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

Seen a lot of questions and comments on this so I'll just post my 2 cents worth.  We get a lot of HARD blown in snow around here.  Just bought a Honda HS928TCD (tracks) and I think it's night and day compared to two other wheel types I have used.  Yes, the Honda is (only slightly) harder to make a turn at the end of the line, but this is very much more than compensated for by not having to fight the blower through the first 200 yards of hard snow to get to the turn.  The Honda just pushes ahead and and is very easy to steer.

The hydrostatic drive on the Honda is good to have.  It shifts on the fly (no declutching) to adjust to any speed required do get the job done right.  The electric chute controls are wonderful - don't seem to have a problem freezing up.  When looking to buy, I found the manual chute controls on Hondas sturdily built but a bit hard to turn compared to others.  Electric....good.  WIsh the Honda had heated grips (it's -36 C here today!).

When going through lots of harder snow, the Honda engine is obviously working harder.  I compensate by slowing down forward speed or taking a partial cut - no sense in putting undue stress on the new guy, but I suppose it's only logical that more snow to move equals harder work for the engine.

The two wheelies took a lot of muscle for the hard snow - almost woulda been easier to shovel it.  My old wheelie (JD 826 with chains and "summer" tires) went thru but slowly and with difficulty and lots of muscle required.  The other new wheelie (since returned to dealer), equipped with "snow hog" type tires simply refused to touch the stuff.  I looked into getting chains for the snow hogs, but most dealers, even those that sold chains made expressly for the snow hogs, said they didn't help much (one said they made things worse!).

The Honda tracker is definitely more difficult to handle than a wheelie when in the garage on dry concrete, but I can live with that.  Maybe the suggestion of putting it on a creeper would help, but I just don't have to move it around there much anyway.  Come summer: prep it, store it and see ya next winter.

Bottom line (for me): probably almost anything will go through soft snow, but if you need to blow hard snow, get a tracked model.  I love my HS928TCD , and I imagine the new Yamahas and perhaps other tracked models (ie Ariens, but no hydrostatic drive) would work as well.

I wonder where the sweet spot ends with tracks and maneuverability.   I mean it sounds like an in-shape 40 year old man would have no problems with tracks.  But would you recommend tracks to someone who's more advanced in years?  So lets say someone in their late fiftys...with the machine built to last 20 to 25 years,  would they still be able to handle it when they're in their seventies?

I don't remember who posted it, but it was on this forum that I read this tip, and it works well.

When ready to turn, leaned the Auger back, the TCD has a gas lever for that, then lift up lightly on the handles, this tips the weight forward, and spin around, it actually works very well, I did keep a slight bit of forward track movement as well.

So to clarify better:

As I come to the end of a cut I slow the forward motion to a crawl, lean the auger back, lift a little on the handles, shifting the weight to the front of the tracks, then rotate 180,

adjust chute, lean auger back to desired forward position, and keep on blowing!

Paul7 wrote:
Well....I'm 67,  had shoulder surgery (BEFORE I got the Honda  lol) a few months ago, so I hope so.  I find the Honda easier to handle in hard or soft snow than the wheelies.  Little harder on the turns, not much and just take it easy.  Blower I tried earlier with "Easy Steer" required constant muscling  to keep it going in a straight line in soft snow especially when taking a partial cut which produced an asymmetric sideways force on the blower, but not the Honda.  Adjust the forward speed to optimum, scream MUSH, and it just goes - very little gee hawing required.  It's important to know how to use the attitude adjustment with the Honda - keep it set right, which is easy with the handlebar control.  Taking a little getting used to when backing cause I'm still used to the wheelie - durn thing wants to run me over if I just shift it to reverse (the old wheelie disengaged reverse automatically if you didn't keep holding the reverse in, but I suppose if it came to it I'd fall backwards and the Honda would stop).  Just a minor adjustment to reflexive operating procedure required here.  'nuff said - I like it and I'd buy it again. 

Paul7 wrote:

If you use your legs and hips, moving a track machine is not a problem, unless you have a specific physical limitation that prevents you from a normal level of activity. I think people want to steer it with their arms, and it becomes a more complex problem ;).

Dr.woof good luck with your new Honda.

You made a good choice on your snowblower.

Paul7 wrote:

Hi Paul  this old guy is 56 ,neck surgery last year and two back

surgeries in the last 10 years,and I still man handle my machine.

I received my Honda HS928TA in September and I wouldn't trade it for a wheeled version if I had to do it all over again.

This machine rocks and makes blowing snow fun again!

Dr_Woof wrote:

You touched upon many of the same points that I discovered when I went from a Honda HS624WA wheeled model to my new to me Honda HS928TA track model. I wish we had the option of the TCD model you guys up in CA have but I guess Honda feels we lowly Americans are not worthy :)   I did a comparative review of both in late December/early January after using my HS928TA for the first couple of times. I've always enjoyed using the hydrostaitc tranny and to be honest was very apprehensive of buying a track drive model after hearing/reading all the horror stories about the "difficulties" of a track drive snowblower. Technique (IMO) is the key to ease of use with the track drive and once this is realized, manuvering becomes just a tad more difficult than a wheel drive model. Traction is superior in every situation you described and in my case going from a 6 HP to a 9 HP was an incredible step up in performance, especially on the EOD and heavy, wet snow.

I too love my HS928TA but would hope that some day Honda (and Yamaha for that matter) wake up and realize the missed opportunity of not offering the higher end models that are available north of the border. Good luck with your new machine!

I will take a wheeled snowblower any day over a track system. A good set of Snow-Hog tires provides excellent traction and the Snowblower can be moved around with the engine off. Nothing worse then running an engine in a closed area. Oh did I also mention the wheels are much cheaper.

FrankMA:

I don't think the differences between the TAS and TCD models in the Honda line represent a significant upgrade. After looking at the specs, basically it looks like the TCD model adds power adjustment auger height and chute instead of manual, and it also offers onboard battery starter. Honda does offer significant upgrades to their line, but when I look, I don't see them offered much outside of Japan itself, and remember that those upgraded models are $6,000 and up. I don't think the market for a machine like that is significant.

Edgenet:

The tracked models are definitely harder to move without power and they do cost more, but I think running an engine in a garage for a minute while you move it isn't really much of a risk. But to each their own.