Ariens Deluxe ST30LE (30") 306cc Two-Stage Snow Blower (2015 Model)

Ariens is by far the best snowblower on the market. It's made to last with quality parts.

Just got to use this today with about 8 inches of snow. This thing handled it no problem. The engine was plenty powerful enough and cleared my large driveway in only about 20 minutes. Starts up on the first pull every time.

Well I did a lot of research on Ariens, Toro, and Cub Cadet. The Cub Cadet 3 stage caught my attention because of the 3rd stage after looking at it the cute control was very flimsy. I could see it freezing up easily and breaking so I scrapped that idea.

Next was the Toro, which was a very nice machine all the way around, but a little too much money for me. I have always liked Ariens and when I went to Home Depot, they had a Cub Cadet and the Ariens 306cc 30 cut blower. After working the controls, Areins definitely has the better cute controller and metal cute the blower all together just seemed better built, so I bought the Areins .

Well I'm from Buffalo, NY, so we get some snow. As I'm writing this review, we just got over 6ft of lake effect snow in places south of Buffalo. Yes, I said six feet in 36 hours. Well thank God where I am, we only got a foot or so. Before this, I had an old Murry Noma which I handed down to my daughter that I owned for almost 20 years, so I know snow blowers.

This machine is powerful and easy to use. Don't try and man-handle it. It's a heavy machine. Let it do the work. The easy steer system works perfect once you get the hang of it. Starts right up with one or two pulls and blows snow like nobody's business.

Don't know why they have so many gears. 1st gear is fine for steady walk and reverse is perfect in the second setting. Watched my neighbor with his new Cub Cadet only to see him struggle with cute control just like I thought. I love everything about this Areins so far, we'll see a couple more feet of lake effect coming over night.

Well I did a lot of research on Ariens, Toro, and Cub Cadet. The Cub Cadet 3 stage caught my attention because of the 3rd stage after looking at it the cute control was very flimsy. I could see it freezing up easily and breaking so I scrapped that idea.

Next was the Toro, which was a very nice machine all the way around, but a little too much money for me. I have always liked Ariens and when I went to Home Depot, they had a Cub Cadet and the Ariens 306cc 30 cut blower. After working the... more

Replaced my old Craftsman 30/11 that was about 12 years old and wanted the same 30" width with lots of power. Ariens & Honda are the standards but Honda is 3x the price. Found an Ariens 30 Deluxe at Home Depot for a decent price and had high expectations. The chute adjustment is a little different but is not a deal breaker. I thought the auto steer would be a nice feature but once your off the pavement it does fight you trying to hold a straight and steady course. Was used to the over kill power of the 11hp Tecumseh on my Craftsman - it would lug down - but you could NEVER bod it out - no matter how hard you tried! When I ran them side by side the 291cc AX bogged down badly and it would have been possible to stall it out. In its defense however it is churning a 14" impeller opposed to the Craftsman 12" and does throws an incredible plume of snow - easily 40-50 feet!!!. The Deluxe model did not come with drift bars either. Ariens construction is first rate with all steel components. This Ariens is not as well balance - weight wise as the Craftsman and is heavier on the front end but that may turnout to be a plus. The little AX 291cc engine is quieter than the 11hp Tecumseh but I wish I would have put out the extra cash for the big 420cc on the Platinum model. The machine generally is a step up from the Craftsman and I'm gonna live with it but - they never should have dropped this small engine in a 30" machine. Should have known better I guess after running a big dog 11 HP monster.

Replaced my old Craftsman 30/11 that was about 12 years old and wanted the same 30" width with lots of power. Ariens & Honda are the standards but Honda is 3x the price. Found an Ariens 30 Deluxe at Home Depot for a decent price and had high expectations. The chute adjustment is a little different but is not a deal breaker. I thought the auto steer would be a nice feature but once your off the pavement it does fight you trying to hold a straight and steady course. Was used to the over... more

I had a 28" Ariens that I gave to my son to use and replaced with this model. We had about 20" of snow this December and this machine handled all of it with no problems. One 8" snowfall was wet and heavy and this machine still threw it 40 feet. I have only used the electric start once....it starts on the first pull. A great snow thrower that I would highly recommend. I did add hand warmers....at this price they should be standard equipment.

I purchased the deluxe 30 based on reputation and quality when compared to other lower line products. The unit I purchased was on the floor at Home Depot. When I got it home, it started easily, but required me to go through the complete set up myself. I was told it was "ready to blow" off the showroom floor. NOT THE CASE. None of the cables were adjusted correctly, nor was the scraper height...both ride shoes were unlevel, the two nuts that hold the upper section of the dash were not installed. after starting it...it would not move. I removed the bottom panel and found that the drive shift fork was not engaged and a shim was laying in the bottom of the chassis.

Fortunately, I teach mechanics and had no problem setting it up, but if someone were to borrow a truck, haul it home and be excited to go to work...they would have been very disappointed. After set up, it is a nice machine...although not especially well balanced front to rear. I agree with some of the comments that the handle return springs are way to stiff. I will be replacing mine with a lighter spring.
I would recommend purchasing from a dealer where the pre-delivery would have been thorough and done by techs.
Home Depot may wish to get their staff trained to ensure customer satisfaction, Ariens might want to ensure this happens so as not to tarnish their name.

I purchased the deluxe 30 based on reputation and quality when compared to other lower line products. The unit I purchased was on the floor at Home Depot. When I got it home, it started easily, but required me to go through the complete set up myself. I was told it was "ready to blow" off the showroom floor. NOT THE CASE. None of the cables were adjusted correctly, nor was the scraper height...both ride shoes were unlevel, the two nuts that hold the upper section of the dash were not... more

Purchased at Home Depot and through no fault of Ariens bolts were missing on the pads. Buy from a dealer that will check the machine out before delivery as Home Depot sucks at proper assembly of product.

Now on to the real issue, brand new off the floor and only one wheel drives so it always want's to go left. According to Ariens both wheels should be drive wheels as it has a locker type diff. This thing is a POS and shame on Ariens for letting something off the line without even checking to see if both wheels drive.

Purchased at Home Depot and through no fault of Ariens bolts were missing on the pads. Buy from a dealer that will check the machine out before delivery as Home Depot sucks at proper assembly of product.

Now on to the real issue, brand new off the floor and only one wheel drives so it always want's to go left. According to Ariens both wheels should be drive wheels as it has a locker type diff. This thing is a POS and shame on Ariens for letting something off the line without even checking to... more

First of all, Snow Blowers Direct shipped this out quickly and the unit was in perfect condition on delivery! The machine throws snow like a champ, I live where a foot of snow is only a dusting.

We usually average 15 feet per season but already this season had a storm that dumped 7 feet in 3 days. The engine starts on the first pull, and the chute controls work good and hold their position well.

AutoSteer is both good and bad.... if your driveway is flat and level without packed, caked snow and without those early morning wheel ruts it works great. Anything else and it becomes a wrestling match attempting to get the machine to track in a straight line.

Ariens seriously needs to develop a selector to engage or disengage this feature. Over the course of a winter season driveways go from smooth to heavily rutted and back again over and over at least around here.

That's life in the real world, you can't always stay on top of things. If you live where conditions aren't as severe AutoSteer would be a welcome new design ....But if you live in real snow country cancel your gym membership.... you wont need it wrestling this thing around!

First of all, Snow Blowers Direct shipped this out quickly and the unit was in perfect condition on delivery! The machine throws snow like a champ, I live where a foot of snow is only a dusting.

We usually average 15 feet per season but already this season had a storm that dumped 7 feet in 3 days. The engine starts on the first pull, and the chute controls work good and hold their position well.

AutoSteer is both good and bad.... if your driveway is flat and level without packed, caked... more

Engine pull rope failed after about 4 pulls. Engine stalls regularly and frequently while using, and without the pull rope functioning, it requires me to pull the machine back to the electrical power source by hand.

I have an older version and needed objector a vacation home, so I bought this one and had it shipped directly to the house. Easy enough to assemble and some very nice feature improvements. Works very well. Has electric start capabilities, and easy to start with pull start. Just like my other one, starts right up every time.

I looked at other brands and manufacturers, and this is still the best quality around. Metal not so thin and skimpy like many other brands at same or higher prices.

As long as they keep making this quality, I'm sticking with Ariens.

I have an older version and needed objector a vacation home, so I bought this one and had it shipped directly to the house. Easy enough to assemble and some very nice feature improvements. Works very well. Has electric start capabilities, and easy to start with pull start. Just like my other one, starts right up every time.

I looked at other brands and manufacturers, and this is still the best quality around. Metal not so thin and skimpy like many other brands at same or higher prices.more

I live near Buffalo NY, as many may know, we had up to 7 feet of snow over 3 days in November. There wasn't a snow blower which could be purchased anywhere, they were all gone.

I looked up the best snow blowers using the Consumer Reports online link. The recommended machines were then entered in as search engine and I came up with Snow Blower Direct. I ordered it with some fear but it turned out to a great experience.

The machine arrive sooner than I ever imagined. There were some steps to complete the assembly and adjustments. The operations book which came with the package lead me through the whole process. I finally tried the machine and it has worked like a charm. It is one of the best experiences I have had in a long time. I highly recommend the machine and Snow Blowers Direct.

I live near Buffalo NY, as many may know, we had up to 7 feet of snow over 3 days in November. There wasn't a snow blower which could be purchased anywhere, they were all gone.

I looked up the best snow blowers using the Consumer Reports online link. The recommended machines were then entered in as search engine and I came up with Snow Blower Direct. I ordered it with some fear but it turned out to a great experience.

The machine arrive sooner than I ever imagined. There were some... more