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

drifter wrote:
Geez,

What are you complaining about?  With that kind of snowfall per year, I'd be tempting you to get a Kubota tractor with a front mount snowblower. 

And that's with a heated cab and a rocking stereo system.

I have a new found respect for you, to be able to shovel that much snow and still have energy to chase down the missus.

drifter wrote:

Hi drifter: I just sold my Honda HS624WA (wheel drive) that I used for 10 years - what a great machine. IMO this is the perfect combination of compactness and power in a 2 stage snowblower. You do have to take a smaller bite sometimes, especially at the EOD but that is offset by virtue of its compact design if that is a consideration.The only reason I sold it was a friend got relocated down south and no longer needed his barely used Honda HS928TA (track drive) so I scooped it up before he moved. I have quite a bit of area to clear - 150' of sloped driveway with a good sized EOD area, several walkways that lead to the back of my house, 12' x 40' deck, runways that lead to my firewood stacks, etc... It usually takes me about 3 hours start to finish for an 8" - 12" snowfall, sometimes a little more if it's real wet and heavy, sometimes a little less if it's real light and fluffy.

I have not had the opportunity to use my new 928 yet as I picked it up in mid March of this year and we unfortunately did not have a good, snowy winter last year. The last storm with any marked accumulation was in late February so needless to say, it has been a very long spring, summer and now fall for me waiting to use my new toy! I had originally purchased my 624 as a used 2 y/o machine for $800.00 and sold it this past August for $750.00 one day after I posted it on CL - not a bad ROI for a 12 y/o snowblower. I probably could have got more if I held out until this time of year but it kept getting in my way in my garage so away it went for $750.00. The only items I ever replaced were several sets of skid shoes, 1 scrapper plate, 8 or so shear pins and an oil change/spark plug every year, all standard wear or maintenance items. I purchased and mounted a headlight kit and put tubes in the tires as it was a PITA to air them up every fall after they went airless during the downtime, getting the beads to seat properly with a handpump was the problem.

I had a much smaller property when I purchased it and had considered it a bit too small for my current property when I first moved but as I said earlier, you just have to take a smaller bite in some areas, EOD in particular. I was actually starting to peruse CL in late February/early March for a HS928 as that is the time when a lot of people are starting to unload their used snowblowers for fairly short $$$. My friends situation developed at this time and the rest is history. I think you would be well served with the HS928TCD for your situation and would definitely benefit from the track drive model. I did not mean to be so long winded but I thought this information would prove helpful in your purchasing decision. Good Luck!

Model                               auger, impeller, impeller, engine, impeller output                             

920012 Compact 22LE    11 12  1190 9.5 ft-lbs     3738(1139)
920013 Compact 22E      11 12  1190 Sub SX17   3738(1139)
920014 Compact 24LE    11 12  1190 9.0               3738(1139)
920015 Compact 26LE    11 12  1190 11.5             3738(1139)
921013 Deluxe 30             14 14  1010 14.5 ft-lbs   3702 (1128)
921017 Deluxe 24 Plat    14 14  1010 11.5 ft-lbs    3702 (1128)
921018 Deluxe 30 Plat    14 14  1010 16.5 ft-lbs    3702 (1128)
921019 Deluxe 24           14 14  1010 Sub SX21     3702(1128)
921020 Deluxe 30           14 14  1010 Sub SX30     3702(1128)
921022 Deluxe 28           14 14  1010 11.5 ft-lbs     3702(1128)
921023 Deluxe T28         14 14  1010 11.5 ft-lbs     3702(1128)
923037 Pro                       16 14  1112 14.5ft-lbs      4076 (1242)
932038 Pro                       16 14  1112 15.5 ft-lbs     4076 (1242)
932039 Pro                       16 14  1112 16.5 ft-lbs     4076 (1242)
932040 Pro                       16 14  1112 16.5 ft-lbs     4076(1242)
926104 Pro                       16 14  1112 16.5 ft-lbs     4076(1242)
926105 Pro                       16 14  1112 16.5 ft-lbs     4076(1242)

aa335 wrote:
Yeah, my buddy works for a snow-removal company, and they drive huge machines. Every now and then, if he passes by my house during a storm, he'll pull into my driveway, and give me a "freebie". Takes him about 4-5 minutes. He's in the closed cab, wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt (no jacket), and the musics' blaring. His machine is so big, I can't reach the top of the tires. The bucket is huge, and he can vary the width of the bucket (hydraulic system. These guys do shopping centers, hospitals, and a huge inter-provincial bridge which joins  Hawkesbury Ont. / Grenville Qc.)

FrankMA wrote:
Yeah, I'm starting to think the same way. I'm really impressed with these track machines, and the throughput. One thing I've noticed on the Youtube videos, is the pace at which the operators advance through the snow. It's not only about "throw distance". Very impressive.

I just called a Yamaha dealer, and he has the re-born Yamaha snow-throwers in stock. I may go see one today if time permits. Mind you, he's an hours' drive away. His 928 version sells for $4k, and Yamaha has no financing deals available. Apparently, the Yamahas are very quiet.

If Honda/Yamaha offered financing deals, I'd probably jump in with both feet. As it stands, I'm having a helluva hard time justifying spending $4600 (tax incl), on a HS928T snow thrower, when I could hire someone to do it for me at $400-$500 / season. I guess it just pisses me off that Honda USA is offering deals, and Honda Canada is not. That's the pill I have to swallow, and it's a BIG one. I searched the local "used" market, and nothing came up.

I realize these are "long term" trouble-free machines, but I'm not convinced I'll stay at my present location beyond the next 3-4 years, and that's another major consideration in my selection process.

Ay chance you could go over the border and buy one in the US? I know that I've seen a lot of people from Montreal and Quecbec City and that general area coming down here to buy stuff including cars and campers/RV's/motorcycles.

Hi Steve,

I'm not that far from the border,,, say 1 1/2 hrs to Plattsburgh NY. Problem is, you buy a machine in the US, and my local dealers won't service it, at least for warranty repairs.

Any idea Steve, on what current pricing is like in the US for a HS928TCD? That's the bare-bones version of the 928, with no light' no electric-start, and no electric chute control. I thought I read somewhere, that Honda USA offers financing at very low, or 0% financing. The price here in Quebec is $3399. plus 15.5% tax. That's over $3900. and our dollar is currently fluctuating around par with the greenback.

A 928 with electric start, is $3999 plus tax,,,, $4630.........Insanity.

Mebbe I'm just a tightwad.

drifter wrote:

They do sell the Honda 928TAS I can find out what those cost tommorrow if you like. The dealership is closed now. If you drive down  as far as New Hampshire there is no sales tax. So that would net you a discount of $465 which would buy you a lot of gas. New York has taxes too. For reference it takes me about 5 hours to drive to Montreal if I am not questioned too long at the border. Vermont is closer but has taxes as well. The price direct from Honda is $2,709USD that is for a TA model with no electric Start. The 928TAS with the tracks and electric start is $2,909USD. I had the electric start and found it was useless since it pulls over so easily. Now remember that's retail from Honda. The dealers will probably discount it a bit to make a fast sale. I can give you the name & numbers of dealers around my area but there might be some closer to Vermont. I recall I didn't want the electric start and that's all they had so they discounted $100 off the unit, so I got the electric start for $50.

I guess you have to figure out how many repairs under warranty you will have versus saving about $1,000USD seems like that would cover a lot of repairs tho.

Steve,

I went to see another Honda dealer today, and told him of my plight, and lo and behold, the guy offers me $100. off,,,, and free delivery. It ain't much mind you, but it's a starting point. He'll also throw in the light for free.......... I smell blood.

Another development too;  He has a client who's returning an HS1132 TCD which he bought last winter, because it's too big for him. We had the lightest snowfall on record last year, and the guy barely used it. I'll have more details on that one by Monday, and possibly as early as tomorrow. That machine has a throughput rating of 65 metric-tons per hour. It's a beast. The salesman says it looks brand new, and that I can probably get that machine for roughly $3500, delivered, with full balance of warranty for 1 year. Hmmmmm. The plot thickens.

From there, I went to visit the new Yamaha machines, and they're quite a sight to behold. Their 928 sorta resembles a mini-Zamboni. There's a housing that surrounds the motor and gas-tank. This housing reduces engine noise substantially. VERY quiet machine.

Yamaha has put some really nice small touches on this series. For example, the top of the gas-tank sticks up slightly above the top of the housing, and surrounding the edge of the gas-tank(seam), there is a built-in drip-pan, for catching any fuel that accidentally drips on the machine. The fuel is then diverted to an opening on one side to channel fuel away from the motor, and/or  allow for possible recovery.

Yamaha has also lined the interior of the chute, as well as the impeller housing, with what appears to be Teflon. The pieces are user-replaceable. Simple idea, and a great idea too. The sheets look to be roughly 1/8" thick.

There is also a "pin" on  the left front track drive-wheel shaft, and that pin can be pulled, making the tracks independent. of one another, which allows you to turn the machine easily on a concrete floor. Mind you, the guy had a tough time reinserting that pin.

I also learned some very neat tricks today, for turning the Honda track machines on a concrete floor, with almost no effort. One finger, and voila.  Another cool thing was that the machine easily climbs stairs, in the event that you want to clear a walkway, or a deck. Kewel.

Edit; Oh yeah,  I forgot to mention that the Yamaha dealer claimed that their 928 throws up to 75'.

Well I'd say you are all set as long as the guy returning the 1132 didn't drive it into a big rock. It's a big machine tho and it will handle differently in snow than in a showroom.

It sounds like you have some good options up there and if not you can always buy in the US if you need to. The Yamaha is overkill but looks great. Honda makes a mega machine for Canada that has tracks and can steer them indepentantly, shame it costs like $8,000USD!

Be sure to post whatever unit you end up with. i'm sure you'll love the Honda as long as you don't have a small wife like mine. :)