Is the Ariens Compact 24 in. 208 cc Model 920021 snow blower right for you?
I gave the Craftsman 88173 the best value 24 inch snow blower rating. The Ariens Compact 24 in. 205 cc Model 920014 is also one of the best overall residential 24 inch snow blowers but costs about $130 more than the Craftsman. As a homeowner with a 2 car driveway up to 80 feet long, this is also a great choice.
I like most of the name brand 24 inch snow blowers on the market and they all have a place in someone’s garage, but someone always asks the question, “Which one is best?” so…. This is my opinion based on the reputation of the company, the overall reputation of the machine, the features you want most and the street price.
The Ariens Compact 24 in. 208 cc Model 920021 snow blower has been around for a while and there are over 700 reviews of it at Home Depot alone. Less than 2% of the reviews were negative and that put’s it in a class by itself. It’s well made and owners like it! Ariens AX 208 cc snow engine, headlight and metal chute give it the features many of you demand. These features plus the standard features you find on a Ariens make it one of the best snowblowers. It is not the easiest 24 inch snow blower to use, but it is engineered well, built well, and throws snow well.
This snow blower is sized for most 2 car suburban driveways. It works best with 4 to 12 inch snows but it has enough power to blow heavy, wet snow and the intake is tall enough to handle 20 inch drifts. It works well on gravel driveways.
by: Paul Sikkema
Ariens Compact 24 in. 205 cc Model 920014
This Ariens is part of their Compact line and is designed well for most of us in the United States. In other words if you have a 2 car driveway and get up to 50 inches of snow a year this snow blower is a great choice. The maintenance takes about an hour once a year and yes, with a few hand tools you can do the maintenance.
Ariens offers eight different grades of snow blowers. Ariens is a primary snow thrower manufacture and offers snow blowers for all homeowners, businesses and commercial users. The Sno-Tek line is the economy line. The Compact is the residential line and the Deluxe is the full-featured heavy duty residential line. The Compact reviewed here are reasonably priced units that get the job done year after year, but lack features like power steering. Ariens does not make snow throwers for other brands that I am aware of.
Home Depot Ariens Snow Blowers. Compact 24 in. Two-Stage Gas Snow Blower
The features I like most.
Most of the time I pick two features I like most but in this case I like most of the features of this machine. I will go through each one below.
What makes this snow blower the best 24 inch snow thrower for you?
This versatile Ariens Compact 2-Stage 24 in. Gas Snow Blower . The 205-degree chute with remote deflector for discharge control and hungry 11 in. augers to chew through and throw thick snow. With a durable Ariens AX 208 cc snow engine the Compact 24 in. Sno-Thro provides outstanding snow removal performance with user-friendly control and maneuverability in a mid-size machine.
- Ariens AX 208 cc snow engine with 120-volt electric start. The Ariens engine uses an electric ignition button for reliable starts. ** Electric start power cord sold separately.
- Intake: 24 in. wide and 20 in high efficiently clears driveways, sidewalks and patios. The metal skid shoes can be adjusted for gravel drives. Durable polyethylene skid shoes are available for delicate surfaces
- Gears: 6 forward speeds and 2 reverse speeds let you adjust your speed to accommodate different types of snow.
- 11 in. steel serrated augers power through thick snow banks and pushes snow into the 12 in. 3-blade impeller. Under the right conditions this unit will throw snow 40 feet.
- The Compact uses a heavy-duty cast iron auger gear case with alloy steel gears provides continuous reliability and a longer gear life.
- 205-degree quick-turn chute with remote deflector allows you to direct snow discharge exactly where you want it.
- In dash halogen headlight. It’s bright!
- Pin-lock axle offers the option of 2-wheel drive for heavy snow or 1-wheel drive for maneuverability. This snowblower uses a clevis pin through a hole in one axle. Most of the time you leave the pin out and the snow blower uses one wheel to move it. This way it turns as easy as your push lawn mower. When you want to clean the edge of a drift or working out in the backyard for your dogs you insert the pin into the hole on the wheel and both wheels drive. This is a simple system and it just works well.
- Dual-handle interlock system. You can take one hand off the controls and change the chute or speed and the unit keeps going.
- The handlebars fold for off-season storage
- Includes 3 year limited consumer warranty
- In most shipping areas, Ariens offers free white glove delivery service. Sno-Thro will be shipped to your local Ariens authorized servicing dealer, who will complete 100% assembly of unit and perform multi-point inspection prior to home delivery. Multi-point inspection includes, operators manual confirmation, set tire pressure, check fluid levels, and file warranty registration information
- Disclaimer in qualifying area only – If an Ariens authorized dealer is not in your shipping area, the Sno-Thro will ship mostly assembled, directly to you via regular truck delivery, simple set-up instructions will be included with unit. To confirm White Glove Delivery availability prior to purchasing, call 888-927-4367 option #2
- MFG Model # : 920021
- MFG Part # : 920021
Reviews
The Ariens Compact 24 in. 208 cc Model 920021 Snow Blower has almost three hundred 5 star reviews and I feel they are all honest. Looking at the negative reviews most were from bad fuel. One was not assembled right at the factory and two were from the new owner not realizing he could engage the other wheel using the clevis pin. Please read the manual to learn about all the features on your new snow blower.
Where To Get One
Home Depot is the best places to get your new Ariens. At most Home Depots, Ariens offers free white glove delivery service. The Ariens Sno-Thro will be shipped to your local Ariens authorized servicing dealer, who will complete 100% assembly of unit and inspect it prior to home delivery. The multi-point inspection includes, operators manual confirmation, set tire pressure, check fluid levels, and file warranty registration information. If an Ariens authorized dealer is not in your shipping area, the Sno-Thro will ship mostly assembled, directly to you via regular truck delivery, simple set-up instructions will be included with unit. To confirm White Glove Delivery availability prior to purchasing, call 888-927-4367 option #2
Both have the best price and a great reputation for getting the purchase to you quickly. They also have good customer service.
Buy Here From Home Depot: Ariens Snow Blowers. Compact 24 in. Two-Stage Gas Snow Blower
Be Careful! This snow blower is also sold through online only stores! Their price may be $50 less than Home Depot but make sure they have a good reputation of taking care of you after the sale. You may find other “factory-direct discount” stores and websites trying to sell it, but make sure they can and will get you service if you ever need it.
All Snow Blowers need maintenance. When you get your new snow blower home be sure to read the manual, check all the fluid levels and bolts. Learn how to change the shear pins and inspect the drive belts. (The belts are easy to change if you tear one up) ALWAYS have extra shear pins on hand. Learn how to start it and operate it. Snow blower engines run differently than your lawn mower engine. Most of the time you will have the choke on to some degree. (That’s why there are 4 positions on the choke) Practice using it on you driveway. (Don’t run the engine more than 10 minutes if the temperature is over 45 degrees) If you have any questions leave a comment below and we (other readers and myself) will gladly answer your questions. Above all PLEASE use a fuel stabilizer like Sea Foam or blue Stabil in your gas.
Value: At around $799 it is a good value.
Service & Parts Availability: Service and parts are readily available through Ariens authorized repair centers. Home Depot is easy to work with if you have a problem.
Al
Paul,
Thank you for a very informative and impartial web site!
Would you consider the Ariens Compact 24 a viable choice for clearing a stone driveway located on Cape Cod consisting of about 1″ loose stones about 2″ deep? The driveway is one car width, 60 feet long, flat with a 90 degree turn. The previous winter we experienced a total winter snowfall over 100 inches from storms that sometimes dropped over 18″ at a time. Since we’ve had large snowfalls the past two seasons, I’ve concluded that hand shoveling is no longer practical for someone over 65. I would have the driveway plowed but the snowplows would just tear up the loose stones, creating a mess.
I’ve read the reviews and comments for the Ariens Compact 24, Club Cadet 524 SWE, Craftsman 88173 and the Toro SnowMaster. Based on the reviews and comments, it looks like I need a two stage snow blower in order to avoid throwing stones. I read that the Ariens Compact 24 can use special skids that are 12″ long with 2″ front and rear lips, available through SnowBlowerSkids.com, that would allow me to raise the snow blower several inches above the stones, thereby avoiding stones being thrown. I’ve tentatively eliminated the Toro SnowMaster as it appears it cannot be raised high enough to avoid throwing stones.
Based on your knowledge, would you consider the Ariens the best choice for this application or some other model?
Thank you for your inputs.
Paul
Hi Al, The four snow blowers you have listed are all good snow blower but I normally suggest them for homeowners that get 40 inches of snow a year. Most of them do a good job with 10-12 inch snowfalls but really wimp out when you get the 15-20 inch’ers.
I suggest that you spend $100-150 more than the Ariens Compact and buy the Ariens Deluxe 24. It is a heavy-duty snow blower that will handle your 100 inches well. It’s also very good at the deeper 15-20 inch snows. Finally it still does a good job or clearing those 2-6 inch snows. You will be very glad you spent the extra money. The Deluxe 24 uses the larger “Deluxe” skids and you may not have to buy special ones for your gravel.
You can check your local Home Depot but most of them are out of the Deluxe 24 for the year. I checked your area and it looks like you have at least 3 dealers. Dennis Equipment looks to be a full service dealer I would check first.
DENNIS EQUIPMENT
970 ROUTE 134
SOUTH DENNIS, MA 02660 Phone: 508-385-3275
Here is a short article that explains the difference between the Ariens Compact and Deluxe models: Ariens Compact – Deluxe – Platinum – Professional | What’s The Difference?
Al
Paul, thanks for your prompt input and pointer to local dealers. Again, great web site!