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MN_Runner


Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Joined: Dec 5, 2010
Points: 622

Would you buy 1 year old HS520 for $400 or 15 year old 621 for $450?
Original Message   Dec 2, 2011 7:14 pm
One guy from MSP area is selling his 15 year old HS621 (the guy from Wayzata MN who hates HomeDepot and GC engines) for $450.  Another one is selling his one year old HS520 for $400 with one year remaining on the warranty.  HS621 is a nice machine but is it really worth more than nearly new HS520?  Replacement parts for HS520 is about 50% of the cost of HS621. What do I recommend for a friend?  I think the HS621 from that guy is simply way too high (if it were as good as aa335 then it is a different story).  HS520 seems like an economical option.  What do you guys think?
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FrankMA


Location: Merrimack Valley/Northeastern Mass
Joined: Jul 1, 2010
Points: 587

Re: Would you buy 1 year old HS520 for $400 or 15 year old 621 for $450?
Reply #30   Dec 7, 2011 9:39 pm
Raining here in New England as well. Might get a little a snow though, so something to look forward to!!! Maybe get to use the toys...

Toro Wheel Horse 522xi GT, Honda HS928TA, Honda HS621AS, Honda HS520A, Toro CCR3000 (work in progress), Honda HS624WA (sold 08/23/2010), Stihl BR550 Backpack Blower, Stihl MS250, McCulloch MS1635, Honda EM6500SX Generator
aa335


Joined: Nov 29, 2008
Points: 2434

Re: Would you buy 1 year old HS520 for $400 or 15 year old 621 for $450?
Reply #31   Dec 7, 2011 9:46 pm
I'm in Boston at the moment.  This is a lot of rain.  Would be a big snowfall of all this rain was snow.
FrankMA


Location: Merrimack Valley/Northeastern Mass
Joined: Jul 1, 2010
Points: 587

Re: Would you buy 1 year old HS520 for $400 or 15 year old 621 for $450?
Reply #32   Dec 7, 2011 9:51 pm
Should have looked me up - I'm about 30 miles north of Boston along the New Hampshire border.

Toro Wheel Horse 522xi GT, Honda HS928TA, Honda HS621AS, Honda HS520A, Toro CCR3000 (work in progress), Honda HS624WA (sold 08/23/2010), Stihl BR550 Backpack Blower, Stihl MS250, McCulloch MS1635, Honda EM6500SX Generator
MN_Runner


Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Joined: Dec 5, 2010
Points: 622

Re: Would you buy 1 year old HS520 for $400 or 15 year old 621 for $450?
Reply #33   Dec 7, 2011 10:01 pm
So where is the party?  aa335 HS621 vs. Frank_MA HS621?  or blumonster HS621 vs. aa335 and Frank_MA?
aa335


Joined: Nov 29, 2008
Points: 2434

Re: Would you buy 1 year old HS520 for $400 or 15 year old 621 for $450?
Reply #34   Dec 7, 2011 10:06 pm
MN_Runner wrote:
So where is the party?  aa335 HS621 vs. Frank_MA HS621?  or blumonster HS621 vs. aa335 and Frank_MA?

Heh.  No party.  It's raining a lot here, no snow to blow.  I'm on business trip in Boston for a few days and don't feel like getting out of this city.  Sushi bar and a cold Harpoon near Copley Place, it's all good.
MN_Runner


Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Joined: Dec 5, 2010
Points: 622

Re: Would you buy 1 year old HS520 for $400 or 15 year old 621 for $450?
Reply #35   Dec 7, 2011 10:13 pm
Hopefully I can meet one of you guys when I either run Boston Marathon or Chicago Marathon.  Boston is just too hard to train in MN because of the weather.  I broke my ankle in 2009 the day after Christmas slipping on ice so 2010 run was out.   Chicago is better but it is always a week after the Twin Cities marathon so it is a tough call.  Enjoy the sushi and lobsters and of course, good ale.
FrankMA


Location: Merrimack Valley/Northeastern Mass
Joined: Jul 1, 2010
Points: 587

Re: Would you buy 1 year old HS520 for $400 or 15 year old 621 for $450?
Reply #36   Dec 8, 2011 6:28 am
MN_Runner wrote:
So where is the party?  aa335 HS621 vs. Frank_MA HS621?  or blumonster HS621 vs. aa335 and Frank_MA?

No snow, only rain... Still not cold either and it looks like mild weather for the next week or so.

Toro Wheel Horse 522xi GT, Honda HS928TA, Honda HS621AS, Honda HS520A, Toro CCR3000 (work in progress), Honda HS624WA (sold 08/23/2010), Stihl BR550 Backpack Blower, Stihl MS250, McCulloch MS1635, Honda EM6500SX Generator
FullThrottle


Joined: Feb 11, 2011
Points: 17

Re: Would you buy 1 year old HS520 for $400 or 15 year old 621 for $450?
Reply #37   Dec 8, 2011 2:10 pm
aa335 wrote:
My HS621 S/N is SZAN-10356xx.  It was bought in 1998, but not sure of the production date, maybe 1997. 

I really like the look too.  It is sleek, Honda managed to wrap up the engine completely inside the housing with nothing sticking out and not looking bloated like the Toro 621, or sloppy looking like the B&S variants of the Simplicity / Snapper / Ariens 208cc single stage snowblowers. 
Heres what I found for production dates for U. S. market  HS621. Pull start models
1992   Ser #  1000001-1038238      
1993   Ser #  1038239-1099999
1994   Ser #  1100001-1129999
1995   Ser #  1130001-1130378
1996   Ser #  1130379- not many but some are listed as 96's
aa335


Joined: Nov 29, 2008
Points: 2434

Re: Would you buy 1 year old HS520 for $400 or 15 year old 621 for $450?
Reply #38   Dec 9, 2011 11:38 am
That doesn't seem right.  I have one with S/N beginning with 10356xx which I bought in 1998.  It seems unlikely a 1992 production unit sat around 6 years until it is sold.
This message was modified Dec 9, 2011 by aa335
FrankMA


Location: Merrimack Valley/Northeastern Mass
Joined: Jul 1, 2010
Points: 587

Re: Would you buy 1 year old HS520 for $400 or 15 year old 621 for $450?
Reply #39   Dec 9, 2011 3:43 pm
Here's some photos of the single stage herd. The HS621 I got last spring and the HS520 are going on CL shortly. The keeper HS621 is the one in the middle.

Here's the HS621 I'll be selling off.

Here's the HS520 I've been disappointed with.



Toro Wheel Horse 522xi GT, Honda HS928TA, Honda HS621AS, Honda HS520A, Toro CCR3000 (work in progress), Honda HS624WA (sold 08/23/2010), Stihl BR550 Backpack Blower, Stihl MS250, McCulloch MS1635, Honda EM6500SX Generator
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