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HSS928TA Review/First Impressions

14K views 41 replies 15 participants last post by  Gator9329 
#1 ·
I took delivery of my new HSS928 about 2 hours ago. I purchased it from Jacks on line and it was delivered to CO in a timely manner in perfect condition.

After putting oil and gas in and setting up the scraper and shoes I got to try it out on some pretty tough stuff. It snowed here on Tuesday and has getting warm during the days so this stuff had some frozen chucks in it. I was running it in about 1/2 to 3/4' auger height snow.

I'm coming from a 1332 for comparison sake. First I will say that the shoes on the back of the auger housing sucks. It may work in a more flat surface but for the end of drive and side walk it's no good, It tends to pull the blower around leaving it very difficult to control. No big deal, I learned this with my 1332 as well. New side mount poly shoes are in order.

I need to get used to the new controls. I found myself trying to drive it like my old machine. I think at times I even tried to steer it using the joystick.:redface:

I may have been the material I was running in, but I felt it was a little under powered. I checked the throttle linkage to be sure the handle was utilizing the full travel of the cable and it is. That is as far as I went in trouble shooting.. Was it because I am used to the 1332 or the hard pack I was running in, only time will tell.

The steering works very well, and will only improve once in install the new shoes. This I expected as I had a track drive Troy unit prior to the 1332. This is a great improvement to the older HS models. I took a quick peek at the steering mech and it does look very beefy. Nothing to fear here from what I saw.

The gas strut is a huge improvement over the foot controlled unit, even if I did keep putting my foot down there to adjust it. :wavetowel2: I would however like that control to be angled up more to allow easier use when using it with the auger bucket elevated. Hard to explain, but not a big deal none the less.

I"m noticing something odd sounding, it's making a weird noise at idle, but goes away with any throttle added. Almost like a pull it misaligned or loose. it does this with or without the trans or a auger engaged, a bit of a mystery, Ill keep an eye on that for changes..

To make fair comparison I need to install the side mount shoes and try this thing in fresh snow. It's coming down again so if there is enough I will try it in the morning, otherwise it may not be until T-day until we get more..

-Robert
 
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#7 ·
Nice review, I look forward to getting mine in a few weeks. Can you explain a bit more about your experience with rear vs side shoes. When you say Poly shoes are they a polyetheline, and do they wear out more quickly? Are they simple to mount or do you have to drill new holes?
 
#9 ·
When they are mounted in the rear, it tends to cause the scraper to grab the surface. If the surface is not completely flat it will grab on one side or the other causing the blower to fight you. There are several threads on side Vs back skid mounting.

As far a ware, I didn't have them on the old machine long enough to tell before selling it, but it was a nice improvement. I didn't get the impression they were waring too fast, and if they do I'll just replace them more frequently or make my own.
 
#10 ·
First I will say that the shoes on the back of the auger housing sucks.
Bummer! I recently sold my 2 year old track Honda with custom mounted steel wheel casters in place of the skids and now I am thinking I should have removed them before I sold it. In any case I will consider the same for the new machine when I get it. There was no ware with the casters over the two years and boy did they make a difference.
 
#19 · (Edited)
I was able to confirm today the holes are not threaded. Like said above, a nut and bolt should do the trick however I'll likely add a backing plate to add some regidity to the auger housing. It not designed the same in the area as the HS models were.

I also took the front cover off to look for the source of the noise I heard yesterday. Once off the noise is gone and all parts (pullies etc.) are tight and to spec. I think the plastic cover has some audible resonance to contributing to the different sound.

I also looked further into the throttle adjustment. I was able to adjust quiet a few more RPM's. This may have been the reason I felt it was underpowered last night..?

Robert from Honda, do they set max RPM by the cable and set screw adjustments at the factory? Could I now have it operating above max R's?
 
#22 ·
No worries, you will be very satisfied I'm sure. Keep in mind I am comparing one great machine to another. The new features are excellent, and worth the wait that we all had to, or are having to deal with. After today, I think the only thing needed out of the box is side skids. That's my finding, you may not see that as a requirement.
 
#23 ·
Yes, kind of... With both the HS HSS they tend to be a little tippy when you have the auger riding above ground. Simple physics... There is a lot of weight hanging off the front, so bumps will cause the machine to rock back and forth from the leading edge of the tracks.

Not sure if that will make sense or not, it's all I got :)
 
#26 · (Edited)
Robert, this may as good a place to ask as any.

1. Do you have any idea when a shop manual will be available for the new HSS's? (I just received my 1332ATD and I love it so far).

2. I noticed the muffler screws have the JIS dot imbedded on the top. Are the engine screws JIS, but the rest not? I do have a set of JIS screwdrivers, just wondering.

Thanks.

*For the sake of keeping this thread to the 928, I think I'll post these questions as a new thread.
 
#30 ·
Robert, this may as good a place to ask as any.

1. Do you have any idea when a shop manual will be available for the new HSS's? (I just received my 1332ATD and I love it so far).

2. I noticed the muffler screws have the JIS dot imbedded on the top. Are the engine screws JIS, but the rest not? I do have a set of JIS screwdrivers, just wondering.
Honda has produced an interim shop manual, with detailed maintenance procedures, but the full tear-down sections are still in progress. I would hold off until the full manual is ready; I will be sure to announce that in the Honda Forum.

The engines for all the new HSS models are manufactured at Honda's plant in Thailand, while the rest of the machine parts (frame, auger, controls, transmission, etc.) are sourced from US suppliers. It would appear the Thailand plant uses JIS hardware, while the US plant does not (at least not on the HSS's non-engine fasteners). Let me try and pry a firm answer out of the model engineer. Stand by
 
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#31 ·
I used to buy the $35 + ones from Sendec/Works/Tiny Tach.
As I get older....I've become more frugal in certain ways ;-), and realize certain things I don't need to get the expensive ones...as it's all the same sch1tz....meaning, the batteries on these things are sealed anyhow, you can't replace it.

So essentially, at some point, you will need to start fresh with a 0 hr meter....

Anyhow, for the last couple of years, I just picked them up from Ebay. Shipped from overseas and takes about 2 weeks, but they are d1rt cheap....

If you want to Amazon it, I would just get this inexpensive one...

http://www.amazon.com/Docooler-Inductive-Meter-Stroke-Engine/dp/B00DDK0XN8/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1448369927&sr=8-15&keywords=tach+meter
 
#37 · (Edited)
I splurged a little and got an orange tach-hour meter ~$34:




My brand new HSS928AAT read just about perfectly out of the box compared to factory settings:

Max throttle: 3600 RPM
Idle throttle: 2220 RPM​

My unit doesn't like the idle that low. There is too much resonance and rattling. Increasing the throttle to about 2500 RPM makes it sound real smooth. I'll be interested to know if the 2200 RPM will eventually become smooth after the engine gets broken in.
 
#39 ·
I just got mine...

I used it once and did notice there were times it seems to "fight" me. I didn't recall exactly when-- but a steep slope could be the time.

I got the Honda so maybe my wife could use it. I just figured maybe it was a job for some muscle.

I don't even know what the **** skids and shoes are on a snowblower. How hard are they to install?

Did anyone get a snowcab installed?
 

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