# Used HS828 Buying Advice



## rod330 (Oct 9, 2015)

What's your opinion of this Honda HS828 for $850? Seller's description:
Honda HS 828 commercial grade 2 stage snow blower. Only has about 15 hours on it and runs as new. Shoots snow 50 pus feet.Has multiple speeds from crawl to fast and reverse.Sold new for 2600.00


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## contender (Jan 18, 2018)

Rod, if that was here in Ontario, I would gladly pay that even if it didn't run..... as well I wouldn't be asking until after it was in my driveway. That unit looks pretty good to excellent to me. I always check the augers for rust as well as the front drive sprockets hubs and shafts and I don't see rust at either locations. Its as new ..... unless the guy has done a wonderful restore including labels....good luck


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

15 hours since restoration? see some dents on gas tank and auger gouging on inside of bucket. suggests more than 15 hours. it does look nice. how does the drive work forward and reverse? smoothly?

you do know that the 828 was built from 1991-98 ?

anyway that price is good if it runs and drive smoothly. ( but would have to inspect in person )

oh,BTW , if i had a 828 with 15 original hours on it i would be selling for over 2 grand.


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

Honda's hold their value pretty well, and that is a 21 to 28 year old machine, any other manufacturer's machine that old would probably almost be given away, if they were still in one piece.


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## jrom (Jan 10, 2014)

I'm with orangputeh on the 15 hours since restoration angle. 

One way to tell if it's a first generation: Check the shift knob (change lever grip, 24415-767-000 $9.54 :grin that knob style would make it at earliest a 1991 build (K0). Don't know when the K1 started but like orangputeh stated, it could be as late as '98.

- It did_not_ go for $2,600 new (in 1991 anyway, and in the states). I paid right around $1,400 for mine in '91.

- As of March, 2019, I have between 1,000 and 1,200 hours on a 1991 HS828TAS (the photos below are from 2 years ago), just to give some reference. Garage kept (unheated), brush-cleaned off after every use (snow that could be brushed off that wasn't frozen) repainted the inside of the chute and auger/impeller housing and the augers only once and about 4 years prior to the photo...and I almost forgot, I changed the oil at 5 hours, then every year, and only used dino oil until this year (kept with Valvoline after using Honda branded 5W30 for the warranty period), then this year I used Mobil 1 5W30. 

So far it's been a super great machine, starts on first pull – I do use 0E no ethanol fuel and it doesn't use any oil.

- The one you're looking at may be worth $850, but being informed of its possible age and initial cost is always a good thing.

Here's a shot of my 828 – about 2 years ago – 1,000 to 1,100 hours on the augerometer.


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## rod330 (Oct 9, 2015)

Thanks everyone for the prompt replies! I know nothing about Honda snowblowers aside from their reputation for top quality. Ariens, Toro and the lesser quality brands dominate my area so I seldom see used Hondas for sale.

The seller indicated he bought the unit at an estate sale and was told it was about 7 years old with less than 15 hours of use. Either he was misled or is stretching the truth. I made him an offer and await a reply. It may very well be worth $850 but I'm not entirely comfortable paying that much for a machine this old. Also, I would need to inspect and test it myself. More to follow.....


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## JnC (Feb 21, 2014)

An easy way to tell the actual usage on a Honda machine is by looking at the muffler, look through the heat shield and inspect the actual muffler. If the machine has low hours then the muffler will be silver with minimal surface rust, if the machine is old then the muffler will be rusted regardless of the condition of the heat shield. 



From what the members have mentioned over the years here at SBF it seems like the Honda blowers do not come up for sale that often in your area, here in NE they are come up all the time and a good deal can be easily found if you wait long enough. 



$850 for an all original machine in that condition is a decent price, I know it seems a lot especially when you compare it to the box store offerings but trust me that $850 spent now will still yield you years of worry free service.


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

I remember them going for around $2800 MSRP back in the early to mid 90's for that model with the electric start and the light kit was extra. If you got yours for $1400 brand new, you got a **** of a deal. 
With only 1000hrs, that thing is just barely broken in. The KO and K1's didn't have the auger gearbox support bracket, that was added later. I never had a problem with mine so I never bothered to add one. The later models after K1 also changed the auger shaft to auger drive hub pins. They had an improvement kit that changed the shaft with a smaller pin hole in the shaft and a smaller diameter pin so the shaft wouldn't break. I never had a problem with that either so I left it go.


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## contender (Jan 18, 2018)

Rod, as I mentioned in my first post, I am in Ontario and used machines are very hard to come by,under a $1000.00, thus my earlier comments, to find a Honda on the side of the road or at the dump is like winning the lottery....good luck on your offer, lots of advice on this forum if you get it.....


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

if i had a dollar for every time someone told me a 828 was only 7 years old...........

that 828 @rod330 is a 1991 because of the shift knob like already mentioned. you can easily verify with Honda by giving them the serial number. I wish this machine was close to me. would probably grab it after inspection and testing.


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## Halfatrack (Nov 22, 2018)

I sold my HS828 for 650 bucks last year. It was well used. Well kept. My neighbor brother bought it. Guess who services it?
ME.


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

Halfatrack said:


> I sold my HS828 for 650 bucks last year. It was well used. Well kept. My neighbor brother bought it. Guess who services it?
> ME.


He got a good deal out of that. $650, wow, he made out like a bandit.


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

jrom said:


> I'm with orangputeh on the 15 hours since restoration angle.
> 
> One way to tell if it's a first generation: Check the shift knob (change lever grip, 24415-767-000 $9.54 :grin that knob style would make it at earliest a 1991 build (K0). Don't know when the K1 started but like orangputeh stated, it could be as late as '98.
> 
> ...


I have the "K1" series. I bought that new back in '93-'94. I took it out of the crate and built it at the dealership when it was delivered from the Honda warehouse. The K1 serial # started with a "2". My shift knob is the orange tubular style, about 3 inches long, 3/4 inch diameter. 
The "K0" serial number started with a "1".


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

One of the things with Honda power equipment, they did not go by a model year, they always went by the "K" number in their series. You could tell the "K" series by the first digit of the serial number.
If I remember right, the "K2" came out around '95-'96


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## jrom (Jan 10, 2014)

You're right. My K0 (I know they don't actually list a K"0") and my frame serial number is SZAK-1003411 - purchased in Oct '91.

I have not found my receipt and it's probably because I was in the early stages of building my house (I've kept all of those receipts), but I distinctly remember paying $100 a month (for a year) on a '90 HS80 and when I went in to make my last payment in October (including Nov/Dec and any loose ends on tax, etc), they had just put the new HS828 on the floor and let me pay an extra $200 to upgrade. That put me between $1,400 and $1,500. I also remember an Ariens (don't remember the model) at my local Ace Hardware store going for around $700-$900 (I could be wrong, but I do remember seeing some new snow blowers in that price range) and it was a big jump to go to $1,400 for me.

Other costs I remember are my house construction loan was $55,000, my 5 acres cost me $7,500 and my '87 Nissan Sentra cost $5,900, new at the dealer in '86. Luckily my '71 Chevy pickup was long paid for.

I also remember getting snow plowing quotes and telling my wife that if we bought a good snow blower, we would have it paid off in 2 years worth of plowing fees.

I don't know what year I stopped in to my Honda OPE dealer, but the first time I saw an HS928, it was going for nearly double what I paid for the 828.

I have to say buying the HS828 was money well spent.





ST1100A said:


> One of the things with Honda power equipment, they did not go by a model year, they always went by the "K" number in their series. You could tell the "K" series by the first digit of the serial number.
> If I remember right, the "K2" came out around '95-'96


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

Yet another HS828 "with only a couple of hours on it"... https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2087954164620716/?ref=messenger_banner


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

tabora said:


> Yet another HS828 "with only a couple of hours on it"... https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2087954164620716/?ref=messenger_banner


Must be another Florida Honda.

Over $3000............bought it from a cocaine dealer or trade. Tony Montana


looked at a 928 this morning that was used commercially before this poor homeowner bought it. still had number on chute. augers ground down, bucket trashed and a host of other problems and he wanted $1700 for it. somebody will probably offer him $1500 for it. 

it's a disgrace.


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