Monday was a bust, but we got about 10" in the Greater Portland area overnight and on Tuesday. It was my first chance to try out the new(er) Ariens Deluxe 28 I purchased in April. My previous machine was a 1995 MTD 8/26.
Surprisingly, my biggest challenge at first was of an ergonomic nature and one which I hadn't considered. The drive and auger controls are opposite of my old MTD! I had this "memory" and kept engaging/disengaging the wrong thing. By the second go-around it was better, but I still had to make a conscious effort to use the proper controls. I also kept reaching for the chute handle low and to the left. Being a lefty, controlling the chute rotation with my right hand has taken some getting used to. I like the fact that it is only 2-3 turns lock-to-lock, but I wish it was a conventional handle either on or under the "dashboard." My lot is small and I have to make a lot of adjustments on the fly and frankly, the MTD was a little better in this respect. No doubt everything will become second nature, but it was an interesting phenomenon. I will also probably make the necessary modifications this summer in order to get more than 200 degrees of chute rotation. Lastly, the aftermarket LED replacement bulb is an easy upgrade for those not wishing to mess with bridge rectifiers, etc.
The LCT engine is great and started really easy. It may not be much quieter than the old Tecumseh flat head, but it seemed that way to me. Throttle control is reasonable and at least it has one, along with a fuel shutoff valve. The snow was somewhat wet and the engine had no trouble at all. The one thing I didn't like was that the slowest speed is faster than I'd prefer but not a deal breaker. Throwing distance - excellent.
IMHO the auto-turn is marvelous. It is completely seamless and makes maneuvering much easier. I will also say that I was fastidious about making sure the auger/impeller housing was aligned and that the tires had the exact same pressure. I also invested in the poly skid shoes based on recommendations from members. The tires are of a newer design, and I frankly like the X-Track better. These spun quite easily when running into dense plowed snow. I am running them at 12.5 PSI per the local dealer and set them using a digital gauge. Maybe that is still too high.
One important thing worth noting regarding the scraper bar height and Ariens recommendations. The manual says a nominal .125" for smooth surfaces. They must mean a carrier deck or an ice rink! I set it at .142" using some PM test pucks I had and it was still way too low. After about 5 minutes I went back to my tried and true yard stick pieces (about .270") and all was well.
It goes without saying that this is a heavier, stouter machine than I had before and I really like the quality of manufacture. The 28" width is more than I need and a deluxe 24 would probably be better. However, considering what I paid for it, I couldn't be happier.
Surprisingly, my biggest challenge at first was of an ergonomic nature and one which I hadn't considered. The drive and auger controls are opposite of my old MTD! I had this "memory" and kept engaging/disengaging the wrong thing. By the second go-around it was better, but I still had to make a conscious effort to use the proper controls. I also kept reaching for the chute handle low and to the left. Being a lefty, controlling the chute rotation with my right hand has taken some getting used to. I like the fact that it is only 2-3 turns lock-to-lock, but I wish it was a conventional handle either on or under the "dashboard." My lot is small and I have to make a lot of adjustments on the fly and frankly, the MTD was a little better in this respect. No doubt everything will become second nature, but it was an interesting phenomenon. I will also probably make the necessary modifications this summer in order to get more than 200 degrees of chute rotation. Lastly, the aftermarket LED replacement bulb is an easy upgrade for those not wishing to mess with bridge rectifiers, etc.
The LCT engine is great and started really easy. It may not be much quieter than the old Tecumseh flat head, but it seemed that way to me. Throttle control is reasonable and at least it has one, along with a fuel shutoff valve. The snow was somewhat wet and the engine had no trouble at all. The one thing I didn't like was that the slowest speed is faster than I'd prefer but not a deal breaker. Throwing distance - excellent.
IMHO the auto-turn is marvelous. It is completely seamless and makes maneuvering much easier. I will also say that I was fastidious about making sure the auger/impeller housing was aligned and that the tires had the exact same pressure. I also invested in the poly skid shoes based on recommendations from members. The tires are of a newer design, and I frankly like the X-Track better. These spun quite easily when running into dense plowed snow. I am running them at 12.5 PSI per the local dealer and set them using a digital gauge. Maybe that is still too high.
One important thing worth noting regarding the scraper bar height and Ariens recommendations. The manual says a nominal .125" for smooth surfaces. They must mean a carrier deck or an ice rink! I set it at .142" using some PM test pucks I had and it was still way too low. After about 5 minutes I went back to my tried and true yard stick pieces (about .270") and all was well.
It goes without saying that this is a heavier, stouter machine than I had before and I really like the quality of manufacture. The 28" width is more than I need and a deluxe 24 would probably be better. However, considering what I paid for it, I couldn't be happier.