On this forum I'll probably stir up the "purists",but I have an MTD 8/24 going into it's 10th winter and it doesn't owe me a dime. Believe me,living at 6000 ft,it has done more than it's share of heavy snows,both wet and dry.
Maybe this would be easier to find.
JMHO,
Mike

Ordinarily I wouldn't recommend shopping for an Ariens at Home Despot, but for you I'll make an exception. If the Ariens dealer really is too far for you to go, possibly there is an HD closer to you? You should also consider Toro and Simplicity, they are both quality machines. Where abouts in the Pacific NW are you located? Perhaps we can help with your search.
AZ

I would look at HD but around here they don't carry Ariens - just Yard Machines (5.5hp) and some single stage Toros this year.

We are located in WA State just south of Mt. Adams. The larger cities in our area have a much warmer climate - Portland, OR (80 miles) and other towns in the Columbia River Gorge. We, however, get tons of heavy snow because of the mountains. Our worst winter consisted of 5 1/5' of snow on level ground that didn't melt off until May. The sides of the driveway were 8' high. Luckily not every winter is that snowy but this year we didn't melt out until almost April. You can see why we need snow removal equipment. Last year we shoveled but that gets tiresome.

Other than the Portland, OR / Vancouver, WA area our next closest city would be Yakima, WA which is a tolerable 2 1/2 hour drive. I spent an evening calling around and they carry mostly single-stage or smaller two-stage. Even the stores that carried larger ones last year aren't getting them in this year.

I'm sure open for suggestions.

I would go to the HD customer service and request that they
ship one in. I NEVER heard of a Home Depot that doesn't carry Ariens.

Maybe that is why HD doesn't carry Ariens because there is no service for 200 miles. HD does not service machines. When you order Ariens parts, Ariens ships them to your dealer/service center for pick-up unless you are having the dealer do full service.

I would also call Ariens and see if they could assist you.

I think Ariens is still one of the better machines out there and is worth the trip. I've had mine since 2001 and I've only changed the oil and a spark plug. I use fresh gas each winter and my 824 classic deluxe starts first or second pull each time. Have you checked the yellow pages to see if any of the local shops will service an Ariens machine? I bet ariens will work with you and your shop if you need warrenty work done.

I have contacted Ariens and the customer service representative said she would check with a District Manager. I hope to hear back with some answers. No one in our local area advertises working on Ariens but I'll try calling around.

Wow, with that amount of snow, an Ariens or Simplicity would be a solid investment. IMHO, the new Toro 2 stages would be too light to last handling it.It seems odd to me there are no Ariens dealers in the Portland Vancouver area. Good luck.

If I was buying an Ariens, I would NOT buy one at HD. I would buy a dealer model, which is certainly better. IMHO.

"IMHO, the new Toro 2 stages would be too light to last handling it."

I respectfully disagree, and think either a Toro 1028 or 1128 would deal with it very well. Certainly better than whatever "crummy machine" was being used previously. Canguy, perhaps you'd like to share your reasons why this is so?

As mla2ofus pointed out, Ariens is not the be all, end all of snowthrowers. Entering the fifth year with my 8hp Yard
Machines MTD and it is the balls! Locking differential, large snow hog tires, drift cutter, and a polymer chute,
which never, ever clogs. Try that with a steel chute.
I sell Murrays and Hondas. One thing I would look at though is a new Crafstman with the Briggs Intek Snow on it, joystick controls, free shipping on their site this week.

ave you tried these people located in Denver. They will ship it out to you.

They carry Ariens and Toro. Cant really go wrong with either brands.

Here is a link that might be useful: Alamia power equipment

I must disagree with Canguy that the Toros are to light to handle it. I have a Toro 826 that can handle anything Mother Nature chooses to dump upon me. Last March 24 inches was not a problem!!!!!!

My first Toro blower was a 3521 that lasted 24 years!!!! I need the bigger one because my drive is 1200 feet long.

Enjoy the journey.

eal51 in western CT

Just somthing to consider........
Living in sout Louisiana I know nothing about snow blowers, but I do know a thing or two about equipment. It is a good idea to buy the piece of equipment that you can have readily serviced. If you buy that ariens from a chain store that doesn't do warranty work and it has a problem you will have to drive that 200 some odd miles to get a full service dealer to repair or replace the unit. My simple suggestion when buying any piece of equipment you must "rely" upon narrow your choices to what local full service dealers have available.
.........just my two cents.
Jon

I sell Toro and Ariens. We have not had heavy snow in recent years to really test them but are seeing broken spouts and spout mounts on the Toros. Also, some ham handed operators are breaking the joy sticks when ice builds in them. More than a few bent augers too. They are probably doing better in light dry snow but that is not the case in the Columbia gorge. Kathy gets serious snow. There should be rash of snowblower feedback from the Great Lakes area soon. WOW, close to two feet in some areas.

Great news!

Ariens got back to me with information about a warehouse, within a reasonable distance, where we can go check out their snowblowers. I called and we can see them next weekend. The same place warehouses Honda so we can compare them both.

Kathy

[quote]
"If I was buying an Ariens, I would NOT buy one at HD. I would buy a dealer model, which is certainly better. IMHO."
[/quote]

This really isn't true. I called Ariens last year and asked them about this. There is no difference between a model you buy at HD and a model the dealer has. The dealer may carry models that HD doesn't have, but every model HD has, the dealer sells. Same thing. Maybe you get better assembly at the dealer but that's it.

I also heard from an employee of Ariens on another site who stated that the sheet metal is the same thickness whether you buy at at a dealer or HD. I have 2 Arien's machines. An 8526LE and a pro 1128DLE. Both were bought at a OPE dealer and I can say for sure that the 8526LE was the same gauge sheet metal as the HD model.

The 8526LE has never had a problem. I would go with the current 26" Arien's model if I lived in a heavy snow area.

Sounds like the HD vs dealer story could be classed as an "Old Wive's Tale".
Mike

I agree with the idea of buying from an established dealer whenever possible. I bought my pro 1124DLE from an established dealer. When the machine was delivered in Jan 04, the delivery guy checked me out on the machine and left a checklist performed at the shop prior to delivery in addition to all the manuals. This past winter I helped a female colleague of mine buy a machine for the first time. She chose a an Ariens 724E Compact at HD. I went with her to pick it up. We had to wheel it out and push it up the ramps of the truck because it had no fuel in it. No instruction, no help. On the other hand she got it for 1/2 price approx $430.00, an incredible deal. A few weeks ago I went to my dealer asking him if they had a "fix" for the snow blowing in my face out ot the right side of the chute on my pro 1124 DLE based on stuff I read on this site. After a few phone calls back and forth I got Kit # 52419200, a baffle to redirect the snow. If I went to the HD with this kind of problem 3 years after purchase they would have looked at me wierdly. At the dealer the same people were there and they took the time to research the problem, even contacting Ariens. Oh yeah, while there, on somewhat of an impluse, I also picked up a new Husky tractor on sale, which some of you graciously helped me with making the decision. It too arrived all prepped out. Support your local dealer when you can but don't turn away from a bargan either.

I wanted to let everyone know that as of yesterday we are the owners of an Ariens 11528DLE. We commend Ariens for finding us one within 100 miles of our home. The dealer, who doesn't generally sell snowblowers (they are located where snow rarely falls) opened the shipping box in their warehouse, let us look it over, and made arrangements to assemble and service the machine while we ran errands. It was ready on time. They explained every aspect of the machine, showed us how to use it, and helped load it into the back of our truck. We are now ready for our first snowfall - dare I say looking forward to snow for the first time in years.

Thanks for everyone's opinions and advice. I believe we will be very happy with our purchase.

Kathy

Where is the hands clapping smiley when ya need one? That is an excellent machine and should give years of reliable service. Oh, and kudos to a conscientous dealer. Thanks for letting us know.

Congrats. Please post again after you get some serious snow.

AZ

That machine should be put in your will because decades from now with proper care there may be some fighting over who "gets it".

The dealer selected the right machine for your snowfall.

Make sure you have extra shear pins as it is too far to drive when you break one. (if you get a rock stuck in the auger) I would have the dealer mail you a box of 10 or 20 if you didn't buy extra. I also bought an extra friction drive disc, and 2 spare belts for future maintenance or just for an emergency.

For how much trouble this thing was, I certainly hope you have immense satisfaction everytime you use it!

Best of luck with it.

I have been intensely searching for a snowthrower for the last month and preferred an Ariens or a Toro based on all the recommendations here and also to buy from my local dealer since that is what he sold. My husband wants a Cub Cadet that he saw at Home Depot. I finally convinced him to buy a Toro 1028LXE and believed I was getting a good deal from the dealer. Toro was even offering 1 year no interest no payment financing which I decided to take advantage of.
I told the dealer what I wanted and filled out the application for the financing. I went back a few days later to seal the deal and discoveed my dealer had put a $50 documentation fee on the receipt. I told him I wasn't paying it and we got into a debate about it. He never mentioned any fees when we were making the deal. I felt totally ripped off by the dealer and that he tried to take advantage of me. I ended up cancelling the deal and walking out.
Now I'm feeling like local dealers are not the best place to buy from and that I'm better off at Home Depot. This dealer is a Toro Master Service dealer and I worry now about having to deal with them in the future if I get a Toro from somewhere else.
Has anyone else had a similar experience or did I just get a really bad local dealer?

If you have another Toro dealer nearby, I'd at least call and find out if you can get the same deal without paying the doc fee. I think you're right to be upset about not being told. On the other hand, it may really be a standard fee. If it is, then you can decide if you really want the Toro or if something else will do. I wouldn't write the dealer off as "bad" over a $50 fee that may or may not be justified. There are a lot worse things that could happen.

AZ

$50.00 Documentation Fee? LOL... Is the charge for writing out the receipt or filling out the warranty card?

Sounds like many sleezy car dealerships. Other scams I ran into: Etching fees (VIN already on window), undercoating fee (none needed), Dollar to Yen conversion fees etc.

You paid PLENTY for that machine already. THAT would make me cancel the deal also. If he doesn't disclose things things now...what will he do later?

Maybe it was in the really fine print that many folks can't read without a magnifying glass.

I'd say the same...........he was scammin' you for money to have a good time,or he was going to take out the Ms. later on................was this by chance on a friday? the same thing happened to me many years ago....................

Winter weather is here and we have plenty of snow on the ground and have had many opportunities to use our new Ariens during the last couple of weeks. Wow!! is putting it mildly. This machine can really throw the white stuff. We do have to aim the chute carefully as it throws even the heavier stuff 40'. I can handle it as easily as my husband - makes one almost look forward to a snowfall. Too bad the roads aren't as clean as our driveway.

Kathy

That's great news! Take good care of it and it will take good care of you for a long time. If possible, please post a pic.

AZ

Kathy if you run short of snow, we have lots for you to practice on LOL. Glad you are happy with it, it is a very good machine.
Regarding documentation fees, we get charged by some finance companies, not all, so the cost is passed on and we do not mark it up. The dealer was negligent in not informing you of it when the program was discussed.Our dealership charges a set up and PDI fee to cover our costs and I am very careful to outline what it is for. Most customers have no problem with it but some get upset.

Ariens update: This has been an incredible winter with constant snowfall. The Ariens we purchased last year has performed with without fail for us. The sides of our driveway are close to 7' high and it still throws over the top. We are thrilled! Having had our driveway rebuilt last summer we were concerned that the slope would be problematic but this snowblower even climbs our daughter's long steep driveway without any problem.

It can, however, stop snowing. Even though removal is easier it is still time consuming when it snows almost every day.

Kathy

Wow Kathy, thanks for the update! You don't often see that. I did not and still do not have much interest in snowblowers (I would if we had more here in VA) but I am sure glad yours is working well for you.

Hi Kathy..I bought a new Ariens 926 LE last year. I live in Northen Ontario where we get lots of snow and we've had a couple of blizzards this year that were real doozies. My blower works great except it doesn't want to start when it gets cold (> 0 far). I bought it from a local dealer who gives me great service in that he comes to pick it up as soon as I call him and has it back by the afternoon. The first time he said it was bad gas. The second time he said the spark plug was loose and I was getting no compression. The third time he said you have to prime it til the gas is pouring out. He said this is because of the strict emission standards put on it. Does it get below zero where you are and if it does, does your machine start OK? Thanks

We do get some weather below 0 degrees but when it gets that cold it is usually clear with no need to clear snow. The majority of our winter weather temps are in the teens and 20s. Our blower has been so easy to start we have never used the electric start. A bit of priming and one pull gets it going every time. We had a heck of a winter but now that February is half over it should slow down. With luck we will be completely melted out before May. Too bad we can't use it when we have to shovel our roof. Good luck to you.

Kathy