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

Hi all, new to this forum after having searched for a solution to my surging hs 1132.
Among the several problems I've had with this machine is the severe pulling to the right when the bucket is in the mid or low position. I've put it on a flat surface and adjusted the shoes and scraper to manual specs and no luck. Shoes are even and scraper is even so no misalignment there. I've tried to adjust the shoes and scraper to counter the pull but nothing worked. Track tension is even. This is a pretty frustrating problem as I clean a long drive and fight against the pull the whole time - tiring and forget it if my wife ever has to run the machine. As usual, my honda dealer is no help whatsoever. I had to inform them of the icing kit I learned of on this forum after three years of bugging them about the surging, backfiring problem I was having.

aa335 wrote: Nothing sheared and the shaft/wheel assembly appears to be sound. I just got in from checking it all out and one thing I notice is that when the machine is in the high position and you try rocking the handles nothing moves - the tracks appear to be even on the ground. But when I lower it to mid or low I can push down on the handles and the machine rocks as though the tracks aren't resting evenly. Everything visually seems in order so all I can guess is that possibly somethings warped. It's been like this from the get go but i don't usually clean in the lower positions because I have stone mix driveway surface.

Have to say though that having much experience with honda power equipment, for the cost of this machine I'm not impressed and regret purchasing it. My dealer just sold me the de-icing carb kit and they wouldn't warranty  it even though I've been complaining about engine surging, backfiring, and occasional loss of power since my first season with the blower. I understand honda posted a bulletin on this kit because of problems with icing in the carb. $2400 blower (3k today!) and they make me purchase a fix for honda dropping the ball on engineering on this model.

  

dfvellone wrote:

Yes, it will rock a bit, about 1/4 to 1 inch at most.  I thought my bucket/chassis was bent when I first did this, but after close examination, I found that the rocking was due to the two tracks not in synch with one another. The two track contact points (ridges) are not always the same.  In addition the two rear skid shoes are right behind the bucket, just a few inches in front of the tracks.    I now have the side skid shoes and the rocking have disappeared.

Can you try to turn it with the engine off and the bucket up?  Do you find that it is harder to turn left than turning right?

I am telling you. I honestly hate the tracked Honda's. I think the 928 wheeled machine is the one to get. I have the 624 wheeled at home and love it. Brand new 11hp tracked at work and I try not to use it and use the Ariens when it will move. I agree that for the money you spent it should be perfect. The only plus is that if you list it on Craigslist you can sell it quick at a little loss and buy the 928 wheeled unit that I would bet the farm you would love. But once soured you might never want a honda product again.

Knee_Biter wrote:

Tracked snowblowers are not easy to turn.  They are slow and heavy, and require a lot more effort to operate.  Most dealers I spoke to would not even try to sell a tracked snowblower, they just don't want to deal with hearing the complaints afterwards.  They would love to steer you towards a wheeled Honda if you are so enamored by the Honda brand.  I was frustrated with using my Honda tracked snowblower the first month I used it. 

However, after some time of developing my technique and setting skid height and scraper bar, I'm getting more comfortable with it.  This last significant snowfall showed me how powerful and capable this beast is.  In the worse situation is when it does its best.   It will cut through thick heavy piles without riding up on it.  There is so much downforce on the bucket and the serrated auger teeth will cut through the packed snow left by tire tracks.  I have a snow cab installed and did not need to put the recommended weight in front.  In scraping mode, it is even more aggressive, it will cut through solid ice.  And if you're not careful, those serrated teeth will make contact with the pavement, but that will only sharpen the teeth even more.

On light fluffy snow 3 inches or less, its like using a sledgehammer to kill a fly.  For these light snow situations, I wished I had a light single stage snowblower, particularly the ones with 2 stroke engines, as they seem to have higher auger speeds compared to the 4 stroke engines.  In fact, I was considering the Ariens 722 for its 7 HP engine plus the molded rubber auger that comes with lifetime replacement, labor not included of course, but it just a 10 minute job to do it yourself.

I think the 928 is the perfect balance of power and maneuverability, either in tracked or wheeled model.  For me, the 928TCD (tracked with electric chute and 12V battery for starting) would be the perfect machine.  Unfortunately, this model is not available in the US and would have to be imported from Canada for a hefty sum of money. 

aa335 wrote:
Did you have any pull one way or the other before you put on the side mount shoes?  I'd like to order them from my dealer if it'll help and particularly so when I sell the machine I won't be dumping my problem on someone else.

I'll try tomorrow to turn it the way you described.

dfvellone wrote:

It was skittish but equally on both sides.  I didn't like how darty it was with the rear skids.

Is your surface level.  It will pull to the side that has more friction, ie grass, crowned roads.  You can try to see if both skids are loaded equally.

If it consistently pull to one side only, then I don't think changing skids will be solving the problem. 

Knee_Biter wrote:
I bought the track model because I have a 1000' driveway, and the tracks plus "Honda" was what I thought would be the best bet. By no means is my driveway remotely similar to a paved drive and by this time of year the humps and ridges are good sized even though I'm fanatic about clearing snow before driving and packing it. So I don't expect to be casually strolling behind the machine, but between the carb problems, the pulling and the overall unimpressive features when compared to cheaper blowers  - not to mention the cost of some honda parts  - I'm definitely soured on Honda customer service and hs1132 engineering.  My 5000 watt generator is a great machine but I'll list this for sale next fall and try to find something that even my wife might be able to use.

dfvellone wrote:

Do you have a gravel driveway?  Is the bucket sides digging into the gravel over uneven sections?  IF that's the case, side skids may not help.  You may need to make a custom side skids that is longer and wider to allow the bucket to float over the grave/snow instead of digging in.

aa335 wrote:
My driveway surface definitely isn't level so I don't expect perfection but my old gilson brothers blower made this honda feel like plowing a rocky field with a rabid mule.

I clear my pond for skating and the machine pulls hard right. In fact on the ice I've held lightly to the handles and let the machine go where it wants to see how it turns and it'll pretty much just turn in tight circles.

aa335 wrote:
I do have a fairly rocky driveway - Adirondack sand and mixed size stone. I initially pack a light base with the car then for the first few cleanings I keep the bucket in the high position . Once I have a good hard base I'll occasionally clear in the mid position, some parts in the low.  If I just clear in the high position, by late february the base is just too deep. Otherwise I'd just clear in high and not struggle so much. But the parking area, walkways, woodshed areas are the killer for the turning.