2020 Ariens Snow Blower Review – What’s New – Which One Is Best For You?

What’s New For 2020 Ariens Snow Blowers?

Ariens continues to lead the way for heavy-duty snow blowers and unique, proven designs not found in any other snowblowers on the market.  They have more EFI models than anyone else.  The RapidTrak continues to be the fastest way to clear snow.  This year they added they have added three new snowblowers specifically designed for homeowners. Impact-Site-Verification: -1890224590

So what’s new?

1. Ariens S18: At only 59 lbs and $399 this snowthrower is a great choice if you need a small, lightweight machine to clear sidewalks, patios, decks, and small driveways.
2. Ariens Crossover: This exciting new snowblower is unique in that it will clear snow down to the pavement like a single-stage snowthrower yet will power right through that big drift the city snowplow left you last night. It’s small, lightweight, and still capable of handling 18 inches of snow and throwing it 35 feet!
3. Ariens Compact with AutoTurn!: Ariens quality in a compact snowblower now with AutoTurn!

How this article is laid out:

This is a very comprehensive article so it will take you a while to read through it. I’m going to start with the new Crossover, Classic, and Compact Series models. After that, I’ll review the heavy-duty Deluxe and high-performance Platinum models. Then the Professional (Commercial) models including the Professional 21 single stage. I’ll leave the single-stage Path Pro for last.

Reading Ariens Snow Blower Reviews:

1. When you read snow blower reviews you are going to find reviews that state “the engine would not start,” “the engine won’t stay running.” and “the engine runs rough.” You will find these reviews for all brands and sizes of snow blowers. 98% of the time engine problems with name brand snow blowers are either fuel or operator related. Snow engines run/operate differently than your lawn mower engine and because of that, I suggest educating yourself on how to store fuel, how to keep your fuel clean, and how/why your snow blower engine runs the way it does will go a long way to liking your new snowblower. Please read this article to learn more: Buying A New Snow Blower FAQS – Read This For The Truth
2.  Aggregate reviews. Many websites scour the web for reviews and then post them on their website. In other cases, one disgruntled owner will write the same or similar review in as many places as they can. So what you end up with is many reviews about one specific issue from only one person. I see this quite a bit on The Home Depot and Ariens sites.  Just remember, for every bad review there are thousands of Ariens snowblowers sold and doing well. Please read the date the review was written and the wording to determine if there is an actual problem.
3. Auto-Turn Problems. The Auto-Turn (DI300 differential) is now used in many snow blowers from many different manufacturers. (They call it automatic steering) All Auto-Turn problems were fixed three years ago. So if you read or hear anyone slamming Ariens because of the Auto-Turn just walk away.
4. Don’t bother to read Ariens reviews that are negative and more than 2 years old.  Just so you know, Ariens is a company that really listens to their dealers, reads reviews, and interacts on Social Media.  So, when there is an issue they identify it quickly, immediately root cause it, and determine if there is a product problem or training issue. Then it gets fixed.

By The Way – All Opinions are Mine.

Keeping up with snow blowers is almost a full-time job. The U.S. manufacturers currently sell hundreds of different models made here in the U.S. alone. In addition, there are always another dozen or so foreign manufacturers trying to wedge their way into your pocketbook. By the way – a quality $500 two-stage snow blower no longer exists. The cheapest 2-stage snowblower I can recommend is now $699.

I normally spend most of July and August talking to the different snow blower manufacturers about the new models they have coming for the fall. Usually, in September the manufacturers are shipping the new models to the dealers and I spend the time I need to inspect the new models as local dealers put them out on the sales floor. Sometimes that also involves traveling to the manufactures assembly plants or corporate offices to look at, demo, and talk to the snow product managers. In October, I travel to the GIE-EXPO in Louisville, KY. GIE-EXPO is the largest lawn and garden equipment dealer show. There I get a chance to demo machines plus talk to the engineers and company management about all the features, fixes, and new rumors.

In addition, I keep a dozen or so of the current snow blowers at my home for testing and answering your questions. I use these snow blowers when it snows. You can find those videos on YouTube. When you go over there please subscribe to my YouTube channel

So Let’s Get Started!

2020 Ariens Crossover/Classic/Compact Series

Ariens Crossover: The new Ariens Crossover 2-stage snowblower will clear down to the pavement like your old single-stage and also handle the heavy/wet drift the snowplow left at the end of your driveway. It’s unique in that the hybrid front auger is designed to touch the pavement. This allows it to clean even hard-packed snow other snowblowers just glide over.

It’s designed for small, hard-surfaced driveways, patios, decks, and sidewalks. At 20 inches it’s very lightweight and with only one control anyone who can use a push lawn mower can also intuitively use this snowblower. No gearshifts or levers to pull to steer, the front auger propels the snowblower and allows you to comfortably move at your own pace.

The large rear wheels make it much easier to use than a typical single-stage. You can push it around your driveway and easily pull it up steps. The all-steel handlebar folds quickly for storage and is height adjustable for shorter operators. The all-steel chute is much taller than a single-stage so you can throw the snow farther and put it where you want it to go.

Who this is for: If a 2-stage is too big for you to use and a single-stage won’t handle the snow you get the Ariens Crossover is a very good choice. With a housing height of 19 inches and a clearing width of 20 inches, it’s a great snowblower for small driveways that get lots of snow. It will clear sidewalks that get lots of foot traffic and throw the snow up to 35 feet so it won’t drift back the next time it snows.

 

Model Name	Crossover 20
Ariens Model Item #	932050
Where To Buy	Where To Buy Here:
Amount/Type Of Snow	All Types Including Packed On Snow
ENGINE BRAND	Ariens AX
ENGINE POWER	179 cc (8.3 ft/lbs)
STARTING SYSTEM	Recoil
STAGE TYPE	Two-Stage
CLEARING WIDTH	20 inch
HOUSING HEIGHT	19 inch
THROWING DISTANCE	3-35 ft
CHUTE TURNING RADIUS	205
DEFLECTOR CONTROL	Manual
TIRE SIZE	14 in
TIRE TYPE	Tread Cap
STEERING	NA
DRIVE TYPE	Auger Propelled
SPEEDS	NA
LENGTH	48 in
WIDTH	21 in
HEIGHT	42 in
WEIGHT	129 lbs
GEAR CASE	Top Loaded Aluminum
GEAR CASE WARRANTY	3 yr Cons, 90 day Comm
IMPELLER PROFILE	3-blade high speed
IMPELLER DIAMETER	10 inch
AUGER DIAMETER	11 in
AUGER TYPE	Steel with Rubber Cleaning Edge
SKID SHOES	NA
SCRAPER BAR	Steel Adjustable
PRODUCT WARRANTY	3 yr Cons, 90 days Comm
CHUTE ROTATION	Manual
TONS PER HOUR	52 Tons/Hour
TYPICAL PRICE	$699

Ariens Classic: A lot of people want a “cheap” snowblower. The Ariens Classic is one of the cheapest, good, American-made snowblowers that I can recommend. If you are looking for a dependable, inexpensive, quality machine that will clear your 2-car, 60-80 foot driveway, sidewalks, patio, and also go out on the lawn to clear a section for your dogs. The Classic snow blower can easily be adjusted for gravel driveways. I recommend this size for areas of the country like Chicago, Omaha, Detroit, Columbus, Pittsburgh and Long Island that average 40 to 60 inches of snow per year.

The Classic is an all-metal snowblower. The 4-way chute, dash, and all other parts are metal.  That in of itself sets it apart from the other snow blowers in it’s price range. It has a high-speed impeller and according to my calculations will actually move more snow per hour than the $2399 Honda HSS724AW/HSS724AWD. It’s really a good value at $799.

I would compare the Ariens Classic to the Craftsman 24 inch, Toro Powermax 724, Troy-Bilt Storm 2460, Cub Cadet 524 SW, and Husqvarna ST224. All of these snow blowers including the Ariens are solid axle snow blowers and have no power steering.  The Ariens Classic one of the lightest 24 inch 2-stage snow blowers in this group so most people can turn it without an issue.

Ariens Classic Plus: The Ariens Classic + has a larger 223cc engine and larger 15-inch directional snow tread tires.

Ariens Compact 24 with AutoTurn: The Compact series adds a few features including the legendary Ariens cast iron gear case, larger tires, and a larger 223cc engine. This snowblower now features the legendary AutoTurn steering. This makes the Compact 24 the easiest 24-inch snowblower to use. This snow blower compares to the Toro Power Max 826 and Husqvarna ST324P.  If you have watched my videos on YouTube you see that the Classic or Compact will work just fine on my property and I’ll bet they’ll work well for you also. 

Ariens Compact Track: the Compact 24 Track is a solid axle snowblower. If you need a small snowblower to go up steep slopes it has great traction for its size but without power steering, it can be very hard to turn. I don’t recommend it to anyone with a bad back or is not used to moving heavy machinery.

Model Name	Classic	Classic +	Compact 24 with AutoTurn	Compact Track 24
Ariens Model Item #	920025	920030	920029	920028
Where To Buy	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:
Amount/Type Of Snow		All Types 50 in per year	All Types 60 in per year	Midwest with steep slope
ENGINE BRAND		Ariens AX208	Ariens AX223	Ariens AX223
ENGINE POWER	208 cc (9.5 ft/lbs)		223cc (10 ft/lbs)	223cc (10 ft/lbs)
STARTING SYSTEM	120V/Recoil	120V/Recoil	120V/Recoil	120V/Recoil
STAGE TYPE	Two-Stage	Two-Stage	Two-Stage	Two-Stage
CLEARING WIDTH	24 inch	24 inch	24 inch	24 inch
HOUSING HEIGHT	20 inch	20 inch	20 inch	20 inch
THROWING DISTANCE	3-40 ft	3-40 ft	3-40 ft	3-40 ft
CHUTE TURNING RADIUS	205	223	205	205
DEFLECTOR CONTROL	Remote	Remote	Remote	Remote
TIRE SIZE	13 in x 4 in	15 in x 5 in	15 in x 5 in	15.5 in three-point track
TIRE TYPE	Snow Tread	Directional Snow Tread	Directional Snow Tread	Directional Snow Track
STEERING	Solid/Pin Lock	Solid/Pin Lock	AutoTurn	Solid
DRIVE TYPE	Disc-O-Matic	Disc-O-Matic	Disc-O-Matic	Disc-O-Matic
SPEEDS	6 forward 2 reverse	6 forward 2 reverse	6 forward 2 reverse	6 forward 2 reverse
LENGTH	51.9 in	53.9 in	53.9 in	53.9 in
WIDTH	26.4 in	22.4 in	26.4 in	26.4 in
HEIGHT	43.3 in	44 in	44 in	44 in
WEIGHT	180 lbs	183 lbs	187 lbs	220 lbs
GEAR CASE	Top Loaded Aluminum	Cast Iron	Cast Iron	Cast Iron
GEAR CASE WARRANTY	5yr Cons, 1yr Comm	5yr Cons, 1yr Comm	5yr Cons, 1yr Comm	5yr Cons, 1yr Comm
IMPELLER PROFILE	3-blade high speed	Steel 3 blade	Steel 3 blade	Steel 3 blade
IMPELLER DIAMETER	12 inch	12 in	12 in	12 in
AUGER DIAMETER	11 in	11 in	11 in	11 in
AUGER TYPE	Serrated Steel Open	Serrated Steel Open	Serrated Steel Open	Serrated Steel Open
SKID SHOES	Steel Reversible	Steel Reversible	Steel Reversible	Steel Reversible
SCRAPER BAR	Steel Adjustable	Steel Adjustable	Steel Adjustable	Steel Adjustable
PRODUCT WARRANTY	3 yr Cons, 90 days Comm	3 yr Cons, 90 days Comm	3 yr Cons, 90 days Comm	3 yr Cons, 90 days Comm
CHUTE ROTATION	2.5X Quick Turn	2.5X Quick Turn	2.5X Quick Turn	2.5X Quick Turn
TONS PER HOUR	58 Tons/Hour	59 Tons/Hour	59 Tons/Hour	59 Tons/Hour
TYPICAL PRICE	$799	$899	$999	$1549

2018 Ariens Deluxe Series

Most 2 and 3-stage snow blowers use a 12 inch or smaller impeller. Most have relatively small discharge chutes. The Ariens Deluxe Series is different. If you are always complaining about your current snow blower plugging up I strongly suggest looking at the Deluxe Series with a 14-inch impeller. The Ariens Deluxe is an economical heavy-duty 2-stage snow blower that uses the large impeller and other components to give you an all-metal, high-capacity, heavy-duty snowblower.  If you are willing to spend a thousand dollars or more for a snowblower the Ariens Deluxe Series gives you a lot of bang for the buck.

It’s very, very hard to plug up the Deluxe Series.

These Deluxe Series work very well in areas that get moderate snowfall but the snow is typically heavier, wet snow, and your yearly snowfall is 100 inches or less. Boston, West Virginia, Lake Erie shore, Muskegon, MI, Portage, IN, Alsip, IL, Flagstaff, AZ are areas of the country that get snow like this. This series also works well in places that get lots of drifts like southern Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, and other Plains States. If you average more than 100 inches I suggest moving up to the Ariens Platinum or Professional Series. The Platinum and Pro models have a larger engine and high output impellers to move a lot of snow even faster.

Dual belt auger impeller drive. AutoTurn steering and exceptional balance make these snowblowers very easy to use and gives them excellent traction.

Personally, I like the Auto-Turn feature on the Deluxe, Platinum, and Professional Series a lot. Auto-Turn is power steering simplified. All you do is steer the snowblower with the handles. There are no triggers to pull, no extra cables to fray, and little plastic levers to break.

I have a lot of readers ask, “What’s better – Auto-Turn or the Trigger Style Power Steering?” My answer is always, “It depends 🙂 ” Auto-Turn works really well if you have a lot of maneuvering to do. Curved driveways, wide driveways, and areas where you need to turn around often are great examples. You don’t have to think about pulling a trigger to steer, the snowblower does it automatically when you move the handles. The AutoTurn is so simple to use you don’t even know it’s there. If your spouse complains that the snow blower you have is too complicated, the Ariens Deluxe is a great alternative. You get the power and capacity you need without extra levers and stuff to mess with.

If you have a long, crowned driveway or need to clear across a longer sloped area the trigger steering is nice because the snowblower continues in a straight line until you tell it to turn by pulling one of the little steering triggers. The Auto Turn works OK in those situations but you will need to have both hands on the handles when walking along those slopes.

Ease of starting and high altitudes: The Deluxe 30 EFI is the perfect choice if you live in higher altitudes or you want a snowblower that starts on the first pull every time.

 

There were no changes made to the Deluxe Series for 2018.

Model Name	Deluxe 24	Deluxe 28	Deluxe 28 SHO	Deluxe 30	Deluxe 30 EFI
Ariens Model Item #	921045	921046	921048	921047	921049
Where To Buy	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:
Amount/Type Of Snow	All Types 80 in per year	All Types 80 in per year	All Types 100 in per yr	All Types 80 in per year	All Types 100 in per yr
ENGINE BRAND	Ariens AX254	Ariens AX254	Ariens AX306	Ariens AX306	Ariens AX306 EFI
ENGINE POWER	254cc (12.5 ft/lbs)	254cc (12.5 ft/lbs)	306cc Gen 3 (15 ft/lbs)	306cc Gen 3 (15 ft/lbs)	306cc EFI/E-Gov (15 ft/lbs)
STARTING SYSTEM	120V Electric	120V Electric	120V Electric	120V Electric	120V Electric
STAGE TYPE	Two-Stage	Two-Stage	Two-Stage	Two-Stage	Two-Stage
CLEARING WIDTH	24 inch	28 inch	28 inch	30 inch	30 inch
HOUSING HEIGHT	21 in (53.3 cm)	21 in (53.3 cm)	21 in (53.3 cm)	21 in (53.3 cm)	21 in (53.3 cm)
THROWING DISTANCE	3 ft – 50 ft (.9 – 15.2 m)	3 ft – 50 ft (.9 – 15.2 m)	3 ft – 50 ft (.9 – 15.2 m)	3 ft – 50 ft (.9 – 15.2 m)	3 ft – 50 ft (.9 – 15.2 m)
CHUTE TURNING RADIUS	200°	200°	200°	200°	200°
DEFLECTOR CONTROL	Remote	Remote	Remote	Remote	Remote
TIRE SIZE	16 in x 4.8 in	16 in x 4.8 in	16 in x 4.8 in	16 in x 4.8 in	16 in x 4.8 in
TIRE TYPE	Directional Snow Tread	Directional Snow Tread	Directional Snow Tread	Directional Snow Tread	Directional Snow Tread
STEERING	Auto-Turn	Auto-Turn	Auto-Turn	Auto-Turn	Auto-Turn
DRIVE TYPE	Disc-O-Matic	Disc-O-Matic	Disc-O-Matic	Disc-O-Matic	Disc-O-Matic
SPEEDS	6 forward 2 reverse	6 forward 2 reverse	6 forward 2 reverse	6 forward 2 reverse	6 forward 2 reverse
LENGTH	58 in	58 in	58 in	58 in	58 in
WIDTH	26.4 in	29.9 in	29.9 in	32.4 in	32.4 in
HEIGHT	45 in	45 in	45 in	45 in	45 in
WEIGHT	245 lbs	250 lbs	268 lbs	276 lbs	276 lbs
GEAR CASE	Cast Iron	Cast Iron	Cast Iron	Cast Iron	Cast Iron
GEAR CASE WARRANTY	5yr Cons, 1yr Comm	5yr Cons, 1yr Comm	5yr Cons, 1yr Comm	5yr Cons, 1yr Comm	5yr Cons, 1yr Comm
IMPELLER PROFILE	Steel 3 Blade	Steel 3 Blade	Steel 3 Blade	Steel 3 Blade	Steel 3 Blade
IMPELLER DIAMETER	14 in	14 in	14 in	14 in	14 in
AUGER DIAMETER	14 in	14 in	14 in	14 in	14 in
AUGER TYPE	Steel Serrated	Steel Serrated	Steel Serrated	Steel Serrated	Steel Serrated
SKID SHOES	Steel Reversible	Steel Reversible	Steel Reversible	Steel Reversible	Steel Reversible
SCRAPER BAR	Steel Adjustable	Steel Adjustable	Steel Adjustable	Steel Adjustable	Steel Adjustable
PRODUCT WARRANTY	3 yr Consumer 90 Comm	3 yr Consumer 90 Comm	3 yr Consumer 90 Comm	3 yr Consumer 90 Comm	3 yr Consumer 90 Comm
CHUTE ROTATION	2.5x Ice Drill	2.5x Ice Drill	2.5x Ice Drill	2.5x Ice Drill	2.5x Ice Drill
TONS PER HOUR	62 Tons/Hour	65 Tons/Hour	72 Tons/Hour	71 Tons/Hour	71 Tons/Hour
TYPICAL PRICE	$1099.00	$1,199.00	$1,349.00	$1,499.00	$1,799.00

Accessories For Ariens 2-Stage Snow Blower Buy Here:

Ariens Non-Abrasive Skid Shoes

Ariens Shear Pins

Ariens Sno-Thro Deluxe/Platinum Drift Cutters for Snow Blowers

2018 Ariens Platinum Series

The Ariens Platinum Series takes the Deluxe snowblower and adds “creature features”, larger engines, and high output impellers to give you a snowblower that will pretty much take on any type of snow and amount of snow. It’s very, very hard to plug up the Platinum Series. For example, if you need the larger capacity of the Deluxe because your old machine plugs up all the time but also want heated handgrips, Quick Chute control, etc. the Platinum is the snowblower for you. In addition to more features, these snow blowers have over-the-top power and capacity for their size. If you ever get the chance to use one of these snow blowers on 20 inches of “Nore-easter” snow or Lake Tahoe snow you’ll quickly understand what I mean. I recommend these snow blowers for any “snow belt” area like Buffalo, NY, northern Idaho, Boston, Northern Michigan, and so on.

Dual belt auger impeller drive. AutoTurn steering and exceptional balance make these snowblowers very easy to use and gives them excellent traction.

If you see a picture in a newspaper on the Internet of an orange snowblower throwing snow up and over a 15-foot snow blank you can bet it’s one of these Platinum Series snow blowers.

Platinum 28 SHO RapidTrak! This snow blower is arguably the best 28-inch residential snowblower on the market. RapidTrak gives you the speed and maneuverability of a wheeled snow blower with the traction and drift digging power of a tracked machine. If you have large areas that need to be cleared, sidewalks that get snow plowed on them, a sloped driveway, or just want the best snow blower this is the one. It is much faster than any other track drive snowblower on the market! Ariens coupled the RapidTrak with a 369cc Ariens AX engine and the 14-inch SHO Impeller to give you up to 55′ of throwing distance and up to 77 tons per hour clearing capacity. (Compare that to the more expensive Honda HSS928AT / HSS928ATD with a 270cc engine, 12-inch impeller, 57 tons per hour max capacity, and old 2-point track drive)  You can check out more about the RapidTrak here: Ariens RapidTrak

Model Name	Platinum 24 SHO	Platinum 24 SHO EFI	Platinum 30 SHO	Platinum 28 SHO RapidTrak
Ariens Model Item #	921050	921053	921051	921057
Where To Buy	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:	Where To Buy Here:
Amount/Type Of Snow	Snow Belt 80-200 in per yr	Snow Belt 80-200 in per yr	Snow Belt 80-200 in per yr	Snow Belt with extra traction
ENGINE BRAND	Ariens AX369 EFI	Ariens AX369	Ariens AX414	Ariens AX369
ENGINE POWER	369cc (17 ft/lbs)	369cc EFI/E-Gov (17 ft/lbs)	414cc Gen 3 (17 ft/lbs)	369cc EFI/E-Gov (17 ft/lbs)
STARTING SYSTEM	120V Electric	120V Electric	120V Electric	120V Electric
STAGE TYPE	Two-Stage	Two-Stage	Two-Stage	Two-Stage
CLEARING WIDTH	24 in	24 in	30 in	28 in
HOUSING HEIGHT	21 in (53.3 cm)	21 in (53.3 cm)	21 in (53.3 cm)	21 in (53.3 cm)
THROWING DISTANCE	3 ft – 55 ft (.9 – 15.2 m)