Ariens Protective Rubber Floor Mat

I picked up a new Ariens Compact ST22LE at the Snow Blowers Direct warehouse. I noticed an oil spot in the box as I was unpacking the machine in my garage. The oil leak continued after unpacking, so I called Snow Blowers Direct and talked to Bob. He checked with others at the warehouse and called back to say the oil is probably leaking from the drain plug at the bottom of the engine. I checked and he was right about the source of the leak. Bob suggested I tighten the drain plug and wait to see if the leak would stop. I went through the tighten-and-wait procedure twice, with no success. Oil is still leaking from the drain plug. It was at the point where any further tightening would almost certainly cause the plug bolt to shear off, so I called back and talked to Bob again. He ordered a new drain plug and washer and had them sent directly to me from Ariens. I have installed the new plug bolt and washer and am now waiting to see if the leak has stopped. Why am I spending my time making phone calls and doing repair work on a brand new $700 machine that I've never even fueled or turned over? Very frustrating.

I picked up a new Ariens Compact ST22LE at the Snow Blowers Direct warehouse. I noticed an oil spot in the box as I was unpacking the machine in my garage. The oil leak continued after unpacking, so I called Snow Blowers Direct and talked to Bob. He checked with others at the warehouse and called back to say the oil is probably leaking from the drain plug at the bottom of the engine. I checked and he was right about the source of the leak. Bob suggested I tighten the drain plug and wait to see if the leak would stop. I went through the tighten-and-wait procedure twice, with no success. ... more

In the worst of the major snowstorms of the 2011 winter, my two stage 5 HP tracked snowthrower died. I had tried to forgive over the recent years its clogging, the fact that it could not throw snow farther than a few feet, and that it was noisy, heavy to steer, and took up so much room in the garage.

The great neighbors let me borrow their Toro. It was small, had this Quick Chute feature that allowed me to direct the snow with one hand, it was fast and dealt with 12" of snow - plus the hardpack at the end of my driveway. The Toro was maybe one third the weight and size, started with the FIRST pull, and, because of its speed and power, was fun to operate.

I drove to Snow Blowers Direct and purchased the 163cc version (had to get larger than the neighbor's) with Quick Chute. I also decided against the electric start (no regrets - it always starts with minimal effort, never more than two pulls). It snowed a little more in that particular storm and I've had zero problems with any snowfall since to date.

The Toro 421QR fits on the rubber mat (no more puddles) and takes up minimal room (we have it between the two cars, ready to go). I no longer worry about being snowed in.

In the worst of the major snowstorms of the 2011 winter, my two stage 5 HP tracked snowthrower died. I had tried to forgive over the recent years its clogging, the fact that it could not throw snow farther than a few feet, and that it was noisy, heavy to steer, and took up so much room in the garage.

The great neighbors let me borrow their Toro. It was small, had this Quick Chute feature that allowed me to direct the snow with one hand, it was fast and dealt with 12" of snow - plus the hardpack at the end of my driveway. The Toro was maybe one third the weight and size, st... more