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

Hello all,

Still looking for that perfect snowblower (or close to it!).  Someone is selling a 5 year old Honda 928 for $1200.  Would you consider that a good deal.  He said he used it normal for 3 yrs, lightly for the last 2 and did regular oil change maintenance every year on it.  There is no rust on the machine.  I was thinking of getting Ariens Deluxe/Pro or Simplicity Pro but I've heard from many that Honda is creme de la creme.  What do you guys think?

Thanks!

SP

You can't beat a Honda, but it depends on condition of course.  Examine it closely.

I would say that is a fair price. Chances are that the machine only has about a 100 hours or so, give or take 25 hours. My biggest thing when I look at used OPE is the condition of the equipment. As a general rule, if it looks good, it was most likely taken care of and was maintained properly. If it looks like it was left outside and neglected, I usually pass on it as it was most likely abused and not maintained. Look at the size of the owners property and try to determine how many hours it would have taken him to clear his property. This will help to determine how many hours are on the machine.

Pull the dipstick to see what the oil looks like.  Look for leaks on anything that might contain fluids.  I.e. auger gearbox and hydro drive.  Look for bent auger and impeller damage.  Fire it up and see how it runs.  If there's some snow around, give it a test run.

If it's in real good shape, it's a decent price for a Honda.  However, a comparable new Toro/Ariens/Simplicity could be bought for around that price.   A buddy of mine just bought a new Toro 826 from Home Depot for $899.00.   Great price for an excellent snow blower.

I just picked up an exceptionally clean 928 TAS from the original owner. There was virtually no wear anywhere on the machine. He serviced it regularly and the machine was very clean, inside and outside. It performed perfectly on the 'test blow'. I paid $1,400 for the blower, was glad to get it and thought I got a very good deal on it. He thought he made out well too so everybody was happy. There just are not many of these machines up for sale and even fewer that are virtually perfect and because the do not change over the years the age of the machine is less important than the machine's overall condition. If the machine you are looking at does not show signs of use and abuse, does everything it is supposed to do properly, has no odd noises or leaks then I would think it was worth the $1,200, assuming it is an electric start, tracked snowblower (TAS). Wheeled units are worth somewhat less, as are machines without electric starting. Brian midfiman wrote:

I would not worry about the electric start feature as these engines typically turn over on the first or second recoil assisted pull of the starter rope. Whether it is wheel or track drive, that's still a good price for a well maintained machine. As a point of reference, I sold my 12 y/o Honda HS624WA (wheel drive) that I owned for 10 years this past August for $ 750.00 which was $ 50.00 less than what I paid for it originally as a 2 y/o used machine.

Did the original poster mention if the Honda 928 was Wheel Drive or Track Drive?  I'd say 1,400 is a real fair price for a 5 year old 928 Track Drive (without electric start).   On the flip side, I think $1,400 for a 5 year old 928 wheel drive (without electirc start is slightly high).

I paid $1,200 for a three year old Honda 928 Wheel Drive with electic start.  The machine was mint and had only been used 4 times.  Wheels still had the nubs on the tires and not a speck of rust anywhere including the auger. 

Couple of things worth mentioning about buying a used 2 Stage Honda Snowblower:

     1)  Check with the current owner to see if the machine was listed under the recent Honda Snowblower Recall.  Just Google Honda Snowblower Recall and you'll find all the serial numbers affected by the recall.

    2)   Make sure the original owner gives you all the owners manuals and the Honda Tool Kit that came with the snowblower.  Just nice to have all the original materials and tools.

    3)  Get yourself a can of WD40 or Silicone and spray the inside of the auger area and chute after using the snowblower each and every time.  It will keep your machine looking like new.

   4)   Change the oil with Mobile 5w30 synthetic, fill up the tank with fresh gas treated with fuel stabilizer, drain the carb (see owners manual)  and add a fresh coat of automobile wax to the machine before putting it away for the winter.

     5)  Get ready for some weird looks from your neighbors when you start throwing snow 55ft in the air.  Honda's are the best!

          

Thanks for all the replies.  So i went to see the machine and it wasn't in as good condition as I thought it would be.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with the machine, it's just not shiny new looking and has a little bit of minor rust on the top of the bucket (very little) and very little around some of the joints of the machine (like where the bucket attaches to the rest of the machine), but nothing major at all.  Still, there are no leaks and the machine has been through the usual oil changes and has been used with gas/little sta-bil and stored with full tank with same mixture.  It seems to always start on the first pull without even pulling very hard.  The only downside is that it is a little harder than I thought to use the track system, but maybe that will get easier once I guess used to it?  I will say that we had about 3-4 inches of snow yesterday and it was throwing it up and across like 40-50ft with ease!  It was impressive to look at.  Hopefully it does the same with heavy wet EOD as well (maybe just not as far).

Like i said, it's not as pretty as a new one, but it's also not $2800.  I hope I can get some years out of this machine.  I guess the good thing is that if I don't like, I can probably sell it pretty easily as these machines don't come around used very often...

A little surface rust is not an issue and can be remedied with some wet sanding and touch up paint. A good coat of wax every once in a while and some WD40 before each use will keep any other rust issues at bay. The tracks take some getting used to but once you get the right technique under your belt it becomes much easier to maneuver. Throwing distance and travel speed kind of go hand in hand with each other and this is where you'll appreciate the hydrostatic tranny and its infinate forward/reverse speed control. Set the forward speed so the engine is humming at its optimum RPM's and the snow throwing distance will remain consistent. If it starts to bog down a bit, just slow down your forward speed to achieve that RPM sweet spot again and you'll be in snow throwing heaven. Good luck and congratulations!

Midfiman - You wouldn't happen to be from MA and scored the 928 tracked model listed on Craigslist in Metro West MA?  

If so, my brother looked at that unit last Thursday and called to buy it this morning.....but it was already sold.

Just curious if you're the new lucky owner. 

Either way.  Congrats on the new purchase.  Great choice. 

I just grabbed an HS928 from south of Boston last Thursday night- is that the one you are talking about? I was the third person to look at it and took it with me. Nice machine, not a mark on it and in perfect condition. Brian Glosta wrote:

Glosta wrote:

Hey Glosta,

No, I scored this bascially from a friend of a friend of a friend type thing.  Yeah, the machine kicks butt.  I'm still torn on weather or not the track version is for me or not.  We'll see.  If I decide to get rid of it, I'll make it known here first!

Midfi