Here is a link to my unboxing of it

Snowblower - Google Drive

drive.google.com

 

 

Looks great. Will put mine together this weekend. Are you using the supplied oil or is there a synthetic that would work better?

 

Are you using the supplied oil or is there a synthetic that would work better?

Always use the supplied oil during the ENTIRE prescribed break-in period. After that, switch to synthetic 5W30.

 

Ya I agree with Tabora, 100% 💯 ☝🏻

 

I bought one of these from my local Home Hardware about a month ago. I'm in Northern Ontario, we are having the strangest winter on record, very warm and not much snow. We did get one dump the day after I got the machine, about 12 inches of wet snow. The machine functioned very nicely! I had an old craftsman that was on it's last legs, and it was difficult to get through any amount of snow, the drive wheels would spin, I basically had to push it, which gets old very fast. The tracks on this one are a real game changer, the description of "one-handed" operation in the advertising blurb is actually true. I used it the one day for about two hours straight, no problems, and the "power steering" actually worked, it was very easy to turn, easier than my old beater.

My only concern is the long term reliability. In a normal year, I will use my snowblower 20 to 50 times. If this machine holds up, it will have been a real bargain.

 

" In a normal year, I will use my snowblower 20 to 50 times "


Wow, I can't imagine pulling my machines out that many times in a season, although my personnel fleet can handle it ...

 

Lol, well this year is very strange, snow fall might catch up, but right now I still have green grass in the back yard.

 

Very interested on how this compares to other snow blowers. Any updates on how it has been working? Thanks

 

Benchmark 420cc 30" 2-Stage Track Snow Blower
Item: #5554-048 Model: #HH-0361

I dropped into the local Home Hardware today. I was surprised to see they had just received and assembled one of these machines. Staff were unfamiliar as didn't even know the model # or the price! 🙂It appears to be solidly built, with quality Briggs engine giving plenty of power. Rather than a hydrostatic transmission, it appears to use a simple friction wheel or disc drive plate with 6 forward/2 reverse speeds. That's probably a good thing when it eventually comes to repair costs.
Yes, the machine appears almost identical to the Hyundai HS series track snow machine.

As I said, Home Hardware staff didn't know the purchase price on the unit, or if it was coming on sale, but said they would refund the difference if it does. Also, they said they stand behind their statement: "If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, in most cases, you can return it for a refund within 90 days."
I think I will be in touch with them tomorrow to snatch up this deal.

 

Benchmark 420cc 30" 2-Stage Track Snow Blower
Item: #5554-048 Model: #HH-0361
www.homehardware.ca/en/420cc-2-stage-snow-blower-30/p/5554048

Descriptions, instructions and specifications compare very closely for both machines. Hyundai's HS7680E
<HS_Manual_EN_2023-07-28_4c8e4460-48fd-40e9-aab3-af6f802cf301.pdf (hyundaipower.ca)>
Benchmark <5554048_EN.pdf (mozu.com)>
<BS7680_Manual_ENFR_2023-08-03.pdf (midlandpowerinc.com)>
The key differences are the engines and warranties

	Hyundai HS7680E	BENCHMARK BS7680
Limited Warranty Period: Non-commercial use:	Year 1 - Parts and Labour Year 2 & 3 - Parts	Year 1, 2 & 3 - Parts and Labour Year 4 & 5 - Parts
Limited Warranty Period: Commercial use:	First 6 Months - Parts & Labour	First 6 Months - Parts & Labour
ENGINE (both 420 cc)	Hyundai 14HP @ 2500 rpm	Briggs 15HP @ 3600 rpm

Midland's website identifies Hyundai as one of their equipment brands, and that they provide support for HH's brands {Benchmark and Radley} and Pulsar and Brute (not familiar with them). <https://www.midlandpowerinc.com/\>
Midland supplies a number of Home Hardware's products, including parts and warranty, such as Benchmark generators. I got one of these well-made units, which is very much like a Westinghouse.

 

Midland supplies parts and supports warranty for both machines for Home Hardware and Hyundai. The two appear to be practically twins, other than differences in engines.
Home Hardware Benchmark: (uses Briggs & Stratton engine)
Assuming the blower housing, dash and track drive are the same, these parts should be interchangeable.
Hyundai - 30-Inch HS7680E 420cc Two-Stage Gas Powered Tracked Snow Blower with Electric Start and Power Steering.
You can find diagrams showing breakdown of parts for the machine's main components [and Hyundai engine]:

https://parts.hyundaipower.ca/parts

HS7680E Auger Housing Assembly (hyundaipower.ca)
HS7680E Dash Panel Assembly (hyundaipower.ca)
HS7680E Motor Box and Track Assembly (hyundaipower.ca)
HS7680E Unit (hyundaipower.ca) [overall]

 

Benchmark 420cc 30" 2-Stage Track Snow Blower
Item: #5554-048 Model: #HH-0361
Update on my "limited" experience with this machine. I purchased the machine on Saturday, February 10th and had the dealer deliver it on Monday. When they opened the back of the truck, I was disappointed to find the machine was tipped on its side off a pallet: they used a forklift to put it into the truck but didn't secure it. We tipped it upright only to discover the priming bulb had been slightly damaged and there was no sign of oil in the sump despite allowing some time for it to appear. They filled it with some oil on hand and started it up without any issues and it had plenty of power to tear into a huge bank of packed snow.
Unfortunately, we discovered the hydraulic auger height adjustment did not work. Because of that, the damaged primer and chute control problems, they opted to take the machine back to the store to see to repairs. The store called me later that day to say they were sending the unit back - the third unit they had received with defects and returned to avoid customer disappointment. They had confirmed there was a shop recently contracted to provide service, but not equipped with parts to date.

It looked like a nice machine, but disappointing in build quality.

 

Thanks for coming back and reporting your experience with the machine.

Unfortunately poor build quality and lack of parts and service support are why these made in China machines are best avoided.
You generally get what you pay for with new OPE, the manufacturer still has to make a good profit on these lower cost machines, so corners have to be cut.

Home Hardware is a good retailer IMHO, they get a lot of my business. I'm glad they did the right thing and returned the machine and were honest with disclosing issues with these machines. I just wish they would stock a better quality of OPE, instead of poor quality off shore products at cheaper prices to compete with the big box retailers like Home Depot, it hurts their reputation.

I guess they are just trying to satisfy what seems to be today's average consumer, who is more interested in a cheap price than a quality product that will perform better and last longer.

 

I just purchased this snowblower as well and did grease the chute but it still does not move when using the chute crank. It will not without help swing from side to side. The worm gear position seems odd? Anyone get it working properly? Suggestions? Definitely a poor design!

 

Remove the gear and make sure the chute rotates freely end to end. Look at the welds they can be to thick and interfere with plastic hold downs. If you have contact , a little sanding of the plastic should allow smooth rotation. If the chute spins free without the gear, reassembly and remove the cable holder that supports it in the center. Put the bolt back in without the rubber hanger.

 

Thankyou I will definitely give this a try!

 

Lubriplate No. 105 Grease on the worm gear and under the rotating base of the chute really reduces the friction making it easier to turn. It takes some adjustment back and forth and left to right and angular rotation on the worm gear to find the sweet spot. May still require a slight push with your hand on the rotation on the upper part of the chute when turning the crank. Its not a perfect chute design but for the price of the snow blower its a pretty good deal, especially when it's on sale for $1699.

 

" suggestion to use as lubricants/grease on the Chute to have a smooth operation? "

My go to for this type of stuff is the Chain and Cable Lube spray can .... handles many applications just great .... and for wiping down shafts, just spray into a cloth and wipe...

Example:

 

i bought 2 of these in October from HH. One unit was returned to them back on day 1 due to a chute issue (bad welds) and also an issue with the forward transmission movement (vibration). This unit was brand new out of the box. H+H has been good but after waiting now for 2 months I still dont have the unit back. Apparently the welding issue is on numerous machines and their repair center A-Z rental got new chutes this week and these too I am told are defective. HH now has offered me a full refund. I said no, you have had my money for 2 months and I want the blower. They tell me they cant get anymore of these so now I am totally disappointed with them about this. The second unit I have only used once and it seems to work OK but even the chute on it does not work all that great. It is a crappy design, I for one would not recommend these machines to anyone simply based on the 2 months I have now been waiting for a resolution to all of this. All along I kept getting told that the new parts were on their way and now they just want to refund my money. The refund at the sale price does no t help me when we have had lots of snow already. Now it is also harder to find anything decent for that same sale price from October.

 

If you go to YouTube, there is a guy that has about 3 or 4 real good videos of the Benchmark 7680 snow blower being assembled, in use and his evaluation. He's a Yard Maintenance Contractor.

The videos are listed under: Yard2Home Property Maintenance

 

which did you order