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

giocam wrote:
You're right. For some reason, I thought the HS1132TC was $3999. It's actually $3599. if I get the same discount, so $250 cheaper than the Yamaha.

At this point, it's no longer about the money I guess. The HS 1132TCS with 120v electric start, would be $$50 more than the Yamaha. Looks like it's down to "speed vs comfort". The Yammie can also be operated with one hand.

We rarely get storms over 6-8", so that might enter into the equation. Mind you, we do get the occasional 12-15" storm. Last winter was exceptional. Record-breaking lack of precipitation. Most of the big storms, blew by to the south of us. It barely snowed after January.

drifter wrote:

Hey, if that is all you want then find yourself a 1960s Ariens.

Those can be operated with no hands. :)

Honestly though, I think all modern snow blowers have some way of locking the 2 levers together now.

As far as dollars, cents & coolness factor go, I'd be leaning towards the Yamaha. I think you'd be better served down the road with a smaller more manueverable machine rather than a larger machine (especially with your back condition). Your snowfall amounts are similar to what we get in my area and I used a HS624 for 10 years without any problems (taking smaller bites during larger storms is the key). You could argue the same point against the Yamaha 928 for that very reason - at 373 lbs. that is one heavy a$$ machine compared to about 250 lbs. for a Honda 928TA. Another check mark in the 928 column is the versatility of being able to clear smaller walkways and tighter areas that a wider bucket might be too unwieldy to manage. IMO the 928 offers the pefect compromise between size, power and manueverability. Besides, the 928 gives you a bit more time to play with your toy during a snowstorm!

I'm having trouble relating to the "difficult to handle" argument. I have no trouble throwing these machines around on a dry concrete floor, and I'd imagine it's even easier on snow,,, especially when the machine is in motion.

The only thing I didn't care for on the Yamaha YS928J was the track lock-pins. They're difficult to re-insert. There's probably a simple trick to it. Aside from that, I love this machine. The 6.7 liter gas-tank can have you running a long time between refills, and the fuel gauge tells you at a glance, how much fuel you have. The reduced noise-level allows me to use the machine even late at night, without fear of disturbing the neighbours. That's a big plus if I come home late, and my driveway entrance is plowed in. I can't park on the road.

The Honda HS1132TC is much noisier, but more powerful, and almost 100 lbs lighter.

Either way, I'll probably have occasions where I'll say to myself, "I wish I had bought the other machine". These are both wonderful machines. The Yamaha is the Lexus of snowblowers, and the Honda is the Hummer.

All I have left to do today is, confirm that the Honda dealer will give me the same discount on the HS1132TC, or the TCS. If he says no, I think I'm going with the Yamaha. Either way, I'm buying a snowblower  TODAY.

Can't go wrong with either machine.
Here is a video of the yamaha at work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6CaB4npNug
Not much snow in the video so you can't really see what it can do though.

Here is the Honda
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE4Ke2OFg3E

That's not the same Yamaha. That video is for the 6hp Yamaha, the YS624.

drifter wrote:
It is possible the tracks on the showroom were greased with silicone.  They slide around easier and does not leave rubber marks on the floor.

Outside of the showroom and on the driveway, especially on slippery surface such as compacted snow or ice, your footing determines whether you have enough traction to turn it.  In addition, when you're close to sides of the house or cars, you are closer to the snowblower, which gives you less leverage.  130 lbs additional over the HS928 is significant, I don't know what secret sauce Yamaha have to make that thing easier to turn.  But unless I can see how, I'd go with my gut feel on this one.

One other thing to consider is the bucket width, the best setup is to have the bucket /skid shoes just as wide as the outside of the tracks or wheels.  When the bucket is wider, when the skid shoes catch on a surface irregularities, it will want to turn the snowblower off course.  Unfortunately, that means only the 24" bucket is as wide as the side of the tires.  For these reasons, I don't like snowblowers that are larger than 30", it wanders around a lot more and takes more effort to counter act it.

At the showroom, the Honda HS1132 is significantly more impressive, macho looking compared to the HS928.  It comes with a price, it takes more manhandling to operate it.

Hope I've given you enough to consider before dropping $4K.

giocam wrote:

That video does not do justice to the caliber of that Yamaha.  Not enough snow, operator does not have good control of speed, direction, and chute.

drifter wrote:
I know. I can't find a video of the new 9hp yamaha, but its performance is going to be the same as the 9hp honda which you can readily find videos of on youtube. The 9hp in both are extremely impressive but the 11hp blow them away. The 11hp honda performs almost comparably to the 12hp yamaha which will cost you over 6k with taxes!

aa335 wrote:
That's the wrong video. That video is the 6hp Yamaha, not the YS928J.

Here's the only video I could find on the YS928J, and for some reason, part of the video has been blacked out, so you don't see it in action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf7wbGr2Wt8&feature=related