Ariens Platinum Track 28 SHO (28") 369cc Two-Stage Snow Blower

I bought this snow blower last year after looking at a lot of snow blowers. It came on a tractor trailer and beware it is curb delivery. The driver did help get it up my 150 foot driveway. A buddy and I set it up in about 30 minutes. It is very heavy duty and easy to use.

It has a lot of good features and the controls are right at your finger tips. We had several snows last year and this machine ate through the snow like a tank. I cleared 2 foot snow drifts with ease. My driveway is steep. The machine never lost traction going down or up.

I bought this snow blower last year after looking at a lot of snow blowers. It came on a tractor trailer and beware it is curb delivery. The driver did help get it up my 150 foot driveway. A buddy and I set it up in about 30 minutes. It is very heavy duty and easy to use.

It has a lot of good features and the controls are right at your finger tips. We had several snows last year and this machine ate through the snow like a tank. I cleared 2 foot snow drifts with ease. My driveway is... more

Okay, so you may have seen the review about my Ariens Plat Track 28 quitting on downhill slopes. I dragged it to a service center, where they determined that the outlet on the fuel tank is in the back bottom corner, so that if there is a half tank or less of gas and the machine is tilted nose down, the gas no longer reaches the outlet and it dies.

Seems like a major design flaw for a model that's supposed to be good for slopes. The service center contacted Ariens, who provided a stock number for an alternate tank. When that comes in, I'll drag it back down to them so they can swap in the larger, hopefully hill-friendly fuel tank.

In the meantime, with another snowstorm due this weekend, I'm to keep the tank at least half full so that it will run on the downhills. If the proposed fix works, this snowblower may well earn more stars.

Okay, so you may have seen the review about my Ariens Plat Track 28 quitting on downhill slopes. I dragged it to a service center, where they determined that the outlet on the fuel tank is in the back bottom corner, so that if there is a half tank or less of gas and the machine is tilted nose down, the gas no longer reaches the outlet and it dies.

Seems like a major design flaw for a model that's supposed to be good for slopes. The service center contacted Ariens, who provided a stock... more

August 2017 - Northern New Jersey. After 3/4 hr assembly (assembly instructions require your mechanical experience - assembly times may vary), adding fuel (oil was present in the unit out of the box) the unit started on the first electric start crank. A cable adjustment was needed for a smooth chute rotation. Chute was locking in position and would not unlick with handle mechanism. Simple nut adjustment on cable (forward/rear nut) under plastic hood (discharge chute gear cover) that covers the rotation gear mechanism (more adjustment detail found in enclosed manual page 18).
The unit discussed is a track unit (steep driveway).
This Ariens is replacing a 15 year old track unit.
Took new Ariens unit for a quick driveway test drive after starting.
Two findings:
1/ not finding the "auto turn steering" feature working at all.
is this a mental telepathy system? otherwise nothing in the manual discusses this feature aside from a mention.
2/ unable to move unit (303lbs) after stopped/engine off.
essentially no neutral or free rotation for simple garage storage placement movement. Traction drive clutch lever (left side). I would think an up position would be neutral while depressed (engaged) would be "in gear". Again, no mention in the Ariens manual about neutral transport for the track model.
A call to Ariens suggests a pull rather than a push.
I am able bodied and in no way does this unit want to move.
If anyone has experience with this model (Ariens Platinum Track 28 SHO (28") 369cc Two-Stage Snow Blower # 921052) thanks to shed some light on my pre-snow dilemma.
Much appreciated.

August 2017 - Northern New Jersey. After 3/4 hr assembly (assembly instructions require your mechanical experience - assembly times may vary), adding fuel (oil was present in the unit out of the box) the unit started on the first electric start crank. A cable adjustment was needed for a smooth chute rotation. Chute was locking in position and would not unlick with handle mechanism. Simple nut adjustment on cable (forward/rear nut) under plastic hood (discharge chute gear cover) that covers the... more

Used in 30" of compacted snow in UT mountains. Plenty of power, good throwing distance. The deep compacted snow above the auger obviously did not feed in readily. That however is not the fault of the machine, it is simply not big enough for the job. 30" of loose snow are absolutely no issue.

The tracks work well on steep inclined gravel driveway. All around a good machine. The only nit-picking complaint is that the sticker for the throttle ring is already peeling off the engine. Obviously that does not affect performance or usefulness. Total use of machine at this point - about 2 1/2 hours.

Used in 30" of compacted snow in UT mountains. Plenty of power, good throwing distance. The deep compacted snow above the auger obviously did not feed in readily. That however is not the fault of the machine, it is simply not big enough for the job. 30" of loose snow are absolutely no issue.

The tracks work well on steep inclined gravel driveway. All around a good machine. The only nit-picking complaint is that the sticker for the throttle ring is already peeling off the... more

We purchased the Platinum Track 28 SHO new in November 2016 and have had occasion to use it twice. Setup was fairly straightforward although it did take some use and further tweaking to seat all the cables and adjust spring tensions just right. I would budget about an hour for a complete setup and adjustment. Consult the yearly maintenance section for some additional adjustment not covered in the initial setup instructions.

But once its dialed in this thing can chew through the snow and send it arcing skyward with great force. We have a hilly gravel driveway so we opted for the track model and I'm glad we did. Tracks are sure footed on all the terrain. Fairly easy to turn around although I would imagine the wheeled versions are even easier. Full disclosure this is my first and only snow blower. Overall very pleased with it. Workmanship and build quality are excellent. Out of the crate you can tell this thing is made well. Looking forward to many more snow events from the Eastern shore of Lake Michigan with the Airens.

We purchased the Platinum Track 28 SHO new in November 2016 and have had occasion to use it twice. Setup was fairly straightforward although it did take some use and further tweaking to seat all the cables and adjust spring tensions just right. I would budget about an hour for a complete setup and adjustment. Consult the yearly maintenance section for some additional adjustment not covered in the initial setup instructions.

But once its dialed in this thing can chew through the snow and... more

Haven't had a chance to see my new snow thrower in action, but the quality seems excellent, and set up out of the box was smooth. Looking forward to tackling the white stuff.

The bigger barrel and faster moving second stage moves the sierra concrete much better. Most of the time I could not get through the driveway built-up from the street clearing fellow, now I can. Without problems.

difficult to move without engine on. Not a problem for me. Mine has a parking place inside the garage.

No cons!!!

So the snow came, and the Ariens 28 Plat Track throws well. Only problem is that it shuts off going down slopes. Just fine on uphills or flats, okay on short descents, but anything over 50 feet, and the engine lopes like it's running out of gas, and then it quits. Because it will start if primed but die immediately, and if I drag it around so it faces uphill, it will start and run just fine, there must be an issue with the fuel supply when nose down.

Super frustrating, especially since I bought this track model specifically for my 1/10-mile, sloped drive. Called Snowblowers Direct who said they would connect me with Ariens tech support...rang through to general number and Ariens will only tell you where a service center is, not answer any questions (all service done through dealer, after inspection). Grrrr. Not happy.

So the snow came, and the Ariens 28 Plat Track throws well. Only problem is that it shuts off going down slopes. Just fine on uphills or flats, okay on short descents, but anything over 50 feet, and the engine lopes like it's running out of gas, and then it quits. Because it will start if primed but die immediately, and if I drag it around so it faces uphill, it will start and run just fine, there must be an issue with the fuel supply when nose down.

Super frustrating, especially since I... more

The Ariens 28 inch Platinum SHO snowblower came shipped in heavy duty packaging. Instructions to complete setup were adequate. The snowblower arrived with slight paint damage to the auger housing. Had to buy touch up paint to fix it. Have not had a chance to use it yet. It looks good.