Many municipalities have Honda 1132 TAS machines because they are nearly bulletproof and have low maintenance. My guess is that this new $ 8,000.00 Honda Hybrid will be bought up for the same use, as well as institutions like colleges, hospitals, parks departments, and similar applications. Places where a truck with a plow can't be used, and smaller two stage machines wear out too easily or demand constant heavy maintenance. Sidewalks in towns and villages would be ideal for a machine this size. Honda says the engine is an 'Intelligent Commercial grade' engine, with self diagnostics. They call the machine a Hybrid Snowblower 3613iAS. It would be interesting to see in operation.
Well we have a ton of sidewalks in my city as it's the State capitol with a really large downtown area and they use commercial rigs that you ride in to clear the sidewalks. The way the plows pack the snow onto the sidewalks there is no walk behind that would handle it. The machines they have can chew through 4+ feet of what amounts to EOD without any problems at all. They are fairly slow and they do not throw the snow very far. I am not certain if they can control that but I would imagine they could but since these are used in neighborhoods throwing snow far could be a hazzard. These are out a couple of days after the storm and all the roads are plowed and clear.
I'm not saying a Honda couldn't do it but honestly it would be a nightmare and take too long. These machines are full commercial ones. I haven't seen our city or any other town around here using anthing less than a full commercial machine.
Colleges up here use mostly Honda and Toro, those you will see pretty regularly.
"If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you live in New England." "If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in New England."
