid the neighbor's driveway. I'm looking at the Simplicity 1428 (Toro and Ariens too)
I think the 9528 you have is now the 1428 to account for the Briggs torque rating.
