Hi Phil, Yes, the 945SWE suffered from very weak handles and the controls did suck. But it did have a heavy-duty transmission that Cub Cadet no longer uses. Today, The handles on the Ariens and Toro pro machines are 10X stronger – you won’t ever have issues with the controls on either machine.
1. Ariens Pro is arguably the best on the market today. They use a single hydro that’s quite a bit stronger than the trigger steer dual-hydros found in the Toro and Honda machines. A 32 inch will give you 10 feet of cleared driveway in 2 round trips and a 36 will give you 12 feet.
2. I really like the Ariens RapidTrak because it’s so easy to use. You can use it just like a wheeled machine, use it as a track for greater traction and it has a dig-in mode to push through really stubborn snow. After about 30 minutes of use, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without it. That said, the Ariens wheeled snowblowers are unique in that all the weight of the snowblower is over the wheels. So they have more traction than your dual on the 945SWE. (I had a lot of owners complain about the duals that the 945SWE had LESS traction than a single-wheeled machine)
3. The only difference between the 2019 and 2021 is the new one has a different dash and should have an LED headlight. (Ariens is having supply issues with the light so the new one may still have the halogen)
Have you heard about the Ariens Kraken? It’s new and you’ll probably have to order it for next fall but it features 360 degree LED lighting that’s VERY bright, an onboard electric start, and an almost 2-gallon fuel tank. This snowblower has been 5 years in the making and it is definitely the best snowblower on the market! If you clear snow in the dark, on a steep driveway, and want to get done as quickly as possible it’s the best. Check out the Kraken here: https://www.ariens.com/en-us/power-equipment/snow-products/snow-blowers/professional/professional-kraken-32-hydro-efi-rapidtrak
By-the-way, The 32 inch Ariens has 30% more capacity than the Honda and the 36 almost 50% more capacity.

Hi Albert, Both the 24 and 28 inch Deluxe models will have enough power but the 24 inch will take you about 20% longer to get the job done.

If you are working and on a schedule, the Deluxe 28 SHO will give you more consistency in getting the job done. The extra power is nice and you won’t have to “wait on the machine” as much when you get the wet stuff.

In other words, I don’t recommend the 24 inch for your size driveway and I recommend the Deluxe 28 SHO because it will handle ANY snow you get.

Hi David, First, let’s talk about size. The Ariens Deluxe 24 has the same “footprint” as the Compact. In other words, it will take up the same space in your garage. It just looks larger because the front housing is taller (handles deeper snowdrifts), the impeller housing is larger (it handles heavy/wet snow better) and the tires are taller (better traction and balance). The Deluxe also has a larger engine so when you do get the heavy/wet lake effect it just blasts right through it.

The 2021 Compact and the Ariens Deluxe both have AutoTurn so they both steer easier than any other 24-inch snowblower on the market. If you put them side-by-side and push down on the handles you’ll see that they are both easy to maneuver – in fact, the Deluxe is balanced a little better so it is very easy for your wife to handle.

The Deluxe has a larger 14-inch impeller and larger engine so it will not plug on you. The Compact has a 10-inch impeller – it works well in most snows but it’s no match to what the Deluxe can handle.

Hi Paul, thanks for the recommendation. There’s an Ariens dealer just a couple miles from my house. The Platinum 24 SHO comes in right at the top of my budget so hoping for some possible end of season sales soon!

Thanks again!
Sharon

Hi Sharon, I’m going to recommend the Platinum 24 SHO. It’s a little smaller so it will be easier to use than the Deluxe 28. It also has a lot more power for its size so it will blast right through the snowplow drift. Besides the heated handgrips one other feature that you’ll really like.
When you press down on the drive and impeller handles they go “over-center” which makes them a lot easier to hold on to than most of the other brands. That over-center function relieves a lot of tension on your hands and wrists.

I’m trying to decide between an Ariens PLATINUM 24 SHO or DELUXE 28 SHO.

We have a short but very wide gravel driveway. We could probably park 3 cars across and 2 cars deep. The gravel is mostly level and well compacted. The plows frequently leave a huge pile at the end of the driveway as we are the last house on a dead end street. I’d probably also end up helping out family members who live next door and across the street from me. As well as clearing part of our yard for the dogs.

I live in northeastern Pennsylvania on top of a mountain. We can get little to no snow in a winter or like this one where we’ve been hit hard and frequently so far with multiple storms dumping double digit depths of snow.

I’m also short at 5′ 2″ so ease of use is a big factor. I have Reynauds (poor circulation in my hands) so heated hand grips sound really good also.

Hi Raven, Sorry, with all the storms we’ve had nationwide it’s been a very busy couple of weeks.
I don’t recommend the Crossover for you. Because of the fact that it pulls you along and the front-heavy design, it’s actually harder for a smaller person to use than the Deluxe 24.
The Ariens Compact 24 with the AutoTurn is a very good choice. It’s lighter than the Deluxe 24 and will handle most snows very well. It is the best choice if the Deluxe 24 is too heavy for you to use.