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

My current primary residence is fine with a single stager except for the EOD.
As of late, the wet snow we get, sometimes becomes a chore for my HS621.
Or it's more constant chopping, running the auger, breaking up the stuff in the chute, run auger, rinse and repeat


I did have a 724 but sold it - mainly just due to lack of space.
There have been times that I wish I had the 724 and there have also been times where I was smiling DANCING with the HS 621.


I DONT have space for both.

There is a screaming deal on a 724 with Tracks.
You know how it goes. Want versus reality.
I dunno if I'll be have buyers remorse and end up selling the 724TA down the road again...

I have a 1991 John Deere TRX26 (8hp, track drive). This machine will go anywhere, I drive it up stairs to get to my 42"x16' deck to clear it off. Yes, it is a pain to manuver and worse when no engine power. I installed a "Clarance kit" 2 years ago and now it blows snow like a raped ape and does a very good with slush also. Sometimes wrestling with it  in close quarters at the end of the day is a bit much for this old timer, but I like the attention I get when I throw the white stuff a good 40 feet.    

aa335 wrote:
I probably need to work on my paticence and take smaller bites to allow the snow to get up and out the chute.
New belts, fresh rubber all around. It's yet to stall on me yet, but I know it's limitations. When I hear her *grunt*, I back off on how much I'm feeding it but then again, I should be taking smaller bites regardless...

However, on heavy EOD, if I'm lucky and it's a weekend and not during a weekday, where I am home, I will try to attack the EOD when it's fresh and soft versus hardened up rock.
I stopped attempting to use if for anything past the sidewalk and resort to ice breaker, a strong back and a shovel --- where if I had a 2 stager, I would not need to.

55utilitysedan wrote:
I know exactly what you mean.  Last year we have a 24 inch blizzard that crippled the city for two days, I took the big red tracked snowblower outside to stretch its legs.  It crawled along at an easy pace while tossing the snow across the street.  The people outside stopped whatever they were doing to admire the white rooster tail.  Priceless!!!

I spent more than 2 and a half hours helping people digging out their driveway.  My clothes were completely drenched with sweat and very exhausting from wrestling the machine, but it was good having fun while helping out neighbors. 

So I'm not complaining about tracked snowblowers.  But with the new Ariens Pro 28 snowblower with the monster 410cc engine, I'm feeling some power envy. 

My Honda HS928 with tracks is a bit difficult to maneuver when its not moving, so I bought a small $20 dolly (board with four wheels) and slide it under the tracks when I need to maneuver it into its narrow storage space in the garage. 

While using the machine to blow snow, I find it's plenty easy to maneuver while it's moving.  I simply need to think a few feet ahead and steer accordingly.  If I blow it, the hydrostatic transmission on the Honda allows me to back-up easily and correct.

Where I live, we measure snow by the foot, not by the inch, and my driveway is steep.  Tracks are essential for me.  If you need tracks, or can make frequent use of their advantages over wheels, I wouldn't be deterred by the steering concerns. 

I've used tracked blowers before, had problems with rusting in the drive during off-season.  All my machines are wheeled with chains.  Where I live the city plows over the sidewalks and alley so it's hard to get in and out.  I have a few machines right now including a 10 hp 26" and 10 hp 32" I've refurbished.  I can pretty much throw back anything the city piles on my walk or drive.

Makes you feel like Tim Taylor - "More Power"!

hcbph1 wrote:
Throw back to a degree. Either you are throwing it to a *mound* that can be a mound and or just spreading it on the blacktop in the street so that cars can still safely pass.
I'm not looking to create a snow speed bump right in front of my place....and the rest of the blacktop around me  is fairly clean after a plow.


I've got one neighbor who want's to be courteous so he lugs all that EOD and shovels it and walks 15 feet and dumps it onto a mound on his property.
I just chuck it out in small qtys and let the sun, salt and blacktop do the work

I try to minimize snow from the street deposited on my lawn.  It is loaded with salt that isn't so good for the grass.

During the winter when its cold that the snow won't melt, I will pile up the snow along the curb.  As soon as it warms up, I break down the wall with a shovel and let some of the snow fall back into the street.  As it melts, the water goes down to the city storm drain, not on my lawn. 

mobiledynamics wrote:

Out front where the city plows it onto the sidewalk, I cut a hole and blow that back onto the pile downstream from where I cut the hole.  Out back, I throw it on the back end of a parking spot by my garage behind where I park my truck.  Last year wasn't bad at all but in 2010 that got to be over 6' tall.

I definitely don't blow it onto the lawn if at all possible, and the city has fined people for blowing it back into the street so don't do that either.

Pulleys, yadda, they are NOT up my forte. Not looking to do *homework* on how to hodgepodge a clone to mate.

If I was to get this 724 - how hard or not is it to repower it with a 9 or 13HP clone...

http://www.abbysguide.com/ope/discussions/61797-0-1.html

I like the 24" Width bucket....just want more power.

I hope some one here picked up the hs724 that was on eBay for around $900. Looked like it was in good condition. I would've bought it if I didn't have the 928 on the way. Item# 230881821676