About Ariens
Ariens was founded in 1933 by Henry Ariens and his sons in Brillion, Wisconsin, and remains family-owned nearly a century later. The company built its first American-made rotary tiller in its early years, then in 1960 introduced the Sno-Thro, its self-propelled snow thrower line, and has since produced more than four million of those machines. Ariens now employs over 1,500 people across manufacturing and support operations in the United States, United Kingdom, and Norway.
The company's snow blower lineup runs from homeowner single-stage models up through commercial-grade two-stage machines, all built around a cast-iron gear case designed to outlast the stamped-steel or aluminum gearboxes common on lower-tier machines. Ariens backs its two-stage Deluxe-series snow blowers with a 3-year limited warranty covering parts and labor, extendable to 5 years through an Ariens Protection Plan, and every unit is still assembled at the original Brillion, Wisconsin facility where the company started.
Brand website: ariensco.com
What Ariens makes
Ariens's range runs wider than the products we review. The lines we know best from our own testing are marked with a star:
Two-Stage Snow Blowers
the Sno-Thro line, including the Deluxe SHO series — featured on DIYRated — featured on DIYRated
Single-Stage Snow Blowers
lighter-duty homeowner models for paved surfaces and moderate snowfall
Zero-Turn Mowers
riding zero-turn lawn mowers
Walk-Behind Mowers
push and self-propelled lawn mowers
Power Brooms
attachment and standalone finishing tools for driveway and walkway cleanup
Why we recognized Ariens
The DIYRated Top Brand recognition isn't paid for and can't be applied for. We award it to the brands whose products consistently stand out in our hands-on category reviews. Ariens earned it on the strength of the products below, evaluated the same way every product on this site is: bought, put to work on real jobs, and judged on merit.
Ariens products we rated highly
Ariens ST28DLE Deluxe SHO 28-Inch Two-Stage Gas Snow Blower
The Super High Output engine and 14-inch impeller move up to 72 tons of snow per hour in our testing, clearing heavy end-of-driveway plow piles that stall smaller machines. The cast-iron gear case and Auto-Turn steering are built for homeowners in heavy-snow regions who want a two-stage machine engineered to run for decades rather than seasons.
Read the 7 Best Snow Blowers of 2026 guide →What earned Ariens the recognition
- Family-owned since its 1933 founding in Brillion, Wisconsin, Ariens has built snow removal equipment there for nearly a century, including more than four million Sno-Thro units since introducing the line in 1960.
- The Deluxe SHO's cast-iron gear case is a build-quality choice distinct from the stamped-steel or aluminum gearboxes common on lower-tier two-stage machines, and it's backed by a 3-year parts-and-labor warranty extendable to 5 years.
- The Super High Output engine and 14-inch impeller move up to 72 tons of snow per hour, giving it enough throughput for heavy, wet snow and plowed-in driveway ends that stall lighter machines.
- Auto-Turn steering and a 28-inch clearing width with a 21-inch intake height are sized for large driveways and heavy-snowfall regions rather than light urban dustings.
- Every Deluxe SHO is still assembled at the original Brillion, Wisconsin facility, and the company maintains a dedicated dealer network for parts and service rather than relying solely on online retail support.