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

I was getting tired of all the conflicting info on the Honda 928TAS so I called up Honda directly

American Honda Power Equipment Division

Customer Relations
Tel: 770-497-6400
Fax: 678-339-2519
Mon. - Fri. 8:30 - 7:00 EST

I spoke with Denise at the above number. She told me that side skid shoes were for commercial use and that some 928TAS models were designated as such and that you could tell this by looking at the side of the bucket and seeing if there were indents where the side skid shoes would go. If there are then you can add standard skid shoes if no indents then you have to use commercial ones, either way you have to drill holes in the side of the bucket to add them. The side skid shoes according to her and she double checked are for commercial use and are an option you pay extra for. They make the 928TAS easier to turn and protect any bedding or concrete and they prevent the auger from scraping the ground.

I explained that my dealer had told me differently and she explained that perhaps the dealer has heard from a customer that the snowblower was easier to turn without them but Honda maintains that it's easier to turn with side skid shoes and that it does not in any way affect the operation on the snowblower even in it's fully lowered position except that the auger will not scrape the ground.

Since I had her on the phone I asked when the first oil change should be and she said at 20 hours not before or after. She said all this is available in the owners manual. She did mention that you should check your oil level each time before using the machine.

So that's the offical story from Honda America easily verified by calling up Honda and speaking with Denise or someone else in customer service.

Steve

You forgot to ask her about grease in the auger and synthetic or regular oil.  Also you should have asked how much air to inflate the tracks with. Just kidding good info

Knee_Biter wrote:

Actually you're right. I should have asked about those things. Then we'd know for certain.  Of course maybe the Honda techs and customer service people are psuedo- experts.

"Of course maybe the Honda techs and customer service people are psuedo- experts. "

More than likely just a bunch of wannabe Yahoos.  Like the rest of us.

Steve,

Great post again.  Did you ask if we should use regular (87) or premium (92) gas?  I am just kidding and do not wish start another mindless discussion with NJDavid.

borat wrote:
I kinda like the sound of Yahoos.  Much easier to say the hooligans. 

  Every day people OPE user manuals like snowblower manuals for average people who are not on average too mechanical.  They keep the procedures simple, something that with effort can be understood by someone who might look at the manual.  They probably assume most don't but those that do would breeze through it and occasionally a limited number may read it to understand what it says.  Given the audience then they are not going to "tech" things up. 

  For example oil change.  They probably keep it simple and say first at 20.  That's probably not the exact best time determined by their testing but they probably made it an easy round number.   There's probably better things a techie can do with oil changes on a new  motor but to keep things simple they say the first in 5 and the rest in 20 or first in 20 and 20 thereafter.  Depends on the company.  If they got more complicated their customer service phone would always be busy.  

Thats always been my take on a lot of stuff in manuals.  They can't get complicated and if something makes things in general workable or "better" for everyone then that's what's going to be written of course within reason.  Appeal to the manual has to be taken with a bit of slack.  What Honda has blessed in their manuals is not necessairly the best procedure but certainly safe for them and the customer for a satisfactory (not optimal) result.

Oil - Do what you think is best with input from the factory.  If you are non-technical then the best thing is follow the manual to the letter.

Skids - Do what you think is best with inut from the factory.  If you are not-technical then the best thing is to follow the manual to the letter.

trouts2 wrote:

Well since I returned my 928TAS and got the Toro I am not worried at all. I was curious since a lot of spurious information was being passed off as gospel. The skid shoes are interesting info and the oil change is probably best done before 20 hours. But it's nice to see what the actual company says when you call them up. I do agree that they keep it simple. My Honda car has a light and when it hits 5% I get my oil change. Generally I'd get 12,000 miles or so between oil changes according to the light. I however go based on the mileage. The dealership changes my oil about every 7,000 miles.

These are my Honda OPEs resting pretty in a warm garage. 

I know a lot of you guys do not like GC engine, but my HRX lawnmower is a fairly good mower.  I had HRR216 for 10 years before I upgraded to HRX217K2VKA in 2010 summer.

As you can see I did not have to do anything special on my HS928WAS as the side and back skids came standard with the snowblower.

I had to laugh when I read. "Since I had her on the phone I asked when the first oil change should be and she said at 20 hours not before or after".  Like it would really matter if you changed it
a half an hour before or after the 20 hours.  I laughed because I'm sure someone out there, somewhere, shut there blower down in the middle of their driveway to have the oil changed. Really who keeps that close a tract on run hours.  Unless you have a hour meter on your blower (which I would like to have myself).  But she said not before of after.  I wonder if New Yorker knows that.
Bad thing to say I know.  Lets not start things up again.

I though the skid shoe information was interesting. Seeing that they actually have different side panels on different blower housings.  Or maybe it's different on different model years. Not models within a model year.

Knee_Biter wrote:
NO NO NO! This is a HIGH PERFORMANCE snowblower. You have to inflate the tracks with nitrogen, not regular air! 

I would personally fill the track with Argon gas since it is one of the noble gases and you will have a royal snowblower.

jrtrebor wrote:

Well that is her exact words so I just typed them as she was speaking. She was very clear at 20 hours. I did ask her if 2 hours or 10 hours would be ok and she said Honda reccomends 20 hours not before or after. She said the bucket side panels differentiated between commercial and consumer models. I didn't pursue the questioning as to why they would be sold differently yet as the same model. She did not mention different years just said to look on the bucket sides for the indents. I said to her but commercial or consumer you'd still have to drill the holes and she said yes, but the indents help line it up for you.

That's all I've got.

MN_Runner wrote:

I honestly would like to see how anyone would inflate a rubber track, it's not hollow like the wheels!

Steve_Cebu wrote:
Did you forget to ask Denise at Honda customer relations how to inflate the tracks. 

Steve,

I am begining to think that you missed your Honda snowblower. I was hoping we talk more about Yamaha or something else other than Honda but that red beast seems to dominate.

MN_Runner wrote:

Well I would love to talk about it but they don't sell them in the US although if they did I certainly could find that out. I am a senior purchasing agent. I spend money all day.

But the corporation I work for has professional snow removal.

I have found in the 25 years of buying things that you really can buy almost anything, that's part of the fun of the job.

I'm sure Yamaha could be purchased through commercial ventures, very little is impossible. That said it's more than I want to spend for a private snowblower.

They don't sell Yamaha in MN do they? I'd be willing to bet they don't sell in the USA for very good reasons. I can think of a few off the top of my head. I should get the numbers for Honda snowblower sales for 2010 if available. That would probably tell the story of Yamaha. I think if Yamaha came back to the US they'd do ok, but in a bad economy it's not the best time to try and reclaim the high end snowblower market.

No Yamaha in MN. I can drive to Canada but it is not practical and the price is a bit too much.  For that much money  (and Honda too), I can do something really nice for our upcoming 20th anniversary.  I was pretty much set on buying a Honda snowblower and nothing else just like my lawnmower purchase.  Due to more than normal snow fall, all the Honda blowers were sold out in the Twin Cities. My original intent was buying a HS724 but I felt (a personal feeling and not necessary a fact) it was a bit underpowered so I upgraded to HS928.  724 was a good and super quiet machine so as long as you go at a reasonable speed it was fine. I talked about Honda may not be best, but not sure if I would buy any other brand.  It is just a personal preference.

MN_Runner wrote:

I think Honda makes a great machine. I just think they charge too much for it. They are positioning themselves as a Premium snowblower company for the well off and discriminating buyer. The BMW/Mercedes/Cadillac or snowblowers. I had one and I think my Toro 1028 is every bit as good as the Honda at half the cost. Yamaha looks great but it is even more expensive. I think if I lived in Canada where they get a LOT of snow I'd probably buy the Yamaha and be done with it.

Steve_Cebu wrote:
You should have inquired why the machine does not say the engine oil must remain in the engine unchanged for 20 hours, if that is in fact the dubious action that Honda demands.  I suspect you were talking to a tech rep reading some computer screen.  telling a consumer the oil should not be changed before 20 hours goes against everything in maintaining a engine.  People often debate extended oil changes but only here are there people clueless enough to suggest that changing the oil 3 times in 20 hours is worse that changing it once. And lest anyone forget we are taliking about engines that have No Oil Filters to collect the wear particles that I can attest make the oil at 2 hours grey in color.  You might as well add sand to the machinery.   At least the owners manual does not agree with her, like evreyone else who knows anything.

New_Yorker wrote:

First off no one said Honda demaded anything, so that is you twisting the words. I posted exactly what they said, nothing more or less. I also posted a name and phone number and hours to call them so why don't you call them yourself and get the info directly from them and argue with Honda. Besides it doesn't matter what anyone including Honda says you New_Yorker have your mind made up. Honda gave me teh facts and I posted the information on how to contact tthem so anyone can verify the info with a a simple phone call. If you want to argue with Honda go right ahead. You don't own one anyway, so why do you care? I did own a 928TAS.

Steve got snow??

We got a wopping 2inc here yesterday.

We might get some more tue. going into wed. of this up coming week.

njal wrote:

It is snowing pretty heavy right now but they said little to no accumulation and just snow showers. Well looks like we might get mor..... Damn I just looked out the window and it's slowed down.

Curse you Weather channel!