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Product Reviews for Snow Thrower

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Snow Thrower
Model No: 926DLE
Manufacturer: Ariens

(Based on 5 reviews)
Avg. Price: $1471
Reviews: 3 - 5 of 5   View as Outline   Previous   All
Best snow thrower for me
Jan 24, 2005 12:58 am
AJace
Joined:

When I first tried my Sho-Thro nicknamed "Orange Crunch", I knew it was for me. I noticed that the auger housing blew snow out a little snow from the very left. The seal where the deflector meets the chute could be improved. It seems that the hinge could be put more inside the chute. This a great product made by Ariens, and I highly recommend it.

Date Purchased: 11/19/04
Price Paid: $1498
Recommend: Yes
Pros:
The differential. It makes the decisions what traction is best when I need it and make turns.

Cons:
The chute crank handle could be a bit longer, as it doesn't seems to provide as much torque as it should.


This message was modified Sep 8, 2005 by AJace
Ariens 926DLE - Excellent Snowblower
Jan 17, 2005 9:27 pm
mark251
Joined: Jan 17, 2005

After reading many posts on this board, talking to friends, and looking at a few snowblowers, I decided on this based on those posts, the solid feel of the blower, and the differential, which allows the wheels to turn at different speeds, making turning easier.
The differential (I think they call it traction control) is why I got this one instead of the Deluxe models. It is much easier to turn compared to those where the wheels are locked. Especially when it is off, and you are just moving it in and out of some place, like the garage. It is a breeze to move around. Under power, you still have to muscle it a little to get it to turn on a dime, like for a 180 degree turn, but very little effort is required for more gradual turns.
It has started on the first pull the 4 times I have used it, so I have never needed to use the electric start.
And this thing blows snow a mile. It threw the snow so far, it was funny. It also had no problem with the pile of snow at the end of the driveway. It has done well on even a tiny bit of snow - about 2 inches - threw it no problem, as well as handling the higher stuff. It throws snow best when there is a lot of show. It even did a good job with some heavy wet snow. It is a very impressive and capable machine. I would highly recommend it based on my experience so far.
I also have to say that local Ariens dealer, in Wayland MA, did an awesome job. They were very nice, helpful, not pushy, and delivered the snowblower in perfect condition, everything adjusted correctly, with a full tank of gas with stabil in it. I didn't have to do a thing. Sweet.

Date Purchased: 11-15-04
Price Paid: $1429
Recommend: Yes
Pros:
Powerful. Easy to turn. Solid. Throws the snow a good 30 feet. So good, it's fun.

Cons:
Ummm... ok, it's loud.


This message was modified Jan 17, 2005 by mark251
First runs of my new 926DLE
Jan 9, 2005 1:40 pm
JohnEDavies
Joined: Sep 7, 2004

My Spokane neighborhood received the first real snow of the season, with 11 inches of powdery stuff through this morning. I blew the driveway twice - the deepest was about 8 inches. Some observations:

The engine starts instantly with the electric starter. What a joy! The hand cord takes a stiff pull, but the engine fires easily.

The traction control system works great - I only had to lock the axle when working the snirt (OED) which was heavy with sand. I was really ticked because the city plow had gone by in both directions, so I attacked the EOD with vigor and was just putting the machine away when the plow appeared again and swamped the lower 8 feet of my driveway (including the entire sidewalk) with the stuff I had just cleared. I said some really bads things and recleared the area. At least it was good practice.

I then lowered the skids all the way and cleared my backyard around the house and bird feeders. There is a fairly steep slope at one point that I was concerned about getting back up, but the machine climbed it with no problem with the axle unlocked. Those tires work great!

The heated grips seemed at first as if they would be a great feature, but I got so warm maneuvering the thrower that I never needed to switch them on. Maybe if it were really wet weather they would be nice. I don't think they should factor into a purchase decision - consider them icing on the cake.

I have only two serious gripes:

The exhaust blows STRAIGHT into your face when you lean down to engage the traction control. The situation is aggravated by the fact that when the wheel is clogged with snow you have to spend a few seconds fiddling with the pin to get it to pop into its detent. This is crap engineering and a mild safety/ health issue - the muffler needs a deflector or a 90 degree elbow to blow the fumes forward. Or the traction control needs to be re-engineered to put the pin on the opposite side. You can eliminate the problem by walking around to the left side of the machine, but this shouldn't be necessary in the first place!

The 9 bhp engine seems to be plenty adequate except when attacking the really deepest part of the EOD, but it could do with a little bit more.... I am hoping I can figure out what the differences are between the 9 bhp and 11.5 bhp engines - they appear to be identical in every respect as far as I can tell by the Ariens literature. If a bigger carb would give me an additional 2.5 bhp I would go for it.

As I pointed out in an earlier post at the old site, I found the chain adjustment to be a PITA because the sprockets are out of round. You have to locate the tight spot and adjust the tension there and live with the resulting slop elsewhere. When the season is over I will see if a local shop will fix it under warranty. I understand this is NOT at all uncommon. Again, some better engineering or better quallity control is in order.

All in all, a very satisfying piece of equipment . I am a happy thrower.

John


Date Purchased: 10/04
Price Paid: $1426
Recommend: Yes
Cons:
The only reason I didn't give the machine 5 stars was due to the exhaust issue, and the fact that my local Ariens dealer is a 110% @sshole.


This message was modified Jan 9, 2005 by JohnEDavies
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