Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I have a 1970's John Deere 732 that I bought it used as my first snowblower and it really doesn't throw snow very well.  Thanks to this forum I have purchased the impeller kit from Clarence small engine and waiting to receive it and put it on.    However, in the mean time, I saw this Honda HS828S for sale for $350.    According to the ad, it is in VERY GOOD condition but has not been started in 3 years and the gas will need to be drained  and replace before starting.    Couple of questions for you experts:

1.  What year do you think this is?

2.  Is this a good unit and a good deal?

3.  Would you recommend bringing gas with me and try to start it before I buy it?

based upon what i have read on these forums that is a steal. do a fast check on ebay to see what these things  go for.

my guess is that the more knowledgeable on this forum will say change the oil before starting.

good luck and let us know  what develops.

heer are 2 for twice as much


Honda HS828S Snowblower
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$202.02. USA - Gravely Snowblower Bracket Qh Blower $14.95 ..

BWC,

It will most likly need a carb and fuel tank,cleaning if you can not start it.

Maybe a new fuel filter, if it has one on it  it !!

As Solara said, oil change also.

                                           Fred

jubol wrote:

BW - chances are a carb & tank cleaning along with an oil change should resurrect this to running condition. Get the serial number off of it & goto www.planopower.com to the snowblower section. They break down the machines by year based on the serial number. With the engine currently "dead", there is no way to check auger operation or the self propelled feature. At the very least, remove the shear bolts & make sure the auger rakes spin freely. If they don't, walk away from this deal. And keep in mind that Honda parts are EXPENSIVE...

Marty

FROM THE PLANO SITE:

Model and Serial Numbers

While at first, the model numbers for the different snowblower models may look like gibberish, they actually do mean something. Let's take a look at a typical model number. 

HS521K1 AS

In this model number, "HS" simply stands for Honda Snowblower". The first number, 5, represents the horsepower (4.5 in this case), which is usually rounded to the nearest whole number. The next two numbers give the clearing width for this model, 21". Models made before 1987 will not have the clearing width as part of the model number. The "K1" indicates the version of that model. Honda may make small changes in a model from time to time. The new version will have approximately the same specifications as the previous one, so it's not given a new model number. Instead, Honda gives it a new K number. The HS521 is replaced by the HS521K1, and so on. Some of the changes are obvious, but some are not. The most reliable way to tell which K number your machine has is by using the frame serial number, usually located on the rear of the chassis near where the handles are connected. Where needed, we list the serial number ranges for the different versions below. 

The letters after the model number tell about some of the features of the model. "A" simply means that the machine was made for the American market. The "S" indicates electric start. On self-propelled models, there will be either a "T", indicating track drive, or a "W", indicating wheel drive.

I think all of you forgot to think about the gearing system could fail too?

like belt slipping, worn gear teeth, loose parts.

Whatever..

Den

Denis wrote:

Denis - if you read my post above MORE CAREFULLY, you will see that "all of us" DID NOT forget this....

Marty

Catfisher,

Who took this picuture? Maybe it is three years old, too so you have not idea what it looks like.
Based on everything I have read here, I would consider a new new machine, which will last ten years,
with an annual cost of less than $100/year.

For me, it would be a waste of time to check out a snowblower that is neither running, nor has run for three years.
Taking it to the shop could easily cost you $200.

With the mild winter we are having in Cleveland, (not knowing where you live), by the end of the month
your dealers should have some reduced prices on their inventory.


Gary

GARY,

Look at the date on the pic

so bw what did u do?  there is a guy on a nother forum that just bought one of these for 1K and he appears to be quite pleased.

Yeah, did you buy it? If not, let me know where it is so I can buy it?

It was posted on craigslist.com in the minneapolis section.  The seller never responded to me when I asked for the year of the machine.  And then it mysteriously disappeared from the website.  If I hadn't had kept the picture, I would have thought for sure I made it up in my mind 

Anyway, I just added the impeller kit from Clarence small engine to my JD 732.  She is pushing a lot more air out the chute than before, just don't have any snow here in Minneapolis to test her out.  I am hoping that will be the fix for me.  If not, then it looks I am heading to HD for an Ariens. 

Thanks guys!!

Catfish,

That impeller kit will make a  huge difference  in your blowers performance!!!

                                                                          fred

               

Fred,

Not sure why you call me catfish, but it has good ring to it

I hope your right regarding the impeller kit.  I have a mind to just take the JD 732 through the yard and see what she can do.  I can tell you this, the impeller bladers were in rough shape.  Bent, nicked and a huge gap between the housing.  Like I said, she is pushing some serious wind now.  Can't wait for the next snow to see how she does.

Thanks again for all the advice.   Would never have known about the kit without you guys.

BW

BWCATFISHING ,

Is to long.

Let us know how it works, might help someone else!!

                                                   Fred

Yes I'm interested in the impleller kit also, does it improve the preformance when the snow is only 3-4 inches? How would you rate the installation?

jubol wrote:

What does this impeller kit consist of ?

DNK1,

Here it is for the impeller kit:                             http:/smllengns.tripod.com/

I can not get the link system to work!!

                                                                     Fred

                                                        

DNK1 wrote:

Well we finally got a little snow yesterday, about 3 inches.  I took the old JD 732 out with the new impeller kit and WOW!!  It was a very wet, heavy 3 inches and that tired old 732 through that heavy snow over 25 feet!   No problem at the end of the driveyway either, just ran right through it.  Yeah baby!!!  Now I can run right down the middle of my driveway and shoot the snow over the bank on the other side.  Prior to that, it show snow about 4 feet and then I had to shoot it again.    Also, it never clogged once.  Before it would clog and die all the time.    I am very pleased!!!!!

Okay, another question.  My shoot is totally rusted on the inside.   If I spray it with silicone spray will that help the performance even more?  Or should I try and paint it with a high gloss paint first and then spray with silicone?  I am guessing the paint would just peel right off. 

Thanks again to this forum for saving me some big $$$$.   Instead of dropping $1k on a brand new snowblower, I spent $30 on the impeller kit and have a new machine!

Catfish,

Glad to hear that the "Impeller Kit"  helped!!

This summer, take the chute off, sand to bare metal.

Then prime and paint with a 2 part Epoxy marine paint.

At least 2 finish coats!!

West Marine sells the primer and finish paint.

bwcafishing wrote:
On these two (1970 and 1995) I stripped and cleaned them, used rust neutralizer (Duro Extend) then spray can primer and Duplicolor engine enamal, which is $3.75 per can and happens to match Ariens orange. I did it in the suummer so I could do plenty of prep and have warm temps to apply since I don't have a booth or anything. They've only been used an hour or so this season but seem to be holding up OK. Both the blower housings and chutes were repainted.

Don't use silicone spray if you're going to repaint. It's very difficult to remove to get good adhestion.

I use silicone spray in hard-to-reach areas but find that auto wax, ski wax or a candle lasts longer in that area. Depending on the chute and what you are picking up (like road sand) they're all going to get beat up over time.
There are some guys that line the inside of their chutes with HDPE (High Density Polyethylene, the type of material used in cutting boards and some flexible sleds) and find that holds up better and helps a bit wit hthrowing distance. I tried it last season and didn't note any difference.