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

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?

@FrankMA,

Do you have any idea on how old the second HS621 that you just bought?  Any pictures of the new acquisition?

aa335: The 1st HS621 I bought last spring is S/N # SZAN-1026712, the most recent HS621 purchase is SZAN-1015460. This means my "newsest" HS621 is 11,252 machines older than the first HS621 I purchased last spring. I've got both out on my deck right now and will take pictures of both sometime tomorrow. I just really like the look of the HS621 (sleek and up to the task) and feel the GX160 OHV engine will perform great with this package. The older I get, the more I want to use a lighter, easier to handle machine for the lighter snowfall amounts we typically get in early and late winter when a single stage is better suited to the task at hand. Will post fresh pic's tomorrow providing I can remember how to do so...

Mine is even older with SZAN1006... serial number.

blumonster: You've got one that belongs in the Smithsonian Institute!!! I wish there was a way to determine the build date from the s/n number just so you'd know the age of each machine.

Raining here today so I had to put my toys in the shed this morning but will be taking pic's this weekend as I need to post my old HS621 and HS520 on CL. Temps have been on the very warm side around here (50's & 60's!) so most folks are not thinking snow removal yet. The local CL for Eastern MA/Southern NH is full of decent sounding machines these days. Many are rotating around from week to week as I don't think many are being sold because of the warm temps and nice weather. I've seen a few at decent prices staying on for 2 to 3 weeks at a time. We need a good snow storm to kick things up a notch or two!

FrankMA wrote:

Snowstonian Institute! :D Not the first 1006th machine ever made though. It starts with 1006 and a few more digits after that.Mine is the first 6324th Honda HS621 to be precise.

I am looking forward to seeing your HS621's pictures, FrankMA.Here it is not warm but so far thankfully no snow on the ground.I want to try mine but I am sure there will be many many days with snowstorms here.Just not yet.

I keep looking for some unclear reason at craigslist for Honda snowblowers, both for SS and 5 stage.Prices are not that high here either for the same reason.And they are not selling.I saw a couple of HS80 ads.One of them was being sold for 325 dollars.An old machine but in decent condition.

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/for/2680581149.html These Yamahas are still in the market.Two of them for $650.One needs carb cleaning, seller says.

FrankMA 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. 

While I was swapping out the paddles on the "new" HS621 I scored this past Sunday, I noticed that the chute could only rotate about 160* right to left. I thought this was a bit odd especially considering that the HS621 I picked up last spring could rotate almost all the way around. I removed the chute and after comparing both machines, I realized that the stationary chute base that is attached to the paddle housing was mounted 180* opposite on each machine. I removed the 4 mounting screws and rotated the chute base on my latest score 180* to mimic the one on the older HS621 and that did the trick. I now have close to 360* of chute rotation on the latest HS621 I just acquired.

Just curious if this limited degree of chute rotation was a built in design by Honda or if someone had removed the chute base and reinstalled it incorrectly. I could almost see this intentional limitation being applied to some of the machines sold overseas as they appear to have some serious over-built safety features that are borderline ridiculous. I suppose if you were stupid enough to point the chute towards your face or body and got whacked with snow, you deserve what you got and would hopefully never make the same stupid mistake again! I guess the problem these days is the lawyers are running just about everything and downright stupidity & what you get as a result of it, is a good enough reason to sue the sh!t out of a company.

I often wonder whatever happened to personal responsibility...

Some people give up their personal responsibility in exchange for monetary gains.  Very similar to selling your soul to the devil.

Sorry so gloom attitude today.  It's been raining the last 3 days.

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...

I'm in Boston at the moment.  This is a lot of rain.  Would be a big snowfall of all this rain was snow.