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

Hello,

I have a driveway 40ft X 25ft + 60ft sidewalk, and get quite a lot of snow.

I wanted to get the 24" deluxe (for space) but found it hard to maneuver with both wheels locked, not bad with one wheel unlocked.

I was thinking of moving up to the 27" deluxe (larger than I need) which has the trigger for wheel locking for an extra $130.

My local dealer suggests I upgrade to the 24 DLE  with the automatic traction control, light, handwarmer for $ 464 more than the 24 deluxe.

For a little more I can get a Toro 828 XLE which has the power steering (also larger than I need).

Craftman has a 24" 249cc B+S power steeriing $ 1,000 - same features as the 24" DLE , but not sure about quality.

The locan dealer also suggest Simplicity 9hp 24" ST 2718 ?? for $ 1200. Lighter than the Ariens (not sure if it has traction control.

Can someone please advise which one is best bang for buck.

Snowman, you are the Ariens pro, is the 24 DLE worth that much more than the 24 deluxe or the 27 deluxe? Will Ariens have a sale

In Sept. or October that the Dealers will pass on to customers? I read that some Ariens had problems with the Friction Disk and Baffle plates

has to be installed, and chute control cable freezing. Have these issues been fixed in the 2009 units?

Thanks you all.

gsnow

Thank you all for your comments.

Are there any unhappy Toro 828 XLE/OXE out there, or any problems with the unit?

aa335 -

 No I do not have incline, so no need for Trac .

Health services is OK in Canada but hard to find a Doctor especially for female patients, surgery or MRI wait is 6 months, not enough facility for Paliative care,

had to watch a close family member suffer through his final month at his home. Wonder what will happen when all the Baby boomers need hospital.

Some people are paying for their own treatment in the US, cannot do so in Ontario.

Oakville -

 Sounds like you got a good unit and did not have the freezing and friction disc slipping issues where the auger will not turn.

Duster-

It is hard to make a final decision, I tried to do a search for Toro problems or unhappy owner found maybe one with disc friction slipping, all others are happy owners.

Watch the youtubes videos . Snowblower above attests to that he is very happy.

 Looks like the most worry-free midprice unit, but may not be as strong as the Ariens in parts, duild and components but if they don not break it does not matter.

The LE in both Toro and Ariens (no remote wheel lock control) are hard to turn on dry pavement, if you are strong that's OK. I tried both in the stores.

goofienewfie- 

Unfortunately, I am not that handy and not a tool person,  I own a battery operated lawnmower, guess now I have to learn.

Too bad you had to do all that work to fix the problems. No response to email Eh! That's not what I read about Ariens' customer service.

You should have snowman give you the parts for the fix, if still under warranty it should be fixed for you. New cable, baffle etc.

Snowman-

Please get back to us re. dealer in Richmond Hill and also Toro's build and components (their problems if you are aware).

gsnow wrote: I totally forgot about the lack of a shearpin - what a great feature (or non feature). I'm not sure if its patented by Toro, but I would strongly argue that if you work for a shearpin manufacturer, you better start looking for another job.

Oakville, your Pro machine must be a 2005 or 2006 as those are the only years that had the planetary differential with the remote lock trigger. It was replaced in 2007 with the Automatic Traction Control and was preceded by the planetary differential with the axle mounted lockout.

Gsnow, The Toro PowerMax is a solid machine. I believe they had a few early problems with some TSB's on the plastic and one on the drive, but the latest models are likely long resolved. Having driven this unit side by side with many other brands, I would comment that the volumetric capacity seems a little low. It seemed to "plow" before other brands'. The gearcase is nice. 4 lead worm, steel helical gear, 1/4" casting wall. The Ariens XS aluminum gearcase is similar except it has a true worm tooth profile on the gear for lower localized tooth stress and a hunting tooth feature for long term durability. You could do without shear bolts on either as both will probably stall the engine before any damage occurs (I know the Ariens will do this). Still, if it's my machine, I'm not going to hammer the gear case with grade 5 or 8 bolts and worry about the replacement bill when the warranty is expired. Shear pins are always a good idea and are there to protect and prolong the life of the gear box.

You could put up an argument for an Ariens Deluxe or Toro Power Max being the better machine. The balance could tip in either direction depending on what your preferences were, but the Toro 828 OXE is ~over $500 US  (50% more) than the comparable 27LE Deluxe. The Toro pricing is just pitiful. If you even out price, the Ariens is clearly the better machine. You could get a ST24DLE Platinum or ST30LE with a Subaru SX30 OHC for less $.

Lastly, I'm not clear why, but the exchange rate doesn't work out when comparing US to Canadian prices. I think there are some additional tarriffs that are probably based on selling prices for units sold in Canada. I'm guessing the tarriff rate is based on price because the Sno-Tek models don't appear to be marked up as much as the more expensive Ariens models. That said, the prices you have been quoted may be the best you can do. I also can't be much help for recommending dealers. I'm not familiar with your area. Shop around as much as you can for the best deal. Just keep in mind you don't want to drive 200 miles for service if you need the dealer to help you out. Some are less than helpful if you didn't buy the machine from them. It might be worth $50 or more to stay close to home. The (Canada for you) Home Depot price should be achievable from a dealer with a preseason sale, so shoot for that.

Duster, the Toro 826 OE has a pin-lock axle while the Ariens 27LE has the remote locking axle. Make sure you can live with the pin-lock before pursuing the 826LE. Larger machines like these can be difficult to turn. Make sure you're up to it.

Goofienewfie, PM me and I'll get you part numbers and details.

Gsnow, I just noticed you're referring to the Toro 828LXE not the OXE and you said the price is a "little more" than the Ariens 24DLE Platinum. The dealer must be cutting you a break on an older model with the Tecumseh 318cc L-head. Not a bad engine. Loud and vibrates alot though. Even with Tecumseh out of the snow engine business you should have no problems getting typical service parts (carb kits, etc) if needed. This engine is very mature and ironed-out so to speak. Good snow engine.

The Platinum 24DLE 921017 has everything the 27LE 921012 has with this addition of the handwarmers, quick turn chute, remote cap deflector, and Automatic Traction Control. The Ariens version of the Briggs 249cc engine also has a forged crank and ball bearing journals (which you won't find on the Toro spec Briggs 249cc engines on the 828 OXE).

I hope this helps.

Thanks snowman for responding. This forum is awesome, I am learning so much.

I went back to home depot today and was helping 2 customers on the features of the Airens vs Toro, Sno-Tek, Club Cadet, and MTD pointing out they are not all

 B&S engines etc. The sales lady was telling them the Ariens are made in China, I told her to confrim the facts, because I thought they are made in USA..

I sounded more like an Ariens salesman, they only had the Toro 826 LE in 2 stage not the 828 OXE. The 24 Deluxe LE feels heavier than the Toro 826 LE, strangely it also feels heavier than the 27 Deluxe LE , maybe more compact with the same components ? Is the subaru SX30 OHC a premium engine vs the B&S 249 cc?

The prices I quoted are cheaper than Home Depot Canada.

Yes I do realize the Toros are more expensive compared to Ariens, but since they have had less problems posted on the forums I thought that's the premium  for peace of mind. Also more Toro dealers near me.  If the problems for Ariens have been fixed, then the 24 DLE is a better buy.  I am not as handy and knowledgeable as goofienewfie.

Duster, if you are interested in the Ariens, the best prices so far is W.E. Enterprises out of Mississauga, you can google it. If you find it cheaper somewhere

else please let me know.

Thank you all guys for your help. I'll post more if I have any question.

gsnow wrote:
Ariens made in China? Nope.... All Ariens Snothros are made in Brillion, WI., USA (including the Sno-Teks). If she was referring to some of the engines, then this could be the case. The only snow engines available that are not made in China are the Briggs 305cc and 342cc (USA) and the Subaru SX21 and SX30 (Japan). Honda GX might be Japan as well, not sure.

The Subaru SX Snow Power OHC's are a more of a higher-end engine option than both the Honda and Briggs. They are available only from Ariens on models 920010 (ST24E Compact), 921019 (ST24E Deluxe), and 921020 (ST30LE Deluxe).

Thanks for everyones input.

gsnow-I contacted the dealer in Mississauga you mentioned,sound like very good people and better prices than HD.They deal Toro but recommended the Ariens over them due to the fact they do not use plastic like the Toros.Well that narrows it down for me,it will be a Ariens,just gotta decide which model.I pretty much have the same area as you have to clear.Thanks for your recommendation to the dealer.Good luck in your search for a machine.

Snowman thanks a lot for your input, if I get the Ariens I'll stay with the Briggs.

Duster I called W.E today as well and his prices have gone up $30 -$50 from last month and he will not budge. I was still researching in August. He claims he sold 400 units last year.

I called a few more places and found a place nearer me, it's Joy Equipment in Woodbridge, this place is now cheaper than W.E. 's new price.

He does not have any stock yet.

Good luck.

GS

I went through the same debate as you are a few weeks ago.  I had to decide between the Ariens Deluxe Platinum 24 or the Toro 826.  I liked the toro.  It felt lighter than the Ariens even though the weights are about the same (222 vs 224).  I was told that the toro only works with both wheels locked.  This makes it tough and tiring to turn.  On top of that, I have a small section of my rear patio that's only 30" wide.  The 826, at 28" wide would have been tough to get through.  So, I opted for the deluxe platinum 24.  Paid $1560.  Toro was $1499.  So, for $60 more, I got the handwarmers and most importantly, automatic traction control.  Along with the remote chute control, I think I got a good deal.  We'll see as the machine will get here in late September/early October.

Joed thanks for sharing your decision. Yes the Toros are lighter (easier to maneuvre) even without remote wheel lock.

The 24DLE is a better value than the 826LE if it holds up well in quality and reliability. If Ariens has fixed all the issues and no new ones crops up

as Snowman states then it would be a great unit.

 Having said that Toro owners are mostly happy and reported little problems.

So you got the unit from w.E. in Aug. his Sept price is higher.

Good luck.

Gsnow