Here I am at 5:58 in the morning after a 12 hour shift looking up snowblower videos on UA-cam! 😄. Actually just cleared my driveway with my ST824. I swear this thing is unstoppable. I've had since Nov. 2015 and it hasn't failed me yet. Best $250 I've ever spent. Gotta love Wisconsin winters!
My 35+ year old Toro still gets the job done very well. Infact it still looks good and even has shiny paint yet. It's all about how equipment is taken care of. The older ones are worth owning as they were made alot better than the new blowers with all the plastic parts and non adjustable carbs, etc.
After the winters first heavy snowfall, and moving to a place with 50 yards I relented and purchased one of these second hand. Result....2 weeks of rain and double digit degrees of celcius. I ahve not even been able to test it, as all the snow has melted. I am like a kid waiting for the first snow, lol ALl I can do is watch snowblower vids on youtube.
I just bought the 1998 ST 928 from the original owner complete with sales slip, owners/parts manual in beautiful condition. It is built as a commercial unit and built to last forever. I'm impressed. That model has a cast iron auger gearbox that you could flip the gears around and have brand new wear surfaces. Extreme easy to work on such as changing friction wheel and belts. Everything is built heavy duty and I see it actually does have a differential with a wheel lock if you prefer. Grease zerks all over but there is one on the double chain sprocket that you need to take the bottom pan off to grease. I think it has original friction wheel and belts and going to replace them. I heard they were the best and pretty sure they are now that I've inspected this one. I have big tractors with blades on the farm but this will be easier to use in many areas. Good video.
Hey These older Ariens are awesome. There design along with the Tecumseh engine made great pair. They had torque. The only flaw was owners lack of maintenance OIL CHANGES. They did the job for many years. Great History
I have heard the old Ariens are almost bullet proof, looks like this one is still going strong! Just noticed the house in behind yours when you went to the side of your house. Looks like the Amityville horror house with the chimney and windows. 8:09 part. Anyhow, nice video.
Get the next taller chute that Ariens came out with for their sno thros. It will do wonders for you and it will keep the snow coming out of the chute more intact.
Ariens, over the years, did a lot of experimenting with both chute height and angles, for places that get real tall snow banks. You'll see cheaper blowers with more of an _out_ facing chute and less of an _up_ facing chute. I've heard the matching tall chutes are really sought after for those older blowers.
I just got a smaller version of this its a Jacobsen single stage self propelled model things awesome runs great it just did a foot of snow with no issues
Just got a hand me down 8hp snowblower similar to that today. At least 20 years old. Runs like a champ, its been right around freezing out so far so no cold starts yet. Put in and burnt 1/2 gallon of 87 octane. Had a 1/4 tank of mixed fuel in it when i got it. Probably not the end of the world if it was 25% mixes fuel, 75% gasoline. Ill add 2 stroke oil and fuel tomorrow, 10cm coming.
With maintenance, those will last almost forever. Jim probably just wanted a new blower. I got a free weed wacker once, "doesn't run", I put fuel mix in it and it started right up, lol. Ariens are built better than many machines, new or old. More ball bearings, which both last longer and are more easily replaceable if they fail. If you over run a bushing, for example, now you've eaten into the surrounding metal and it's time to break out the torch and welder. Grease zirks are also and Ariens thing. Even 4 figure Hondas don't have them. There should also be a zirk on the side to grease the transmission. That plastic throttle handle looks out of place. Those get brittle and break over time. You probably can't stop that. If you do stiffen up the travel and/or that eventually breaks, I fixed one buy pulling the metal out of a stubby screw driver and pressing the handle onto the metak stalk with a C clamp. If you used a generic black stubby screwdriver, someone might not even notice, lol. I'm glad the carb worked out. I resist that until the old carb is completely unrebuildable. I had to clean out the carb once on my old 524. What finally did it in was previous owners used lots of salt, and it had been patched up and painted already, but metal fatigue set in and the housing started cracking in half. I just about broke out the welder when I looked at newer blowers and the improvements and decided to go that route. The new Ariens aren't built as well, but they have a lot of design improvements. The power of the new OHV motors makes a big difference too. Anyway, the one you have looks in great shape. Probably could use some drift cutters, tho. ;) I put drift cutters and mounted the deluxe cleanout tool on mine. The deluxe tool is great for brushing it off when done using. Also, with those chains, you may be able to get buy w/o locking the diff. That diff comes from the old days when they had lawnmower attachments. The idea was unlockit for the summer and lock it for the winter. The new ones have "auto steer" which is, basically, a modified Detroit Locker. I've read mixed reviews. People say if your tire pressure and shoes aren't all matching in adjustment that the machine won't track straight. Although, even regular blowers need equal air pressure or they'll pull one direction. Oh, and it's not a bad idea every decade or so to pull off all the covers and visually inspect all the belts and bearings, maybe lube a few things. Snowblowers will run for a long time with no maintenance, but certain things when left alone too long can turn into a big repair if they aren't caught early. I had a friend with an old Montgomery Ward blower and one day it just stopped moving. The axle had worn through the bushing, then the housing, all the way until internal transmission parts, that weren't supposed to touch, started touching, lol. Enough rambling, nice machine.
It sounds like you know alot about snow blowers. 😎 Before I replaced the carb I did rebuild it, but was so pitted inside I could never get to run right. Since replacing it (15 ish years ago) it's been running strong. 👍
@@DonBeforeDawn I learned a lot over the years, lol. I tend to really overdo looking into the minutia of certain things. I have to thank the internet for a lot of it, tho, and people who shared fixes on their machines. I also learned on my machine and a couple family and friends' machines. Also, where I used to work I had a lot of duties and in that capacity I did end up fixing a few snowblowers. One time a Toro was throwing belts and I found the main impeller bearing wore oval due to age/lack of lube. Well, they needed it, I couldn't be waiting for parts, so I just pressed it out, pressed it back in upside down so it would wear on the other side. Cheesy fix, but it worked, lol. Sadly, I never saw it come back for a proper fix. Whoever worked on it next probably had a surprise. ;) Sounds you did everything you could. Sometimes old carbs aren't savable. I'm glad the new one worked out.
Only making 1/2 passes 1 foot at a time. Would like to see how it preformed with a "Predator" Honda Clone engine on it. The old blowers were by far better, built like tanks, then the newer ones, but the old Tecumseh engines were low RPM gutless piles of sh*t compared to more modern OHV engines, hence that's why newer ones move so much more snow then compared to comparable older models.
My early 1980s machine just cleared three dozen two-car driveways and a few miles of sidewalk... Of course, it has steel casters for the side skids and the impeller rubber wiper modification installed. Oh, and I swapped the OEM Tecumseh with a 8HP Harbor Freight Predator. ua-cam.com/video/J_uXxLUTCH8/v-deo.html
I love My Old Ariens! I am Running a st 828 from the 1988 model year , those old things are built like a tank! , I have Video of mine on my You Tube page if you are interested in watching!
@@DonBeforeDawn , I had an Early 90s St 824 before i had the 828 , It was also a very nice blower , sadly i was in need of some cash about a decade ago and sold it , it was in much better condition than my old 828 is in , but in the end i guess appearance is not everything as long as it runs well
Here I am at 5:58 in the morning after a 12 hour shift looking up snowblower videos on UA-cam! 😄. Actually just cleared my driveway with my ST824. I swear this thing is unstoppable. I've had since Nov. 2015 and it hasn't failed me yet. Best $250 I've ever spent. Gotta love Wisconsin winters!
My 35+ year old Toro still gets the job done very well. Infact it still looks good and even has shiny paint yet. It's all about how equipment is taken care of. The older ones are worth owning as they were made alot better than the new blowers with all the plastic parts and non adjustable carbs, etc.
After the winters first heavy snowfall, and moving to a place with 50 yards I relented and purchased one of these second hand. Result....2 weeks of rain and double digit degrees of celcius.
I ahve not even been able to test it, as all the snow has melted. I am like a kid waiting for the first snow, lol
ALl I can do is watch snowblower vids on youtube.
I just bought the 1998 ST 928 from the original owner complete with sales slip, owners/parts manual in beautiful condition. It is built as a commercial unit and built to last forever. I'm impressed. That model has a cast iron auger gearbox that you could flip the gears around and have brand new wear surfaces. Extreme easy to work on such as changing friction wheel and belts. Everything is built heavy duty and I see it actually does have a differential with a wheel lock if you prefer. Grease zerks all over but there is one on the double chain sprocket that you need to take the bottom pan off to grease. I think it has original friction wheel and belts and going to replace them. I heard they were the best and pretty sure they are now that I've inspected this one. I have big tractors with blades on the farm but this will be easier to use in many areas. Good video.
Nice job, can't wait. Picked up a 1974 like this summer, original owner
Dusting it off this weekend in preparation for winter. The snow is coming soon. 👍
Hey These older Ariens are awesome. There design along with the Tecumseh engine made great pair. They had torque. The only flaw was owners lack of maintenance OIL CHANGES. They did the job for many years.
Great History
I just picked up a similar machine, only it is a 1980 Ariens ST824. Going through it right now. Cannot wait to try it out.
It may be just me, but I believe older machines are simply built better.
@@DonBeforeDawn It's not just you, trust me.
IT throw snow like a champ, the old Ariens is still going strong, like the screw driver trick
I have heard the old Ariens are almost bullet proof, looks like this one is still going strong! Just noticed the house in behind yours when you went to the side of your house. Looks like the Amityville horror house with the chimney and windows. 8:09 part. Anyhow, nice video.
I just acquired an ST824 and will be doing some engine work. Enjoyed your video
Don before Dawn you gained a new sub hope to see more snow blower video's
Get the next taller chute that Ariens came out with for their sno thros. It will do wonders for you and it will keep the snow coming out of the chute more intact.
Ariens, over the years, did a lot of experimenting with both chute height and angles, for places that get real tall snow banks. You'll see cheaper blowers with more of an _out_ facing chute and less of an _up_ facing chute.
I've heard the matching tall chutes are really sought after for those older blowers.
Just a idea for your next video. Maybe one on how to properly store your snowblower and some PM that goes along with it..
The old Machines is built like a tank, thick metall and that means more weight on the bucket which is a good thing
It's going to kick ass
It’s just coming of age!
My 1971 Ariens with Predator 212 is going strong as of today. 2nd owner and will not part with it!
I just got a smaller version of this its a Jacobsen single stage self propelled model things awesome runs great it just did a foot of snow with no issues
Just got a hand me down 8hp snowblower similar to that today. At least 20 years old. Runs like a champ, its been right around freezing out so far so no cold starts yet.
Put in and burnt 1/2 gallon of 87 octane. Had a 1/4 tank of mixed fuel in it when i got it. Probably not the end of the world if it was 25% mixes fuel, 75% gasoline. Ill add 2 stroke oil and fuel tomorrow, 10cm coming.
used mix gas numerous times in lawn mowers and snow blowers because i got in a pickle everytime; never caused an issue for me.
It is good machine a lot of Ariens snowblower out there
Great video!!
Ariens King of Snow. That’s a self driving snowblower. St.Paul,Minnesota.
With maintenance, those will last almost forever.
Jim probably just wanted a new blower. I got a free weed wacker once, "doesn't run", I put fuel mix in it and it started right up, lol.
Ariens are built better than many machines, new or old.
More ball bearings, which both last longer and are more easily replaceable if they fail. If you over run a bushing, for example, now you've eaten into the surrounding metal and it's time to break out the torch and welder.
Grease zirks are also and Ariens thing. Even 4 figure Hondas don't have them.
There should also be a zirk on the side to grease the transmission.
That plastic throttle handle looks out of place. Those get brittle and break over time. You probably can't stop that. If you do stiffen up the travel and/or that eventually breaks, I fixed one buy pulling the metal out of a stubby screw driver and pressing the handle onto the metak stalk with a C clamp. If you used a generic black stubby screwdriver, someone might not even notice, lol.
I'm glad the carb worked out. I resist that until the old carb is completely unrebuildable. I had to clean out the carb once on my old 524. What finally did it in was previous owners used lots of salt, and it had been patched up and painted already, but metal fatigue set in and the housing started cracking in half.
I just about broke out the welder when I looked at newer blowers and the improvements and decided to go that route.
The new Ariens aren't built as well, but they have a lot of design improvements. The power of the new OHV motors makes a big difference too.
Anyway, the one you have looks in great shape. Probably could use some drift cutters, tho. ;)
I put drift cutters and mounted the deluxe cleanout tool on mine. The deluxe tool is great for brushing it off when done using.
Also, with those chains, you may be able to get buy w/o locking the diff. That diff comes from the old days when they had lawnmower attachments. The idea was unlockit for the summer and lock it for the winter.
The new ones have "auto steer" which is, basically, a modified Detroit Locker. I've read mixed reviews. People say if your tire pressure and shoes aren't all matching in adjustment that the machine won't track straight.
Although, even regular blowers need equal air pressure or they'll pull one direction.
Oh, and it's not a bad idea every decade or so to pull off all the covers and visually inspect all the belts and bearings, maybe lube a few things. Snowblowers will run for a long time with no maintenance, but certain things when left alone too long can turn into a big repair if they aren't caught early. I had a friend with an old Montgomery Ward blower and one day it just stopped moving. The axle had worn through the bushing, then the housing, all the way until internal transmission parts, that weren't supposed to touch, started touching, lol.
Enough rambling, nice machine.
It sounds like you know alot about snow blowers. 😎
Before I replaced the carb I did rebuild it, but was so pitted inside I could never get to run right. Since replacing it (15 ish years ago) it's been running strong. 👍
@@DonBeforeDawn I learned a lot over the years, lol. I tend to really overdo looking into the minutia of certain things. I have to thank the internet for a lot of it, tho, and people who shared fixes on their machines. I also learned on my machine and a couple family and friends' machines.
Also, where I used to work I had a lot of duties and in that capacity I did end up fixing a few snowblowers.
One time a Toro was throwing belts and I found the main impeller bearing wore oval due to age/lack of lube. Well, they needed it, I couldn't be waiting for parts, so I just pressed it out, pressed it back in upside down so it would wear on the other side. Cheesy fix, but it worked, lol. Sadly, I never saw it come back for a proper fix. Whoever worked on it next probably had a surprise. ;)
Sounds you did everything you could. Sometimes old carbs aren't savable. I'm glad the new one worked out.
Only taking 1/2 cuts, but whatever it takes after 35 years 🤟
I noticed that too, 24 inch blower 1/2 passes you are only making 1 foot cuts, wouldn't do it for me would take me all day at that pace.
Sir what brand tire traction chains are those. They seem to work well
@@Mike-b2t1q they were on the machine when I acquired it. If you are looking for something similar you can search by wheel/tire size.
I have one made in 1968
Only making 1/2 passes 1 foot at a time. Would like to see how it preformed with a "Predator" Honda Clone engine on it. The old blowers were by far better, built like tanks, then the newer ones, but the old Tecumseh engines were low RPM gutless piles of sh*t compared to more modern OHV engines, hence that's why newer ones move so much more snow then compared to comparable older models.
I sell and repair snow blowers and Ariens are the easiest for reliability
How do you make a U turn on this thing? Is there some control lever or just by force? thanks
Force. It turns easy if the differential lock is not engaged. Otherwise it takes more effort to get it to turn, but there are no controls to assist.
@@DonBeforeDawn Thank you for the reply!
Add a set of caster skids and it will turn just using your finger tips,
35 years what 35 years. She works better than the new ones.
My early 1980s machine just cleared three dozen two-car driveways and a few miles of sidewalk...
Of course, it has steel casters for the side skids and the impeller rubber wiper modification installed.
Oh, and I swapped the OEM Tecumseh with a 8HP Harbor Freight Predator.
ua-cam.com/video/J_uXxLUTCH8/v-deo.html
great, just what youtube needs. yet another MTV style music video masquerading as a snowblower video
yeah musics wicked gay but whatever. . .
i see a hot rod what ya got fellow gear head ???
ua-cam.com/video/zt81n-GdB48/v-deo.html
I love My Old Ariens! I am Running a st 828 from the 1988 model year , those old things are built like a tank! , I have Video of mine on my You Tube page if you are interested in watching!
I watched your machine in action, definitely gave it a workout. 80's era snow blowers are built tough no doubt.
@@DonBeforeDawn , I had an Early 90s St 824 before i had the 828 , It was also a very nice blower , sadly i was in need of some cash about a decade ago and sold it , it was in much better condition than my old 828 is in , but in the end i guess appearance is not everything as long as it runs well