Hi Emil, Yes, they are both good machines. It’s a tough choice.

For the price, I would buy the Ariens Deluxe SHO. If I felt I needed a hydrostatic transmission I would buy the Husqvarna.

If I had a long straight driveway the Husqvarna which uses triggers on the handlebars to steer would be a better choice. It would go in a straight line all by itself. The Ariens with the AutoTurn really shines if you have a shorter driveway, a curved driveway, or a lot of smaller areas to clear. The auto turn steering is effortless and you don’t need to remember which trigger to pull. You just move the handlebars and it turns.

The Husqvarna handles heavy, wet snow well and will work just fine on the last snow the Northeast got. The Ariens Deluxe will handle any heavy wet snow and also through all the other types including very dry snow well.

Thank you Sal, I’ll give that a try. Mike

OK, thanks Paul. Will check that out. I bought mine in ’15 so probably don’t have the modified axle.

Hi Sal, Ariens moved the axle forward on the latest version of the Deluxe/Platinum series and that fixed any issues with the steering. In fact, I have a Deluxe 30 EFI here this winter and I never adjusted the skid shoes. One’s higher than the other and the auto turn works perfectly.

I’d guess that you only need about 10 lbs of lift to pick up the front end with your hand. The other brand that’s using the auto turn also has the snow blower balanced well on the axles. I know the cab was too heavy but you may want to strive for a little less weight on the front. You could play with that balance using a gallon ziplock bag of sand hung on the handlebars.

Also check your tire pressure and make sure they are the same. When you push down on the handleblars you also want both skid shoes to come off a smooth level surface at the same time. Here is a video to show you the adjustment.

Hi, Paul:
I’ve written you about this 921044 before. This season I purchased a set of aftermarket skids from snowblowerskids.com. They’re much longer than the OEM or composite Ariens ones and get my machine up higher so I don’t kick up as much gravel from my driveway. But I’m finding the AutoTurn to be a bear–really have to muscle it around. Skids are set symmetrically. Any ideas? BTW–from a previous conversation, I took your advice and ditched the cab, getting a cheap motorcycle helmet instead. Solid improvement!
Sal

Hi Michael, With the engine key removed I would tip it back on it’s handles and then wiggle all the augers and fan to see if you can find the rattle/loose part. If you don’t find anything I suggest getting it back to the dealer and let them take a look at it.

Hi Del, FYI, Make sure you are going through the dealer that does the repairs for the Home Depot where you purchased it. If you haven’t – go back to the Home Depot and ask the manager where who their authorized Ariens repair shop is. That should save you any hassle with warranty issues.