Help needed - looking at two used HS928s this weekend

It doesnt look bad but why are they selling?
Was this machine used in a commercial capacity? If so I don't recommend as it may have high hours on it.

Pictures only tell part of story.
It needs a in person inspection/testing.

Look for signs of abuse....rust etc.
The drive is the most important part to check IMO since 99% of Honda engines are great ( check oil before start )

Make sure it drives smoothly forward and reverse. No clicking , jerking , noise etc ) If it makes any noise the final drive gearbox may need rebuilding......very expensive .

$1000 would be a pretty good deal here if all the major stuff checked out. Just assume it needs a service and perhaps a few minor repairs/parts..

I have a video on what to check when buying a good used Honda on my YouTube channel listed below but listed above is the main things to check.

Good luck.

DC_Dave said:

First-time poster here - love the forum. I've been lurking to figure out what type of machine can replace the snowplow service (he's retiring), and after many hours of reading settled on the HS928. We have a steep/uneven gravel driveway in the mountains. We don't get regular snow, but when it snows heavily, we can get 12+ inches.

Found this machine online near us (DC Metro), and I was going to take a look at it (them). They have two machines available (probably a lawn service company?), but I suspect these are the photos of one of the machines. They've been asking $1000/each, and I'm not sure if I should keep waiting or offer them something.

Any thoughts on the pictures, advice on what to look for, how to test them out, would be greatly appreciated! I'm a Shadetree mechanic/motorcycle guy.

Thanks in advance!

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I'll let the guys on here with more mechanical experience chime in WRT condition, but will add one thing related to experience. Steep, gravel driveways scream for a tracked model. Add the mountain experience you also have and you get big drifts—again favouring tracked models. It's not that you cannot do it with a wheeled model, which is better at corners and tight places; but tracked models have a great advantage on gravel b/c you can hold the bucket above the gravel so as not to shoot rocks everywhere—as well as do a number on the machine itself. Wheeled models pivot on the axle, so must at minimum drag the skids through the gravel, making quite a mess in my experience. But tracked models can balance and hold the bucket in place so you can remove snow almost to the gravel level w/o destroying the driveway. In addition to multiple single stage models, I have a deluxe tracked HS724ACTD here in Calgary that is a 2016 model with maybe only 20 hours on it. I often think I will sell it, but love it so much when I do need it that I change my mind at least once a year. Right now I am in "don't sell" mode.

Best of luck on your hunt. And best wishes from Calgary.

Oh no, y'all think I'm "that guy!" Sorry for the delay, everyone. The only time I have to get "online" right now is in the mornings - I'm up in the mountains riding dirt bikes with the older daughter.

CalgaryPT - thanks for the thoughts on getting a tracked machine - very helpful - greetings from Washington, DC!

I didn't even know there was such a thing as tracks until I started reading snowblowerforum.com. I'm not getting any younger, so the thought of manhandling a wheeled non-hydro machine on the steep ice rink that passes for our driveway makes me want to double my AD&D insurance.

I'm almost certain the machines were used in a commercial capacity by a lawn service company, but down in central Virginia, they don't get much snow. What do you think of the track wear? It seems a little high to me.

I’ll ask them why they’re selling. The seller has a lot of used household goods for sale. Their description reads “Honda snowblower, tuned up, new carburetor, spark plugs and oil change. We have 2 available.” I should have included that before!

I would guess they don’t need a tracked machine (or hydro) in central VA since it’s all flat down there.

Orangeputeh, Thanks for the tip on your video - I’ll watch it and make a checklist of things to look for before taking a look. I’m in the DC area, so we have a lot of machines within a 150mi radius. I was hoping the HS928TAS would last many years with regular maintenance and the gearcase forced lubrication mod. I’m always a little nervous when I see someone has been working on it, but a new carb (hopefully) would imply the work was done by a Honda dealer.

Thanks everyone!