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

OK, snow removal contractor just called. $320. plus tax. Roughly $368. Payable in three installments, Nov, Jan, Feb. That sure is tempting too.

I might do both for this year. I could use the snow-blower to clear areas where the contractor can't go, or at least clear an area to get my car off the street if I come home during a storm, and the contractor hasn't shown up yet.

The way those Honda 1132's sell on the used market, I could resell it  in a year, and still be out only $100. or so.

drifter wrote:

Kinda weird to have an awesome snowblower and not use it. It's easy to clean the driveway. Save the money and do it yourself. Or just have the guy do it. I'd probably buy a single stage if I had someone clearing for me. But that didn't work out well for me so I do it myself now.

Well, I am happy to report that I am now the proud owner of a 2008 Honda HS1132TC

You won't believe this, but I'm 99% certain it's snowing here. I couldn't believe it. It's melting on contact with the ground, and it certainly doesn't feel that cold out there, but what I saw in my headlights was definitely not rain.

drifter wrote:
Well, its about time.  For a few days, I thought you're going to contract out the snow removal.

Welcome to the H owner club.  Once you get comfortable with that beautiful piece of machinery, I can introduce you to a turbo kit that will allow you to put your snow on your neighbor's driveway.  :)

aa335 wrote:
LMAO AA335 ,

I can hardly wait to give it a whirl. Boy oh boy, it's been quite a ride since my first post here a few weeks ago. I learned a helluva lot about snow-throwers, in pretty short order, and in large part, I owe it to the great advice and guidance I got here, from peoplesuch as yourself. Thank you VERY MUCH for all your help.

I still have some decisions to make, but I've satisfied my craving for a new toy, and at least, I'm now in the game at an affordable price. The previous owner in fact, was offered $100. more today. than what I paid him. He had given his word though, and I respect the fact that he honoured that commitment.

If I had purchased this machine new here in Quebec, it would have cost me $4,370. after taxes. I saved $1670.. and in my books, that's not too shabby.

drifter wrote:
WHEW!!! Thought you were going to go with the plow guy there for a while. Once you start using your new toy, you'll be praying to the Snow Gods for a good 12"+ of accumulation - Welcome to Club Honda!

drifter wrote:

Congratulations on your new Honda!  Nice machines i'm sure you'll enjoy many years with it.

Thanks FrankMA and Steve,

We just off-loaded the machine from the truck, and I'm going to get out there to polish it up a bit. It's been sitting in the guys' garage for almost two years, and it's a bit dusty. There a bit of rust on the augers and the impeller, and I'm not certain that it would be worth the effort to re-paint them. The paint would probably come off anyway, the first time I go through some EOD. The rest of the machine is pristine. The paint inside the chute, as well as in the bucket, is perfectly intact, with no scratches or exposed metal. There is one tiny dent on the top-rear of the bucket, and that's about it. The tracks look brand-new. The crank-handle "sleeve" for the chute is missing however. The crank itself is fine, it's just that black "sleeve" on the handle that's missing. It starts first pull, and runs smoothly.

I might add a few things to the machine, but I'll read the manual first. I was thinking of adding an oil drain-extension-tube, like the new Yamahas have, but I'll have to give that more thought before proceeding. An extension-tube might be vulnerable to damage.

I'm wondering if I should run any fuel addatives through it as a precaution. The guy says he stored the machine in his heated garage, and because of that, he felt that adding Stabil was unnecessary. He said he stored it with the fuel-tank full, then he shut-off the gas-line, and let the machine run until the carburetor was empty and the motor stalled.

I'm also thinking of buying a cover for this machine. Any recommendations on where and what to buy?

drifter wrote:

Sure thing, happy to help. I run Stabil in mine and I think it's great. We probably get more thaw and freeze than you do but so much gas today has water in it because of the 10% ethanol that I wouldn't run my snowblower without it. Stabil is great stuff and you don't use much. I just dump som into the 4 gallons I get and 4 gallons easily lasts me the entire winter. I might go 3 gallons this year.

Also when you get it hot and then it gets cold you get condensation so you do get water in it that way. I paid $10 for the Stabil at the local Honda Dealer and I have plenty of it left for this year.

No idea about a cover since mine is stored indoors in an unheated garage. I'm sure you can find one on Craigslist or for $$$$ at the local Honda dealer.

drifter wrote:

The rust on the augers and impeller is going to happen no matter what you do. I usually spray either furniture polish or WD40 inside the bucket and chute before I use it to keep snow from sticking to the metal. This also helps to keep any rust at bay. I would drain that 2 y/o fuel out of the tank and add it to the almost full gas tank of your car or truck. I would not use any fuel over 3 months old that has not been treated with some sort of stablizer. Stabile or Seafoam are 2 great fuel stabilzers that work very well. The tank only holds about a gallon and a half so adding it to the fuel tank of your vehicle won't hurt anything.

Where are you going to store your new toy? If inside your garage or shed, I'd just use an old sheet or something similar that can breathe. I've seen some weather-proof Ariens snowblower covers at Home Depot that are breathable and designed for outside storage situations. A tarp or sheet of plastic can trap moisture so I would not suggest going that route. I store my snowblower in my garage so I can't comment either way on how the breathable covers perform.