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

Whats the big deal. My Ariens 924 snowblower kicks up and drives over packed snow. Many folks say that tracked Honda units do not do that . Others say that if I put weights on my snow blower then it will not kick up. So which is better? Wheels with weights or tracks

I've used a Honda HS624WA (Wheel Drive) snowblower for the last 10 years and it rides up on hard packed (driven over with a car, walked on, etc...) snow. It's kind of a Catch 22 situation if you lift the rear to try and let the bucket "dig in" because the wheels begin to lose traction. One method I found that sort of works is to yaw the bucket side to side to try and get the bucket blade under the hardpack but this is a pain in the @$$.

This past March I bought a used (5 hours) Honda HS928TA (Track Drive) from a friend who relocated to NC so I'm itching to try out my new to me toy, err tool. The Honda Track Drive models have 3 settings for the bucket that allow you to adjust the height of the bucket in relation to the ground. The upper setting keeps the bucket about an inch or so off the ground (for gravel or uneven surfaces), the middle lowers the bucket level with the ground (for paved areas) and the lowest setting angles the bucket blade so it scraps into the ground enough to get underneath the hard packed snow. I have not had a chance to blow snow with my new HS928TA yet but from what I've read on other forums, it works very well. The friend I bought it from told me the same thing. Time and snow will tell...

Thanks for the reply. let me know how it works for you. personally I'm scared of Honda snow blowers. Some folks say they are great, untill the brake. I herd they are a pain in the but to work on. Some pins shier allot. The trans drive pin is hell to get at. I like Ariens. It is a strong simple machine. If i cant fix it, I don't want it. 

Knock on wood but I've had my HS624WA for 10 years now and have never had any major problems. I change the engine oil and spark plug every year and do a preventative maintenance check on all moving parts. I've replaced the bucket skids several times, the scraper blade once and maybe a 8 or so shear pins over the years. If I had to guess, I would say that I average about 15 - 20 hours/year. Like any other equipment, if you take care of it and use it as it was designed to be used you should not have any major problems other than regular maintenance.