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New Ariens RapidTrak 28" 420cc

41K views 64 replies 25 participants last post by  Øystein Eriksen 
#1 · (Edited)
#2 ·
I like the speed for transportation mode.
But it looks like somebody just made that because of 3 reasons:
1. If you notice the auger housing always goes down because it is not correctly balanced, the pivot point is now on the drive axle vs on the front idler on the original design making it nose heavy.
2. Because of the increase on the diameter of the drive wheel it would have a hard time at deep snow/EOD because you won't be able to have 1st gear (unless it has a hydro tranny), unless the user is one of the many that does not properly adjust the ground speed to the depth or density of the snow (I've seen some snowblower user that use the blower on top gear regardless of the snow and the wheels are slipping almost all the time).
3. Because of the larger drive wheel it now seems to have less ground contact, loosing traction (by watching the video the operator of the fast speed unit has to always keep the auger housing raised by pushing down on the handles while the other one cruises along with the auger housing raised, at the end of the video you can see how the rear part of the tracks is raised when he parks the blower.

I just realized that Ariens actually offers that system, but my previous comment is what I think.
 
#3 · (Edited)
#5 ·
Hmmm.... Wow! Quick, maneuverable traks, powerful 420cc B&S, hydro. Once I see it in the snow then this could be my next blower!!!! Kudos for Ariens for coming up with what looks like an awesome, powerful trak machine.
 
#8 ·
Well because of us on TSF, the backorder date on Snow Blowers Direct has gone from September 19th to October 19th. So if you want one you'd better put away the mower and pre-order one STAT! BTW I watched the video again and the gas tank looks massive so maybe I could just fill it "once per season" LOL. What am I going to need my vintage fuel can collection for anymore?? Maybe I should start a new thread, "show us your vintage gas cans".
 
#12 · (Edited)
This looks like a huge improvement over the previous track design. I have last year's Hydro Pro Track 28 and it is terrible to maneuver.

Does anyone know if I can retrofit these tracks on my machine? I don't see why I wouldn't be able to, as long as Ariens will sell them separately.

I want these badly. I was ready to sell my machine and buy something else instead, it's such a pain to use.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Wow, what an interesting design. Looking at a few pictures and promotional videos, it does seems to effectively stagger the lines of track vs wheel. Definitely a big improvement over the outgoing design.

The picture of the track adjustment mechanism shows only a few locking positions. But it looks very robust.
https://www.ariens.com/en-us/snow-products/snow-blowers/rapidtrak

Cool design.

Looking forward to some videos of this thing in action. Keep us informed.
 
#19 ·
Ariens new track design is a really neat innovation. Its refreshing to see new clever ideas.

I imagine that the machine would spend most of its time in wheel mode. I wonder how the track in wheel mode stacks up against a pneumatic snow tire

I guess I just really want to try the new design out for myself. :)
 
#20 ·
I too just picked up one of the 28" versions. I had a chance to try it out this weekend. It really is easy to maneuver when in wheel mode. I really like the flexibility of quickly switching from wheel mode to track mode. We only had about an inch of snow, so this was not a fair test of its capabilities, but I did notice that it was a bit light on the front when going up hill when in wheel mode. Of course, no problem in track mode. I'll probably add a weight kit to mine. Looking forward to testing it later in the season when we get more snow here in Michigan.

Greg
 
#22 ·
We had a little more snow here yesterday and I had a chance to try it out again this time with a weight kit added. I did find it better with the additional weight up front. I wonder if the weight distribution would be different for the 32" version. I still found it to work best in track mode up hill, however, and since it is so easy to switch back and forth, I found my self engaging track mode going up the hill, and switching back to wheel mode to make turns at the top. It seems that the more I use it the more I like it. Great traction even in wheel mode - I think better than a conventional wheeled snowblower. We're supposed to get more show here on Wed. I tried out the "dig in" mode on the hard pack left by the plows at the bottom of the driveway today as well - cleans it off right down to the pavement.
 
#24 ·
Well, folks, so far I've used the Ariens Rapid Track Professional 28 four or five times on my big long steep driveways. Now with a few hours of experience under my belt I'm pleased.

Yesterday it took about 1-1/2 hours to move the snow from 600 feet of paved driveway, two separate parking areas for 8 cars, and a 100 foot wide apron from the county road. Each time I've used the new machine it gets easier since I'm starting to get the hang of things. It cleans the pavement quite well, and chugs up the steepest parts with no problems. The tracks work better than I expected, and it is not difficult at all to move the beast around with the engine off as long as the transmission is disengaged.

The engine (21-HP) operates at idle most of the time, until I get into some deeper snow or compacted icy stuff near the road - then it throttles up and REALLY starts to throw the snow. I can blow the snow from my driveway apron clear across the 60-foot county road and onto the neighbor's front yard :),

So far it has guzzled about 4 gallons of gasoline.

Like Greg1 mentioned, the front does get a bit light when going uphill. I may also try the weight kit.

So far - so good!
 
#25 ·
Good luck with that beast! As far as I'm concerned it is the Chief of our tribe. Regarding power, my guess it is putting out a very respectable 13 hp in the world of snowblowers they have moved over to torque, supposedly more accurate as a gauge of an engines power than Hp which was often inflated by manufacturers. More consistency and perhaps regulation is needed to truly gauge small engine power in a consistent way, some still will only publish cc's. Briggs and LCT state engine power in lb.-ft. of torque. Your engine is rated at 21 lb.-ft. of torque. All the best.
 
#26 ·
As an owner of a baby honda track sno throw, I find that these innovations are pure genius.

That said, track units are usually balanced with a bias over the tracks. Which makes sense, when you consider that they are built for traction. So, my observations on this machine, is that it is closer to 50/50 weight distribution, with a default towards the handles. Wheeled units, tend to favor their CG towards the impeller.

This all said, I see where this machine could potentially have some serious advantages over the two traditional setups, and offer less fatigue in using it.

I would add, that using tracks in a wheel mode, will have significantly more traction as they have more surface contact than wheels.

My 2 cents.
 
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#27 ·
Temps have been hovering around freezing for two days, and snowing like mad. There is about 8 inches of very very heavy wet slush on my monster driveway. A few of the neighbors were out trying to blow slush with poor results. I tried to shovel the stuff, but at 20 pounds per scoop, I didn't have a chance.

Fired up the Rapid Trak with little hope for sucess, but WOW! This machine really throws slush. I got 600 feet of driveway and three parking areas cleared in only an hour. The beast was throwing stuff clear across the county road. It cleared down to the pavement even where snow had been compacted into ice by my neighbors cars, the mailman's van, and other oblivious snow packers.

I am so happy I bought this great machine :)
 
#28 ·
Hey how about some pics! Man O Man, Briggs & Stratton 420cc, hydro, rapid trak, and the bottom line, it works great. I know I gush over Toro and Simplicity, and even Husqvarna but this machine has got to be heading towards the tippy top of my wish list. Need pictures of it in action!!! Come on guys!!
 
#30 ·
Any issues with the autoturn? Do you have a bumpy driveway where the skids could get stuck and engage the autoturn?

How is the autoturn in track mode? My drive needs a lot of tight turning.

Think im going to sell my hss1332. Ive had the briggs 420 before its a beast. For the price id expect motorized chute controls like simplicity and honda.

Thanks for the feedback.
 
#35 ·
Sorry for the very very long delay.


The RapidTrack Hydro 28 Pro took me a while to get the hang of regarding turning. I've found, as others have said, turning works best if you are decisive and aggressive, It doesn't take a lot of strength, but quick and speedy motion seems to make things work best. I almost trot through the turns and hang on for dear life so as not to slip off my feet! Good thing because I'm and old geezer.


Regarding auto-turn engaging on lumps and bumps - I've not experienced that problem. There is one spot in my drive that sometime catches, but it does not cause the machine to twist or turn to a serious extent. I think being sure the skid shoes are adjusted properly reduces the tendency to veer off course.




Being that this is my first snow blower it may have something to do with my slow learning curve. I have found that this machine is very stable and I have no problem staying vertical as long as I hang on to the handlebar.
 
#36 ·
I have the Ariens Hydro Pro Rapidtrak 28 EFI. I live in the northern parts of Norway. We get al lot of snow. Early in the season the temperature can vary greatly in a single week. This year we got rain and above freezing temperature (5°C) one day and the next day below freezing (-2°C) and 60 cm of snow. If you have a gravel driveway these conditions poses a problem for a Rapidtrak machine. A lot of snow and not frozen loose gravel. It will always try to dig in to the gravel. It will actually perform worse than a wheeled machine regarding this. This is because in track mode it will still tip forward like a wheeled machine, but tipping backwards is restricted. Net sum is forward tipping and it eventually digs into the gravel. It really is a tracked machine for those who have a paved driveway.
One other problem is that it does a really poor job on removing hard packed snow from tire tracks. You have to position the track between the skid shoes to get it removed
 
#37 ·
Gravel can be an issue. Here's a link to a possible solution for you posted by a forum member last winter

https://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/1619491-post1.html

That being said, you may not be utilizing both track positions...only the dig position. In the normal track position, tipping backward is no more prohibited than in the wheeled position. As for clearing hard packed car tracks, I've been blowing snow for over 50 years and I find the dig position of the Rapidtrak, while not perfect, to work better than any wheeled machine I've had. There's no residential snowblower type machine that will peel up hard packed car tracks 100% effectively. If you have gravel to boot, then this becomes even more of an issue.
 
#38 ·
I do use both track positions. And tipping backward is prohibited in both, unless you tip it on the back wheels. It is three positions for the track - and the tracks are locked in all three. In wheeled position you can tip backwards like on a wheeled unit but not in the other two.

There is however a fourth option. Not intended by the manufacturer. That is float position. That is when you just drop the tracks from wheeled position without locking in. On uneven surfaces it will lock in by itself.

In this video the float-position is demostrated. The man on the video thought the normal track position was the dig-in option and used float as his normal track position. He admits in the comments that he did not know about the real dig-in option.
https://youtu.be/E7pjKGSFFXs

I have been thinking about making a separate level for gravel - but since my driveway is entirely made of gravel I will try Armourskids first. Pushing down all the time seems exhausting.
 
#40 · (Edited)
I just got the 926060 Hydro Pro RapidTrak this year. Now that we've had about 140 inches so far on the mountain next to my house, I've had some meaningful experience with it, especially on the end-of-driveway (EOD) plow berms.

The 926060 (Briggs & Stratton version) that I got has a 1.5 gallon gas tank. Now they've transitioned to the 926078 model (LCT engine version) with a .75 gallon tank.

For lighter snow I mainly use wheeled mode since its super maneuverable and gets the job done. But when needing to get through deeper snow or the EOD berm, the real track modes come into play (https://www.ariens.com/en-us/snow-products/snow-blowers/rapidtrak). This is where the following three features make a huge difference:
-Large engine
-RapidTrak
-Hydrostatic Drive

There's no substitute for having a lot of power when going through the EOD berms, so obviously more power is better. The RapidTrak makes it much easier to avoid having the machine "ride up" with pushing into a berm. Both the "track mode" (middle setting) and "dig-in" mode are good for the EOD berms. When in "dig-in" mode I sometimes have to put some weight on the handle bars if the front end digs-in hard enough to stop the machine. Dig-in mode is also good for scraping down to the concrete. When I turn around when in track mode or dig-in mode, it makes it easier to turn with the track running. Otherwise it's easier to turn by going into wheel-mode first. I played with the Hondas, which are nice, but their track system simply does not have anything like the RapidTrak wheel mode.

Finally, the hydrostatic drive is very effective on EOD berms. You can setup the appropriate track mode and then just continuously modulate the hydrostatic drive control lever to the right speed to optimize the work. This makes the machine do the work and is easy for the operator. You can make it go as fast as possible, while staying in the sweet spot of the torque curve. I ripped right through a 24 inch berm last Saturday that had set-up and gotten very dense. However, my neighbors were out for an extended amount of time with their machines, having to go through a lot of extra body English. They were using techniques like ramming their machine in and out and rocking it back and forth on the EOD berm. With the RapidTrak Hydro Pro, I just stood there and ripped right through with my right hand on the hydrostatic drive control. I was done in a fraction of the time they were.

I originally liked Honda's electric chute control. Although it seemed cool to be electric, the reality was that it's slow enough that you're stuck standing there, waiting for it on each turn. The Ariens chute control is very fast.

Since I live in an area with significant snow and place a lot of value on my time, I'm very glad I got the Hydro Pro RapidTrak 28.
 
#42 ·
I just got the 926060 Hydro Pro RapidTrak this year.
Finally, the hydrostatic drive is very effective on EOD berms. You can setup the appropriate track mode and then just continuously modulate the hydrostatic drive control lever to the right speed to optimize the work. This makes the machine do the work and is easy for the operator. You can make it go as fast as possible, while staying in the sweet spot of the torque curve. I ripped right through a 24 inch berm last Saturday that had set-up and gotten very dense. However, my neighbors were out for an extended amount of time with their machines, having to go through a lot of extra body English. They were using techniques like ramming their machine in and out and rocking it back and forth on the EOD berm. With the RapidTrak Hydro Pro, I just stood there and ripped right through with my right hand on the hydrostatic drive control. I was done in a fraction of the time they were.

Good post. This is my experience too as regards the hydro tranny, tracks, and body english. The Thanksgiving 22 incher here was very wet and heavy. By the time the plow came 36 hours later at 3 AM, it was pretty well set up by 7 AM. Everyone where I live has good size 2 stage blowers. Many are Ariens. I expended MUCH less energy than my neighbors as they employed the techniques you mention :smile2:

We had a good 2-3 foot EOD set up plow stuff when I went out at 7. . We have a 3 car driveway. I was done well ahead of my neighbor with a 2 car driveway. I do think the proper way to do this job is to go across the driveway and not through it to the street. Had my neighbors gone that route there would have been much less bulling around.
 
#48 ·
I am not a fan of tracks, but I must admit, I look forward to getting ahold someday of one of these RapidTrak units, as they sure do look impressive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcXxysWdxjA
While I cannot offer a review, as I haven't had any snow since I got mine, I can tell you these RapidTrac models are built well. I don't think I'm going out on a limb by stating this patented design is absolutely brilliant. It's so simple, yet ingenious, I'm surprised no one thought of this design sooner. It solves so many problems associated with standard track models, including turning and walking speed, yet doesn't sacrifice the main benefit of tracks, which is: "traction". I'm certain in the future you'll see many, if not all manufacturer's, go to this type of design and improve upon it. It's revolutionary in the world of snowblowers. Like many buyers, I wanted the benefits of track models, but not the pitfalls. Ariens solved that problem for me.
 
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