# Yamaha YS928J Review



## The Knotty Canadian

We live in Edmonton, Alberta. We have owned this snowblower since new for 3 years. We have used it around our house, we live long a river valley and get insane snow drifts during the winter. We also own 2 rental houses downtown that occasionally need snowblowing. Lastly we bought it to help with some of our snow removal contracts. Since then we have dropped the contracts since summer landscaping is doing better. I still use the snot out the machine every chance I get, including cleaning my neighbors sidewalks, driveways, and parking spaces on the road.

I had already known about the Japanese snowblowers, if you dont know, here is a 16 hp diesel Kubota, what a beast!






It's obvious that over there they have been using these styles of machines for a while, but very unpopular here. We just don't get the same snow here in Alberta. Can't say the same for the East aha. They look like really heavy duty machines though, I especially like how they usually have a sheet metal shell to protect the engine. 

I had been looking for a snowblower for a while and eventually saw that Yamaha was now selling snowblowers here in Canada. I saw what they had, and knew that the 928 would suffice my needs. Reviews were slim but the ones I did find convinced me it would be a good buy. Even if it wasn't its just money. Me and my Dad went to our local dealership, it has honda and yamaha in one building split in half, we looked at the hondas first and almost went with the hs928, but when we went next door and compared it with the yamaha ys928. The yamaha was a little pricier, but overall better made. I first noticed the honda has way more plastic and no shield encasing the engine. The Yamaha also had a serrated cutting blade, which is gnarly on the packed ice. 

The day I knew this thing was built like a tank was when I was at one of our rental properties. I was in the back yard snowblowing when suddenly i heard a clunk. I stopped and shut down the machine. Looked in the impeller housing but couldn't see anything obstructing it. I cleaned out the snow and turned on the machine. I put the machine in N and engaged the impeller, I heard the belt squeak for a second then the something came out the chute and the impeller was free. I looked over in the pile and found a 4 inch 2x4 piece of wood!! I looked over the machine again to make sure no shear pins had broken or if anything was bent, but no, it was all still in normal condition. That baffled me, I was sure something like that wouldn't have been able to have gone through that. But it just proves to me that this was well worth the buy. 

Pros:
-the machine is so ridiculously quiet 
-fuel shut-off valve also drains the carburetor bowl
- serrated scraper bar, it really cuts into the packed snow
-auger blades are also serrated, chews up the ice really nicely
-HST transmission, makes finding the right speed easy every time
-electronic chute control
-The tracks allow the machine to drive up and down concrete and wooden stairs, allows the machine to get to places larger machines or wheeled machines cant that most contractors have
-shoots snow over 50ft, also shoots the slop nicely
-electric start

Cons:
-Only 9 Hp, even though they came out with the 10hp model. 
-Only Japanese models have a steering function, left or right skid steering would help so much in tight areas.
-Yamaha does not supply a flat edge scraper bar, have to buy one for an ariens and see if it fits.
-head light needs a switch
-yamaha needs to make cabs


Over the years I have owned many machines. New and used. After using this machine for commercial and residential use, I am 100% convinced and would recommend it to everyone if they could afford it. 

Mods for the future:

-mini diesel engine
-auxiliary battery
-led light bar with bridge rectifier 
-mount original light on chute 
-pick up truck bumper guide modified into mini amber strobe
-heated grips
-cab with speakers
-switches for lights, I want maximum cranking power for when its cold outside, machine is stored in a trailer.

Wouldn't trade this machine for anything else ever. 

If you see anything here you'd like to make a comment on, please do so. Thanks!


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## Rockproof

Thanks for the review and pics. Great looking blower. Now get some video up if your machine blowing some snow....


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## dbert

That fuel knob with the drain position is interesting. Have never seen one of those.
All those theeth (serations) on the business end looks like it could eat a stack of 2 by 4s.


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## wdb

Darn Canadian market gets all the cool stuff. 

Welcome to the site! I had an old US-model YS-828 that was very impressive, but parts are all but impossible to come by here so I moved on to a Honda. I still like to read about the Yammies though, especially the Canadian models with all the cool stuff we don't get here. Thanks for sharing.


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## Coby7

Mine has the same drain valve with the translation mounted to one side.



Have you considered adding an hour meter? Hours do stack up a lot faster than expected. I already have 25 hours on mine.


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## bwdbrn1

Very impressive machine. Thanks for the write up.


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## The Knotty Canadian

Thanks everyone. The only problem I've had with draining the carb is wearing down the battery trying to start it in the cold. Also with no pull-start feature its important I always have juice to crank over the engine. Will be buying a battery tender to tend to that issue.

I have thought of getting an hour meter though, they're cheap and they can show you rpm's, plus its easy to remember when to do maintenance. And you're right Coby, there's probably 3 times as many hours on this machine than on anything else I've ever owned, it's just a blast to use!


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## detdrbuzzard

makes me want to visit my Canadian relatives just so I can scout out some Yamaha snowblowers, nice review


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## Bigsnapper

You don't have by chance a service manual for the Ys928j ?


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## leonz

Hello bigsnapper,

if you wander over to the yamaha snow blower forum one of posters has links to a larger number of the yamaha manuals.

Thankfully the 1028 has the steering brakes now just like its bigger brother the 1332 model.


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## YSHSfan

leonz said:


> Hello bigsnapper,
> 
> if you wander over to the yamaha snow blower forum one of posters has links to a larger number of the yamaha manuals.


Manuals posted there are only for the older YS624 and YS828 models not for the newer Canadian models (as far as I know).


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## Dag Johnsen

*inspired by this post*



The Knotty Canadian said:


> We live in Edmonton, Alberta. We have owned this snowblower since new for 3 years. We have used it around our house, we live long a river valley and get insane snow drifts during the winter. We also own 2 rental houses downtown that occasionally need snowblowing. Lastly we bought it to help with some of our snow removal contracts. Since then we have dropped the contracts since summer landscaping is doing better. I still use the snot out the machine every chance I get, including cleaning my neighbors sidewalks, driveways, and parking spaces on the road.
> 
> I had already known about the Japanese snowblowers, if you dont know, here is a 16 hp diesel Kubota, what a beast!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7qx1KmRH80
> 
> It's obvious that over there they have been using these styles of machines for a while, but very unpopular here. We just don't get the same snow here in Alberta. Can't say the same for the East aha. They look like really heavy duty machines though, I especially like how they usually have a sheet metal shell to protect the engine.
> 
> I had been looking for a snowblower for a while and eventually saw that Yamaha was now selling snowblowers here in Canada. I saw what they had, and knew that the 928 would suffice my needs. Reviews were slim but the ones I did find convinced me it would be a good buy. Even if it wasn't its just money. Me and my Dad went to our local dealership, it has honda and yamaha in one building split in half, we looked at the hondas first and almost went with the hs928, but when we went next door and compared it with the yamaha ys928. The yamaha was a little pricier, but overall better made. I first noticed the honda has way more plastic and no shield encasing the engine. The Yamaha also had a serrated cutting blade, which is gnarly on the packed ice.
> 
> The day I knew this thing was built like a tank was when I was at one of our rental properties. I was in the back yard snowblowing when suddenly i heard a clunk. I stopped and shut down the machine. Looked in the impeller housing but couldn't see anything obstructing it. I cleaned out the snow and turned on the machine. I put the machine in N and engaged the impeller, I heard the belt squeak for a second then the something came out the chute and the impeller was free. I looked over in the pile and found a 4 inch 2x4 piece of wood!! I looked over the machine again to make sure no shear pins had broken or if anything was bent, but no, it was all still in normal condition. That baffled me, I was sure something like that wouldn't have been able to have gone through that. But it just proves to me that this was well worth the buy.
> 
> Pros:
> -the machine is so ridiculously quiet
> -fuel shut-off valve also drains the carburetor bowl
> - serrated scraper bar, it really cuts into the packed snow
> -auger blades are also serrated, chews up the ice really nicely
> -HST transmission, makes finding the right speed easy every time
> -electronic chute control
> -The tracks allow the machine to drive up and down concrete and wooden stairs, allows the machine to get to places larger machines or wheeled machines cant that most contractors have
> -shoots snow over 50ft, also shoots the slop nicely
> -electric start
> 
> Cons:
> -Only 9 Hp, even though they came out with the 10hp model.
> -Only Japanese models have a steering function, left or right skid steering would help so much in tight areas.
> -Yamaha does not supply a flat edge scraper bar, have to buy one for an ariens and see if it fits.
> -head light needs a switch
> -yamaha needs to make cabs
> 
> 
> Over the years I have owned many machines. New and used. After using this machine for commercial and residential use, I am 100% convinced and would recommend it to everyone if they could afford it.
> 
> Mods for the future:
> 
> -mini diesel engine
> -auxiliary battery
> -led light bar with bridge rectifier
> -mount original light on chute
> -pick up truck bumper guide modified into mini amber strobe
> -heated grips
> -cab with speakers
> -switches for lights, I want maximum cranking power for when its cold outside, machine is stored in a trailer.
> 
> Wouldn't trade this machine for anything else ever.
> 
> If you see anything here you'd like to make a comment on, please do so. Thanks!


 
I got a Yamaha too. My best pictures from February (When I got it) and March:smile2:
Really impressed by this machine.


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