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

Hi all;

After hearing that the Yamaha were great machines, I was doing a little reading and looking at the machines they still make in japan. Wow, these machines look like tanks. With all the details being written in japanese I have no idea what its capable of, but from the images it sure looks hardcore. I have linked to some of the images for what looks to be their top model. You can see more here http://www.yamaha-motor.jp/snowthrower/lineup/index.html



Its nice that they even included a over on top of the engine so that I can cook supper while I am blowing snow.. lol.. Just joking, not sure what this is on top of the engine. Certainly a cool rig to look at.

Out of curiosity, did exchange rate based on MSRP for the machine in the biggest picture. At todays rate it would cost $11,854.00 Canadian dollars. 

The smallest machine, which still looks like a great machine


Would cost $5,757.70 Cdn dollars.

Here is the link to the translated website.

http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_url?doit=done&tt=url&intl=1&fr=bf-home&trurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.yamaha-motor.jp%2Fsnowthrower%2Flineup%2Findex.html+&lp=ja_en&btnTrUrl=Translate

I'd buy two now, before the US dollar exchange rate goes down any further. 

One to use and one for spare parts. 

Does the female model/operator in orange jacket comes with the purchase?

I find it amusing that these Japanese snowblower commercials always show a female operator who's so

happy to be walking behind one of these machines.  Aren't these machines targeted toward a different audience?

How do they say in Newfoundland?

Noice, reel noice.....

borat wrote:

Which one?

Borat, looks like you are not the only one to line your metal chute

Sombiches stole my idea....

borat wrote:

Sounds like a great idea. No stiking or corrosion issues.  How did you do it?  Any recommendation for doing it on a simplicity signature pro?

This is my second season using the lined chute.  Put it on the machine when it was brand new.

I used a Krazy Karpet that I bought at Chinadian Tire for $7.00.  I cut, shaped and formed it to fit inside the chute.  Takes a bit of imagination and a lot of elbow grease.

A piece off 2x4  - 24" long,  some clamps and a torch to warm the material will help to form it  and  make installation easier.  Mostly trial and error.  Trim, fit & trim some more until you get it right. 

The deflector has a layer of Krazy Karpet then a thin piece of stainless steel riveted to the inside.  Everything is holding up very well.

  Here's a pic:

For $11,854.00 I'd be buying a John Deere diesel tractor and put a couple more grand into it for a snow thrower attachment. 

It's nice but it ain't that nice. 

Can anybody resize this thread so it isn't so wide?  I had to scroll over to the next zip code just to find the "Reply" button.

While these are great and impressive machines, I wonder why something this big don't have a seat and a steering wheel? 

borat wrote:

Can Teflon (the stuff on non-stick frying pans) be painted on the inside of the chute? 

Teflon won't hold up too long against end of driveway snow, salt & gravel.  That's why I put the liner in.  It's very resilient and nothing sticks to it.

borat wrote:
What's the material of the Krazy Karpet?  Is it delrin in sheet form?  Is this similiar to the self healing cut mats?

aa335 wrote:

Can't tell you what it's made of for sure.  Some kind of durable plastic, 1 mm. thick, real slick on one side textured on the other.  It's flexible but not pliable.  Takes a bit of work to form it but stays in place nicely once in.  Kids use them to slide down the hills in winter.     

borat wrote:

I'm thinking about putting this on the chute.  I have a concern about putting holes on the chute to fasten the Krazy Karpet with rivets or screws as this would expose the metal and creates rust. 

What method did you use to make me material conform to the chute?

aa335 wrote:
I used two existing holes that were at the bottom of the chute and the hole that mounts to bolt to control the arc of the deflector at the top.  No drilling required with mine.  I wouldn't be nearly as worried about a couple of small holes vs. all the paint being blasted off the inside of the chute.  Neither situation would likely cause perforation or complete failure of the chute in a normal life time.  However, if you're concerned with drilling holes, paint them when you're finished drilling or put a dab of silicone on the hole when you do the assembly.  I certainly wouldn't let a couple of holes keep me from putting a liner in. 

Anyone know if the gearcase (in the auger housing) is made of cast iron, or aluminum?  Seems like all the cheaper models are using aliminum but the more expensive ones are cast iron that stands up to shock better.  Also, anyone use one of these babies on hard snow?  I just bought, and returned, a nice looking 1330SE that had the snowhog tires, but it jusy did not have the trAction to get it into hard snow like my old 826 (smooth tire, but with chains) does.

Dr_Woof wrote:
Gear case on what machine?  The Large Frame  and Pro series Simplicity's have the heavy duty cast iron gear case and some John Deer (Simplicity) also have it. 

Dr_Woof wrote:
That's not true.  There are expensive models with cast aluminum gear cases.  I think aluminum gear cases are predominant in most of the current snowblowers.

aa335 wrote:
We are seeing a lot more aluminum used than in the past. But we still see cast iron on the "heavier duty" machines. Aluminum is much cheaper and easier to manufacture a finished part with, but cast iron is much stronger and really has no downside except for the expense and weight. Weight is an advantage on the front of the machine so it comes down to cost.
And as we all (unfortunately) know, a great majority of today's machines are not built to last forever   they are built to maximize profits. I'm not saying profits are bad - we wouldn't have any companies making anything without them - but I am not a fan of maximizing profit by reducing quality.

Bill_H wrote:
What you are saying is true to an extend.  However, there's is the other side of the coin that I'll just throw in for consideration.

With the aid of computers, CAD systems, and Finite Element Analysis, many companies have utilize these tools to optimize the design for the specific duty and stress.  Gear cases can be made lighter and of different material that is suitable for homeowner use.  It's smarter use of material, reduce costs to manufacturer, reduce unnecessary use of materials and energy, and makes it more price competitive.  Sure as a layman, we may naturally want things heavy and thick as it can represent robustness and reliable.  I can tell you these costs reductions are not merely driven by profit, but to remain price competitive to survive.  The age of computer and global economy has made that practice a necessity.  Consumers drive down costs, squeezing profit margins from suppliers.  It's a vicious cycle. 

As a consumers, one must realize that these changes are our own doing too.  Make your purchases wisely, and think about how it does affect the future the next time you step into Walmart, Costco, Home Depot, and Sams Club.

Americans wants things cheap, high salaries and wages, with good benefits.  Ask yourself how is this expectation sustainable.  For every American citizen, there are 20 other people who will gladly produce what you want for a whole lot less pay than what we expect.