A snow blower is a household staple if you live in heavy snowfall regions where shoveling the snow by hand isn’t the best of ideas. Thankfully, there are a lot of reliable manufacturers who offer efficient snow blowers.
Ariens and Craftsman stand tall among them. They offer a variety of snow blowers including gas-powered, electric, single, and double-stage machines for domestic as well as professional uses.
But which one out of the two is a better choice? It’s going to be a tough call to make but let’s get into the details anyway.
Ariens vs. Craftsman: 2-Stage Snow Blower
Areas washed out with heavy blizzards need a powerful machine and single-stage snow blowers fall short of power in such cases.
The 2 stage snow blower by both Ariens and Craftsman is a trustworthy choice for battling through thick snow blankets. But, let’s see what sets them apart from each other.
Engine
The Ariens Deluxe SHO is powered by a high-performing engine from its Areins’ AX series. This snow blower boasts a 306cc mighty AX engine which can reliably cut through thick snow without breaking a sweat. The efficient impeller ensures an effortless throw of the snow up to 55 feet.
On the other hand, the Craftsman SB470 is equipped with a 243cc engine which is also capable of powering through thick and heavy snow even during the most challenging weather conditions. It comes with a 200-degree rotating chute that aids in a better throwing distance and reduces snow blowback at the same time.
The Ariens snow blower clearly has a stronger engine, however, that is not to say that Craftsman is not capable of dealing with extreme snow conditions. Their engines are equally reliable in terms of start-up too but Craftsman gets an edge for it comes with an electric push start feature as well.
Size
The Ariens 2-stage snow blower features a wide 28” clearing width which can devour 72 tons of snow per hour.
Likewise, the 2 stage snow blower by Craftsman also boasts a 28” clearing path which means it can deal with enormous amounts of snow too.
Both these snow blowers come with the surety of doing the most in less time, all hail to their substantial sizes and powerful engines.
Auger
Both Ariens and Craftsman snow blower have a 14” auger diameter. But the extended chute design in the Craftsman snow blower puts the Ariens blower to shade.
The 200-degree rotating chute in the Craftsman SB470 allows you to release snow to far-off places with minimal snow blowback. The rotating chute design significantly increases the throwing distance which is definitely a plus point for the Craftsman snow blower.
Construction
Ariens snow blower is a well-built machine with components made out of metal mostly. So it’s definitely going to be of service for a really long time. However, one thing which is slightly disappointing is the plastic construction of the pill starter recoil. It is very much at risk of breaking in the colder months and needs careful handling.
Craftsman SB470 is yet another sturdy machine that effortlessly cuts through the snow with its efficient serrated steel auger. This snow blower wins over Ariens in two major features. First, it comes with heated handle grips to keep your hands from freezing, and second, it also has poly skid shoes that protect the concrete as well as the snow blower.
Price
Keeping in view the performance and specifications of both the snow blowers, a $600 price difference seems a little too much to take in.
The Ariens Deluxe snow blower is priced at $1699 whereas, the Craftsman SB470 is $1000 machine providing a similar if not better performance. The engine capacity of the Ariens is slightly higher but in no way that can justify a $600 mark-up.
Ariens vs. Craftsman: Single Stage Snow Blowers
Double-stage snow blowers can be an overkill if you’re not a victim of heavy snow. So let’s talk single-stage snow blowers by Ariens and Craftsman now.
Engine
The Ariens Path Pro 208 is a gas-powered snow blower, equipped with a strong 208cc engine from the AX series. This snow blower can easily eat up to 9 inches of snow without a hiccup. The engine power for a single-stage snow blower is more than sufficient which is why it wipes out in no time.
On the contrary, the Craftsman gas-powered snow thrower is equipped with a 123cc engine which is quite a downgrade when compared to the 208cc Ariens snow blower. Nonetheless, it delivers a reliable performance for up to 6 inches of snowfall.
Size
Both Ariens and Craftsman snow blowers have a 21-inch-wide clearing path that allows you to get rid of a considerable amount of snow in lesser time.
21-inch clearing width is ideal for single-stage snow blowers and is easily enough to clear out a sizeable path with fewer passes. So it’s a tie between Ariens and Craftsman in this regard.
Auger
The Ariens snow blower has an 8.3” auger with a 12.7” inlet height. This machine can devour plenty of snow and throw it at a fairly large distance.
The Craftsman snow blower comes with a 13” intake height as well as easy chute control similar to the double-stage snow blower. You can easily discharge the snow at 190° and it doesn’t even blowback.
Construction
Both Ariens and Craftsman single-stage snow blowers have a robust construction with mostly metal everywhere. Anything else doesn’t last well in the cold so metal is a fine choice, unquestionably.
The Craftsman snow blower is lightweight and easy to maneuver. Although it does not operate on a self-propelling function, it’s one of the best single-stage snow blowers in the market.
The Ariens snow blower too, is easy to operate and the assembly happens in a snap as well. It comes with folding handlebars for easy storage which is an impressive feature for sure.
Overall, both of them have excellent construction and they’re going to treat you well for a long time.
Price
The Ariens Path Pro will cost you around $700 whereas, the Craftsman single-stage snow blower is available for $400.
Now the price difference is considerably high, sure. But the Ariens snow blower comes with a stronger 208cc engine as compared to the 123cc engine of the Craftsman. The snow blower by Ariens definitely has more power and can easily deal with hefty snow. So we’re not going to complain much.
Final Verdict
Ariens and Craftsman both manufacture reliable snow blowers but we have different opinions when it comes to single and double-stage snow blowers. The single-stage snow blower by Ariens is a better choice overall. As for the double-stage snow blower, we’re more in favor of Craftsman as it performs just as well as Ariens but at a fairly reasonable cost.