# Honda Serial Number Question.



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

We have a HS 1132

serial # szbf-1003042

I looked on the Plano Honda website which i found here for serial number decoding for (A) American machines and if this was a szaf-1003042 then it would be a 1997 machine.

Is this one a 1997 machine? or what does the B mean in SZBF ? does that mean it was built in another country. Japan?

thanks.


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## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

orangputeh said:


> We have a HS 1132
> 
> serial # szbf-1003042
> 
> ...


[email protected] will be who can tell you all the info about that snowblower.
I do not know about what the A or B means, but my understanding is that up to "2015" models all the Honda 2 stage snowblowers were built in Japan and imported to US.
:blowerhug:


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

hsblowersfan said:


> [email protected] will be who can tell you all the info about that snowblower.
> I do not know about what the A or B means, but my understanding is that up to "2015" models all the Honda 2 stage snowblowers were built in Japan and imported to US.
> :blowerhug:


i know from the Plano Honda website that the A stands for America. Wanted to know what the B stood for . actually would like to know what all the Letters stood for . The guy I got it from said he bought it new 15 years ago so it may not be a 1997 machine.

maybe he was mistaken.


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## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

orangputeh said:


> i know from the Plano Honda website that the A stands for America. Wanted to know what the B stood for . actually would like to know what all the Letters stood for . The guy I got it from said he bought it new 15 years ago so it may not be a 1997 machine.
> 
> maybe he was mistaken.


The "A" that Plano Honda site is referring to is not the "A" from the frame serial number but the one from the model number. Yours is either HS1132TA or HS1132TAS, this is the "A" that they are referring to and it means that it was made for the American Market not that it was made in America (it was made in Japan).
As far as the "B" in the frame serial number it may mean that it was made after 2000 as the frame serial that contains the "A" says 1997-2000 at the Plano Honda site. So your blower is likely 15 years old (from when it was purchased).
It may have been made a year or a few before, as for Honda Snowblowers there is no production code to know exactly when it was built but a range of a few years instead.

[email protected] will be who can tell you the exact and accurate information that you need. I'm just trying to help with what I know.
:blowerhug:


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

hsblowersfan said:


> The "A" that Plano Honda site is referring to is not the "A" from the frame serial number but the one from the model number. Yours is either HS1132TA or HS1132TAS, this is the "A" that they are referring to and it means that it was made for the American Market not that it was made in America (it was made in Japan).
> As far as the "B" in the frame serial number it may mean that it was made after 2000 as the frame serial that contains the "A" says 1997-2000 at the Plano Honda site. So your blower is likely 15 years old (from when it was purchased).
> It may have been made a year or a few before, as for Honda Snowblowers there is no production code to know exactly when it was built but a range of a few years instead.
> 
> ...


thanks.


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## [email protected] (Nov 21, 2011)

orangputeh said:


> We have a HS 1132
> 
> serial # szbf-1003042
> 
> ...


The SZBF prefix on the serial number breaks down with the 'S' = snow blower, and 'ZBF' roughly the model and factory location, in this case, Japan. All Honda HS-series 2-stage models were made in Japan. 

This exact machine was wholesaled by Honda to a dealer (who is no longer listed) on 11/23/1998. It was likely manufactured in 1997, perhaps a bit older. Hard to say, as snow blower inventory can get held over on light snow years. Further, Honda snow blowers don't have 'model years' but do use a version code called a K-number. The K-number changes with there big changes to a model, and a K-number may be in production for many, many years. 

The first retail customer was Jessie N. of Tahoe City, CA, who bought it on 1/23/1999. 

There are no open recalls, updates or active bulletins for this unit.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

[email protected] said:


> The SZBF prefix on the serial number breaks down with the 'S' = snow blower, and 'ZBF' roughly the model and factory location, in this case, Japan. All Honda HS-series 2-stage models were made in Japan.
> 
> This exact machine was wholesaled by Honda to a dealer (who is no longer listed) on 11/23/1998. It was likely manufactured in 1997, perhaps a bit older. Hard to say, as snow blower inventory can get held over on light snow years. Further, Honda snow blowers don't have 'model years' but do use a version code called a K-number. The K-number changes with there big changes to a model, and a K-number may be in production for many, many years.
> 
> ...


Thanks Robert.

I knew this guy was a little sketchy. He told me he bought it new. After giving it an inspection I noticed that 2 auger blades were bent over nearly 90 degrees and the auger gear box had a small piece missing from it and there was no oil in box.

also the shear pins were broken . when i asked him "what the heck did you hit?" . he looked at me like a the deer in the headlights and replied "I don't remember hitting anything."


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