Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO (28") 301cc Two-Stage Snow Blower

Excellent machine in every way. Have a 400 foot driiveway with an incline from the street. 8" of heavy wet snow easily dispatched in about an hour. The steering assist made everything so easy, just and nudge on one handle and the machine turns. Chute controls are a breeze as well as auger and drive handles. Threw the wet snow at least 20 ft and further when I hit some powder. Did a lot of research before buying this model and very satisfied.

Bought this 3 weeks ago after our first 14" snow storm in Rhode island. We have just now received record wet snow from the nor'easter. Our snowblower was a beast. Single lane 350' driveway with some drifts up to 3 feet tall. Done and dusted. Took me 2.5 hrs. Used about 1.2 gallons of fuel. What a monster of a machine.

Very impressed and happy with this purchase. The Auto Turn feature works very smoothly. Powers through wet heavy snow and start easily with the pull start and the electric start. Actually looking forward to the next storm.

Purchased the deluxe 28 SHO last year 2025 but never got to really use it in CT until this year 2026 in our first snowstorm and during Blizzard Calvin today, we are extremely happy with this snowblower as it went through 20 in of snow without any issues, I highly recommend this snowblower

I took position of the Deluxe 28 SHO in early 2023 and I couldn't be more happy. I have a steep driveway and initially I was worried about the Deluxe 28 making it up the hill.....but no worries there, it walked right up the driveway without one slip. It starts first time every time and has great power!! Easy to start, and easy to handle. I have to say that the "auto-turn" is fantastic!! I've seen some posts from other users that indicate that it doesn't work or is cumbersome......I can tell you first hand that it works flawlessly. The only gripe I have......where is the fuel gauge?? Come on Ariens, you make a world class Snow blower that is both high quality, durable and moves the snow.....so how about a fuel gauge?

I bought the Deluxe 28 SHO after doing extensive research - which included reading many reviews both here and elsewhere. When you unpack and install the Deluxe 28 SHO, you really become aware of the level of quality and design Ariens put into this machine. I emphasize "machine" because unlike most purchases made today, this unit is designed to last (as opposed to being a consumable item). Related to that - the design supports easy access to all components that need to be worked on. For myself, I recognize the similarity this snow blower has with farm machinery (tractors, skid steers and other small equipment outfitted with Grease Zerks/Fittings). If you take care of it, it will last and be dependable. Above all else, the power capacity of the Deluxe 28 SHO is amazing and can handle any kind of snow. As many reviewers have mentioned, if you want a snow blower that requires no maintenance - just use it and forget it, this machine is not for you. If, however you have a farmer's mindset and have the desire and ability to take care of things - look no further. This is your go to tractor.

I have used an Ariens 28 SHO since 2015 without any problems. I burn the fuel out in the spring. I refill with stabilized fuel with no starting issues. Only used electric start once when I got the machine to see if it worked. New Jersey. Gets about 22” of snow a year from light to heavy. Handles slush well and will blow the the light snow 50' and clears the end of the driveway that is frozen plowed snow. Exceeded expectations. Would buy again.

Very strong, built solid...live it..

While I love the performance of my Ariens Deluxe SHO 28 inch snow blower with the AX 360cc engine, I couldn't be more perturbed by the stupidity of having to do a major dismantling of the engine cover just to change a spark plug! If not for the spark plug issue I would rate this blower 5 stars, but I had to change the spark plug at -20°C. I do not have a shop to take it in, so I had to dismantle the engine cover, without losing screws and knobs in the snow with freezing hands. Not impressed. For this and only this reason I would strongly recommend anyone that does not own a warm shop to reconsider owning this machine. While almost all the maintenance can be done in the summer, inevitably you will have a bad spark plug and having to deal with that in the snow is just incredibly bad engineering, done by someone with no consideration whatsoever for the average home owner trying to use this snow blower. Just stupid!

I'm currently on my 2nd winter using this snowblower. Winter 1 went great, though we did have lower amounts of snow than normal. The 2nd winter has been full of frustration. It started after the 3rd storm when burning rubber could be smelled at the end of cleaning the driveway. Upon pulling the belt cover, it became apparent that the drive belt had become twisted. On top of that, the axles sieze up after sitting for any amount of time. The only way to move the snowblower after it sits over night is to start it up and use the drive system. Once it "breaks free", it can be moved by hand, until it sits again. This is my first Ariens, and I had higher expectations after being told for years how great they are, but my box store Husqvarna honestly had fewer issues than this machine. I'll go through it this spring (new belts, grease / anti seize axles), but that's not something that should have to be done every 2 years.