Ariens snow thrower spring maintenance. Do it right and your 1 pull away from blowing snow In fall.
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2024
- No rust in my Ariens SHO. Basic preventative maintenance inside the belly pan showing pan removal/replacement, wheel removal/mounting, lubrication of drive chain, hex shaft, and summer storage techniques.
I bought the 24’’ SHO machine in Oct. 2020. It’s very similar to use. I also put grease on the axels and inside the wheel axel on the inside on the right side axel. In case you ever need to take it appart. It’s very easy to do. I appreciate how well you look after your machine. Wish you well. Thanks for your video Sir. 🇨🇦💝🇺🇸🙏
Hey Gerry….Glad your taking care of your machine, as this maintenance is not in the owners manual. You never regret not doing this type of maintenance until something goes south, and you have to dissemble these parts to repair them, or to reach another component. Glad you enjoy the videos. With the lack of snow here in SE WI, I haven’t been able to post much this winter. If you haven’t already please consider subscribing to the channel, and enjoy your SHO!
Thanks for this video. It was really thorough in outlining the steps to take to prepare your Ariens for the off season. The only additional step I would recommend is that when you have the right wheel off, remove the C clamp and slide the shaft with the gear that mates with the differential off of the axel so Anti-Seize can be applied in between the two.
Hi Dudley… when I made this video, I hadn’t seen the DonnyBoy video detailing this procedure. This is the first autoturn machine I’ve ever worked on or owned. There was nothing in the Ariens manual pointing to the need to lube this axel, and and quite frankly I (&I think 90% of people that own these machines) had no idea this was a two part axel, and that it needed regular lubrication, unless they had a problem requiring disassembly. I’m guessing Ariens probably didn’t think this was going to be necessary maintenance either when they engineered and built this system. (& it is a great system in my opinion). My plan was to set up the camera when I’m done with my machine for the year, and I do my spring maintenance, and shoot video of me doing this for the first time. It’s great to watch these professional mechanics whip through the procedure, but I also find it helpful to watch a “Shade Tree Mechanic” go through the same process. Again full credit to DonnyBoy as he was the first One to put a video out on this and call it to everyone’s attention. I did see one guy talk about it on the snowblower forums previously, but his explanation was not very good, and he didn’t take the time to provide any video. So, I do agree that this step is necessary, and look for a stand alone video on this on the blowingsnow4fun channel this spring. Thanks for the + comment! We might get more snow tomorrow. One models calling for us to get nothing, one models calling for us to get 10+”. LOL it seems like every storm that’s come within 100 miles of us this season, the “Pros” have no idea where it’s going, or what it’s going to do until it’s half over???
Hey Bruce! Thank you for making this video. It is super helpful in showing how to maintain my Ariens snowblower properly.
Hi Sneb84. I’m glad you found it helpful! Sometimes it’s nice even if you’d good at something to watch someone else do it. Whenever I watch someone else, I always learn something. We had 3” of wet slop snow here in Wi today. It reduced down to 1” of slush by the time I got out there to get rid of it. Had to roll it off with the scraper shovel. Thanks for the comment, and if you like what you see and haven’t already subscribed, please consider subscribing. I’m hoping to do a video short on shear pins within the next week.
My Platinum 30 inch SHO had 2 different screw sizes : short two are for the top of the cover , and the 4 longer ones are for the sides .
Hey Mike…. We’re talking about the belly pan I presume? If yes, the side screws are longer than the top machine screws when you put your machine in the service position.
Your making me want to get my Ariens Pro 32 out and getting it ready for the winter.
Hi Keithers. I’m actually running late this year. I try to have all my machines ready to go late October. 3 years ago we had 8” of wet snow the last Friday in Oct. (Welcome to Wisconsin LOL) I helped a friend get his platinum SHO (who’s dealing with health issues) greased up, checked over and started this week as well. I’m hoping to get mine going this weekend, and if all goes well, I’ll do a video of that. If you like snow thrower videos, please subscribe to my channel. IMHO, I think it’s always a good idea to start it up & check it over so if there’s a problem I have time to deal with it before that first snow. Thanks for the comment.
Invaluable information ...Thank You
Your welcome SS…. I’m glad you found my video useful! Think snow so we can get out and run these machines!!
That looks nothing like that "Skip Rope" guy's rusty machine and more like my 20+ year old Ariens, which I only opened up every 5 years or so. I also admit that I frequently would change speed on the fly and it was never an issue...I only ever replaced the friction disc once. Of course this is a much more powerful machine so I imagine that makes a difference. I still suspect his was not stored properly either by him or his dealer. All steel will rust if exposed to moisture. I just bought one of these on season end closeout so we will see. Thanks for the video, it was helpful in determining that there probably is not any kind of widespread issues with them.
Hey PLMN…. Years ago, snow throwing machines were made so you could abuse them, neglect them, and skip the majority of routine upkeep. They were heavy simple machines that you needed to muscle around to clear your snow. Newer models are lighter, with many engineering improve to that are powerful, and easy to handle because of advancements like AutoTurn. The new machines are much more complex, and quite frankly, if they are neglected, they cease to function properly. I believe my machine is typical of machines that have received proper maintenance, and storage that keeps them out of age elements.Occasionally I get questions from CZcamsrs about problems they have with their machines. I believe there are lemons in snowblowers, just like in cars. However, IMHO, some machines that you see are not properly cared for, and stored. Friction discs are not made with as much rubber as they used to be. Some are even made of plastic with a rubber coating on the outside. If you shift without releasing the clutch lever, you will increase wear on the wheel, and increase the speed with which it wears. If you don’t mind having to replace the friction wheel more frequently, it’s not a big deal. If you enjoy videos like these, please consider subscribing to the channel. Hang onto your older Ariens, they don’t make them like that anymore.
@@blowingsnow4fun Actually my old Ariens is a 2002 824 which is definitely not built like the old ones, it was one of the first models Ariens built for the big box store market and has an undersized drive unit. It does have a cool checkered flag decal though to help it look racy, lol. I'm pretty certain my new Platinum 24 is a better designed and better built machine in most ways. I think sometimes people have an overly rosy nostalgia for the past. Yeah those really old machines were built of heavy duty components but they were also expensive, often underpowered, and generally more difficult to use in most situations. We didn't have one until I was in middle school and I remember my neighbors' machines being fairly rusty and needing frequent repairs. What you see left today from that era are the best ones that were taken care of. I'm happy with what's available today except for EFI and electric chute controls, which in my opinion add too many points of failure.
@plmn93 Hey PLMN… I agree with your accesment of the efi models. There constantly post from guys who with no warning end up in a no start situation. It sounds like most require a new pump, which is $$$ and has been in short supply at times ( I believe supply has improved). If I have problems with a carb, I can see it coming, and can usually fix it myself with no, or limited parts. I haven’t seen as much negative chatter about the electric chute control. The mechanical designed chute works great, and it’s not an issue to self fix if something comes out of adjustment, needs lube, or wears out. Again, if it’s going south you tend to see warning signs. There’s no electric motor or switch to fail completely. I was unaware of the build quality on machines that old. Learn something new every day. Thanks for tge + comment.
@@blowingsnow4fun Yep I've seen the horror stories on the snowblower forum. I don't know why anybody would want to deal with the battery and high risk of failure for a minor improvement in performance. Maybe at high altitudes it would make sense.
I don't think electric chutes are necessarily unreliable, though some have been, like Simplicity's early thumb switches. The problem is when they do fail you are stuck waiting for parts. They are also kind of slow. But I guess that outside of Ariens and Toro there aren't many good mechanical chute controls out there anymore.
@@plmn93 technology is great when it works. I hate being in a position where if a critical part fails, the machine is useable. If you have a problem with your lawnmower, you can put off cutting the grass. With a snowblower, it’s get out the shovel if you want to get out of the driveway, which at my age can be dangerous.
Where do you buy the Super Lube?
You can get it at Ace hardware, and I know Amazon has it.
Super Lube-21030 Synthetic Multi-Purpose Grease, 3 Oz. a.co/d/f9tKsCH
Bruce!!
Glad to see you back posting the snow blower vids. :)
Excellent how-to vid that anyone with a snow blower should follow.
I am a big fan of Super Lube grease. But I actually like Lucas Red-nTacky for the wheel axle grease.
Either way, using ANYTHING is better than doing nothing. Your machines will last forever with some simple, periodic maintenance as you have demonstrated here.
Cheers, Bruce!! :)
Thanks Paul. I’m going to get my Ariens ready this weekend if all goes well, and I’m planning a video. Glad to see your still on the right side of the grass. Have you started your machine yet?
@@blowingsnow4fun
Not yet. It's been in the high 60's this week, and supposed to hit upper 70's this weekend into Monday.
But I know mine will pop right off with half a pull. Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance............. :)
70’s here this week too, but next Friday high of 35. Winter and throwing the white stuff is just around the corner!