# HONDA 928 skid shoes pulling from side to side



## FairfieldCT (Nov 8, 2013)

So after having a chance to try the new machine in a good 6 inches, the throwing distance and drive power is awesome. 

The blower however is a bear to keep in a straight line. Its WHEELED, but the Skid shoes seem to be grabbing the driveway and pulling the machine abruptly from side to side. never experienced this with any other machine.

Does anyone have any ideas of a fix or remedy? The faster I went forward the worse it got. I lowered the skid shoes to be sure it wasn't the scraper grabbing the pavement, and that did not help at all. if I press down on the handle bars it drives forward smoothly.

Thanks for any advice in advance.


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## Snowcone (Jul 17, 2013)

8.5 lbs of air in the tires?


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Are the skids set an even height on both sides and are they sitting flat on the ground?


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## Runner50 (Jan 21, 2013)

My cousin had the same machine & got rid of it this Fall after 1 season because of that very issue. He hated it & never found the cause or solution. He bought a new Ariens Platinum & loves it.


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## Runner50 (Jan 21, 2013)

I've always had high praise for Honda engines, but I'm not impressed overall with their snow blowers. Their engines may be commercial grade, but the rest of the blower IMO is anything but. For my money where it's lacking is weight. That 928 model weighs in at 218 lbs., where the same comparable Ariens Pro model comes in 100 lbs. heavier. That's a pretty significant difference & one that shouldn't be ignored when moving snow.
It could very well be at the heart of the issue you're experiencing. Just my $.02.


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## FairfieldCT (Nov 8, 2013)

Runner50 said:


> I've always had high praise for Honda engines, but I'm not impressed overall with their snow blowers. Their engines may be commercial grade, but the rest of the blower IMO is anything but. For my money where it's lacking is weight. That 928 model weighs in at 218 lbs., where the same comparable Ariens Pro model comes in 100 lbs. heavier. That's a pretty significant difference & one that shouldn't be ignored when moving snow.
> It could very well be at the heart of the issue you're experiencing. Just my $.02.



No, the 928 is a far superior machine to the Ariens hydro pro. I had them both in my drive clearing the same snow. The honda was running circles around the ariens.

There is definitely an issue with the skids grabbing the driveway, and I just ordered a pair of aftermarket skids from Armorskid. They are much longer than stock and have a much more gradual transition so that irregularities in the driveway wont affect the machine as much.

The Ariens was grabbing my drive too, to a somewhat lesser extent. The Hondas apply more downward pressure to the bucket which is in turn putting more weight on the skids. 

Ive had ariens for years, and in fact just paid to have two 15 year old Ariens 724's re-belted and new friction plated. They are great machines, but the new ones are much more Home Depot and much less what they used to be... in both build quality and design.

Honestly, even with the honda, at 3000 bucks out the door I should not need to be figuring out a better skid shoe solution. My dealer just shrugged his shoulders.... so if you want something done.....


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## Runner50 (Jan 21, 2013)

Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree on your statement of your Honda being a far superior machine to the Ariens Hydro Pro. Good luck with it.


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