Ariens Polar Force 342CC Engine By Briggs And Stratton •12V DC, auto-style electric key start with on-board battery •Use the electric start even if you're not close to an outlet •Mitten grip recoil start back up
Disc-O-Matic Drive System w/ Commercial Grade Cast Iron Gear Case •Easily shift into any of the six forward or two reverse speeds
Automatic Traction Control •One wheel automatically slows during a turn, making it easier
200 Degree Turn Radius Quick Turn Chute •Single lever adjusts direction and height of snow stream
Remote Chute Deflector Control •Dash-mounted control to change position & angle of the deflector
Dual-Handle Interlock •Locks both handles, freeing one hand for chute operation
Handwarmers •Keeps your fingertips toasty warm in sub-zero weather
Halogen Headlight •Plow through heavy snowfalls on the darkest of winter nights
Drift Cutters •Helps you effortlessly hurl the white stuff out of your way
Q: What is the benefit of the Ariens ST36DLE 420cc vs 342cc. The smaller engine costs more, it is newer model or easier to handle?
Could you comment please. by Brett from New York on August 21, 2011
A: Brett - I assume you are comparing the Ariens 926105 to the Ariens 926040. Both models are the ST36DLE frame, so there is no difference in the specs or the performance characteristics of these two snow blowers. The differences are in the engines and the electric start systems. The Ariens 926040 has the 420cc engine and a traditional electric start that requires a starter cord to be plugged into a household electrical outlet to use the electric start. The Ariens 926105 has a 342cc engine, but the electric start system is powered by an "on-board" 12-volt rechargeable battery. This allows the operator to use the electric start feature at any time - even if you aren't near a household electrical outlet. This is a premium feature, and that's why the 926105 costs more than the 926040. by Kriss, Product Expert
Overall Rating
4.5
(Based on 6 Reviews)
Sort By
December 25, 2011
Brad M. Schoolcraft, MI
Ariens Professional ST36DLE
We have not had any snowfall thus far so that I can test out my snowblower. I am very pleased with Snow Blowers Direct. My order arrived in a timely fashion and undamaged. I paid extra with my order to have the snowblower unloaded from the semi and moved from the semi to my garage this was well worth the extra fifty dollars as the snowblower weighed 375 pounds. All the accessories that I ordered arrived quickly and as ordered.
March 01, 2011
Hal Norman Bay Shore, NE
new snowblower
I like the new blower but haven't gotten the snow to show it off yet. My luck, we'll probably not get snow for years!!!
Nice company to deal with. I ended up picking up instead of tailgate delivery since local just waiting for credit. I would recommend purchasing from company!!! Local company said they could not get/sell the product for what I paid. Delivery was quick and I was very happy!!!!!
February 19, 2011
Jim Dalenta Middle Haddam, CT
tip top
This machine is top of the line, I will never struggle with my 3000' driveway again. Thank you Ariens.
January 04, 2011
Jack Stillwater, MN
Good and Bad --- New Professional 36" Blower..............
Decided on the biggest/best/largest Ariens walk behind I could find after John Deere 420 with 48" blower died. Ordering was efficient. Delivery was good. Fairly simple assembly went well. Local Toro MN brand was first on my list but too narrow of a chute.
Order came in September--- all set. Starts wonderfully. Hand warmers are great. Speed options are very good. And, the enclosed cab I got was better than I expected, especially in the wind. Controls are good, but, not as easy as old JD machine. The 'auto steering/turning' feature is overrated and can be a pain if all is not perfectly aligned. Minnesota had it's biggest snow fall (s) of all time this past December. ( 250 foot driveway with very large turnaround, all flat ).
First issue: the scrapper 'bar' was at least 12 inch off of level, no matter how much I worked on the pads etc. So one side cleared snow, while the other side left a layer of snow. Very hard pulling to one side (likely due to misalignment of scrapper). Emailed your firm for advice. Buck was passed to me to contact the vendor, instead of just sending them my email. Simple, but more work for me and time delays (snow was a coming ! ).
Emailed Customer service at Ariens. Waited four days,then, sent my email to some Ariens officers. A few hours, and Lee W. called. Very helpful and asked many questions. I was advised to loosen two large bolts on the chassis and 'jiggle' the frame. And, check the tire pressure. Lee's guidance worked very well for the 24 inches of snow that arrived that week. His call was perfect. And, in time for next snow fall. I asked him to let manufacturer know of the assembly issues. Or add this to the troubleshooting manual area.
More snow (now I have about 4 hours on the machine). 20 F. Auger control spring snapped and broke. Was set to almost no tension on release and loaded with lever was used to activate the auger. Was done right. Worked well until failure. Snow is a falling. Jeez. Looks like metal fatigue/failure where the cable spring passes though the level to control the auger. Likely too sharp inside radius?? I fixed it with fence wire. Sent email to Lee in customer service. No reply, yet. I guess another officer level cc will be needed. As you can see, I am a bit ticked off with this $3000 machine.
So, my point: For an alleged Professional Model grade machine , one should not have to deal with these issues. And when one does have them, a better, faster system is needed. I am somewhat handy with tools and fixing things. I am sure about 50%+ of the customers would have to get this to someone else (it weighs 370 lbs.) for help. A small collection of issues, but, should be more reliable. Can't tell you what issues might arrive in the next hours of use. Other reviews suggest I will be OK.
In fairness, this is my first walk-behind snowblower and don't have any experience with these machines. I do, however, have many, many cars, atvs, collectibles, tractors, chain saws, wackers, tillers, etc. All high-end gear. Reliablity and service can be better.
If you have problems, you need a better connection process to help your customers with these brand new machines - ie: never got a call from you after you said, "... call the manufacturer..." to see if I was OK, and satisfied. Kudos, however, for sending out the generic forms for 'review' stories.
Decided on the biggest/best/largest Ariens walk behind I could find after John Deere 420 with 48" blower died. Ordering was efficient. Delivery was good. Fairly simple assembly went well. Local Toro MN brand was first on my list but too narrow of a chute.
Order came in September--- all set. Starts wonderfully. Hand warmers are great. Speed options are very good. And, the enclosed cab I got was better than I expected, especially in the wind. Controls are good, but, not as easy as old JD machine. The 'auto steering/turning' feature is overrated and can be a pain if all is... more
October 03, 2010
Mark Andreotta Clifton, VA
Tougher to put together
The machine is awesome. It was just tougher to put together than I thought.
January 25, 2010
Lyle Semans, IL
Lots of Snow to blow
I am very satisfied with the Ariens snow blower.We got a good old 2 day snow storm here in Saskatchewan,Canada.
It was blowing snow that was anywhere from 13 - 20 inches deep and it did a fantastic job.
It was blowing snow further that I thought it would and it had lots of power. I would recommend this snow blower to everyone.