# Making the HSS724 bulletproof



## Tseg (Jan 29, 2021)

My new HSS724AWD arrives tomorrow. Lots of historical posts with hand wringing about the HSS series. Let me know what I'm missing:


Issue #1: chute plugs easily in wet snow/slush
Issue mostly resolved with chute redesign... only complaint is if new chute turned all the way right there is some snow splatter shot at LED light and operator's face, but plugging issue resolved
For under $150 (including shipping) one can self-upgrade to a dual articulated chute mod with OEM parts for more precise snow placement in tight quarters

Issue #2: chute joystick malfunction related to electrical contacts impacting chute direction control
Joystick redesigned... too soon to identify durability of redesign or durability of electric chute motors

Issue #3: engine bogs down in deep or heavy snow, mainly attributable to lean #75 jet to make CARB compliant
$15 fix (including shipping) to get a Honda #78 or #80 jet for lower altitude environments and a relatively easy 10 minute swap
Must mark bowl before removal and reassemble precisely in same spot or will have float/flooding issues
Ensure pin/"axle" the float swivels on is perfectly centered before reassembly
Ensure proper fitting flathead screwdriver is used and do not over-tighten


Issue #4: Hydrostatic transmission no longer made by Honda
Hydro-Gear SST Commercial transmission designed for commercial walk-behind mowers with "lifetime" lubricant fill now used in all HHS blowers
No evidence yet as to the durability of the SST transmission in HHS series blowers ever since an initial launch fluid aeration issue with the transmission that has been rectified
Some observations that Hydro-Gear Honda mower transmissions are not multi-decade durable, but there is little evidence this new design SST transmission is used in those mowers... so jury still out
Unlike HS series Honda transmissions, it has been suggested the SST is supposedly a "throw-away/replace" unit if there are issues
Note: All the transmission parts are listed for sale either as component parts or individual parts which implies it is serviceable

Compared to the Hydro-Gear RT-310/314 used in some other competitors' blowers, the SST version is significantly more robust in every way based on specs (double the weight at over 20 pounds, for starters)


In summary, as issues have surfaced, Honda has addressed. There still remains hand-wringing with a few key items where the jury is still out (and may still be out on these forums for another 20 years). The fatal flaw still has not surfaced, but still may.

What am I missing?


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

Tseg said:


> What am I missing?


Not much...


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

ha, I guess time will tell........check back in 20 years.....that is your assignment.


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

Tseg, you must be a fellow engineer.


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## Tseg (Jan 29, 2021)

RIT333 said:


> Tseg, you must be a fellow engineer.


Ha... I’m actually marketing by trade, but my family and extended family are all engineers and my place of employment has mostly engineers working there. So while not an engineer, have spent my whole life learning how to communicate with them.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

Tseg said:


> So while not an engineer, have spent my whole life learning how to communicate with them.


You nailed it. I used to give my new employees the full version of this:

*Six Steps to Better Communications with Your Engineering Manager and Colleagues*

*Lay the Foundation*
*Pick the Right Medium*
*Understand the Situation*
*Prepare*
*Be Brief and Concise*
*Listen Up*


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## Tseg (Jan 29, 2021)

Well, my HSS724AWD arrived today. After waiting 1.5 weeks it is just in time as we are to get 3"-4" of snow tonight. First impressions:

It seems solid and well constructed but dropping it off the pallet was no easy task
In hindsight, I guess I could just push it off the front and live with the bang of the skid plates, but upon further thought, would recommend unloading on grass/snow vs. concrete

I had to get creative with a cloth and a wrench to open the oil fill cap, that sucker was on tight
The pneumatic tires were each a few pounds low vs. the recommended 20psi
The manual said to only use the side skids and not rear skids for the wheeled blower, but to switch if I needed blower to clear out hard packed snow.
There was no suggestion that both sets of skids should be used at the same time

I LOVE the high end mirrored gas cap... oozes quality
Auto-start turned over the engine with the first twist out of the box
Upon starting I immediately dropped to Low and it stalled
The next start I let the machine warm for a minute, then put into Low to complete warm-up and all worked fine

While I did not sit the scraper on a paint-stirrer, I could see light passing underneath at the ends, but not in the center... is it bowed or an optical illusion?
When moving from a solid axle 24" stage to this, the turning capability and "free-wheeling" when the clutch handles are pulled makes this machine comparatively super maneuverable... very nice feel
In summary, the HSS724 seems very polished vs. the 12 year old Chinese unit it is replacing that was 1/8th the price. It is nice not having to hear a loud belt squeal every time I put in gear or start the auger. In my semi-urban location, snow placement is more important than a wild 50 foot plume... I may have to invest in the double-articulated chute mod.

I'll let you know in 20 years how it is holding up. Maybe by then the jury will have delivered its verdict on these HSS units.


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## Tseg (Jan 29, 2021)

Performance report #1, 20 years to go:

Last night we got 4" of snow despite it being 34F... near white-out for a few hours... this morning was 20F on the way to 10F by this afternoon. While not deep, the snow was very hard/icy and very heavy. This machine was (nearly) flawless this morning (took 2 key twists to start engine). No matter how fast I wanted to go there was no bogging down... The foot sized icy EOD clumps got taken out without issue or strain. I'm glad I didn't get tracks and stuck with wheels. I don't plan on reselling this thing in my lifetime, my driveway is level, rarely will we get a snow approaching 18" and not often will the berm of snow get much over 2 1/2 feet. I do have a #78 Main Jet on order but maybe I wait to prove I need it? Historically I'm a believer that OEM engineers tend to know what they are doing and most personal mods help one thing at the expense of another... and frequently not for the better long term. Not sure why the packaging had a big label "Not for sale in California". Any thoughts about the implications there?

Despite what I said about mods above, it became very clear the double-articulated chute mod would benefit my situation where I'm clearing 100' of driveway into cramped quarters. I'll probably wait for nice weather during the summer to do that upgrade.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Great update.

I have an older 20 plus year old Honda HS624 wheeled and absolutely LOVE it. It still looks and runs like new. It somewhat rides up on the berms or tightly packed snow.Then I bring out the old trusty 30 year old HS80 tracked.

RE rejet. ... not sure but have read many times to break in engine first before changing jet. You may not even need it depending on elevation and if you're machine is running great you would be okay. Other members here know more about this.

California EPA regs may be the reason for that label. I live in Cali. wish i could move. Just too much trouble. Other states eventually follow Cali lead anyway.

Side skids are better than rear. Having both can be a PITA trying to keep all 4 adjusted properly. 

You sound like a meticulous owner so this will probably be the last machine you will ever need. I hope you stick around this forum to give us more updates if any issues come up. 

If I were to get a new Honda it would be the 724 also. My driveway is small. Since the HSS was introduced in either 2015 or 16 , the Honda engineers have been working out all the kinks. I am always leery of new things and wanna wait until the jury is in.

Good luck and thanks for your very informative updates.


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## aa335 (Jan 21, 2020)

Tseg said:


> The manual said to only use the side skids and not rear skids for the wheeled blower, but to switch if I needed blower to clear out hard packed snow.
> There was no suggestion that both sets of skids should be used at the same time
> 
> While I did not sit the scraper on a paint-stirrer, I could see light passing underneath at the ends, but not in the center... is it bowed or an optical illusion?


Congrats on getting a new machine that you been waiting for. Hondas are expensive new if you can afford it. Being the first an original owner is satisfying because you know how the machine is taken care of it.

I would use the side skids. It gives the bucket some protection by preventing the side bottom edges from scraping on the ground. I would also use the rear skids in addition to the side skids. Just set up rear skids about 1/4 inch above the side skids. I have this setup on mine to prevent nosedive when hanging over the curb. During normal use, the rear skids don't make contact with ground and hinder maneuverability. It is for additional protection from scraping the bottom side of the impeller housing if you go over a curb. Also, it's about 4-5 lbs of weight added to the front if you need it to reduce the effects of riding up.



orangputeh said:


> California EPA regs may be the reason for that label. I live in Cali. wish i could move. Just too much trouble. Other states eventually follow Cali lead anyway.


Not fond of CA EPA regulations blanketed across the rest of the US. CA got their own climate problem, deal with it. Other states that are sparsely populated without mountains don't have the same issues. I don't mind if California become its own republic.


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## Tseg (Jan 29, 2021)

aa335 said:


> ... I would also use the rear skids in addition to the side skids. Just set up rear skids about 1/4 inch above the side skids. I have this setup on mine to prevent nosedive when hanging over the curb. During normal use, the rear skids don't .


Good point about setting up rear skid as backup and extra weight. Making my HSS724 more bulletproof. I'll do that... just not today now that it has dipped down to 10F and my garage is not heated.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

aa335 said:


> Congrats on getting a new machine that you been waiting for. Hondas are expensive new if you can afford it. Being the first an original owner is satisfying because you know how the machine is taken care of it.
> 
> I would use the side skids. It gives the bucket some protection by preventing the side bottom edges from scraping on the ground. I would also use the rear skids in addition to the side skids. Just set up rear skids about 1/4 inch above the side skids. I have this setup on mine to prevent nosedive when hanging over the curb. During normal use, the rear skids don't make contact with ground and hinder maneuverability. It is for additional protection from scraping the bottom side of the impeller housing if you go over a curb. Also, it's about 4-5 lbs of weight added to the front if you need it to reduce the effects of riding up.
> 
> ...


good info on using both sets of skids. I will try it your way and see .


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## AclockworkBlue (Nov 26, 2018)

When did they change the transmission?


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## IndianaRidgeline (Dec 15, 2020)

orangutan said:


> Great update.
> 
> I have an older 20 plus year old Honda HS624 wheeled and absolutely LOVE it. It still looks and runs like new. It somewhat rides up on the berms or tightly packed snow.Then I bring out the old trusty 30 year old HS80 tracked.
> 
> ...


Orangutan, if you whereto re-jet your 624, what size would you bump up to?


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## Tseg (Jan 29, 2021)

AclockworkBlue said:


> When did they change the transmission?


As best I can tell, 2015 model year (?). Other than an initial oil aeration issue which surfaced and was remedied, really no other issues in first 6 years... but 6 years is not yet 20+.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

Tseg said:


> Not sure why the packaging had a big label "Not for sale in California". Any thoughts about the implications there?


If your fuel tank has a gauge on it, that's probably why. Outlawed as part of California's emissions jihad...


Tseg said:


> Good point about setting up rear skid as backup


That's how I'm doing mine now, too.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

IndianaRidgeline said:


> Orangutan, if you whereto re-jet your 624, what size would you bump up to?


He probably doesn't need to... He's at high altitude, so if he has the stock jet, he's already running richer.


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## IndianaRidgeline (Dec 15, 2020)

tabora said:


> He probably doesn't need to... He's at high altitude, so if he has the stock jet, he's already running richer.


Thanks, Tabora. Got it. Good Point.
I have the same machine and with over 10' of snow I can really bog the engine. My elevation is 610'. Was curious what would be optimum size would be over stock size, #80, "82, #85? What do you think?


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

IndianaRidgeline said:


> Thanks, Tabora. Got it. Good Point.
> I have the same machine and with over 10' of snow I can really bog the engine. My elevation is 610'. Was curious what would be optimum size would be over stock size, #80, "82, #85? What do you think?


Assuming you have a #75 in there now, I would try a #80.


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

Tseg said:


> Well, my HSS724AWD arrived today. After waiting 1.5 weeks it is just in time as we are to get 3"-4" of snow tonight. First impressions:
> 
> It seems solid and well constructed but dropping it off the pallet was no easy task
> In hindsight, I guess I could just push it off the front and live with the bang of the skid plates, but upon further thought, would recommend unloading on grass/snow vs. concrete
> ...


Nice thread, covers everything nicely.

The double articulating chute is a very worth while mod. Arguably the best. 

As for the jetting, run the stock jet for a few hours before going up. #78 should be fine, could always experiment with a #80 after really breaking in the engine.

The hydro gear SST is quite robust, it produces a lot of torque. Much more then competitors units, and doesn’t require a slew of gear reduction. My early model was fitted with the external reservoir, and has been flawless since. The later builds are have zero issues.

Enjoy the machine.


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## Tseg (Jan 29, 2021)

Performance report #2, 20 years to go: 

My 2nd full drive blowing with about 4" of the light fluffy stuff this morning.

Obviously the snow was no issue... I may wait another season before determining whether to install the larger Main Jet. So far no bogging.
I'm a bit surprised I need to hold the starter key a full 4-5 seconds for the engine to turn over when cold (14F)
Seems long vs. a "single pull" start, but manual says starter can be pushed up to 60 seconds before it needs to be cooled down

This week I did install my Battery Tender Jr. charger harness to the battery
The battery cover snap pins are very tight and tricky to open and close... takes a lot of force

This week I did install my rear skids with ~ 1/2" of space to the floor as backup and extra weight on the front end
I had a Drainzit tube arrive this week to facilitate an oil change (HON1010)
I don't plan to install until first oil change this summer, so hopefully the right size

In summary, I'm still getting used operating the hydrostatic gear and the steering clutches, not yet second nature. I'm trying to figure out when is the right situation to throw into Neutral vs. taking my hand off the drive clutch lever. This machine can move in forward and reverse quite fast (I think the wheeled version is something like 20% more quick than the track version... at full speed is a brisk walk) and the impeller really shoots the snow far... as expected, but something to behold.

So far, no regrets, but jury still out for 19 years, 11.75 months more.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

Tseg said:


> I need to hold the starter key a full 4-5 seconds for the engine to turn over when cold (14F)


That sounds about right at that temperature... Choke full on?


Tseg said:


> I had a Drainzit tube arrive this week to facilitate an oil change (HON1010)
> I don't plan to install until first oil change this summer, so hopefully the right size


That's the right size, once the drain extension is removed... You can easily install it anytime by tipping the blower away from that side. I think I used a 4x4 and a 2x4 stacked under that side to tip it.


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## Arcticnorth (Nov 27, 2020)

Tseg said:


> I'm a bit surprised I need to hold the starter key a full 4-5 seconds for the engine to turn over when cold (14F)


4-5 seconds? My HSS970 starts immediately, no more than 1 second with full throttle and choke. Temperature -6C (21F according to Google).


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## Tseg (Jan 29, 2021)

Tseg said:


> I'm a bit surprised I need to hold the starter key a full 4-5 seconds for the engine to turn over when cold (14F)
> Seems long vs. a "single pull" start, but manual says starter can be pushed up to 60 seconds before it needs to be cooled down





Arcticnorth said:


> 4-5 seconds? My HSS970 starts immediately, no more than 1 second with full throttle and choke. Temperature -6C (21F according to Google).


I need to make some corrections... I'm not sure where I saw/read about using the starter for 60 seconds?... I re-read the manual and it says no longer than 5 seconds, then let cool for 10 seconds.
With that said, I just tried starting my blower after it has been sitting in the cold for several hours and my stopwatch showed about 2 seconds to turn over...so maybe I was imagining that it was taking longer? It has warmed up to 21F, so maybe that also makes a difference?

EDIT: I found out about the statement about using the starter up to a minute... this was from an online manual I downloaded on the HSS724. The 5 second guidance came from the printed manual that came with my unit. I wonder if starter components were changed in the latest model(s)?


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## Tseg (Jan 29, 2021)

Performance report #3 (20 years to go):
I was able to give my HSS724AWD its first real test this morning with about 10" of new snow and temps in the low teens.

My blower had become increasingly difficult to start with the electric starter but I believe issue finally resolved!
Had gotten to point where I was needing to turn key 5-6 times to start
Whenever I did get it started, there was minor surge when cold for the first 20 or so seconds but then would work flawlessly indefinitely
My first step was to add fresh gas and put some Seafoam in for good measure
I previously had filled it with gas from a can with 4 month old Stabil gas

It turns out my throttle knob, which also has choke mode all the way up needs pressure applied to knob in choke mode and engine turns over immediately
I'm assuming a cable adjustment can correct this, but now that I know My Machine's personal foible I'm fine with the result
When I apply pressure to the knob in choke mode it definitely moves another 1/4", but springs back when I release pressure
When I say it starts immediately, it starts immediately... perfect



No issues moving snow on my drive, but in my tight surrounds I've convinced myself that once it gets warm I'm installing the double-articulated chute mod for more precise snow placement
The EOD snow-pack was quite heavy and substantial and this machine handled it without issue, although definitely a bogging feel/sound to the engine in 15"+ of the real heavy stuff, but machine pushed right through, no riding up
My #78 main jet is currently on back-order but I'm still not sure whether to mess with swapping it out after this season

So is my choke cable issue an easy fix? I certainly don't want to take this in for warranty work over that. If I leave as-is could the issue lead to something worse?

In all honesty I've not given my fresh gas enough chance to prove itself... so maybe that was the issue and it is not the cable at all? Maybe later this afternoon when the machine gets cold I'll do some more root cause experimentation.

Update: I went back to start my snow blower with throttle lever in choke position. I did one quick turn with the starter key and nothing. I then applied a little pressure to the throttle lever in the choke position, hit the starter key and my machine started immediately. My startup issue definitely has to do with the choke positioning... but now that I know, it is kind of a non-issue. If there is an easy fix I might consider it.


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

Wait, you don’t have a separate choke knob? I don’t know of any US built HSS machines using a throttle with integrated choke.


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## Tseg (Jan 29, 2021)

drmerdp said:


> Wait, you don’t have a separate choke knob? I don’t know of any US built HSS machines using a throttle with integrated choke.


Yes, HSS724AWD has integrated choke (2019 or 2020 model (?)).


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

Weird even the parts diagram shows a separate control. #25 in the picture.


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## Tseg (Jan 29, 2021)

I just went back to the garage after my blower had been sitting in mid-teen weather for 45 minutes. I opened the gas lever, put the throttle to choke-mode and gently turned the Start knob... BAM, immediately started up! Problem Solved! It might just be psychological, but my engine at slow idle and full speed seem to run much smoother as well.

Solution: adjust the nuts on the throttle cable underneath the control panel to < lengthen > the cable; i.e. move the nuts up the tube towards the throttle handle, in my case, maybe 1/4" or a couple nut rotations, which has the net effect of pushing out cable towards the carburetor. I needed 2 wrenches because once moved to the right spot, I needed to tighten the nuts together to clamp on the bracket so they were secure under the control panel.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

drmerdp said:


> Wait, you don’t have a separate choke knob? I don’t know of any US built HSS machines using a throttle with integrated choke.


Yes, the HSS724 is sufficiently different from the HSS928/HSS1332 that it gets its own manual while the latter two share one...


https://cdn.powerequipment.honda.com/pe/pdf/manuals/00X31V45A082.pdf


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