price is the reason Honda snowblowers get a low rating

 

I don't understand. The op asked about reviews on Amazon. People buy an expensive snowblow on Amazon then rate it poorly because it was expensive?

 

+1 Unfortunately is is the price of the units that get them rated low, not their performance.

 

^ yep its bang for the buck short term that drives that rating deal .

 

how can the price have anything to do with it???????

that should not matter at all.

all I know is that we live in big snow country in the High Sierras and the Honda is the most popular blower up here.......Hands Down.

I wouldn't own anything else.

 

how can the price have anything to do with it???????

that should not matter at all.

all I know is that we live in big snow country in the High Sierras and the Honda is the most popular blower up here.......Hands Down.

I wouldn't own anything else.

and you are willing to pay the price for a Honda but just look at what you or your neighbors were using before you or they got a Honda others only have a craftsman pocketbook so sears sells a ton of them

 

Dollar for dollar, you have a 30 plus year machine, you definitely get what you pay for.

 

It is definitely a territorial product. Around here Ariens is king. In my entire life of living in WI, I have never even known anyone who owns a Honda or seen one being used. It would be like spotting Bigfoot.

 

i'll have to give ariens another try.

 

The Honda HS1332TA tracked model is the snowblower of choice at every ski resort I have ever skied at in the Sierras including the one I work at.

Ski resorts get alot of snow...

I own a Honda HS1132TA. I am very very very happy with it.

 

I think the HS series has proven to be less problematic than the HSS. I bought the HS 724 3 years ago and love it! I was very tempted to trade it on a HSS but, glad I didn't. I really like the extra features on the new ones but, not worth the headache to me since it's used a lot less than my Honda mower. I don't think I've used more than a gallon of fuel each season, therefore I pay the extra $$ and just run Tru-Fuel through it.

 

I think it's important to remember that Honda Snow Blowers are commercial rated machines so to compare them against residential rated machines like Craftsman or MTD is like comparing apples and oranges. Tough to beat a Honda Snow Blower when it comes to performance, reliability, and longevity... but those attributes don't come cheap.

 

I think it's important to remember that Honda Snow Blowers are commercial rated machines so to compare them against residential rated machines like Craftsman or MTD is like comparing apples and oranges. Tough to beat a Honda Snow Blower when it comes to performance, reliability, and longevity... but those attributes don't come cheap.

Hi, first time poster on this forum.

Does that "commercial rating" also apply to the smaller Honda single stage units? Just got an HS720AA delivered yesterday. It starts and runs fine, but I haven't had a chance to use it yet, though. Come on snow! LOL

 

Price is most likely the main reason that Honda 2 stage snowblowers are not even mentioned in the Consumer Reports buying guide. The top 3 are:
Cub Cadet 3X30HD 31AH57SZ710
Troy Bilt Vortex 289031AH55Q
Craftsman 88874
Where I live, with the amount of snow we get,I just can`t justify the initial cost to own one, but I would love to find a good deal close by someday.

 

Consumer Reports is absolutely garbage anyway!

Their "top rated" snowblowers won't last 5 years where I live.

Stick to Honda or Yamaha, and if you don't want to pay that much then Toro and Ariens is a good alternative. And get the most powerful machine you can reasonably afford. You'll never complain of having too much power, but you will complain with too little.

 

My HS828TAS has cost me (initial cost + tax, rounded up) $56 per year and if I was on a mega-monthly installment plan: $4.60 per month...so far.

Put about $350 into it 4-5 years ago. Belts, cables, extra shear bolts, crawler pipe and an OEM carb (on the shelf still).

Its seen 30-50 hours per year...great little chugger.

 

Also …if you purely compare "spec" sheet features the result almost never benefits the top shelf product. For instance how do you quantify the unwritten guarantee the Honda engines never let you down – even in the coldest temps. Or.. that the machine will still look (and perform) like new 10+ years down the road etc. Or….that the hydrostatic transmission / track drive is near bulletproof. Even if places like consumers reports take them all for a test spin…. they all mostly can be expected to start… blow the snow and generally work well out of the box….

 

I think you also have to consider that many folks writing these reviews don't understand that you need to do basic maintenance and a $3000 snow blower will fail just like a $600 snow blower if you leave crap gas in it and don't bother to change the oil, etc. etc.

 

Decided to post a shot of my 828 taken in 2015. I've always taken good mechanical care, but not always cosmetically. I did paint the inside of the auger housing and chute with Rustoleum Sunrise red and you can tell it doesn't match.

This bugger has eaten a fair share of small rocks over the years. At my garage my drive is more sand, but down a ways it's more gravel.

May sound like BS to some people, but it has never clogged in 25 years, not once. I use a little stick of wood hanging off the chute lever to nock out ice that forms between the belt cover and auger (impeller section) housing.

 

Love Honda. But...

I've always been impressed with Honda. Their quality is superb (I have a GX Honda engine on my power washer, and a Honda mower - both outstanding machines).

But, when it comes to snowblowers, I value raw power as much a durability and engineering refinements (which Honda blowers have oodles of).

I've seen some Honda blowers retailing for $2500 with just a 190 cc power plant. If you're willing to spend a bit more (between $2,500 and $3,000), you can step-up to a 270 cc engine.

For a big engine, say 390 cc, the price tag zooms to $3,600.

Admittedly, these are GX engines, with iron bore, and commercial longevity. The quality is unsurpassed - top-tier.

But, longevity and build-quality are only part of the equation. Where I live, in western MA, snow is abundant, wet, and heavy. The EOD crud can feel like cement. Sometimes, above all else, you just need horsepower.

I'd love to own a Honda. But, for me, there's not enough ponies under the hood.

 

I've always been impressed with Honda. Their quality is superb (I have a GX Honda engine on my power washer, and a Honda mower - both outstanding machines).

But, when it comes to snowblowers, I value raw power as much a durability and engineering refinements (which Honda blowers have oodles of).

I've seen some Honda blowers retailing for $2500 with just a 190 cc power plant. If you're willing to spend a bit more (between $2,500 and $3,000), you can step-up to a 270 cc engine.

For a big engine, say 390 cc, the price tag zooms to $3,600.

Admittedly, these are GX engines, with iron bore, and commercial longevity. The quality is unsurpassed - top-tier.

But, longevity and build-quality are only part of the equation. Where I live, in western MA, snow is abundant, wet, and heavy. The EOD crud can feel like cement. Sometimes, above all else, you just need horsepower.

I'd love to own a Honda. But, for me, there's not enough ponies under the hood.

Just out of curiosity I took a look at the Honda 24 inch models and was only able to find a 196cc model. There simply is no bigger engine unless you move up to a 28 (which warrants a bigger engine than a 24 regardless). I looked at the torque specs and it's 9.1 lb-ft (12.4 Nm) @ 2,500 rpm. That is an underpowered engine for a 24. You can get by with it, but not if you have to deal with heavy wet EOD snow and still want some decent throwing distance.


I'm sure the GX200 is worthy of it's reputation and will last 30+ years, but if I were spending that much on a snow blower I'd expect it to have a 300cc engine on it (which would be super powered), and at the very least a 250 which would appropriately powered.


The 32 looks properly powered with a 389cc engine, but if I don't want a 32 (regardless of price), I'm SOL. So basically with Honda you either get the 32 or you have an underpowered engine.

 

I bought my 1332 in 2015 for $2,900. Local dealer. Coming from an 8hp, plenty of power. I used the 8hp exclusively for 24 years...30-50 hours a year, heavy wet snow about 80% of the time. Get between 190" to 340" a year.

There's a 2014-2015 used HS1332TAS going for $2,000 on craigslist in Marquette, MI and I say if you could get it for $1,900 or $1,800 it would be a steal, especially amortized over its projected life.

And Strato, you must mean not enough ponies under the hood for the money, or what you could get with another brand for less, right?

 

Yes, JROM, that's what I meant. You can definitely get lots of ponies from Honda, they're just high-priced thoroughbreds.

I would have considered a used Honda, if one had been available in my area. There wasn't (perhaps a testimony to how their owners cherish them).

Therefore, I bought an Ariens EFI Platinum 24 this year, with 369 cc, for $1800. For $300 less, I could have purchased the non-EFI version.

There's no question I'd rather have a new Honda than a new Ariens, at about the same power. But, for what I paid, I'm not sure there even is a Honda 2-stage option. I believe the cheapest begins at about $2300, with a much smaller engine.

The current HSS1332AT and ATD models (may be different than yours) appear to be advertised at $3200 and $3400 MSRP respectively on Honda's website. Those units come with an engine larger than mine - 389 cc. They look like a beautiful machines. If those are similar to yours, it sounds like you got a good deal.

 

Honda may be king of blowers, but Ferraris are kings as well, and I wouldn't go out and buy it either. Lol. $4000-$5000 for a snowblower is way too much in my books...I can buy almost 5 of mine for the price of a honda

 

It does come down to where you are and what your resources are.

Here, you don't clear snow, you don't go_anywhere_for several hours.

I put less money into my home and vehicles, but more into snow clearing equippage...no Ferrari vs Unimog stuff here. Fun to talk about it though! :tempted:

* Man, would I like to have a Unimog decked out for winter snow removal and firewood transport.

 

I had an old 28" 10hp Track Craftsman that outlasted my expensive Honda 928. I am going to rebuild the Honda as it is an awesome machine to use. It's downfall is the thin metal getting hosed from the city plow incessantly backfilling my driveway with gravel filled tight packed snow (makes me so mad I want to spit every time I think about it.. girrrr ). The gravel ruined the inner impeller housing. The Craftsman held up very well in that department, but the engine seized one day, so I gave it away. After using the Honda, cannot go back to another make. So now I pay a plow until the unit is rebuilt. To say I like the Honda is an understatement. A Honda is made for snow not small rocks, but I would guess the Yamaha is a lot better unit for gravel vs Honda. Nonetheless, I am going to replace the inner housing with thicker material and have a fantastic Honda, better than before. Love those Yamaha's but fixing the awesome Honda and it will be a thing of beauty. Do I regret spending the money on getting a Honda? No way, worth every cent, even though the impeller housing should have been made thicker. The new impeller housing will be stainless with the addition of an impeller kit.

 

I wrote this Jan 5th 2017. Update: Snowblower still broke. Purchased a used older Yamaha 8-28 last week to get by this winter. Going to order a 13hp GX 390 Honda power plant. Thus my Honda will be supersized. This is a passion project. I think Honda is expensive but a feature-rich machine, and a luxury machine. I think bang for the buck Ariens are impressive and better built. But for features and style Honda and Yamaha rules the roost. It is the Harley of Snowblowers. Costly but fun to own. Something about owning a Honda that puts a grin on my face even though it`s broke heh. The grin will be bigger once the 13HP GC 390 is blasting snow across the road without mercy. Gravel and Honda does not mix. For a non-gravel scenario, Honda rules. The new Yamaha`s seem amazing. I am a Honda, Yamaha and big Ariens fan. I say, for a lifetime purchase Honda is worth it. Maybe I am a collector, have Honda, Yamaha, and a 1969 20 inch MTD (going to mod). Always wanted a track Ariens. Why Honda, why Harley. Fun to own I guess.

 

Marlow, I must not be following you very well. I think you're comparing the weight of your 1332 to the weight of the Yamaha YT1332, correct? If so, that makes more sense on what you are saying.

From most reports of Yamaha users, it seems that they throw snow about the same distance as a Honda (and a number of others, especially some of the big Ariens, and some big Toros), but at a "stronger" pace for lack of a better term, less bogging of the engine. If you haven't heard/felt your blower bog a bit, you probably haven't tested it under the harshest of heavy, wet, deep snowfall, or plowing into deep set up banks or layers and drifts...but maybe you have.

I don't have time to search right now, but aren't Yamaha's more $ than Honda in Canada?

 

I don't have time to search right now, but aren't Yamaha's more $ than Honda in Canada?

Some models yes, some no.

The 1332 Yamaha is $5600. The 1332 Honda WITH electric start(just to compare apples to apples as I opted for the one without electric start) has been marked down to $4800 for several months now.

The 1028 yamaha and 928 honda with electric start are both the same price $4300. The 624 yamaha is $2700 and the 724 honda with electric start is $3700! Wow quite the price difference there on fairly comparable machines.

And yes I have ran my 1332 to the point where it will bog, but that will happen with any machine. Both the 1332 Honda and Yamaha are rated to move the same amount of snow per hour. The engine in the 1332 yamaha has a displacement of 358cc, while the honda is 389cc.

 

Not to change the subject, but who buys a snow blower on Amazon? I buy many things there, but really I saved a heck of a lot by going to my dealer, plus it was assembled by trained mechanics who have done it before; who have dealer support if they have questions on the new unit, who will adjust it expertly, who will appreciate my business on a local level, and on and on.

Save money; keep the little guy in business; get service where you bought it.

I saved $500 over the price at Amazon:

 

...I saved $500 over the price at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=w_bl_hs...ef=w_bl_hsx_s_lg_web_0?ie=UTF8&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Honda_HSS1332AAT

Where the heck do they get $3,995.99 for an HSS1332AAT?

I know it's been over a year now, but I paid $3,100.00 for my HSS1332ATD from my local dealer. He discounted it to make up for the tax we pay over mail order, so after tax, it was about the same as snowblowersdirect.

I too like to keep local businesses going as best as I can afford to.

 

Marlow, posted before I saw your post.

Not trying to refute. Just read your post with a little more comprehension. :redface:

 

I see my local dealer has 2017 HSS1332ATDs listed at $3,399.00.

 

Yep. Nice.

 

Never mind that amazon pricing. The MSRP set by Honda is $3399 in the US and seems like most people get them for less than that.

 

Yep. Hey, the price includes "Free" shipping! :icon_smile_wink:


Also free "you assemble and prep."

 

Marlow, I can't remember what your situation is exactly - clogging, right? – and I can't look up your posts as I'm reading and typing between client input on a job right now.

Have you heard back from Honda Canada? Did you talk to your dealer? If so what do they say?

 

I never heard back from Honda Canada, not good but I honestly didn't expect to. My main point in emailing them was so that they'd have a complaint on record, and hopefully if others do the same Honda will become aware and make some changes. If they'd just add a resin liner in the impeller housing and chute(like yamaha has) and maybe reshape the bottom collar on the chute and also make it a resin no stick material that may well solve the majority of the issue. I don't think that would be that difficult for them to implement. Here's hoping!

I mentioned it to the dealer as well, they didn't really have much to say about it.