Ariens Path-Pro SS21E

24" wide · 40 ft throw · 187 lb

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.

Best for One- to two-car paved driveways in moderate snow regions where build quality matters more than raw wet-snow power.

24" wide · 50 ft throw · 246 lb

The Deluxe 24 is the machine owners tell people to buy when they ask 'what's the safe choice?' — and the current 921069 keeps that formula: 252cc AX engine, a big 14-inch auger AND 14-inch impeller (most 24s run 12-inch impellers), dual-belt drive, and a 21-inch-tall steel bucket that swallows EOD piles. Owners love that it throws heavy snow a real 40-50 feet and that the cast-iron gear case is basically lifetime hardware. The eternal comparison is Toro's Power Max 826 OXE: the Toro is ~50 lb lighter with slicker chute controls and an anti-clog system, while the Ariens counters with a steel chute, sturdier frame, and better distance. Knocks are real but minor — Auto-Turn can wander on rutted gravel until skids are dialed in, heated grips are no longer standard on the Deluxe line, and several Home Depot reviewers report factory bolts backing out early ('torque everything before first use'). It's the default pick for two-car driveways in serious snow country, and resale is the best in the class.

Best for Two-car paved driveways in snow-belt states — the do-everything 24-inch that handles wet Nor'easter loads without drama.

28" wide · 50 ft throw · 233 lb

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.

Best for Two-to-three-car driveways in average snow regions — maximum width per dollar in the Ariens line.

28" wide · 55 ft throw · 239 lb

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.

Best for Larger two-to-three-car driveways in heavy-snow regions where throw distance and wet-snow capacity justify the SHO premium.

30" wide · 50 ft throw · 276 lb · heated grips

The Deluxe 30 is for people who clear a lot of area and want fewer passes: a 30-inch bucket knocks a three-car driveway down 20% faster than a 24, and the 921071 keeps the goodies — 14-inch auger and impeller, dual-belt drive, cast-iron gear case, LED light, and (unlike the smaller Deluxes) standard heated handgrips. Owners praise how planted the 276 lb frame feels punching into end-of-driveway berms, and Auto-Turn keeps it from being a wrestling match. The honest physics problem: it runs the same 301cc AX as the Deluxe 28 SHO but spreads that torque across two extra inches of bite, so in a foot of wet-slop you'll be dropping to the granny gears while a 28 SHO keeps trotting — the forum crowd's rule is 'buy width for light-to-average snow, buy the SHO for slop.' It's a favorite of Upper Midwest owners with wide concrete driveways and long frontage sidewalks. Against Toro's Power Max HD 30-inch, the Toro clogs less in slush; the Ariens throws farther and its steel chute will outlive the Toro's plastic one.

Best for Wide three-car driveways and long frontage in average snow regions — maximum coverage per pass with dealer-grade build.

24" wide · 55 ft throw · 267 lb · heated grips

The Platinum 24 SHO is the classic 'small bucket, huge engine' play: the current 921074 hangs a 389cc AX — the same displacement class as machines a foot wider — on a 24-inch housing with the Super High Output impeller, and the result is a rated 73 tons per hour and 55-foot throws that simply don't slow down in wet, knee-deep snow. This is the machine snowblower forums recommend for lake-effect and mountain-town driveways too narrow or steep for a 28. You also get the comfort kit the Deluxe line lost: standard heated handgrips, LED light, and one-hand interlock. Two honest gripes: Ariens dropped the old EZ-Launch EFI engine (the discontinued 921053 started easier at altitude and sipped less fuel — the new carbureted 389 is stronger but thirstier), and at $1,999 you're paying Deluxe 30 money for a 24-inch cut. At 267 lb it's dense but Auto-Turn keeps it nimble. Versus a Toro Power Max HD 828 OAE, the Ariens throws farther and feels more overbuilt; the Toro clogs marginally less. For deep-snow owners who prioritize power density over width, this is the one.

Best for Short, narrow, or steep driveways in extreme-snow regions — lake-effect and mountain towns where power matters more than width.