Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO Review

Here's a quick but comprehensive overview of the Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO snow blower to help you decide whether or not it's worth the investment.

Seriously, what happened to winter? I remember wintertime being cold and snowy but never in my short time on this earth do I remember winter being this treacherous. Sure we had blizzards from time to time but now it seems like a blizzard during winter is to be expected! Blankets of snow have now become mountains of snow and it's really getting harder and harder to deal with.

Snow blowers have been trying to keep up with these kinds of conditions by getting smarter and more powerful. In my opinion, however, the features they keep piling on year after year aren't enough to effectively manage my winter problems.

I need a classic, tank-like snow blower that I know can handle the worse of what winter has to offer. (And believe me, I live in MN, I know my snow!)

In the Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO, I think I've found just that.

This two stage gasoline powered machine looks and feels more like a farm tractor than it does a snow blower. The weight and appearance of the whole thing are definitely imposing. The real question though is does it have the power to back it up with its two reverse speeds? Well, let's see if the 28 SHO is indeed the machine I need to deal with winter once and for all:

Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO Features

Let's see what this two stage snow blower has in store for us!

Powerful, 4-cycle gas engine. 

15 ft-lbs of torq compatible to about 12.5 hp -- that's a mechanic language that essentially means that this is one powerful gas engine. An engine like that could power a small car!

Thanks to this bad boy, the Ariens Deluxe can plow through snow (heavy wet snow too!) and throw it at a maximum distance of 50 feet. That's one of the farthest distances of any that I've reviewed thus far. The big ariens deluxe definitely makes snow removal less of a chore, and more fun! 

Though it should be noted that the "maximum" distance is not always the actual distance of it blowing snow. 

You're more like to through snow at a distance between 30-40 feet with the Ariens Deluxe 28 Sho. Still pretty far though.

14-inch 3-Blade All-Steel Impeller

The Deluxe model is equipped with a larger impeller and discharge chute, allowing it to push out more snow than other models.

With a throwing radius of over 40 feet, the Ariens snowblower can expect to cut through 72 tons of snow per hour. The serrated blades are especially effective at cutting through compacted snow and ice.

The gear case is made from durable cast iron and alloy steel, lubed with synthetic gear oil for a long lifespan, and comes with a 5-year warranty.

The Ariens Deluxe 28 uses shear pins, which are designed to break under impact to protect the engine. I have rarely seen them break from normal use, but if you hit a flower pot or curb hard enough, they will give way to prevent damage to the engine.  Additionally, the auger axle has two shear bolts. If the auger ever severely binds, these will (intentionally) snap before any damage is done to the machinery.

Wide, 28-inch clearing path!

Another important feature to note about the Ariens Deluxe 28 Sho is that it leaves a clearing of 28-inches wide. Most snowblowers, even gas-powered ones, usually have a clearing distance between 20-24 inches, and many snowblowers offer much less than that.

A wider intake means you can deal with more snow (wet snow, powder, etc) and work faster. This makes the Ariens Deluxe 28 Sho ideal for a large property and maybe even a small park.

Electric start & Recoil Backup Starting System.

The Ariens Deluxe 28 Sho is equipped with a 120V electric start with recoil backup starting system.

The electric start gas engine means all you have to do is press a button and go about your merry way.

Chute-controlled by an in-dash lever

Another great feature that the Ariens deluxe 28 sho shares with the other newer types of snow blowers is that its discharge chute can be controlled right where the handles are. Rotation of the chute is easy, and only takes one hand!

This offers a greater amount of maneuverability and makes for simpler use. Usually, you have to bend down and manually rotate the discharge chute before you change directions but with this model, you can just turn the lever and the discharge chute will do what you want it to.

Other things like the deflector, steering, and speed settings are also easily controlled from the bicycle handlebar.

LED Headlights

Unless you seriously hate your neighbors, using a loud piece of machinery like this at night is not something that I would recommend.

On the chance that you live somewhere far out in the country, or you really do hate your neighbors, then the Ariens Deluxe 28 Sho comes with powerful LED lamps to light the way.

Worth Noting: These are LED, not halogen headlights.  LED's are just as bright, and use 85% less power!

More Features:

• Commercially, this product comes with 3 years of warranty but some users have stated that this comes with a lot of red tapes if, indeed, you need to use it. The entire frame is made from cast iron, including it's cast iron gear case,  so it seems pretty sturdy to me.
• Weighing in at more than 260 pounds, this has got to be one of the heaviest I've ever reviewed. A snowblower like this is definitely gonna need a little muscle to get into place before you fire it up.