..... Honda $nowblowers?

CaptT820 · 12-12-2018, 09:44 AM

I actually talked to a commercial dealer near me about Husqvarnas and Hondas (all he sells) and the price differential. His explanation of why the Husqvarnas were ~$700 less than a Honda, "The Husqvarna is great for 5-7 years, the Honda is great for 20".
Looking at the two side by side you can obviously see that the new Hondas use much thicker steel in the frame construction.

I personally use a 2011 Ariens Pro 28 with tank tracks. It'll go through anything and handles my 400-ft driveway in under an hour.

As others have said, get what works for you and maintain it. Everything else is just personal preference.

fatlazyless · 12-12-2018, 11:04 AM

What destroys any snowblower is when storing it away, after use, on a concrete floor, with the steel front end resting on the concrete, which will make it get rusty.

There are three contact points with the floor, the two rubber tires, and the front steel edge. Is good to rest the steel edge up on a small wood block, so's the wet will drain down and off from the steel.

Merrymeeting · 12-12-2018, 11:18 AM

One of the best investments I ever made was ~$900 for a 33", 12HP NOMA snowblower with a Tecumseh engine. Purchased in 1986, it finally died last winter. It still ran fine but the frame had become so rusted and fragile it was ready to fall apart.

Our private driveway was about 700' with very steep hill portion. For 30+ years, that beast would clear the heaviest snow on our driveway, and often the neighbors too. Never needed any maintenance other than routine oil changes, fuel stabilizer, belts, etc.

At the time, NOMA was the OEM for Murray, Craftsman, and a few others. I saw essentially the same machine at Sears for $1200 a month after buying mine at Home Depot. HD sold Noma's for about 5 or six years. You can still find a few on eBay and parts are still available. https://www.snowblowers.net/brands/noma.html

DickR · 12-12-2018, 05:05 PM

For anyone who hasn't yet seen this forum-format site (https://www.snowblowerforum.com/foru...er-forums-main), it covers all sorts of things pertaining to snowblowers, including reviews, repairs, and mfg-specific questions.

VitaBene · 12-12-2018, 05:31 PM

When looking at snowblowers, avoid one with a plastic chute. They feel nice and flexible in the store, but on 5 degree temperature they can easily shatter!

thinkxingu · 12-12-2018, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VitaBene

When looking at snowblowers, avoid one with a plastic chute. They feel nice and flexible in the store, but on 5 degree temperature they can easily shatter!

While I generally agree, I've got an 11-year-old Craftsman, as do my brother, father, and good friend, that have had 0 issues. We spray them with silicone each fall, though, to prevent sticking.

Sent from my Moto G (5S) Plus using Tapatalk

Descant · 12-12-2018, 07:31 PM

TIC: Lots of good info here. I'll be thinking of all you guys when I hear the "thunk" of my plow guy and I pour another cup of coffee.
7 storms a year at $40, 2 at $75. It would take me 2-3 hours to snowblow my driveway. My coffee maker lasts ~6 years and my plow guy gets a new truck about the same schedule. I don't pay for gas, oil,, tune ups, or original purchase price. The value of my own time: priceless. (I think my wife would re-phrase that, but that's only speculation and I don't want to get her started. She starts easy, on the first pull.)

Lakesailor · 12-12-2018, 08:58 PM

Great thread on snowblowers. It is definitely easier to just wait for the plow guy. But if you must get out when you need to get out, the plow guy could be hours away. I've also seen them do damage to the blacktop, the lawn, the shrubs. etc. One guy actually plowed into the neighbor's cherry tree and took off a large piece of bark, eventually killing the tree. (He disavowed all knowledge of that of course). Honda is expensive for sure, and not really worth it unless you plan on having it for 20+ years, and take reasonable care of it also. I bought a brand new Honda HS 524 in 1986 ( won't tell you what I paid for it). Do the math, it is now 32 years old. Two winters ago, the original auger belt snapped on the last pass on the last storm. I changed both belts myself the next spring and it is still going strong. It is a beast for a small blower, everything is metal, no plastic at all. Parts still available. For me, it was worth it, but I probably wouldn't do it again. Today's philosophy is use till it breaks, then through out.

Rusty · 12-13-2018, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

What destroys any snowblower is when storing it away, after use, on a concrete floor, with the steel front end resting on the concrete, which will make it get rusty.

There are three contact points with the floor, the two rubber tires, and the front steel edge. Is good to rest the steel edge up on a small wood block, so's the wet will drain down and off from the steel.

With the Honda track drive it has 3 height adjustments. The highest will put the blade about 2 inches off the ground. When I store mine I use this setting to keep the blade off the floor.
Also this height setting is good when going thru banks of snow. Just step on a lever and use the handles to set the height.
I have a HS1132tas that I paid over 3K for but it was well worth it.

loony · 12-13-2018, 09:15 PM

My 46 year old Ariens is still going strong on the 2nd engine. It will go through anything! I just wish it were safer. Its got a single belt for the impeller and transmission. Its actuated by a lever half way up the handle. It does have a dead-man style clutch for the drive wheels unlike earlier models.
I inherited an old MTD which didn't throw the snow and always clogged until I installed rubber impeller paddles. The gap between the impeller and housing was so wide I could stick my fingers through it. Those paddles really work and can make a lousy snowblower work better!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHCEacrKeJM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XLOCtrAYZc

12-12-2018, 09:44 AM	#1
CaptT820 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 122 Thanks: 86 Thanked 46 Times in 27 Posts	Husqvarna I actually talked to a commercial dealer near me about Husqvarnas and Hondas (all he sells) and the price differential. His explanation of why the Husqvarnas were ~$700 less than a Honda, "The Husqvarna is great for 5-7 years, the Honda is great for 20". Looking at the two side by side you can obviously see that the new Hondas use much thicker steel in the frame construction. I personally use a 2011 Ariens Pro 28 with tank tracks. It'll go through anything and handles my 400-ft driveway in under an hour. As others have said, get what works for you and maintain it. Everything else is just personal preference.

12-12-2018, 11:18 AM	#3
Merrymeeting Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Merrymeeting Lake, New Durham Posts: 2,228 Thanks: 305 Thanked 801 Times in 369 Posts	On the cheap One of the best investments I ever made was ~$900 for a 33", 12HP NOMA snowblower with a Tecumseh engine. Purchased in 1986, it finally died last winter. It still ran fine but the frame had become so rusted and fragile it was ready to fall apart. Our private driveway was about 700' with very steep hill portion. For 30+ years, that beast would clear the heaviest snow on our driveway, and often the neighbors too. Never needed any maintenance other than routine oil changes, fuel stabilizer, belts, etc. At the time, NOMA was the OEM for Murray, Craftsman, and a few others. I saw essentially the same machine at Sears for $1200 a month after buying mine at Home Depot. HD sold Noma's for about 5 or six years. You can still find a few on eBay and parts are still available. https://www.snowblowers.net/brands/noma.html

12-12-2018, 05:31 PM	#5
VitaBene Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 3,608 Thanks: 1,655 Thanked 1,646 Times in 849 Posts	chutes When looking at snowblowers, avoid one with a plastic chute. They feel nice and flexible in the store, but on 5 degree temperature they can easily shatter!

The Following User Says Thank You to CaptT820 For This Useful Post:
GregW11 (07-30-2020)

12-12-2018, 11:04 AM	#2
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,859 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 303 Thanked 1,039 Times in 758 Posts	What destroys any snowblower is when storing it away, after use, on a concrete floor, with the steel front end resting on the concrete, which will make it get rusty. There are three contact points with the floor, the two rubber tires, and the front steel edge. Is good to rest the steel edge up on a small wood block, so's the wet will drain down and off from the steel.

The Following User Says Thank You to fatlazyless For This Useful Post:
Loub52 (12-13-2018)

12-12-2018, 05:05 PM	#4
DickR Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 757 Thanks: 4 Thanked 259 Times in 171 Posts	For anyone who hasn't yet seen this forum-format site (https://www.snowblowerforum.com/foru...er-forums-main), it covers all sorts of things pertaining to snowblowers, including reviews, repairs, and mfg-specific questions.

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to thinkxingu For This Useful Post:
pondguy (12-12-2018), VitaBene (12-12-2018)

12-12-2018, 07:31 PM	#7
Descant Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Merrimack and Welch Island Posts: 4,463 Thanks: 1,379 Thanked 1,665 Times in 1,084 Posts	TIC: Lots of good info here. I'll be thinking of all you guys when I hear the "thunk" of my plow guy and I pour another cup of coffee. 7 storms a year at $40, 2 at $75. It would take me 2-3 hours to snowblow my driveway. My coffee maker lasts ~6 years and my plow guy gets a new truck about the same schedule. I don't pay for gas, oil,, tune ups, or original purchase price. The value of my own time: priceless. (I think my wife would re-phrase that, but that's only speculation and I don't want to get her started. She starts easy, on the first pull.)

The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Descant For This Useful Post:
Biggd (12-13-2018), ishoot308 (12-12-2018), pault842 (12-17-2018), Tallyho (12-22-2018)

12-12-2018, 08:58 PM	#8
Lakesailor Junior Member Join Date: May 2018 Posts: 12 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Great thread on snowblowers. It is definitely easier to just wait for the plow guy. But if you must get out when you need to get out, the plow guy could be hours away. I've also seen them do damage to the blacktop, the lawn, the shrubs. etc. One guy actually plowed into the neighbor's cherry tree and took off a large piece of bark, eventually killing the tree. (He disavowed all knowledge of that of course). Honda is expensive for sure, and not really worth it unless you plan on having it for 20+ years, and take reasonable care of it also. I bought a brand new Honda HS 524 in 1986 ( won't tell you what I paid for it). Do the math, it is now 32 years old. Two winters ago, the original auger belt snapped on the last pass on the last storm. I changed both belts myself the next spring and it is still going strong. It is a beast for a small blower, everything is metal, no plastic at all. Parts still available. For me, it was worth it, but I probably wouldn't do it again. Today's philosophy is use till it breaks, then through out.

12-13-2018, 09:15 PM	#10
loony Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 104 Thanks: 0 Thanked 9 Times in 8 Posts	My 46 year old Ariens is still going strong on the 2nd engine. It will go through anything! I just wish it were safer. Its got a single belt for the impeller and transmission. Its actuated by a lever half way up the handle. It does have a dead-man style clutch for the drive wheels unlike earlier models. I inherited an old MTD which didn't throw the snow and always clogged until I installed rubber impeller paddles. The gap between the impeller and housing was so wide I could stick my fingers through it. Those paddles really work and can make a lousy snowblower work better!!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHCEacrKeJM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XLOCtrAYZc