# Older Yamaha YS624 and YS624 action



## YSHSfan

For people that wonder how well those older Yamaha YS624 and YS828 work, here are a few videos of them in action (this is part of why people that have owned them and know their performance like them so much).


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## JnC

I should contribute to this thread, its only fair as I have watched all three of these videos a few dozen times each .


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## db130

The first video is what convinced to buy my 624TE.


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## JnC

*1988 Yamaha YS624W*

Here is a short clip of my YS624W, excuse the background noise, this was early in the morning and the adjacent lot is of a stop and shop plaza where front loaders were cleaning up the lot. 


After using this machine I realized three things. 

1) Its great for driveways etc but struggles with hard packed snow as the pile that you see me working on here is tacked on by the snow plow guy, its dense and hard packed. 
2) Tracked > wheels, the wheeled models tend to ride up on snow at times where as tracks stay put 9/10 times. 
3) I wish this thing had a hydrostatic transmission as once you get use to an HST its tough to not miss it every time you use a fixed gear transmission. 

Does all of the above take away from how much I like this machine? 
NO! :happy:


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## drmerdp

JnC said:


> I should contribute to this thread, its only fair as I have watched all three of these videos a few dozen times each .


Same here.


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## YSHSfan

JnC said:


> After using this machine I realized three things.
> 
> 1) Its great for driveways etc but struggles with hard packed snow as the pile that you see me working on here is tacked on by the snow plow guy, its dense and hard packed.
> 2) Tracked > wheels, the wheeled models tend to ride up on snow at times where as tracks stay put 9/10 times.
> 3) I wish this thing had a hydrostatic transmission as once you get use to an HST its tough to not miss it every time you use a fixed gear transmission.
> 
> Does all of the above take away from how much I like this machine?
> NO! :happy:


Thanks for the video JnC.
It's nice to have 8+" (or more) of fresh snow to really see them throw snow.
I also despite the fact that they have a fix axle and are a bit harder to maneuver over a wheel would take a track over a wheel on a 10:1 ratio. Tracks just go along the way, no need to be guiding the machine and at the EOD they shine its best (Just my experience with them).
I couldn't agree more on the Hydrostatic drive, but unfortunately that option is not available for them, so we have to live with it.
I like the YS624 performance, but the YS828 has a superior performance. You'll have to use one to be able to compare them and see the difference.
You may be posting a video of the YS828 as well (but again at least 8" of snow will need to be on the ground to really see it work).


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## raggdoll

Yamaha, by it's own admission, is an engine company first and foremost. Everything gets built on that. Just listen to a Yamaha engine, and then something else. You can _hear_ the difference in quality


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## JnC

raggdoll said:


> Yamaha, by it's own admission, is an engine company first and foremost. Everything gets built on that. Just listen to a Yamaha engine, and then something else. You can _hear_ the difference in quality


Indeed, speaking of hearing, I love how quiet these machines are, heck my weed trimmer makes more noise at idle than this thing.


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## The Knotty Canadian

Nice! I only wish we got that much snow!


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## edgenet

*Hey anyone figure out how to Install a non-Yamaha engine*

Hey anyone figure out how to Install a non-Yamaha engine

Engine Blown Yamaha doe not sell this vintage engine or any other engine that will fit. Any-one out there get the job done with a new engine ?????


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## Dag Johnsen

*The sound of the YT1028 296cc, from today*


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## RC20

I never saw a Wheeled in actin before, interesting how he was struggling.

I blow out our neighbor if she has not shoveled the driveway (she is a one fast moving lady). 

If she does shovel her driveway I blow the packed edge back so she has a place to shovel it again (did that for a neighbor to the South as well).

I just put the Track machine into the thick of it, first or 2nd gear, its up to and above the chute and it just chews its way through it. 

A bit ago we had a discussion on RPM and I found the torque data. 15 ft lbs, saw an 11 hp machine (or the CC equal) and it had 17. 

I always knew it was diesel like but had never looked for the specs or the speed it gets max torque at (2400). Sure explains why its such a solid unit that punches well above the look of it.

Don't get me wrong, the sales folks clearly said the 6 hp was as good as an 8 and I never doubted that after I ran it (and Valdez with its 300 inches of snow a year was a hot market for them). I tired to get the price down a bit (we had just bough the house and it was a big dent in the reserves). 

Dealar I bought it from were heavy equipment operation that carried snowblowers so they knew their stuff. 


They just laughed and said, we just got these in (must of had 10 in the warehouse) and we will sell them out as soon as Valdez sees its next snowfall. Sigh, ok, 

And how often 22 years later does it do the job as good as the day you bought it?


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## Coby7

The Knotty Canadian said:


> Nice! I only wish we got that much snow!


Be careful what you wish for...


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## RC20

> Hey anyone figure out how to Install a non-Yamaha engine
> 
> Engine Blown Yamaha doe not sell this vintage engine or any other engine that will fit. Any-one out there get the job done with a new engine ?????


Its not a matter of figuring, its a matter of the cost to do it. It would take a machine shop for adapters and the cost of a new engine ??????

Yamaha had a distinct different engine form, it does not perform the way it does because its a Tecumseh. 

The reality answer is no one is going to do it because its not worth it. 

If you want to keep the Yamaha buy a used one and one or the other is a parts source.


Otherwise buy a new one (you lucky dog, you are in Canada and can!)


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## RC20

Coby7 said:


> Be careful what you wish for...



Have to disagree. :idisagree: I quit my job last summer and I have the time to enjoy it :grin:


We just got 15 inches in a two snow falls, yipeee, great fun both and then it dropped to -10F, much much better than warm and rain. And its bright outside. Hate it when its low sun and dark and ugly. 



It can't snow too much for me. :t09015:


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