Ariens Compact ST24LE (24") 208cc Two-Stage Snow Blower (2016 Model)

I have very little difficulty using this snowblower. Big enough to do the job quickly, but small enough for me to handle.

I bought the Ariens Compact 24 920021 model from Snow Blowers Direct near the end of a very heavy snowfall season in New England in February 2015. I used it three times, following instructions to use gas stabilizer with an ethanol treatment. Last year it wouldn't start at all. Thankfully it was a light snowfall season.

This year it started once after my brother in law, who owns Craftsman and Toro snowblowers, cleaned out the carburetor as best he could. Nevertheless, the snowblower ran extremely rough. Since the three-year warranty was good for more than another year I contacted two Ariens dealers. They told me sight unseen it needed a new carburetor because the "gas in Massachusetts only last 30 days even with stabilizer."

I just finished paying an Ariens dealer $186 for repair, which they report included a new carburetor because the old one was damaged by the treated gas and "the float was stuck open" in the old one and allowed gas into the crankcase." The dealer wrote that "gas issues are considered an owner error by the manufacturer and are not covered by the warranty." The instruction manual directs owners to "add a quality fuel stabilizer during storage." A fuel stabilizer with ethanol treatment rated to last two years was added. Even now, with a new carburetor, the engine runs rough in the "run" position.

The snowthrower tires also have difficulty clearing even a small mound of packed snow. For nearly $1,000 I expected a lot more from this snowblower, including a warranty that would cover a $186 bill to replace what may have been a defective carburetor. I bought this model based on reviews here and believed Ariens was a good company that stood behind its products. Do yourself a favor and get a model that lasts more than three uses with a warranty that covers routine use of the machine. I will never buy another Ariens product.

I bought the Ariens Compact 24 920021 model from Snow Blowers Direct near the end of a very heavy snowfall season in New England in February 2015. I used it three times, following instructions to use gas stabilizer with an ethanol treatment. Last year it wouldn't start at all. Thankfully it was a light snowfall season.

This year it started once after my brother in law, who owns Craftsman and Toro snowblowers, cleaned out the carburetor as best he could. Nevertheless, the snowblower ran... more

Not having enjoyed a snowfall, I can't speak for its performance or value.

I do know that Ariens builds a quality snow thrower regardless of the model. This is the 3rd 24" Compact Snow Thrower purchased, two for work and the 3rd for my home.

The first two have been dependable and needed nothing but gas, an annual oil change, and corrosion preventer spray down after each use.

I'm optimistic my home unit will
Perform equally as well as the two previous 24" Compact snow throwers purchased.

Not having enjoyed a snowfall, I can't speak for its performance or value.

I do know that Ariens builds a quality snow thrower regardless of the model. This is the 3rd 24" Compact Snow Thrower purchased, two for work and the 3rd for my home.

The first two have been dependable and needed nothing but gas, an annual oil change, and corrosion preventer spray down after each use.

I'm optimistic my home unit will
Perform equally as well as the two previous 24" Compact snow... more

Easy to manage. Strong enough to throw wet snow. I added bicycle grip tape to the handles for a better grasp as the original grips are not as thick/tacky as I would like and I typically pull the unit backward instead of using reverse gears on short maneuvers.

I've used the snow blower with 2 recent storms in the Northeast and has done a great job with my driveway! Happy Customer!

This may be a great snow blower if you live near an authorized dealer with a mechanic. My slow blower would not start this year. It would be a 4 hour drive to get it fixed. The authorized dealer in town said to go to mechanic. I did the person checked out all of the spark plug and carburetor issues, but could not get it started.

Very difficult to get customer support on the phone and they just ask you basic questions about draining the gas etc. I live in an area with a foot of snow per week and basically have a lawn ornament in my garage. Do not recommend for anyone not near an Arien's authorized mechanic. Snow Blower is one year old BTW.

This may be a great snow blower if you live near an authorized dealer with a mechanic. My slow blower would not start this year. It would be a 4 hour drive to get it fixed. The authorized dealer in town said to go to mechanic. I did the person checked out all of the spark plug and carburetor issues, but could not get it started.

Very difficult to get customer support on the phone and they just ask you basic questions about draining the gas etc. I live in an area with a foot of snow per... more

I had researched snow blowers in my price range and really for the quality and service level I needed the Ariens Compact ST24LE (24") 208cc Two-Stage Snow Blower was a clear choice. I had had two-stage snow blowers from other manufacturers, one from an old, well known department store.

It was good for one season, but after that I had problems that could be attributed to poor design and cheap manufacture. The other one was a model from a well-established company known for their mowers and power garden tools but again, the quality was just a bit wanting.

The Ariens is a much better engineered and quality manufactured machine. You see and feel the quality in the product. The first snow storm started with a fluffy four inches and ended with an inch of wet heavy slop. It was about 30 degrees that morning when I started the engine it turned over immediately. I let it warm up for about two minutes, I then set the choke open and it ran strong and steady.

The snow on the ground gave no challenge to my machine. I cleared the driveway and walkway quickly. When I encountered the snow bank across my driveway where it meets the street, left by the municipal plow, it made no difference to the Ariens. In winters past I have labored hard shoveling heavy scoops of heavily packed snow. This was always the hardest part of the job, and I hated it. The snow blower made easy work of it with no sign of difficulty. I am glad I purchased this model. I would recommend it to a friend.

An additional note: I had a question about set-up after I uncrated the machine. I called the Ariens support number and was greeted by a friendly, knowledgeable technician who kindly listened to my query and then explained in detail what I was asking about. It is good to know the company backs up their product and can be easily reached for issues of this kind.

I had researched snow blowers in my price range and really for the quality and service level I needed the Ariens Compact ST24LE (24") 208cc Two-Stage Snow Blower was a clear choice. I had had two-stage snow blowers from other manufacturers, one from an old, well known department store.

It was good for one season, but after that I had problems that could be attributed to poor design and cheap manufacture. The other one was a model from a well-established company known for their mowers... more

Really tested it for the first time in the blizzard of 2015. It performed perfectly and handled at least 18" of snow with no problem. Have not used the electric start yet, but it started with 1 pull in 0 degree weather. So far, I love the machine. Tomorrow, another 8-12" to test again.

Snow blower was shipped on abf freight , it was a nightmare . First delivery date they gave me for which I took off a day of work they never showed up and called me 4:30 pm to say the blower was not being delivered, so they promise to deliver the next day.

I go to work and at 6pm the driver of the truck calls my wife to say he cant drive the truck on my street . My wife and elderly female neighbor had to meet the truck driver in a cvs parking lot pay a passerby to help them unload the box into a suv car. Not worth any money you would save buying here.

Snow blower was shipped on abf freight , it was a nightmare . First delivery date they gave me for which I took off a day of work they never showed up and called me 4:30 pm to say the blower was not being delivered, so they promise to deliver the next day.

I go to work and at 6pm the driver of the truck calls my wife to say he cant drive the truck on my street . My wife and elderly female neighbor had to meet the truck driver in a cvs parking lot pay a passerby to help them unload the box... more

Received this machine on 2/21/15.

Machine came in a box and I had to assemble. Assembly went well (I'm good at this stuff), directions were ok, not perfect, had to undo a couple of things and start over, but overall not a difficult build.. It came loaded with oil (always check). I added gas, and like almost everyone else has said on the internet, it started on the first pull. It is extremely easy to start. Tires looked good with nice tread. I ran the auger without any load for 15 minutes as recommended before using to break the auger belt in correctly.

The next morning (2/22/15) I had 5 inches of very wet snow. Within 40 feet the snow blower was spinning its drive wheel (only one wheel engaged) and was getting bogged down. So right then in the snow I engaged the other wheel for 2 wheel drive. Resulted in MUCH better traction. BUT, with the 2 wheels engaged it is much more difficult to turn. Tossed the heavy wet snow 30-40 feet, so I'm sure the dry snow will go farther. I finished the driveway easily. The motor is actually very nice, with more power than I expected in a 208 cc engine. I like the chute and LOVE the ability to change the angle of snow exit from the chute by remote. Nice touch.

The next day I took it out on the icy driveway to test the single drive wheel again. Again it wanted to spin on the ice and the traction was wanting, but it was much easier turning. I was really hoping I wasn’t left with the choice of easy to turn but no traction or lots of traction and hard to turn.

So, I ordered new tire chains. Put them on last night (2/24/15). Today I took it out in the icy driveway again, with only one drive wheel engaged. The sun was shining, but cold (20 degrees). It turned and went over the ice without any issues. All ice, uphill and thick. It is now very easy to turn, and the drive wheel never slipped once on solid ice. I think the steering/traction issue is solved.

My driveway in not absolutely flat, so when I used it on the 5 inches of heavy snow on 2/22/15, it jumped a bit on uneven spots. I could see parallel horizontal lines in the snow as the machine "caught" on the driveway and bounced. I've read about this issue before, so I knew it was the scrapping blade on the bottom of the machine, which is set at the factory to be totally flat with the floor. This can be adjusted by raising the skids slightly. I placed a 1/4 inch piece of wood under the back of one side of the housing, loosened the two skid bolts on that side and slid the skid down to the floor and retightened the bolts. Then I did the same for the other side. This has the affect of raising the scrapper blade ¼ inch off the ground. When I brought the blower back out to the driveway it glide over the surface, even or not. No bumping, no jumping. Another problem solved. BUT, I am taking things a bit further. The skid plate supplied by Ariens is a standard skid plate, made out of not the very best metal and small. If it ever doesn't carry a bump or driveway crack well it could result in the housing of the blower getting damaged. So, I started looking online and found a site that sells a 12 inch long replacement skid (more than twice the length of the Ariens skid), with a 2 inch front and rear lip, and at least twice the thickness of the stock skid. The price is very reasonable, the product is made in America with excellent steel, and for a very small price you'll protect your investment. You can find them at "SnowBlowerSkids.com". Mine will arrive in 3 days and are very easy to install, maybe 5-10 min.

The only reason I'm not giving a five start rating on this review now is I need some snow for a final evaluation. That said, with the skid height adjustment, the tire chains, the releasing of the 2 drive wheels to a single wheel for turning ease and this is a lot of machine for the money. Housing is strong, motor is wonderful, it has an electric start I'll most likely never use because the hand pull is so easy (even at -10 degrees), remote controls on the drivers side, Headlight (not totally bright but much better than nothing), ease of changing oil, ease of changing sheer pins if needed, all metal construction (including chute) make this a great machine. Add to that the ability to shut of the gas to carburetor with a single switch to drain the carburetor of gas after each use is a huge plus. The new Skid plates will kick this machine over the top.

Bottom line: Without doing what I did this machine would have issues that would frustrate and make it less than a pleasant experience. With those adjustments it is a great machine. This winter we’ve had over 100 inches of snow. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m hoping for another 10 very soon!

Received this machine on 2/21/15.

Machine came in a box and I had to assemble. Assembly went well (I'm good at this stuff), directions were ok, not perfect, had to undo a couple of things and start over, but overall not a difficult build.. It came loaded with oil (always check). I added gas, and like almost everyone else has said on the internet, it started on the first pull. It is extremely easy to start. Tires looked good with nice tread. I ran the auger without any load for 15... more

I was not impressed at all. First off the deliverie company they use didn't show up or call when I made an appointment. Then three days later I finally get my blower. Only one wheel spins, so I was working twice as hard. I sold it on Craigslist for less then I paid. I was ok with that, that's how bad it was. I now have one a bought at Home Depot for $300 less. And the machine works twice as good.