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

Just the ones I use. 

 Orange,

    Nice brace addition.  Many models have an uncomfortable flex.  A few I’ve bought from big guys had the cracked bars low by the bolt to the tractor case.  Others had ovals worn in the tractor so the handles drooped.   Cracks on Ariens, holes on Toros.

 

Knee_Biter,

Knee_Biter,

>>optional side skids come with a spacer

   Glad you mentioned that.  I was thinking of adding the Ariens style double skids but I’ll check out the Honda skids with spacers at the dealer.

 

   I’ve read complaints a few times about blowback from the chute and don’t get it.  I’ve never had a problem with that machine style.  I can’t see anything bolted onto the chute in the pictures.  Is it there and I’m missing it?

 

>>The 624 gives the 928 and the Ariens a good run for the money.

Interesting.  I would think the 9 a giant leap and close competition for the Ariens 11.5.  I only gave mine one quick shot on the first storm.  It was unimpressive so I parked it.  It was no match for the Yamaha 624 or much else.  I’ll have to check out the engine and pulleys to see if something is wrong.  All I’ve ever read about the Honda 624 is great reports.  I might have been too quick to dismiss it during the last storm. 

 

What you say about your 624 is the way I feel about my HS70 old wheeled machine.  I can’t say from memory that it’s an exact match for a Yamaha 624 but it’s got to be very close.  An HS724 would be a contender for the YS624.  I think they are both rated at 6.5.  The HS70 would take care of all clearing here easily.

 

>>Purchased the Ariens new in fall/winter 2003 and first winter noticed several downfalls.   

   That’s got the nice gearbox with roller bearings.  They went to flanges in 2005.

 

>>Next I noticed it always wanted to climb up heavy packed snow.  Purchased a weight kit

   The big guys seem like they would tackle anything but lift just a bit later. 

 

>>Next season I purchased Clarence's impeller kit and it made the Ariens a new machine.  It now throws with the Honda's and I do use it on giant mounds that the town plows make on my corner lot.

    Good feedback from a non-nutcake.  I’ve got to get off my duff and install a kit.

 

>> 1132 did not seem to throw the snow any better than the 624 so I made some $ and sold it. 

   That’s strange, possibly a problem with it.  Mine is very impressive on distance.

 

>I since have had at least 5 724 wheeled 7 928 wheeled and a few more 624 wheeled units.

   Those all Honda?

 

>>Honestly we live in the same region and get the same amount of snow.  In my opinion the Honda hs724wa is the ideal machine.  Small enough to manuever and store. Powerfull enough to move even the heaviest of snow. Very quiet and great on gas. Also in my own personal opinion the tracked models are hype and in my own personal use work and home they do not get any better traction than the wheeled units.

   Pretty much in agreement.    In the tests I did the Honda 1132 slipped traction just about as much as the Areins 1028 with good tires and no chains.  It was at a disadvantage to the 28” with a wider bucket but at 28 I don’t think the track grip would have improved all that much.  By next week I’ll have a HS828 track and test again against the Ariens 1028.  No need for a track here and a HS724 would take care of the area fine.

 

>>changed the auger gear box design and added a boss with a bracket on all machines since.

   Anyone know how to add a bracket on a gearbox without a boss?

 

   Very interesting post, nice fleet.

Pictures from my backyard/pond.

 

For video (don't laugh too hard!)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58015249@N02/5336719527/

MN_Runner wrote:

The video is ok but too much camera movement back and forth at the end. My wife does that sometimes too. Thanks for posting it.

Looks like you are riding up on that snowbank in the video, you might be going too fast, since you should be able to drive right into that and spit it out. Is there something under the snow there?

Agreed, slow down the ground speed.  The sharp serrated auger should take care of that mound easily.

There is a 5" ice layer so I could only go over it.  My video skills are pretty poor but hopefully it will get better. 

knee_Biter
Great post, love looking at photos.  I be curious as to what Areins sent you to correct the problem you described.  I've been toying with a couple of mods to the chute on my repowered
Ariens 1032.  One is to taper the deflector. To narrow it down from the back to the front.  Just a bit to put a little compression on the snow stream as it's leaving the chute.
 I've also have an issue with. I'll call it stray snow, when the chute is turned hard right.

iLikeOrange
 Love the idea of the handle braces.  I hate the slight deflection that is felt when pushing down on handles (Ariens 1032).  I was at first going to weld in a gusset at the bend, but after looking at things a little longer.  Decided that would stiffen things up, but on the downside would then put all the stress on the tube right behind the rear mounting bolt (my handles mount on the top of the tractor housing).  Not a good solution. 

But the braces are perfect .  I may just use a piece of 3/16 x 1" flat stock instead of the square tube.  That way I could just tap a hole in the
tractor housing. (Just re-did my blower housing and hate to grind a spot to weld on some ears.)  The angle probably won't be optimal but it would surely be better than the way it is.

I've wondered why on some or maybe all of the Honda 928s.  That they decided not to put on the square muffler housing / shield.

Not sure why Honda did not use a square exhaust type for HS928 and HS1132.  HS724 was really silent and HS928 does not come close in quietness.

knee_biter
Forgot to comment on your experience with Impeller kit.  I've also noticed a big difference in the way that the blower handles heavy wet or even slushy snow.  Three weeks ago we had rain then wet snow and ended up at least
3" of clear dense slush with about an inch of snow on top.  If it had been colored it would have looked like a slurppy everywhere.
 I was able to blow stuff without any problem.  And didn't even a single time have the chute clog.
Like you said, it used to come out of the chute like you were making a giant sausage.

 I didn't actually use and impeller kit.  Last summer I added weld and reground all the impeller blades to close the gap between the blade tip and the housing.  It's not tight like the impeller kit makes it.  But the gap is down to about 1/16. Personally I think that is about the single most beneficial and cheapest mod you can make to a blower. Not just to increase the throwing distance.  But more importantly, to increase the efficiency. And not waste any of the power behind it.   What ever goes in the front comes out the chute at it's first opportunity. Not after it's spun around in the housing for awhile. Just my opinion