This year Ariens introduced a completely new way to use tracks on a snow blower. I’ve had a chance to use and deconstruct the new Ariens RapidTrak Hydro 28 Pro Model 926060 so in this article and videos, I’m going to go through my thoughts on this new machine.
Why review a commercial snow blower?
- Many more people today are looking for snow blowers that will do the job well, be very easy to use and will last and last. That combined with the fact that today’s automotive fuels are simply problematic for lawn & garden engines many people are not afraid to spend well over $1000 to get a machine they can trust will start every time and one that will do the job quickly.
- Even Consumer Reports has realized how the market has changed and they have upped their game this year. CR has started to review the deluxe, high capacity and commercial snow blowers. Of course, this commercial 2-stage Ariens RapidTrak Hydro Pro just blows away everything else they have tested before it.
Who is this snow blower for?
- If you have a huge area to clear.
- If you get a lot of deep, wet snows.
- If you have to clear areas that vehicles drive on.
- If you have to clear sidewalks that get snow piled on them from the city snow plow.
- This is a very easy to use snow blower. Yes, it’s big and heavy but with the tracks in the “wheel” position the weight is balanced and that makes it easier to turn and maneuver than any other model with trigger style power steering. Even moving it around inside your garage is a breeze.
- The hydro is designed so you can vary the speed and shift directly into reverse without stopping the snow blower. If you have a lot of corners to clear and obstacles to go around this is your dream machine.
- If you have a sloped driveway that is too steep for a wheeled snow blower. This snow blower is a good choice for you.
- The Ariens RapidTrak Hydro 28 Pro is built for the commercial user but anyone else who wants the very best in capacity, long life and ease of use will appreciate this snow blower. It’s newest feature is the RapidTrak system that allows you to have the speed and maneuverability of a wheeled snow blower and also the traction and cleaning power of a tracked unit. The RapidTrak is completely different than any other track drive on the market. I go into detail about those differences in the first video below.
- It features a commercial grade Briggs & Stratton Pro engine that combined with the design of the machine gives this snow blower more power and throwing capacity than any other 28 inch snow blower on the market. It’s an engine that the commercial users trust to last them years and years. In fact, it has 38% more listed capacity than it’s only competitor – the Honda HSS928ATD. (Listed Specs on the Honda site are 57 tons per hour versus 79 tons for the Ariens)
Enough writing – I made videos!
Below are two videos on the new Ariens RapidTrak Hydro 28 Pro.
- The first video goes into detail on all the components of this new snow blower.
- The second video looks inside the belt area and inside the transmission case.
If you like these videos and would like me to make more please click on the Youtube logo in the bottom right corner of video window. That will take you to YouTube. Then hit the big red subscribe button.
I’ll be posting videos of the snow blower in action soon.
Feel free to check out the Ariens website for more details and specs on this snow blower: Ariens RapidTrak at Ariens.com
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Gordon Shumate
Paul, Thank you so much for your excellent snow blower reviews and recommendations. I am experiencing difficulty in locating an Ariens Professional 28 Hydro rapid trak model 926060. Some sources indicate that it has been discontinued. Other sources, including Ariens web site, list a model 926078 with the same description except that it has an Ariens AX engine rather than a Briggs & Stratton. Can you tell me if these are equivalent machines?
Paul
Hi Gordon, Yes, Ariens is replacing the 926060 with the 926078. Yes, they are identical snowblowers and the new engine is a little more fuel-efficient.
cat ann
How difficult is it to put this together after it is delivered?
Paul
If you buy it from a dealer it’s set up, tested and ready for you to use it. If you buy it online from a company like snowblowersdirect.com it comes in a crate. Assembly will take about an hour if you are mechanically inclined. Then, the actual set-up and adjustments will take another hour.
In other words, It worth the extra $75-100 for the dealer to set it up for you.
Niraj KP
Great review Paul, My Chinese Craftsman/MTD
– tecumseh 9hp engine finally gave out, I sent it to my local repair shop and they wanted a $400 plus tax to repair a snow blower I purchased for $699 10 years ago.. I wanted to get a commercial unit since the old machine It would struggle in deep heavy snow..my driveway is 150 feet long on a 17 degree incline 14 feet wide I saw your through video’s I was contemplating on getting a Honda since everyone just praises about them. I live in Central NJ and we are always getting heavy wet snow compared to the Norther part of the state. I went to my local dealer and put a deposit on the Rapidtrak 32 yesterday.. my question really is, can I use Mobile 1 5w-30 fully synthetic oil in the snowblower vs the current oil 5w-30 regular that it comes with? I prefer to use the fully synthetic oil for better protection on rough starts.. what do you think?
Paul
Hi Niraj, Yes, you can run synthetic. I run Mobil One in all my gas and diesel engines and have for years.
Josh Weldon
Hi Paul. I watched a few of your videos. I currently own a 20 year old Honda 928 track drive. I’m looking to buy a new blower next week. I was set on a new 928 track drive, but after seeing some of your reviews, I’m considering the Ariens 28 rapidtrak pro. Is Ariens the route to take in your opinion? I do 20 to 25 4 car(average, some larger) driveways in eastern PA. The things I don’t like about my Honda are, slow speed and clogging in sloppy wet conditions. You’re advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Paul
Hi Josh, The Ariens Pro doesn’t clog only wet, sloppy snow.
The Ariens Pro Rapidtrak will clear 12-14 inches of snow as fast as you can walk.
With the large 14 inch impeller and 420 cc engine it has 79 tons per hour capacity. The Honda 928 is about 57 tons. That’s a huge difference.
They both throw good snow a long ways – 50-60 feet.
The RapidTrak was designed for your type of snow blowing. In the normal position, the tracks give you more traction than a wheeled unit. Push down 2 inches on the handles and the rear of the tracks lock off the ground. Now it turns just as well as a wheeled snow blower. Pull one trigger and the tracks drop back down. No effort on your parts. If you have hard packed/driven on snow lift up on the handles and inch and the rear of the tracks lock into a down position. This puts all the weight of the snow blower on those back boggy wheels and it will push through snow a lot better than the “balanced” tracks on the Honda. With a little practice, you can even go up steps with this snow blower.
Oh… the hydro lever is very easy to move and right by your hand. With a little practice you’ll use the clutch very little and make all your speed and direction changes with the hydro lever.
Add all this up and I’ll bet you can save 30-40% time to clear each driveway. Let me know later this winter how much you like your new Ariens!