Hi,

This is just letting off a bit of steam, I guess.

I bought a new Ariens snowblower a few weeks ago.

Their middle of the line series, called "Deluxe" Series.
About $ 900.

Had one before which gave up on me finally.
Was about 30 years of age.
A real quality item.

Boy, have they cheapened them incredibly.

My biggest complaint is that my old one had a wheel differential.

These new ones, unless you go up to about $ 1,300 to their "Professional"
series don't.

You can either pin, with a clevis pin, both wheels, which makes it just
about impossible to turn as you have
to skid one wheel. Or, you can only pin one wheel to make it easy to turn,
but the unit always pulls, very heavily, to one side during normal
operation. Just about unusable for a guy of my age, either way.

Seems to me for a thousand bucks they could put a differential in there like
All their old units had, irrespective of the price.

How much can it possibly cost them ?

After trying to plow my driveway, it is obvious that this shouldn't be
something only for their top of the line series; that it is an ABSOLUTE
necessity for all their units.

The bean-counters must have had their way at Ariens; no reasonably competent
engineer would ever, ever design something like this and market it.

BTW: is there any way to modify it, easily, perhaps ?

Bob