# The Amazing Yamahas



## RC20 (Dec 4, 2019)

I never had a wheel versions but I suspect just as solid. And they had variations over the years from Hydrostatic to Rubber Disk drive from about 95 on (new ones only available in Canada are back to Hyrdrostatic) . 

The one shown is 22 years old and you can still get parts for them (takes a bit of sleuthing to find a source )

Only failure was the float bowel fuel shutoff started leaking. Had to replace the whole thing and took a bit as two variations. Worst case I could have pulled the tank, flushed it and then had a fitting welded on. 

Some of course badly treated and beat up, but if you find one that looks like the picture, it is worth a serious look. I have spare drive belts and the last look the original ones were like new and not slipping and never adjusted. 

They came in 6 hp x 24 inch and 8 hp by 28 inch. Wheeled and tracked. They sold hundreds up here into Valdez AK where they get 300 inches of snow a year because they did the job. 

At one time I had to shovel off the whole roof (65 x 25 ft) due to bad attic circulation and huge stalactites off the eves. It did that for years (got the problem fixed so not anymore). 150 ft driveway and 300 feet of paths out back and took it all and still looks like its no more than 5 years old.


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## Dag Johnsen (Dec 24, 2018)

*Amazing*



RC20 said:


> I never had a wheel versions but I suspect just as solid. And they had variations over the years from Hydrostatic to Rubber Disk drive from about 95 on (new ones only available in Canada are back to Hyrdrostatic) .
> 
> The one shown is 22 years old and you can still get parts for them (takes a bit of sleuthing to find a source )
> 
> ...



Incredible both the condition of the machine and the quality of the work it does / have done. Clearly a keeper even if you og nuts and buy another one:nerd:


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## Doublenn (Nov 15, 2019)

Totally agree, Yammys punch with the best.

My '97 YS828 is the same story. Awesome reliability and build quality standing up to decades of heavy, heavy use in North coastal BC near the AK panhandle. Still going strong, still starts easy, blows awesome, and takes a lot to make it flinch. 100% recommend. Top tier, easily the most reliable piece of power equipment I have ever owned.


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## johnwick (Dec 16, 2019)

Did they find that there wasn’t enough market share to be had here in the U.S.? Were they sold here years ago and then left?


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## Nanook12 (Nov 26, 2019)

Real shame they quit selling them, the old dealer here still carries parts though. You’d have to smuggle one out of Canada now. If it is anything like the freighter canoe I bought out of Whitehorse, it would be a cakewalk...


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## Snegvezde (Mar 6, 2020)

It looks perfect, but for their price I'd like the better quality and service.


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## Coby7 (Nov 6, 2014)

johnwick said:


> Did they find that there wasn’t enough market share to be had here in the U.S.? Were they sold here years ago and then left?


They were sold in the US but snowblower manufacturers of the US lobbied to get the Yamahas banned for unfair practice. So Yamaha instead of changing, they just pulled out of the US after the government impose a ridiculous tariff on Honda and Yamaha. The unfair practice was Yamaha listed the horsepower at the auger, hence the first 624 were actually named 524. 6hp engine but 5 at the auger. I know, I had one. Yamaha eventually complied with the rest of manufacturers and the 728 later became the 828.


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## JnC (Feb 21, 2014)

Those old 624s and 828s are still eons better than some of the new offerings from manufacturers these days.


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

The thread title sounds like a high-wire act that you'd see at the circus. LOL


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## microcomic (Nov 16, 2017)

Yamaha doesn't have a steer assist? It must be difficult to turn it around?


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## ericr (Nov 1, 2019)

Coby7 said:


> johnwick said:
> 
> 
> > Did they find that there wasn’t enough market share to be had here in the U.S.? Were they sold here years ago and then left?
> ...


This is interesting. But I find it odd that this was somehow deemed an unfair practice. It seems counter-intuitive since the way the Yamahas were marketed, they were branded with LOWER HP numbers than competing models. 

What was the actual rational the US manufacturers used to claim it was unfair?


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## HillnGullyRider (Feb 9, 2014)

Did these use he Kubota designed ZX series engines? It's hard to tell what Yamaha uses from year to year. Search around for Kubota ZX and see if it looks familiar.


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## Coby7 (Nov 6, 2014)

HillnGullyRider said:


> Did these use he Kubota designed ZX series engines? It's hard to tell what Yamaha uses from year to year. Search around for Kubota ZX and see if it looks familiar.


Block was stamped with Yamaha logo. 



ericr said:


> This is interesting. But I find it odd that this was somehow deemed an unfair practice. It seems counter-intuitive since the way the Yamahas were marketed, they were branded with LOWER HP numbers than competing models.
> 
> What was the actual rational the US manufacturers used to claim it was unfair?


And the reasoning was when they did a side by side comparaison in a parking lot and the Yamaha was doing circles around the other machines. I'm old enough to remember this in the news. The YS524 and the YS624 were exactly the same machine with same engine. In fact my YS524 had YS624 on the manufacturing plate.


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## HillnGullyRider (Feb 9, 2014)

Does it look like this one?









I had a Yamaha Generator from the 90's era that used Kubota designed (Yamaha produced?) ZX like this 280cc version. Linamar also produced some in a Canadian factory for Onan.


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## Coby7 (Nov 6, 2014)

Not at all. Don't know if I have a picture.

Kindoff a bit of a view here. It had the sealed glassed in oil level meter mounted on the side of the block, I wish my new one would have.


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## ArthurHolo (Sep 21, 2020)

RC20 said:


> I never had a wheel versions but I suspect just as solid. And they had variations over the years from Hydrostatic to Rubber Disk drive from about 95 on (new ones only available in Canada are back to Hyrdrostatic) .
> 
> The one shown is 22 years old and you can still get parts for them (takes a bit of sleuthing to find a source )
> 
> ...


Once we bought a house I used a shovel. Then I decided to get a snowblower. I did think about getting a cordless one to avoid dragging around a cord. In this case, the battery-powered ones have been perfect for our needs, no worrying about engine upkeep. Especially, if we don't get much snow. So I bought a GreenWorks snowblower.


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