Ariens SnowTech @ HD

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Originally Posted By: Milkman
So, LCT engines are Chinese ?


Yup! Also expect more of the Chinese engines to become more prevalent as time goes by.

Part of the blame can be had with Briggs & Stratton when they bought Simplicity/Snapper and got into small power equipment business. They became a competitor rather than a supplier to the other small power equipment companies.

With the collapse of Tecumseh, many of these other small power equipment makers felt a conflict of interest with B&S supplying them engines and also being a competitor for assembled power equipment.
 
Originally Posted By: Hootbro

Yup! Also expect more of the Chinese engines to become more prevalent as time goes by.

Part of the blame can be had with Briggs & Stratton when they bought Simplicity/Snapper and got into small power equipment business. They became a competitor rather than a supplier to the other small power equipment companies.

With the collapse of Tecumseh, many of these other small power equipment makers felt a conflict of interest with B&S supplying them engines and also being a competitor for assembled power equipment.


this post is DEAD on!!!!!
 
Originally Posted By: Hootbro

With the collapse of Tecumseh, many of these other small power equipment makers felt a conflict of interest with B&S supplying them engines and also being a competitor for assembled power equipment.


I'm sure that played into it, along with the fact that "Chonda" or LCT could supply them with engines for probably half of what Briggs wanted. It's all about the lowest cost supplier.

Have you seen what a new replacement Briggs snow engine is going for? They're around $550! You gotta be kidding me Briggs?? They won't be in the business long.

Joel
 
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Originally Posted By: kcfx4
...hasnt blown my dress up...

You must get a lot of looks. Especially in a set of pumps...
lol.gif
 
Originally Posted By: JTK


I'm sure that played into it, along with the fact that "Chonda" or LCT could supply them with engines for probably half of what Briggs wanted. It's all about the lowest cost supplier.

Have you seen what a new replacement Briggs snow engine is going for? They're around $550! You gotta be kidding me Briggs?? They won't be in the business long.

Joel


Buy a few thousand at once and that $550 comes down considerably since they can kick them off the truck palletized to you.

Even with that, of course profit margins are better with the Chinese engines and agree that played a factor in it also.

Keep in mind that B&S also has been making engines in China, but these have been regulated to the vertical shaft lower end lawnmower engines. Also, many parts are coming from China for the U.S. assembled engines.
 
The Vanguard is still available and, along with the Kohler Command, have no rivals when put to real work such as commercial mowing. Running 1k hours a season in 90 degree heat at full speed and they run 4k hours if maintained.

The reason you never see them in OPE is no one wants something that will last 40 years like a tractor from the 70's and 80's. this stuff setting on the HD floors, and the dealers, are absolute junk. I collect tractors and assure you i am well versed. I have 30 WheelHorses alone.

The last new tractor I bought was a 2006 Craftsman GT5000 with a hydro. The tranny was fried in a couple months doing the work that I expect from a "tractor". Sears replaced the tranny but it failed again half way through the winter from plowing snow. They are built to a price point and not a quality point. the 50 year lifespan machines are gone.

Now, you can still purchase a good machine, say a John Deere 700 series or a Simplicity Legacy. Plan to pay 10k with attachments. Sears is selling a Simplicity Prestige for 6k. I challenge you to go to a dealer and have a good look, feel the metal, look at the fit/finish. then go to sears...you can bend the metal on the seat pan with your bare hand, open the hood and push on it with one finger, you'll swear you are going to break it. Why oh why? It is 1k less at Sears vs the dealer and yet it is so cheapened up its almost funny

Now were talking about chinese engines...and john q public wonders why his shiny brand new Husqvarna keeps frying trannies and the engines wont last 500 hrs because they put the cheapest Briggs they can possibly purchase. now we want Japanese/chinese engines to save 100 bucks on a 3k machine and we wonder were are jobs are going.
 
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Originally Posted By: JTK
Originally Posted By: Smokescreen
I heard the only difference between the full orange Ariens and the Snotek was the Ariens used B&S engines while the Snotek version used an LCT engine.


Originally I thought the chassis was completely different between the two lines, but at a closer look it does look like they are the same! Here is an Ariens Delux 28 and a Sno-Tek 28. Regardless, we're going way OT given the OP stated he wants a SINGLE stage unit anyway.



imgMain.jpg


imgMain.jpg



Joel


I was recently comparing the two snowblowers(Ariens/SnoTec) on HD online. Both looked identical except for color(black or orange) and both were the same 28 inch opening/auger system. I also compared identical smaller(24 or maybe 26 inch) Ariens/SnoTec units. Same thing! Ariens, for a little more money, you would get a little more of this & that.

I am looking for another snowblower as I am tired of fixing the POS 10 yr old MTD.

SnoTec 28" = $699, Ariend 28" = $999...For $300 more the Ariens had larger wheels/tires, metal instead of plastic shoot/discharge, larger or different auger/impeller system, larger cc motor and a bunch of other small features compared to the SnoTec. Not more features, just larger so to speak! I want to trust the Ariens more and would easily pay more for the Ariens over their own lower end brand(SnoTec). The SnoTec seemed to be fully Chineese including the engine and I don't know if thats a bad thing. The Ariens was(supposed to be mostly USA made)including the B&S motor. Again, IDK!

I'm looking for build quality and something that I don't have to keep fixin' every week after only 7-9 years of ownership. And then ever year also. Repeatedly and the same things.

With this 10 year old MTD($700), Im constantly fixing the belts. They won't stay on the pullys. The return springs and cables keep breaking and the rest of the unit except the engine is falling apart. Shame on them for their low quality. Shame on me if I buy another one!

I'll gladly spend a $1000 if I don't have to constantly be fixing the thing from year 7. I don't think that I did much with my '79 Ariens til about the 18th year with the exception of PM.
 
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Please forgive me, I'm not trying to steal this thread but I have just a couple of Q's.

Can someone please explain to me this LCT engine? Is this the Chinese knockoff of the Honda engine that I keep hearing about? Are other companies using the LCT engine? I have a reason for asking!

My buddy just purchaced a Sears/Craftsman snwoblower brand new.
He just had surgery and Im helping to keep his driveway clean while he is recovering by using his new blower. I don't see any name on the engine such as B&S, Tecumseh or even Honda for that matter but, this is the smoothest small engine I have ever used. Almost seems electric it's so smooth. It says OHV on the muffler cover or something like that. 179 cc engine I beleive!

I just bought a TroyBuilt lawn mower in summer'09, with a Honda motor(states HONDA on the motor and has a Honda users manual) and it isn't this smooth...No way!
 
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chonda.jpg


Been a few storms since I repowered an old toro 724 from tecumseh to Harbor Freight 6.5 "chonda". May not be exactly the same as LCT but from the same blueprints.

Yes I have an air filter and don't need it, but it draws from underneath where there isn't much snow or water flying around.

Torque curve is good and the carb is 1000 times less finicky than the tec. My biggest fear now is it runs so well my wife takes it out and is smashing the auger into icy banks and other "danger zones" where I don't go (on purpose) and she thinks I'm just lazy and she's going to bust something else like a shear pin!

They say these motors are good on gas, well, I've been through a few gallons, but OTOH it's been quite a winter.
 
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
Please forgive me, I'm not trying to steal this thread but I have just a couple of Q's.

Can someone please explain to me this LCT engine? Is this the Chinese knockoff of the Honda engine that I keep hearing about? Are other companies using the LCT engine? I have a reason for asking!

My buddy just purchaced a Sears/Craftsman snwoblower brand new.
He just had surgery and Im helping to keep his driveway clean while he is recovering by using his new blower. I don't see any name on the engine such as B&S, Tecumseh or even Honda for that matter but, this is the smoothest small engine I have ever used. Almost seems electric it's so smooth. It says OHV on the muffler cover or something like that. 179 cc engine I beleive!

I just bought a TroyBuilt lawn mower in summer'09, with a Honda motor(states HONDA on the motor and has a Honda users manual) and it isn't this smooth...No way!


To my knowledge, the LCT engines are based off of older Honda engine design but are not true 100% clones.

I have a new Craftsman 24" snow blower also that has the 179cc engine. This engine is not a LCT derived engine but a different Chinese maker clone type engine. Like you, I have noticed it to be a smooth engine also. Only quirk on mine, is that it has to run on 1/4 choke for 10-15 minutes of use before going to no choke.
 
Originally Posted By: Hootbro
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
Please forgive me, I'm not trying to steal this thread but I have just a couple of Q's.

Can someone please explain to me this LCT engine? Is this the Chinese knockoff of the Honda engine that I keep hearing about? Are other companies using the LCT engine? I have a reason for asking!

My buddy just purchaced a Sears/Craftsman snwoblower brand new.
He just had surgery and Im helping to keep his driveway clean while he is recovering by using his new blower. I don't see any name on the engine such as B&S, Tecumseh or even Honda for that matter but, this is the smoothest small engine I have ever used. Almost seems electric it's so smooth. It says OHV on the muffler cover or something like that. 179 cc engine I beleive!

I just bought a TroyBuilt lawn mower in summer'09, with a Honda motor(states HONDA on the motor and has a Honda users manual) and it isn't this smooth...No way!


To my knowledge, the LCT engines are based off of older Honda engine design but are not true 100% clones.

I have a new Craftsman 24" snow blower also that has the 179cc engine. This engine is not a LCT derived engine but a different Chinese maker clone type engine. Like you, I have noticed it to be a smooth engine also. Only quirk on mine, is that it has to run on 1/4 choke for 10-15 minutes of use before going to no choke.


Exactly!
I noticed this too. This Craftsman is a 24" also and when the engine is started, I had to run more choke than not and then it ran fine without surging. Otherwise it surges while idling and the choke completely off.
 
Originally Posted By: Char Baby

Exactly!
I noticed this too. This Craftsman is a 24" also and when the engine is started, I had to run more choke than not and then it ran fine without surging. Otherwise it surges while idling and the choke completely off.


What little I have read up on, I think the spark plugs are of low quality. Will probably change it out to new USA manufacture one to see if that helps with the cold surging.
 
Hootbro,
The surging is as though the governor is bopping up/down and needs an adjustment. It's fine when you really push the blower into a snow pile(under load) and the governor raises the rpm and holds it til the snow is gone from the auger
 
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
Hootbro,
The surging is as though the governor is bopping up/down and needs an adjustment. It's fine when you really push the blower into a snow pile(under load) and the governor raises the rpm and holds it til the snow is gone from the auger


Sounds plausible. Still going to change the plug for general purpose reasons.
 
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
Please, let us know if changing the spark plug changes the idle! Thanks,
CB


Put a platinum plug in it and nothing changed.
 
Originally Posted By: Hootbro
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
Please, let us know if changing the spark plug changes the idle! Thanks,
CB


Put a platinum plug in it and nothing changed.


What was in it?
 
Originally Posted By: Char Baby

What was in it?


Some Chinese brand "Torch" standard copper plug. Tell you the truth, actually looked pretty good and was doing the job fine.

Put in a Bosh Platinum P/N 4478 plug and no noticeable difference in the surging. Still have to have a little choke on until warm.

To me, not worth messing with carb or governor settings and that will be as far as I take it.
 
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