# Does your track drive go where you point it?



## dhazelton (Dec 8, 2014)

I have two blowers, a wheeled HS624 and a track drive HS724. The 624 was a cheap auction buy that I was going to flip, but for the $160 it cost I thought I'd keep it as a backup. I have been using the 624 the last couple of years and finally cleaned the carb on my 724 so that is up and running. I just used it today in about 12-15 inches of powder. It goes through the end of driveway stuff better than the 6 hp machine but for the most part the machine keeps jerking and catching and changing directions on the straight passes. It looks like a drunk just did my driveway. It's a 10 year old machine so it only has the rear skids which SEEM to be adjusted correctly - the augurs aren't hitting the ground that I can see. I put the Ariens plastic skids on the side of the 624 and it goes nice. Will side skids help me keep a straight line with the tracked machine, or is it just the nature of tracks in general?


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## chaulky45 (Jan 23, 2014)

dhazelton said:


> I have two blowers, a wheeled HS624 and a track drive HS724. The 624 was a cheap auction buy that I was going to flip, but for the $160 it cost I thought I'd keep it as a backup. I have been using the 624 the last couple of years and finally cleaned the carb on my 724 so that is up and running. I just used it today in about 12-15 inches of powder. It goes through the end of driveway stuff better than the 6 hp machine but for the most part the machine keeps jerking and catching and changing directions on the straight passes. It looks like a drunk just did my driveway. It's a 10 year old machine so it only has the rear skids which SEEM to be adjusted correctly - the augurs aren't hitting the ground that I can see. I put the Ariens plastic skids on the side of the 624 and it goes nice. Will side skids help me keep a straight line with the tracked machine, or is it just the nature of tracks in general?


Thats your problem,rear skids only,my 724 is 10 years old,had it given to me by a neighbour, had to rebulid the gear box with all new shafts,gears and bearings as tracks would not move, found same thing it was all over the place, I took off rear ones cause thet put to much down force on the bucket and put a set of skids on sides of the bucket works great,you can get them anywhere,take rear ones off alltogether and just put front ones on,make sure they are down enough to keep bucket up a bit so the augers dont dig into ground or hard snow


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## dhazelton (Dec 8, 2014)

Thanks. Good to know it's just Mother Honda's design flaw and not anything really wrong with the machine. It's never tracked straight, the main reason I used the other unit. I have a couple of big buckled spots in my pavement so maybe the Armor skids are the way to go.


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## FLSTN (Sep 19, 2014)

*Hs724 not tracking straight*

I have an hs80tas. 
I changed the rear shoes from the stock metal to the robelon nylon/plastic which solved all my problems. The metal shoes grab the concrete and take it off course, the nylon shoes do not.
The shoes being mounted in the rear were not the problem, just that they are made of metal.
Buy the nylon shoes and mount them in the rear where the metal stock shoes are.


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## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

The jerking that you describe could be the rear skids, it could also be terrain interference or track tension. If the tension is too slack, the drive sprocket will slip over the track lugs.


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## dhazelton (Dec 8, 2014)

There isn't any big KER-FLUMP and a pull - it's more like trying to drive a team of horses that want to go where ever they please. And I think if track tension was off it would pull constantly to the same side. But it doesn't - and it only happens when the bucket is in the low position, so I do think the skids have something to do with it. but it's good to have every possibility on the table. Thanks!


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## RoyP (Oct 16, 2014)

dhazelton said:


> There isn't any big KER-FLUMP and a pull - it's more like trying to drive a team of horses that want to go where ever they please. And I think if track tension was off it would pull constantly to the same side. But it doesn't - and it only happens when the bucket is in the low position, so I do think the skids have something to do with it. but it's good to have every possibility on the table. Thanks!


This topic has been chewed on here before. I have the 1132 and must run it in the highest position or it's more like a garden tiller then a snow blower. With it in the highest position I'm leaving about 1/4" of snow behind, that's fine with me. my machine runs straight and true. Only time it pulls like a drunk horse is when I go from the driveway surface to the road surface, then the scraper blade and rear shoes dig in throwing it all around.
My opinion is that this is a design flaw that Honda will never admit.


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## dhazelton (Dec 8, 2014)

That's EXACTLY what it's like - trying to control a rototiller in rocky soil. hink I'll try the Ariens side skids on this as well and see if it helps. If not then the track version can go bye bye. It does seem to have more oomph than the older 6 hp, but admittedly I never even changed the plug on the HS624.


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## SnowG (Dec 5, 2014)

Side skids


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## RoyP (Oct 16, 2014)

I know what I need....hoping that I can find them on sale as we get nearer to spring.


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## FairfieldCT (Nov 8, 2013)

Buddy just take the rear skids off and move them up front to the sides. Problem completely solved.


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## dhazelton (Dec 8, 2014)

Old bucket style with L-shaped skids.


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