honda vs ariens

[TruChaos]

Good luck with the Honda. I like Honda products. I've owned a half dozen of their motorcycles in my life time. I had a Honda generator until someone liberated it from garage.

I own an Ariens 1128 snowblower. While it has generally done the job, I have had more problems with it than I think is acceptable. It really doesn't like wet snow, not many snow blowers do, but when the snow gets wet and heavy it burns up the impeller belt. Which is a big hassle at a time when the last thing you need is a big hassle.

For those who are thinking of buying a snow blower I have the following recommendations but keep in mind these are just my thoughts so others may have a different opinion.

1) Get a bigger blower than you think you will need

2) Get a blower that it comfortable for your height. Are you bending over slightly to use it? Your back will hate you after an hour or two.

3) Get a blower with a differential lock on the hand controls. Either have this or have a very strong back because you'll be lifting the rear wheels off the ground to turn around. Or one wheel will be spinning in deeper snow when you don't want it to.

Even if you use fuel stabilizer, turn off the fuel and drain the carb using the drain button on the bottom of the float bowl (The 1128 has this feature). Don't just turn off the fuel and run it until it stalls, fuel will still remain in the bottom of the carb and will cause problems. Do this and the blower will start every time. My four year old Ariens literally started on the first pull of the cord this winter. Also, spray some lube on the cables and other unpainted metal parts. Careful not to get the spray near the belts or the drive speed selector wheel (in the housing under the engine)

 

[Ironhand]

You won't regret your purchase. I worked at a Honda shop for almost 10 years. Just like their mowers, the only units we ever got in for repairs required only regular maintenance.

I had a 724 for 5 years before I bought my tractor, and it was 100% trouble free. Sold it for $300 less than I paid for it.

 

[jagyzf]

I have an Ariens 1332 DLE, and for 10 years I had an 828. the 1332 is a beast, but the 1 thing that I hate is the drive belt for the wheels. I wouldn't put a belt that small on a kids go cart. It doesn't seem to last long. I use a blower a lot living in CNY, we get well over 100 inches per year. This year where I live over 180. So I do use it a lot, but the belt only last a season or 2. The newer ariens handle the wet snow much better due to a larger faster impeller than the older ones.

Mine is one of the last with a tecumesh snowking engine, great engine, no longer made.

No Honda snowblower dealers close to me, so I have never seen one.

 

[crazyal]

The biggest problem with my Ariens snow blower is the transmission. If you've never seen one it's a plate plate of steel cut in a circle. It's mounted on the end of a shaft. A wheel with rubber around the outside sits perpendicular to the plate and can slide from side to side. The gear shift lever moves it. When the wheel is at the center of the disk a metal bracket holds it off of the wheel, this is neutral. There is a spring that forces the wheel against the disk.

In low gear the wheel slips on the disk to easily forcing me to use a higher gear to get the blower to push. On flat ground it doesn't matter but on slopes it slips more than not. So I find myself in a higher gear and having to stop often to let the blower clear the snow out.

Now the blower is a couple of years old now and it was bought in the spring on sale for under $1000 (10hp) so it's a lot cheaper than the Honda's but I think if I ever replace it I'll read up about how well the Honda transmissions work and most likely go with one.

 

[crazyal]

I don't understand why a bearing is better than a bushing in this application?

Bearings are much more efficient than a bushing. For the augers that spin slowly it's not as much of a problem but the impeller shaft does spin at a good speed. It's also the housing and the extra strength of it. Now I have never worn out the bushings in a snow blower so I doubt it's a major problem but if given a choice would you rather have bearings or bushings?

 

[tsteahr]

Bearings are much more efficient than a bushing. For the augers that spin slowly it's not as much of a problem but the impeller shaft does spin at a good speed. It's also the housing and the extra strength of it. Now I have never worn out the bushings in a snow blower so I doubt it's a major problem but if given a choice would you rather have bearings or bushings?

It depends on the application. For this application, I would rather have a bushing. In this application there is minimal radial loading on the impeller shaft. The shaft only needs to be held in position. That's why you have never worn out a bushing in a blower. In harsh environments bearings tend to need more care. Bearings (even sealed) are prone to seizing in harsh environments. The impeller shaft sees lots of water and likely occasional doses of road salt. Then it sits for extended periods. When the seal on a bearing fails (it eventually will) the lube washes out, the bearings and races corrode and the bearing fails.

Bearings are great for supporting high loads with minimal loss. But on the impeller shaft of a blower, I think the bushing is the simpler, more reliable choice.

 

[crazyal]

The bearings are inside of a case, saying they will fail due to harsh environment would be like saying a bearing inside a transmission would be a bad idea. Also they are under load, that's the nature of a worm gear. As the auger loads up with snow and resists turning the worm gear wants to push apart. The bearings (or bushings) and case need to resist that load. IMO bushings are used because they are cheaper, not because they are better for the application. Just my opinion as someone who's split the case and broke one of the bushings instead of having a shear bolt break I would rather have the stronger case and bearings.

 

[ccsial]

Now the blower is a couple of years old now and it was bought in the spring on sale for under $1000 (10hp) so it's a lot cheaper than the Honda's but I think if I ever replace it I'll read up about how well the Honda transmissions work and most likely go with one.

The Honda is an HST. I really like mine. One smooth lever from full forward to reverse. I like when I get to a drifted area I can easily set the speed to exactly what is needed to handle it.

 

[lovemytoys]

The Honda is an HST. I really like mine. One smooth lever from full forward to reverse. I like when I get to a drifted area I can easily set the speed to exactly what is needed to handle it.

the only thing the lever should be on the right so you dont have to reach over

 

[ccsial]

the only thing the lever should be on the right so you dont have to reach over

I agree. But it is not really too far to reach for me.