I had the pleasure of recently testing out my neighbors Ariens Deluxe SnowThro. I have 2 older Ariens machines myself. A 2003 1128DLE and a 2004 8526LE. My neighbor paid about $899 with a HomeDepot 10% off coupon.
My neighbor was kind enough to let me play with his new toy.
I primed the machine and set the choke. The machine started easily on the first pull. The 120volt start is not necessary IMO.
The first thing I noticed was the new design of the chute control. It is faster than the older versions which were 3 turns lock to lock on the older traditional crank types. I did notice the chute does not have as much rotation as the older models. The older models were about 220 degrees and the newer ones were a bit less.
There is also a halogen light which is an improvement over the older models which used a standard car bulb.
The tires are now Xtrac as opposed to the older
SnowHogs. The treads themselves seem deeper.
I was able to test the new 9HP engine on 15 inches of EOD plowed snow. I used the 1st "gear"
postion and had both wheels locked. The snow was
fairly powdery and there was no engine bog.
The chute never clogged. It threw the snow about 30 to 35 feet.
Shifting "on the fly" was easy in all positions.
This machine is a winner!
Date Purchased: 11/05
Price Paid: $899
Recommend: Yes |
Pros:
All metal machine with a 3 year warranty. Very high quality.
Cons:
A differential drive would be nice but this machine is classified as residential and priced accordingly. Less degree rotation than expected on the chute. |
