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Looking at Honda for my next snowblower

9K views 37 replies 19 participants last post by  2.137269 
#1 ·
Hello all,

I have been an Aries owner for 15 years. I need some help to make a decision. I am looking at the HSS928AW/AWD. I have also never purchased a snowblower with tracks HSS928A. My driveway will fit 6 cars and it has a small incline. I store the machine in the shed with a 36” door then I have to take a sharp right to store it. Not sure it’s necessary to have tracks vs wheels. Other than the traction it gives you why would I want tracks?
Thanks in advance
 
#2 ·
I have both. Prefer the tracked model because the wheeled model has a tendency to ride up on the snow instead of digging in like the tracked. Also depends on your incline. I have a slight incline and the wheeled model has no problem. The problem usually is packed snow on the EOD , that is end of driveway or berm left by the plow. This is where the wheeled model usually rides up.
 
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#3 ·
The tracked is a breeze to operate. Look at the platform and surface area of the tracked model compared to the wheeled. The tracked just goes thru stuff, with the new rear shock setup, you can tilt the whole machine around the more stable tracked platform. The steering clutches make turning pretty effortless
 
#5 · (Edited)
I have the wheeled HSS928 and it can take some muscle to work with it, especially at the end of driveway pile left by the plow. I regret that I did not buy the tracked model which just pushes right through. On the plus side, the wheeled model can be moved easily without starting it. I just wheel it down the hill from the shed to the heated garage the night before a snowfall.
 
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#6 ·
I can not comment on both, as I have only had wheeled all my life, never had any kind of "riding up" issue ???? I always use the gear for which the amount and type of snow requires with excellent results. I have many, so of course moving them around while they are off is extremely easy as well.
 
#7 ·
I’ve always had a tracked blower, have never thought to myself “man I sure wish I had a wheeled blower this tracked unit just isn’t cutting it”, I can’t think of one reason why one would be better than tracks, and anytime I hear or read reasons people say they prefer a wheeled blower I don’t agree LOL.
 
#8 ·
When you pull both of the steering clutch handles on the newer tracked Honda’s. It disengages the track drive and you can push it around without it running. Rolls along fairly easy. Not sure when Honda started doing that? Mine was new this Fall.
 
#10 ·
I have seen first hand too many to count Hydro-Gear transmission failures, I would not trust them at all.
The older Honda HS models used their transmission built by Honda, and they were a much much better unit.
The Hydro-Gear units would wear out the little pistons and cylinder blocks that hold the hydraulic pistons due to poor metals used in manufacture, then the machine would slow down when it got warm/hot.
I have repaired/replaced quite a few of them on various lawn and garden equipment and it is an expensive rebuild on them.
Its funny, the older HS models had no-where near the problems that the newer HSS models were having.
I would say to give the HSS model at least 10 to 20 years to prove itself against the HS model in reliability and operation plus its build and the bugs that had to be worked out of them, and to see if its Hydro-Gear can hold up to the Honda manufactured units that are still running flawlessly today at over 25 years in age.
 
#13 ·
It's nice to hear someone questioning the HSS series as I have for the last 3 years. Time will tell. I'll always have HS series. Nothing wrong that I can't fix with them.
 
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#18 ·
Just to put this into perspective. These two shops sell on average 500+/- HSS Honda’s a year. They supply everything North of the Alaska Range. So last year and this year equals 1000 new HSS Honda Snowblowers without one Hydro-Gear failure... I ain’t buying your story.
 
#20 ·
Thank you once again. We keep hearing what not to buy for a period of time from others on the forum but at some point it would be nice to hear what these "wait periods of time people" recommend for tomorrow when there is 24"-36" of snow that is forecast.
Not everyone wants to put $500-$1000 into a 20 year old used machine and then another $500 in repairs halfway through the season. And what about folks new to the area? "Oh I'm bringing my 16 year old Honda HS that didn't get used in San Diego much so I'm all set!" And what about those changing living situations from apartments to housing where now they need a snowblower tomorrow? Guess they are out of luck, maybe they should wait it out some period of time until the snow melts.
 
#19 · (Edited)
That's only 2 years, that's nothing. I want to see how many hold up or have problems by the time they are at least 25 years old. They are still too new yet to proove themselves.
I don't care if they sell over ten million, that doesn't say if they are as good or will last as long as the old ones.They haven't been tested long enough yet. It doesn't say anything as to how many they sell, just that they sell a lot of equipment, nothing more.
You also have a lot more parts to go bad inside of them like the steering clutch dogs, how long before they wear out and jump out of gear or start slipping under a load? And when they do, do you know what that's going to cost to replace? Especially after the warranty runs out?
When you have the experience that I and many others have, then you can tell us how they are perfect, trouble-free and will never break down and last for well over 25 years at least without a problem.
They are still too new yet and Hydro-Gear does not have a very good reputation for longevity in the commercial and homeowner market as some of the other manufacturers have.
Where you are from, I don't think you have lawn equipment that has the hours on them like we have, to really get to see how the Hydro-Gear units perform and how long they last. We have many customers who have well over 10,000 hours on their equipment and some much higher, so they expect something to be built to last, and they end up getting rid of equipment that is Hydro-Gear equipped because they don't last as long as other drive/power-train equipped units do. They get upset when they have to bring them in for repairs and replacements all the time, and the machine is down and not making them money, it is costing them money instead, for repairs due to failure of the Hydro-Gear drive/power-train.
Our first Honda dealership opened back in '61, our second around '64, with motorcycle, ATV, power equipment and marine, so I have been around Honda for a couple of years now, besides all the other brands we sell and service.
 
#21 · (Edited)
I think it's true to say that most machinery and household appliances that are built these days seem to be engineered to an overall lower standard than appliances say 30 years ago. It's a generalisation, yes, but I think overall it's true.

In the UK I ran a 1990 Japan built Nissan and whilst people laughed at it, it was bulletproof and enginnered to a high standard. Nissans of ten years later were of a totally different, lower, standard. That's just one example.

Saying that, if the Hydro Gears were failing at a high rate in other Honda machinery I can't see Honda knowingly building that failure into other machines like snowblowers. Honda offer one of the best warranties in the business and they do tend to stand behind their products.

From an engineering perpsective, I love the older HS series Hondas, the little I know of them. I like them for the same reason I like vintage motorcycles. But I also admire the refinement and ease of use of the HSS series.
 
#24 ·
hear you on the old Nissan's, bullet proof todays not so

"""Since 1999, Nissan has been part of the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance, a partnership between Nissan of Japan, Mitsubishi Motors of Japan and Renault of France. As of 2013, Renault holds a 43.4% voting stake in Nissan, while Nissan holds a 15% non-voting stake in Renault."" anyone knowing renault knows what they are junk!!

vintage MC"S i'm also like wise, think i'll keep riding my 1961 harley FLH till i'm ready to look at the roots of daises
 
#22 · (Edited)
Looks like I'll be one of the long-range test monkeys that posts here – on the new US-built HSS blower. :)

I'm in for the long haul, having owned one snowblower for 24 years (Honda HS828TAS tracked), then 2 for the last 4 years and I plan on keeping this HSS1332 for as long as I can. I'm 62 and I plan on doing my own driveway clearing until I can't anymore. We'll see how it goes. :smiley-char060::)

I bought my HSS1332ATD in Nov 2015 and it’s been working just great. I did have the transmission replaced within the first 6 months and have a total of 110 hours so far. I would have double the hours if I didn’t use my 28 year old HS828 about half the time.

My overall take is the new Honda is so much easier to work – from moving it around when its off, or idling, to steering and adjusting the bucket on the fly. I also like that the handles are higher (average working height on the HSS: 36” compared to 34” on the HS) and with the ATD, no more broken shear bolts.

The thing I don’t like at all on the new one is the powered chute. It’s way too slow for my style of clearing. I can spin the chute around on the 828 so fast and with the HSS1332 I have to come nearly to a stop to move the chute around nearly 120° which I do at the end of the driveway to keep from blowing snow onto the road and back at my garage. The downside to the manual chute is how low the handle is.

My wish for a Honda snow blower: 28" bucket, GX390 engine, Japanese HS transmission, manual chute with crank handle on top of handlebars...and I'd keep the rest of the HSS goodies.
 
#25 ·
My wish for a Honda snow blower: 28" bucket, GX390 engine, Japanese HS transmission, manual chute with crank handle on top of handlebars...and I'd keep the rest of the HSS goodies.
I agree with most everything @jrom says here...

My ideal would be HSS1332ATD features plus:
28"-30" Auger Housing Height
iGX700 V-Twin Engine
1.5-2x Faster chute rotation motor
Height-Adjustable handles with a 6-8" range
Heated Grips
Factory Roller Side Skids & Drainzit
Dual LED lights or light bar mounted above the auger housing with an off switch
HS Transmission if there was no right-side gearbox (although the HydroGear has been working very well for me so far since the reservoir retrofit - just don't know yet about the long term)
 
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#23 · (Edited)
With the September 2016 HSS928AWD, a new chute was added under warranty and a transmission reservoir added as well. Besides that, the machine has been working well. I like the electric start, the headlight, the triggers to turn it and the fuel shut off valve. @jrom is right about the chute. I live in Maryland so I probably have about 10 hours on the snowblower in three years. We had almost no snow last winter here. My wish is for the auger protection on the 928 here in America.
 
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#28 ·
I recently got a Honda tracked 1332 for use at my remote cabin on 240 acres that is 6 miles from the road. The intent is to keep snow manageable around the cabin and part of the drive for 3-400 feet. We just had 3 ft of snow on top of about 6" and it was followed by warming with some rain and another few inches of snow. I rode my wide tracked snowmachine in to the property and the snow conditions were horrible. The top 6" was firm and then it was as if hitting concrete, and some areas had slush at the bottom. I had only run the Hinda for about 15 minutes prior to Saturday just to get a feel for it, so I put it to work for over 4 hours and am very impressed. Not only does it have the ability to push against some heavy packed snow, but was also able to float above some where I wanted to shave off just the upper level. Traction on hills was great, but I got a bit cocky and got it stuck a couple of times. It is a heavy bugger trying to pull it back out! Despite the weight and tracks, it is easily managed. I could not be happier with the machine in the way it performed. I have 3 other wheeled machines and enjoy using them as well, but they cannot do what the Hinda was purchased for. I went with the Honda after reading and research, as well as my experience with other Honda products like generators and mowers. A huge point in getting the Honda versus Ariens was my favorite place to shop sells and services both Honda and Stihl so I wanted to stay with people I trust. Good luck with decision.
 
#29 ·
'I bought my HSS1332ATD in Nov 2015 and it’s been working just great. I did have the transmission replaced within the first 6 months and have a total of 110 hours so far. I would have double the hours if I didn’t use my 28 year old HS828 about half the time.'
Tranny failure on a new unit within 6 months?? Looks like the test has already been decided to my satisfaction.
 
#30 · (Edited)
Tranny failure on a new unit within 6 months?? Looks like the test has already been decided to my satisfaction.
So, do I understand you correctly that you comfortably make decisions on a sample size of 1 out of hundreds of thousands? And @jrom is happy with his HSS machine... I believe that Honda went above & beyond for him based on his concerns about speed (not transmission failure, based on his original posts about the issue).
 
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#32 · (Edited)
I would love to be an official beta tester for Honda...or any other of the OPE manufacturers. I'm already an un-official B-Tester.

Send me your best stuff...and I'll give it the test. :smile2::nerd:
 
#33 ·
I was in a similar position. I went back and forth, back and forth, between the Honda 32 and the Ariens RapidTrak Pro 28". My garage is FULL and I don't need a 32" machine, but in my humble opinion, the small difference in cost vs the major advantage of the Honda 32 over the 28" Honda meant I was going with the Honda 32" or the Ariens. I spent several months looking at both. One day, I was ordering the Honda, the next, it was the Ariens. I ultimately went with the Ariens Pro RapidTrak 28". The difference in turning was amazing. The larger auger and impeller and no issue's with clogging chutes, along with 0% financing for 24 month's and the ability to get 10% off as a Veteran, I choose the Ariens. I believe if I went with the 32" Honda I'd be extremely satisfied too. I just didn't need a 32" machine and in my opinion, there's no comparison between the 28" Honda and 28" Pro Ariens. If Honda put the 389 CC motor, like on their 32" machine, on their 28", I still wouldn't have a machine probably as I'd continue to go back and forth trying to make a decision. Please don't think I'm bashing Honda. Not in the least. I have Honda mowers exclusively and love um. But I believe Ariens really came up with something unique and special with the RapidTrak, and whenever their patent runs out, I believe you'll see a lot of other manufacturers move to this design. It offers everything you want. It's sooooo easy to move, both running or off.
 
#34 ·
I ran a Toro wheeled for (10 years?) - when we got the house and the snow removal went way up (had to shovel the roof due to horrible stalagite build up)


Poor things just fell apart.



So while not a Honda (see note) I went with a tracked machine.


Why? Back yard, grass. Toro was great traction (had chains) but dug in. Had 300 feet of pathway and half the roof to blow away from the house so that was critical.



Neighbors all have wheeled machines of various makes and they do fine on paved driveways.


My driveway is fairly steep at the bottom, Toro did fine (again it had chains).



The lock forwarded bias of a track machine does help dig in but I managed with the Toro on my other driveways.



One reason I keep saying Toro is my landlord bought an MTD 10 hp, we sure needed it there. Sadly it would not move the wheels if any resistance. All looked good, it just did not spin wheels which is useless as that is what you need at times, drive looked fine and the rubber disk was pliable and not hot spotted.



So, nothing wrong with wheeled and the Tracked has done all I could ask over the years and then some.



All the arguing about the new HSS is pretty lame. If you need a blower now? You buy it. Do the best you can with whats been handed. As noted, the MTD was close to useless.



Yamaha dropped the Hydro-static , not many failures but they cost more than a new machine to replace it so they went rubber disk drive and never had an issue with ours.



NOTE: When I got the Yamaha Honda only had 5 hp x 24 (I needed the narrow width) and it had a very low chute height. My brother had one and it just took too much hp out of it with the hydrostatic drive. The chute control at the time was horribly awkward (another brother moved his up though it never worked quite right). It also did not turn like the Yamaha.

Now? Electric chute, trigger control on the turn, high chute and 7 hp?). Things change, some get better, some are gadgetry and you just have to do the best you can with what you are faced with.



The best answer is honest operational experience and see how that fits into what you feel will suit your situation.
 
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