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Snowblower recommendation, anyone?

Glad you are happy. I'm always hesitant because everyone is different, but in the case of these machines I'm confident in their performance. Good for you. I know the guy down the street from me has a big box 2 stage and it hardly moves the snow. My 720 shoots it so far it crosses the street it lands on his sidewalk. He finally gave in two weeks ago and traded in his 2 stage for a single stage. He got a Toro, which are very nice, but I still prefer the Hondas. Great resale value, just like their cars. Enjoy your new machine.

For your first mod you should add an LED light. Here's the link from the snowblower forum with my mod. I did the same on a previous Honda (the 520):

https://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/honda-snowblowers/143281-led-light-new-hs720-commercial.html
https://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/honda-snowblowers/130714-pic-led-light-added-hs520.html
 
@francist We got about a foot. Light snow though so it was not too bad to clear.
Awesome for testing a new 'blower!
 
@CalgaryPT Yes, I believe it is. It was the only one SG Power had on the floor so I just said I would take it. I figure it’s paid for itself already today, and I wish you could have seen the look of absolute astonishment and gratitude as I roared down the sidewalk to talk care of an elderly lady trying to get her frontage cleared with a garden spade.

@David_R8 Indeed it was good snow for blowing, although I looked pretty “frosty” after about two hours behind the machine! It’s pretty heavy now though boy.

-frank
 
Yes, it is. The commercials have that handle; the residentials have the fancy manual joysticks for the chute. I have the commercial as well. Personally I like the commercial machines better. Those fancy joysticks freeze up and are overrated. Just another thing to break. Commercials also have the GX instead of the GC engine, which is why the pros like them. Better resale value too.

Happy snowblowing. You'll be the hero in the hood for a few days :)
 
YYCHobbyMachinist said:
Who needs a snow blower when you have a lawn chair:p

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/c...-chairs-to-remove-it/sharevideo/6123366650001
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Home depot probably run out of snow shovels. :)

like-mommy.jpg
 
I think I just burst a blood vessel trying to suppress my laughter.

Only thing that would have made it better is if it were signed, "Mrs. ROOOOOOXXXXXXXanne Thompson."
 
PeterT said:
...My other beef on wet snow days like this is the wheels. I just feel like they should be bigger diameter. The snow binds up & it they just skid like the axle is stalled. I cant change the diameter or it would affect the attitude of the blower itself. Maybe just 'better' wheels?
...
Click to expand...
FYI...

Just an update on this thread for those Honda owners here ( @PeterT , @francist , @John Conroy ). I was on the Honda forum this AM and a fellow in the USA advises that Honda has recalled the wheels due to this issue. I'm pleasantly surprized. Having said this, I've seen this happen before; they recall something in the USA, but it takes a year or more to trickle up here. As my dealer says, "they probably sell more snowblowers in Florida than we sell in all of Canada LOL." So I contacted my dealer here in Calgary, and they haven't heard of the issue yet—nor do they have any recalls on file. The best thing to do is to have your serial # on hand and give it to your dealer once in a while if your machine is still in warranty.

The thread on the Snowblower forum is here: https://www.snowblowerforum.com/threads/hs720-am-wheels-stuck.103018/page-2#post-1744723

I'm just awaiting clarification on the part numbers he listed as Honda has a nasty habit of sometimes reusing these, but updating the part. I'm assuming they just changed the tread pattern on the wheel to mitigate the issue. I can't speak to the credibility of the poster as he is a new member on the snowblower site.

So if the issue bothers you enough, there may be a solution on the horizon.
 
Good info Pete. Coincidentally I just made a mental note to lurk on the forum(s) you referenced. Interesting that you tried some wheels with similar results. My gut feel is that they could perhaps benefit from some softer durometer rubber, but maybe there are downsides to that. Especially if it affects the angle of the machine or the scraper blade. I'm not sure exactly what wears or goes out of adjustment but I've noticed I'm doing more pushing vs what I recall is a slight pull when its new & set up right. Most of my sidewalks are in decent shape & I've tried to memorize where the mini fault lines are but the odd time I still manage to hit them & maybe part of the issue. I was actually planning on a tune up visit to Adventure Honda where I bought it, but combination of early snow dump & other life issues getting in the way.
 
PeterT said:
... I'm not sure exactly what wears or goes out of adjustment but I've noticed I'm doing more pushing vs what I recall is a slight pull when its new & set up right. Most of my sidewalks are in decent shape & I've tried to memorize where the mini fault lines are but the odd time I still manage to hit them & maybe part of the issue. I was actually planning on a tune up visit to Adventure Honda where I bought it, but combination of early snow dump & other life issues getting in the way.
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The push vs. pull symptom is because you need new augers. Classic symptom in fact. When you first get new paddles, they should pull you almost too fast.

WRT fault lines—don't worry about them. I've smacked thousands of them over the years. I do it constantly. The machine is made to take the bangs. Just replace the scrapper bar when you replace the paddles, you'll be fine. If you are on a bad section of sidewalk where every crack hangs it up, just ease up on the angle of attack a bit so that the machine slides over them easier. If your rubber paddles (augers) are in reasonable shape they will still catch the snow even if you've eased up on the angle. After you get back to more even pavement, you can tilt it forward as usual.

But what you're describing is a paddle replacement issue I'm almost positive...nothing to do with the wheels or alignment.

The wheel issue is still curious to me though. You may be right about the type of rubber. It isn't a huge thing for me, just an annoyance. I'll keep looking into it and when I'm confident I can buy the new style wheels I will and report back. I know the old ones are discontinued, but haven't found the new ones yet. As an update Adventure Honda tells me if it is a true recall, even out of warranty, Honda pays for the new parts and install if necessary.

I've always wondered if filling in the tread pattern with some compound would solve the issue. But my tests with lawn mower wheels contradict the tread theory. So your thoughts on the rubber itself maybe closer to a solution. If there were more flexibility in the rubber, perhaps it would make the snow and ice break off???? It certainly won't affect the scraper bar angle as the machine rides off the wheels and entirely on the scraper bar when blowing snow. In fact, the paddles pull the machine along (hence its moniker "semi self-propelled") assuming they are within spec and not worn down too much.
 
Free project snowblower to giveaway. Your euphoria has inspired me


A vintage john Deere 832. Motor needs work/ might be pooched. It ran but “sparked” a few years back. Buddy was throwing it out, couldn’t watch him do it. This thing is all metal



dc62c9253afb60e6448afc33f3996a9f.jpg


a59b5748a6101b9179d5c5ba1b6db820.jpg


Msg me if there are any takers




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
CalgaryPT said:
Just an update on this thread for those Honda owners here
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Hmm, thanks for that Pete. I can’t recall if I experienced that scenario last year or not — I did run the machine myself for several hours but after that my guys used it. And, well, my snow season is pretty short compared to you guys so some of those patterns may be more difficult for me to spot. I’ll keep a closer eye this year though, I’ll be running it a lot more if we do get a dump. We’re laying off 16 of 22 staff due to COVID impact so my department drops down to 2. Yee-ha.

-frank
 
francist said:
Hmm, thanks for that Pete. I can’t recall if I experienced that scenario last year or not — I did run the machine myself for several hours but after that my guys used it. And, well, my snow season is pretty short compared to you guys so some of those patterns may be more difficult for me to spot. I’ll keep a closer eye this year though, I’ll be running it a lot more if we do get a dump. We’re laying off 16 of 22 staff due to COVID impact so my department drops down to 2. Yee-ha.

-frank
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Just heartbreaking to hear about all these layoffs. I feel so badly for families.
 
I know. I don’t have much time left (working I mean) but it’s hard when you see young single moms get the axe after nearly ten years of service.
 
I went with Toro this time and went with the joy stick as I hated have to crank my Ariens by reaching over the control panel. We can get significant snow falls here in ski country, but my house is located just a few hundred feet from Georgian Bay and favorable winds for most part carry large snow falls to the next town. Was scaled back to a 28" because if the wife parks the car to far over, I hated having to go out and start it and try to move it when we had a large accumulation.
20201122_113418.jpg
 
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