4 Of The Top Ariens Snow Blowers to Meet the Needs of Every Homeowner
When you live in an area that gets walloped with snow every year, a snow blower can be an invaluable tool to have handy. The top Ariens snow blowers that we cover in this review have a little of something for everyone, from space-saving features to excellent maneuverability to handle hills and corners with ease. Your snow blower should be helpful enough to clear snow from driveways, sidewalks, and pathways while having features that provide extra value. This guide will help you find the right Ariens snow blower for your yard and needs.
Guide to Choosing the Most Important Features of Your Ariens Snow Blower
It’s virtually impossible for any snow blower manufacturer to have a model that meets every homeowner’s needs. While some need a small, but efficient, machine, others need a snow blower with a large surface area to clear snow from a large space quickly.
Here are the answers to some of the most important questions you might have about the main differences of Ariens snow blower models so that you can choose the one that best fits what you need.
How Do I Know What Size Snow Blower to Look For?
You’ll find that Ariens, like many snow blower companies, has several sizes of snow blowers available. Ariens designs its snow blowers to work with a variety of yard and storage sizes. A large snow blower typically can cover a larger surface area at a time, clearing more snow in a shorter amount of time. This size can be convenient for people with large areas to cover, like a large yard, a farm, or commercial parking lots.
It’s important to look for the size of the clearing path of a snow blower, rather than the overall size of the snow blower. The clearing path is the width of the path that a snow blower will clear at a time. For a large space, you’ll probably want to look for a clearing path of 27” or more, with many of the most popular ones reaching widths of 30” or more.
For clearing small yards, driveways, and sidewalks, you can probably use a snow blower with a clearing path of 25” or less. Some of the smallest models on the market feature a clearing width of 16”, but Ariens’ smallest is 20”.
What Should I Look for if I Don’t Have a Lot of Room for a Snow Blower?
If you’re like me and don’t have a lot of extra storage space handy in your garage, you might benefit from a compact snow blower. Even if you have a 20” clearing space on your blower, you can still find a compact model from Ariens that has space-saving features to meet the needs of people low on space. The best part is that you won’t have to sacrifice your clearing space to save room in your garage.
Ariens’ compact models have helpful features to take up less space in storage, like folding handlebars and an efficient, directional chute. These models also tend to be lighter weight than other so that you can easily fold them up and transport them to their storage spot.
What’s the Difference Between a One-Stage and Two-Stage Snow Blower?
One feature you’ll need to distinguish between Ariens’ snow blower models is a one-stage or two-stage system. Electric snow blowers are one-stage, but gas blowers can be one, two, or three-stage. Those in our reviews are all two-stage gas snow blowers.
A one-stage blower, also known as single-stage, moves the snow straight off the path. With the help of an auger, which makes contact with the surface below, the snow gets directed out of the way. These snow blowers are usually more compact and lightweight than others, but they’re also not meant for areas with heavy snowfall.
Two-stage systems also use an auger to collect snow, but also have a fan to help blow the snow away from the blower. A major benefit of this type of snow blower is that it can be used on any surface since the auger doesn’t contact the ground below. A one-stage snow blower is only safe to use on paved surfaces. Additionally, two-stage blowers can handle more snow at a time, making your job easier and quicker.
What are the Benefits and Downfalls of Gas and Electric Snow Blowers?
Ariens designs both electric and gas snow blowers. Electric snow blowers, like electric lawn mowers, have provided homeowners with some convenience in that they don’t have to worry about running out of gas. Electric snow blowers operate with an electrical cord. However, if you have a large space to clear, you’ll need a very long cord and can increase the risk of your blower overheating as you get farther away from the outlet.
A gas blower will need a supply of gas to run, but it could be the better option for you if you have a large space to clear. Gas blowers tend to be a bit more maneuverable than electric models, too, because they can house more power in their engines. You also don’t have to worry about an electrical cord getting in the way of you clearing your space, which could pose significant safety risks to you.
Top Ariens Snow Blower Reviews
Ariens has plenty of snow blower models to choose from within its various series. One of the great things going for the Ariens brand is their quality and longevity. There are plenty of videos on the web of 40+ year old Ariens snowblowers still running today. This might be a once-in-a-lifetime purchase, so make your choice carefully.
For our reviews, we selected four of the top gas snow blowers by Ariens, which are some of the most popular of the brand, that can potentially meet the needs of the broadest range of homeowners. Here, we’ll explain some of their most notable features and who they’re best suited for.
Best Overall Snowblower Made by Ariens
- Featuring a wide 30-inch clearing width that moves 71 tons of snow per hour
This giant snow blower has a clearing path of 30″, making it a good option for homeowners with a lot of space to clear. Although this snow blower is larger than some of the other Ariens models, it also has a lot of helpful features that can make your snow blowing job quick and easy.
The EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) system is one of the best benefits of this model. This easy-start system starts your blower by turning the key and pulling the lever to simplify the starting process. Plus, the EFI system streams consistent power to your snow blower, which can prevent loss of power during runtime.
For your comfort, the Ariens Deluxe EZ-Launch EFI Snow Blower has heated handle grips to keep your hands toasty as you work. And, with the addition of the auto-turn steering, your snow blower will do most of the work for you, taking pressure off your shoulders, back, and arms.
This snow blower may meet the needs of most homeowners, as it requires very little muscle to start and maneuver, and can clear a lot of snow in a large space efficiently.
Pros
- Cast-iron gear case provides extra power in heavy snow
- Auto-turn steering for easy maneuverability
- Two-step start process
- EFI system helps reduce maintenance costs by keeping the engine from gumming after winter
- Rotatable snow chute, up to 200 degrees, with a 50-foot throwing distance
Cons
- Heavy weight could be challenging for some people to maneuver when not powered
- Requires electricity to charge the EFI battery
Best Space-Saving Ariens Snow Blower
If you’re looking for an Ariens snow blower that’s more compact than our overall pick, the Sno-Tek 2-Stage Electric Start Gas Snow Blower could be a good choice for you. This blower leaves a smaller footprint in your storage space, thanks to its narrower clearing path. But, the 24” path still clears a good amount of snow at a time, providing a good balance between efficient and compact for the homeowner that doesn’t need a large snow blower.
The Ariens Sno-Tek doesn’t sacrifice power for less space, either. In fact, its 208cc engine will give you steady power to work through feet of snow at a time. And, you can start the blower with an electric-powered starter, which is a one-button control that doesn’t need any pulling to start.
The assembled snow blower is just over 26 inches wide, making it easy to tuck away in your garage or storage shed when not in use.
Pros
- Six drive speeds in forward and two in reverse
- 12”, 3-blade impeller to swiftly move the snow
- 20” intake height for clearing high amounts of snow
- Adjustable snow blower height for uneven terrain
- 40-foot throwing distance
Cons
- You’ll need to purchase the electrical cord for the electric start feature separately
- No space-saving folding handles
Ariens Snowblower:Best Steering and Maneuverability
Not all snow blowers are equal when it comes to moving them. Some take more manpower to push through snow, especially large, massive mounds of it, turn corners, and drive uphill. Ariens Deluxe Two-Stage Electric Start Gas Snow Blower might solve this problem for many homeowners, though, with its powerful features that target its ease of steering and pushing power.
This blower offers 28” of clearing width and a 21” intake height to handle large amounts of snow at a time. With a 14”, 3-blade impeller, the blower help move snow up to 50 feet away from you for more efficient clearing.
Where this model shines is with its self-propelled motor, complete with six forward speeds and two reverse speeds, that help power it through feet of snow without much effort from you. You can, in most cases, just guide the blower where you need it to go and it will help pull itself through the harsh snow. And, thanks to auto-steering, the snow blower can make sharp turns feel easy.
Pros
- 254cc engine for consistent power
- No levers necessary for shifting gears or turning with auto-steering technology
- Operate the chute remotely and adjust up to 204-degrees
- Large, 16” tires can help cut through snow
Cons
- Handlebars may give some flex upon turning, which could inhibit ultimate control
- Cord is necessary to utilize the electric starting system
- May run louder than other similar models
Best Snowthrower for Inclines
Another compact snow blower from Ariens is the Ariens Compact 24 2-Stage Snow Blower. One advantage of a compact model over a larger one is that it can be more maneuverable on hills. This small snow blower is no exception to the rule, giving it our title of best Ariens snow blower for inclines.
This blower has a 24” clearing path, which is a good in-between size for homeowners who want a quicker clearing than very compact blowers. Because of its 223cc engine, the small machine is powerful enough to maneuver uphill easier than some lower-power model. With the addition or the track system rather than regular wheels and tires, this snow blower can grip the surface in a way that helps it climb uphill smoothly and descend downhill without unsafe slippage.
Pros
- Folding handlebars can be a good choice for people who want to save the most amount of storage space
- Blows snow up to 40-feet away
- Interlocking handles allows you to operate the machine with one hand
- Chute turns up to 205-degrees for blowing in several directions
- 5-inch wide directional snow tracks help grip terrain and maneuver the device
Cons
- When engine isn’t running, this snow blower can be difficult to move
- Might struggle with occasional tire-spinning in high snow drifts
- Heavy weight for a compact snow blower
We hope that our guide and reviews helped inform your decision on some of the top Ariens snow blowers and what one might best fit your needs. And, if you decide to go with another brand, we hope you find the perfect one for your home and comfort.
Prices and availability are accurate as of 2024-09-14 at 09:24 CST - Details