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

I have probably the first snow blower ariens ever made.  It is a 64 model.  I got iit from a neighbor and I'm 'fixing it up'.  All is well except dealing with the "self locking" hub on the right.  I have never seen one of these before.  It has a 'dog' that floats inside a larger casting hub.  Not knowing for sure what other parts are supposed to be in there...let me descibe what I found.

The large hub has broad teeth inside and the axle has a sleeve that holds a a'dog' that can flop into those teeth in both forward and reverse directions.  Because the engagement toothe on the dog is at an angle the hub disengages when you manually move the blower...but will engage when it is powered in drive.  The parts are loose and I can free them up but what other parts and pieces should I be looking for that might not be there???

Dave

First Series

1960-1963
The first four years of Sno Thro production.

It seems there is no official "series name" for the 1960-1963 machines,
(like there is for the later "10000 series", "22000 series" etc..)
Because they were the first, they were simply called the "Ariens Sno-Thro" machines!
So we just have to call them "First series" to differentiate them from the later series.

The 1961 manual lists a "4-1/2 H.P. Lawson winterized Engine" rather than the
traditional Tecumseh. anyone know anything about these Lawson engines? 
and how long they were used? (Tecumseh took over the Lawson company, not sure when.)

These "first series" machines have only one clutch control lever, that turns on both the transmission to the wheels *and* the auger/impeller drive, there are not seperate "tractor clutch" and "sno-thro clutch" levers like there are on the later 10,000 series.

This "first series" has the distinctive "half round" bucket shape, unique to this series:
 
 

Some also have a "rotor shield" added to the front, attached to the "half round" bucket,

 "Sno-Rotor Shield Kit, No. 4-10M"
Came standard on the 1960 10M-L55, and could be ordered as an option for the 10M-L35.
 

For 1963, it appears the bucket shape changed, and now, rather than a "half circle",
it becomes a "half teardrop" shape:

a precursor to the "full teardrop" shape that would come along in 1964 at the introduction of the 10,000 series.
 

Known models in the "first series":

10M-L35 - 24" scoop, 3.5HP
10M-L55 - 24" scoop, 5.5 HP
10M-L60D

(this is a very incomplete list!)
(note that some of those model numbers were also used in the early 10000 series after 1964)

Two models existed in the first year, 1960, the 10M-L35 and the 10ML55.

Courtesy of http://gold.mylargescale.com/scottychaos/Ariens/

I have a similar machine. Mine was made (I think) in 1969. It's a Bolens Artic 75. Everything is heavy duty, as if it was a two-wheeled tractor.

I had a similar arrangement on mine. There was a lever that slid a dog into the driven side of the machine giving you 2 wheel drive. If the snow was light, you could slide it away, and have easy turning. My machine is old, and it always tracked poorly when in left wheel drive, so I always kept it in 2 wheel drive. After 40 years, the springs started to wear out, and it would continuously disengage. When I was using the machine, I'd find myself hopping on one foot with the other trying to keep that lever pushed in. Having been laughed at enough, and having purchased a welder, I cut the lever off and welded the axle solid.

The only thing I was concerned with was having too much traction, so I ditched the turf tires with chains, and replaced them with modern snow tires. They grip ok, but tend to slip/spin before the machine bounces like it used to.