Ariens Deluxe 24

The Deluxe 28 is Ariens' best-selling size and the machine you see chained down on half the trailers in Wisconsin every November: a 28-inch steel bucket, 14-inch auger and impeller, cast-iron gear case, and the 252cc AX engine, at a price that undercuts the SHO version by about $150. For most storms it's all the machine anyone needs — owners report 8-10 inch clearings at near-top gear and honest 40-50 foot throws in dry snow. The catch the forums flag: it shares its 252cc engine with the Deluxe 24, so those four extra inches of bite come out of your speed in wet, deep snow — if you regularly get slop, the 28 SHO's 301cc is the smarter $150. Auto-Turn makes it pivot like a much smaller machine, and the new generation dropped weight to 233 lb, which owners with sloped driveways appreciate. Heated grips slid to the options list this generation, an annoying delete at $1,649. Against Toro's Power Max 828, the Toro's anti-clog and Quick Stick chute are slicker; the Ariens is the more overbuilt frame with better resale. The default big-driveway pick for average snow.

The Compact 24 is the cheapest way into a real Ariens two-stage, and the appeal is that the money went into the metal: all-steel bucket and dash, cast-iron gear case with a 5-year warranty, and the same Auto-Turn steering as the Deluxe line. Owners consistently call the build quality absurd for a $1,300 machine, and the 120V plug-in electric start means it fires on the first press in January. The honest knock is the 223cc engine — forum owners report it bogs in deep, wet snow at anything above the lowest speeds, and it's noticeably happier in fluffy powder than in the slush a plow leaves at the end of the driveway. At 187 lb with a 20-inch intake it's genuinely maneuverable, which is why it sells to people with one- or two-car paved driveways in moderate-snow states. Against a Toro Power Max 824 OE, the Toro clears wet snow with less drama, but the Ariens is the sturdier machine you'll still be running in 20 years. Buy it for the frame, drive it a gear slower in the heavy stuff.

The Deluxe 28 SHO has been the enthusiast consensus 'sweet spot' Ariens for a decade — you pay about $150 over the standard Deluxe 28 and get the Super High Output impeller setup that spins a 14-inch impeller off a higher-torque engine, moving a rated 72 tons per hour and throwing heavy snow a genuine 50-55 feet. The current 921072 swaps the old LCT 306cc for a new 301cc AX, and forum owners report it 'starts in two pulls or less and shoots snow wherever you want,' though a vocal minority wishes Ariens had put the 389cc on it. Build is classic Ariens: steel everywhere, cast-iron gear case, dual-belt drive. The knocks: handwarmers went from standard to optional on this generation (a genuine downgrade at $1,799), and Auto-Turn still wants properly set skids on gravel. Compared to a Toro Power Max HD 828, the Toro has nicer chute ergonomics; the Ariens out-throws it and holds value better. It's the machine for 2-3 car driveways in lake-effect and Nor'easter country, and the one Ariens dealers themselves most often recommend.