I think some people have missed the point - by some margin - I was trying to make when I mentioned the new Craftsman in Lowes.
I'm not saying Craftsman is on a par with Honda - nowhere near the same quality, not in the same league. This is why I own Honda power equipment.
However, not everyone is a Honda fan, affecienado or enthusiast. Some people want best proverbial bang for their $$. It all depends on what criteria a potential buyer has in their mind.
So I was illustrating that for the same money the purchaser who was contemplating a near
30 year old machine they could have a brand new snowblower which might arguably give more short term hassle free and reliable service.
Hondas are great but they are not perfect and certainly machines such as the one being debated in this thread will have a host of potentially costly issues lurking that to the inexperienced buyer (in Honda) could prove a costly mistake.
For the record, I run near 50 year old classic motorcycles so I know, full well, the virtues and attractiveness of classically engineerd machnery.
I think Honda enthusiasts might be tempted by this purchase or someone who knows Hondas intimately and can do any necessary repairs.
However, I think for an average buyer who's looking simply for a good deal, there could be many potentail problems. That's why I made the point that I'd only offer, say, $500 if it's apparently very good working order. However - how someone unfamilar with Hondas would know the parameters for that - let alone a vintage Honda - is beyond me.
We're all Honda enthusiasts, that's why we're contributing members here, right? So please no inferences that I hold modern day MTD stuff in the same category as Honda.
Personally, I'd love to see V twin engines powering a snowblower, but that's just my motorcyle bias coming out