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I have no snow! So far I’ve only gotten a few 2 inchers, a 3 incher and a few dustings. The Ariens 30 SHO I have to test this year is just wasting away in the garage. No 20 incher to show you what it really can do!
I got bored and took it out anyway. I might as well show you what it does on the light snows and since I had the old Track Drive running you might enjoy the difference between the High Capacity Ariens Platinum 30 SHO and your old 25 year old Simplicity, Noma or Craftsman
This video is just for fun. Enjoy!
http://youtu.be/-nq_kF3TqeU
brian acton
I am trying to decide between a 30 inch Ariens platinum SHO and a Toro 28 inch OEXD, any suggestions would be helpful, the Toro costs an extra $200 BTW
Paul
Hi Brian, Do you mean the Toro Power Max HD 1028 OXE or another size 28 inch?
we go through the differences of each machine in a lot of the comments but I really need to know what your driveway is like. How big? Gravel or paved? Flat – Sloped? Are you going to use it or others in your household? How much snow do you get. (that’s why I ask where you live) Are you just clearing your driveway or the neighbors also? Do you clear a spot of lawn for your dogs?
Brian
I too am torn between the Husky 324P and the Ariens 24 SHO. The husky looks to have some really nice featues, which makes it tempting. But am afraid the quality/reliability will not be up to par with the Ariens. I live in Maryland, where we do not get a ton of snow, but would rather get a machine that is overkill so I will be able to handle the blizzards we get from time to time. My drive is about 90 feet long – 2 car width. I also plan on helping out some neighbors when we get big storms. If the price was the exact same for the 324p and 24 SHO, which would you lean towards, Paul? Also, Paul, do you plan on making any videos if the 300 series Husky in use?
Paul
Hi Brian, I have a ST327P here to review but I’m not getting any snow! As soon as I get 8 inches or so I’ll make a video.
I’m going to talk about 3 snow blowers. The Ariens Deluxe 24 at $1200. The Husqvarna ST324P at $1400 and the Ariens Platinum 24 SHO at $1700.
The Ariens Deluxe 24 is a basic heavy duty snow blower. It has a larger than normal engine so it can easily handle most snows – including heavy wet snow.
The Husqvarna ST324P has the same larger engine but adds more “creature features.” The chute is a little easier to use and it has handwarmers. The biggest difference in price is it has a hydrostatic transmission. With the hydro you have no gears so you can adjust your speed exactly where you want it. (some snow blowers are either too fast or too slow) The Husqvarna is the “same but different” for durability. I doubt that you will ever wear it out where you live. The basic machine will last as long as the other heavy-duty snow blowers but since it has more features you may have more maintenance over the years like cables, etc.
The Ariens Platinum 24 SHO is in a different league all together. It is literally the biggest, baddest 24 inch snow blower on the market. It will handle any snow, anywhere in the U.S. or Canada. The engine is huge for the size of the machine and the SHO impeller insures that it will throw snow farther than all the other current brands. It’s like bringing an M1A1 Abrams tank to a knife fight. It has handwarmers, a 4 way chute control and a very simple yet reliable manual transmission.
So the question is: Do you want basic reliability. Or an easy to use snow blower with all the options. Or the biggest baddest toy in the county?
Elise
Greetings Paul,
We live on Valley Forge Mountain in PA.
Our driveway is about 1/2 mile long, in places quite steep and some portions are gravel.
Money not an issue, we want something easy to handle.
Thank you,
Elise
Paul
Eleise, Even with the largest walk-behind you are looking at almost 2 miles of walking each time it snows.
Have you thought about a tractor with a loader or an UTV with a plow? For example a Polaris Ranger with a Boss Plow would make short work of your driveway, plus it’s very useful for farm, camping and hunting chores.
Elise
How about a snow blower in front of a Polaris?
We live on 24 wooded acres and need some type of equipment to take the trash down to the road and carry fire wood around from our “beehive” wood piles to the house. My husband is talking with a John Deer person but frankly I think we may be sold much more than we really need. Just to let you know my husband is very athletic and strong but lives in his head…… he is not very handy in and around the house. We have plenty of people to help us but nobody can get up here!!
Thank you agaib Paul.
Paul
Hi Elise, Yes, there are 20 brands that are more rugged than a Deere and cost less. A snow blower for the front is an aftermarket device. It’s very expensive for what it does ($5000 plus) and is hard to install and remove each season. A plow/blade is easier to attach and I’ll bet is all you need.
I went to polaris.com and used 19460 for a zip code. More than 6 dealers popped up within 20 miles. That’s a good place to start. You are looking for powersports dealers or rural lifestyle dealers.
Here is a great article to get your research started: http://info.bossplow.com/blog/what-everyone-ought-to-know-before-purchasing-an-atv-or-utv-snow-plow
Elise
Thank you so very much Paul. My husband and I just read your responce and link. I am from Montreal: I know a plow is all we need. For some reason my husband is nervous about plowing the snow into the forest that lines the driveway on both sided. We will need the vehicule during the winter to take the trash down the hill once a week so ease of attachement is important. Plus the amount of snow is baby stuff here. It rarely snows, just a few times a year. That being said our snow removal contractor has vaporized and it looks like we are house bound for a few more days before the ice melts. This has brought us to think it would be better to not be at the mercy of someone else and their equipement.
Thank you again Paul
Elise
Zip is 19355.
Paul
Hi Elise, you won’t hurt the forest plowing the snow. If he is worried about falling off the driveway and getting stuck I suggest Blazer 381ODM-24 Orange 48-Inch Fiberglass Pole every 30-40 feet on each side of the road.