# Opinion on a new snowblower!



## Cbremner118 (9 mo ago)

Alright I've already posted on the Ariens side of the forum now I'm opting for your guys input. My driveway is roughly 500' long, 250' of it is shared with my neighbor so we both maintain half of it.we get roughly 60" a year on the average up in my part of Canada. I sold my SXS this spring as we were not utilizing it enough to justify paying for it year round, so now I'm out of my plowing machine. We've decided that we are going to be buying a snowblower. I had originally set my eyes on deluxe/platinum 30 Ariens, however my dealer is a little more than an hour away. My Honda dealer is close by and has been a reputable dealer for the 20+ years I've been here. Would the HSS928 be up to the task? I have a hard time wrapping my head around spending 5,000$ for the HSS1332. I've attached a picture of the incline of my driveway.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

If that was my drive, I would be plowing it.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

A good used low hour unit can be had this summer with a little patience for half or less than new.


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## Cbremner118 (9 mo ago)

orangputeh said:


> A good used low hour unit can be had this summer with a little patience for half or less than new.


I'll be keeping my eye open that's for sure. How would the HSS928 fair in clearing that driveway? I know there's no replacement for displacement but watching videos of a Toro 928 keep up with a Husqvarna st430t in some of movingsnow.com videos with much less HP gives me hope the HSS928 might be similar!!!


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Cbremner118 said:


> I'll be keeping my eye open that's for sure. How would the HSS928 fair in clearing that driveway? I know there's no replacement for displacement but watching videos of a Toro 928 keep up with a Husqvarna st430t in some of movingsnow.com videos with much less HP gives me hope the HSS928 might be similar!!!


I dont recommend the newer Honda's.

My opinion is well known here. 

Use the search box.


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

Oneacer said:


> If that was my drive, I would be plowing it.


if that was my driveway, i would be heading to florida for the winter!


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## Darby (Dec 18, 2020)

If I was gonna pay 5 grand for a machine, I'd want to be sitting on it !


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## Cbremner118 (9 mo ago)

Darby said:


> If I was gonna pay 5 grand for a machine, I'd want to be sitting on it !


Kinda where Im at, hence why Im asking if the 928 would be able to do the job. Some of the videos I've seen it sure chews thru the snowmuch higher than the auger housing without hesitation. Would you think that gradual incline would be fine with a wheels machine. I assume if my fwd car can make it up with a bit of fresh snow a blower can too!


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

A wheeled machine with XTrac will have no problem with that incline .... the problem is that is a lot of driveway length, unless you are retired, as you are going to be out there a long time blowing that gravel drive area, hence my mention of a plow, as it would be way quicker, and you have plenty area off to the side for displacement.


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## BullFrog (Oct 14, 2015)

Cbremner118 said:


> Would the HSS928 be up to the task? I have a hard time wrapping my head around spending 5,000$ for the HSS1332. I've attached a picture of the incline of my driveway.


I don't see why not. In the past I've used lesser Sears Craftsman blowers on driveways that size. I'm quite confident a Honda could handle it just as easy.

Oh and welcome to the group. Glad to have you with us. 👍


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## Cbremner118 (9 mo ago)

BullFrog said:


> I don't see why not. In the past I've used lesser Sears Craftsman blowers on driveways that size. I'm quite confident a Honda could handle it just as easy.
> 
> Oh and welcome to the group. Glad to have you with us. 👍


Awesome that's good to hear. I'm going to be talking to my Honda dealer today


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## BullFrog (Oct 14, 2015)

Either way let us know how it goes along with your likes and dislikes. Very few machines are a perfect fit.


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## Darkwoods (Dec 25, 2020)

Yes, a 928 will do the job. I did a longer inclined drive than this, with both a 928 and 1332 on an acreage I was renting for the past couple of winters. It actually doesn’t take that long and isn’t bad at all for a good blower.

I prefer a tracked unit for gravel and inclines because you can adjust the auger height on the fly with Honda and Yamaha, and traction is better.

A wheeled unit will be fine too. Ariens has several blowers that would work well and tracked models. Deluxe 28 SHO, platinum models and the Rapid Tracks. Platinum 28 SHO, Professional 28 and 32 etc.

Good luck.


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## Cbremner118 (9 mo ago)

Darkwoods said:


> Yes, a 928 will do the job. I did a longer inclined drive than this, with both a 928 and 1332 on an acreage I was renting for the past couple of winters. It actually doesn’t take that long and isn’t bad at all for a good blower.
> 
> I prefer a tracked unit for gravel and inclines because you can adjust the auger height on the fly with Honda and Yamaha, and traction is better.
> 
> ...


Awesome response! With talking with the dealer today it's only about a 500$ upgrade from the 928 to a 1332..... Might almost be worth it eh? If your spending that kinds money what's 500 more haha


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

Cbremner118 said:


> Awesome response! With talking with the dealer today it's only about a 500$ upgrade from the 928 to a 1332..... Might almost be worth it eh? If your spending that kinds money what's 500 more haha


928 is under powered its less then a real 8hp
crazy for that drive buy 1 time do it right
30 sho
rapid track
32 pro
1332 honda


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

Cbremner118 said:


> With talking with the dealer today it's only about a 500$ upgrade from the 928 to a 1332..... Might almost be worth it eh?





1132le said:


> 928 is under powered its less then a real 8hp


The GX270 is rated at 8.4 Net HP (9 Gross HP in the olden days) @ 3,600 RPM.
The GX390 on the HSS1332 is rated at 11.7 Net HP.


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

tabora said:


> The GX270 is rated at 8.4 Net HP (9 Gross HP in the olden days) @ 3,600 RPM.
> The GX390 on the HSS1332 is rated at 11.7 Net HP.


[email protected]= bs highs 7s on its best day there is no secret honda sauce
completely under powered on a 28 bucket besides being over priced 3200 cough cough hp in the 7s
14.1 torque if you believe it
14.1x2500=35250 div by 5252=6.7 hp


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## Tony-chicago (Feb 10, 2021)

6.7/2500x3600=....hp









YANMAR YSR 2600 FOR SALE


I am selling my YANMAR YSR 2600 walk behind snowblower. This machine has a 26 hp Yanmar 3 cylinder Diesel engine. It has NEW tracks, new main augers and a new impeller with rubber flaps installed. I converted the chute rotate to electric. It has all new belts ( it has 6 ) and new chain, adjuster...




www.snowblowerforum.com


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

People are ignoring the obvious answer: single speed beast, the SNOWBIRD!


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

1132le said:


> [email protected]= bs highs 7s on its best day there is no secret honda sauce
> completely under powered on a 28 bucket besides being over priced 3200 cough cough hp in the 7s
> 14.1 torque if you believe it
> 14.1x2500=35250 div by 5252=6.7 hp


The Honda secret sauce is honesty. They were the first to change their HP ratings from Gross to Net way back in 2007. I don't know whether any other manufacturer has had the cojones to follow Honda's lead.








Honda Snow Blower Information Repository


Honda Snow Blower Model Number Decoding: Example: HSS1332ACTD/A HS = Honda Snow Blower S = Small Frame (some say Steering) 13 = Nominal Gross HP (5=GX140, 6=GX160, 7=GX200, 8=GX240, 9=GX270, 11=GX340, 13=GX390) 32 = Clearing Width (inches = 22, 24, 28, 32, 36 or centimeters = 55, 60, 70, 80...




www.snowblowerforum.com





I do see other manufacturers labeling their machines with "torque" values instead of HP, since those numbers are always larger.

Quite frankly, I grow weary of your brand bashing, which happens to be against the forum rules...

And please note that you may need to brush up on your math... The GX270 peak Net torque occurs at 2500RPM and the peak Net HP is calculated at 3600RPM. The Net torque at 3600RPM is about 12.3 lb-ft. The Net HP at 2500RPM is about 6.7.

Net Power Output8.4 HP (6.3 kW) @ 3,600 rpmNet Torque14.1 lb-ft (19.1 Nm) @ 2,500 rpm


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## Wilson (Nov 20, 2020)

I would buy a old plow truck for that driveway myself. You can find a "yard" truck that is still reliable and cheap. I wouldn't put any insurance on it as long as it just stays on your property.
Here is my little blazer plow truck. I've had it for about 5 winters now. I paid $4500 for it.
It's got a few more years of life in it. It's nice on those cold wintery days not having snow fly back at you. I have a snowblower too.


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## Cbremner118 (9 mo ago)

Pretty rare find in these neck of the woods. I think a blower will do the job well enough


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## model a lover (10 mo ago)

i own a hss928atd and have a 500 foot by 12 foot wide paved driveway to clear, for me i have a old untaged jeep with a plow and plastic edge as we also have pavers along with the black top , the honda gets used for where the jeep can't get , 
you have a dirt/gravel that's better suited for a plow , yes the machine will but you will be outside blowing for many a hour .


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## Cutter70 (12 mo ago)

Cbremner118 said:


> Alright I've already posted on the Ariens side of the forum now I'm opting for your guys input. My driveway is roughly 500' long, 250' of it is shared with my neighbor so we both maintain half of it.we get roughly 60" a year on the average up in my part of Canada. I sold my SXS this spring as we were not utilizing it enough to justify paying for it year round, so now I'm out of my plowing machine. We've decided that we are going to be buying a snowblower. I had originally set my eyes on deluxe/platinum 30 Ariens, however my dealer is a little more than an hour away. My Honda dealer is close by and has been a reputable dealer for the 20+ years I've been here. Would the HSS928 be up to the task? I have a hard time wrapping my head around spending 5,000$ for the HSS1332. I've attached a picture of the incline of my driveway.
> View attachment 193391





Cbremner118 said:


> Alright I've already posted on the Ariens side of the forum now I'm opting for your guys input. My driveway is roughly 500' long, 250' of it is shared with my neighbor so we both maintain half of it.we get roughly 60" a year on the average up in my part of Canada. I sold my SXS this spring as we were not utilizing it enough to justify paying for it year round, so now I'm out of my plowing machine. We've decided that we are going to be buying a snowblower. I had originally set my eyes on deluxe/platinum 30 Ariens, however my dealer is a little more than an hour away. My Honda dealer is close by and has been a reputable dealer for the 20+ years I've been here. Would the HSS928 be up to the task? I have a hard time wrapping my head around spending 5,000$ for the HSS1332. I've attached a picture of the incline of my driveway.
> View attachment 193391


Thats far too much driveway for any snowblower to clean, that is, unless you want to be out there for hours. Buy a Bobcat.


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## Cbremner118 (9 mo ago)

Yep that's just not an option unfortunately. snowblower is in my budget so that's what I'm going to make work, hence why I posted on a snowblower forum on my options! If I was looking to plow I would have went elsewhere


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## Darby (Dec 18, 2020)

Wilson said:


> I would buy a old plow truck for that driveway myself. You can find a "yard" truck that is still reliable and cheap. I wouldn't put any insurance on it as long as it just stays on your property.
> Here is my little blazer plow truck. I've had it for about 5 winters now. I paid $4500 for it.
> It's got a few more years of life in it. It's nice on those cold wintery days not having snow fly back at you. I have a snowblower too.


For giggles I played along and looked on CL for my area and there were nine 4x4 with plows listed for 5500 US or lower. Most were Ford F250/350. Surprised. Btw , dont see many small blazers with a blade,


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## Cbremner118 (9 mo ago)

Darby said:


> For giggles I played along and looked on CL for my area and there were nine 4x4 with plows listed for 5500 US or lower. Most were Ford F250/350. Surprised. Btw , dont see many small blazers with a blade,


I'm up in Canada so tack on a 30% surcharge


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## Cbremner118 (9 mo ago)

A little update. A friend of mine is moving to the city and is looking to get rid of his 2 year old hss928cw for 2150. That's 1500$ cheaper than they are currently new. Thoughts?He is meticulous about his equipment. It maintained a 300' driveway


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

When you know the previous owner and how well a used machine was maintained, that is a big bonus.
The price seems very fair and you know it will handle the type of snow conditions in your area.
I would check it out in person and run it around the driveway. 
If you like the controls and how the machine operates and if condition is as described I would make the purchase.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

Cbremner118 said:


> his 2 year old hss928cw


The issue there is that it has wheels. Tracks would be better suited for your drive.


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## Cbremner118 (9 mo ago)

It's a pretty gradual slope I don't think wheels would be that much of an issue especially with a hydrostatic transmission. That's just an assumption of course I've never run a snowblower on a gradual grade like that but if my fwd car can make it up with fresh snow I'd hope a blower could!!


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## Howie A B (12 mo ago)

Cbremner118 said:


> A little update. A friend of mine is moving to the city and is looking to get rid of his 2 year old hss928cw for 2150. That's 1500$ cheaper than they are currently new. Thoughts?He is meticulous about his equipment. It maintained a 300' driveway


Buy it! If it doesn't work out you can always sell it and probably make a few bucks doing that.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

Cbremner118 said:


> It's a pretty gradual slope I don't think wheels would be that much of an issue


It's not about the slope or traction... It's the fact that the tracked HSS machines let you set the auger height at any height and keep it there. The wheeled machines depend only on the side skids to determine auger height.


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## Caper63 (Jun 15, 2021)

OP:
Where exactly are you in Canada?


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## Cbremner118 (9 mo ago)

Caper63 said:


> OP:
> Where exactly are you in Canada?


In central BC


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Cbremner118 said:


> A little update. A friend of mine is moving to the city and is looking to get rid of his 2 year old hss928cw for 2150. That's 1500$ cheaper than they are currently new. Thoughts?He is meticulous about his equipment. It maintained a 300' driveway


ya get it be done with this......


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## Caper63 (Jun 15, 2021)

I am with Tabora on the tracked machine. It will serve your needs much better.

Your friends unit is, however, a very good deal by our canuck market.

I am on the East Coast. I was inquiring on your locale as there is a 36" Honda hybrid on Kijiji in New Brunswick for $4K. This is a serious unit that would be ideal for your needs; however, it might be a bit of a drive from the left coast.


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## Cbremner118 (9 mo ago)

Caper63 said:


> I am with Tabora on the tracked machine. It will serve your needs much better.
> 
> Your friends unit is, however, a very good deal by our canuck market.
> 
> I am on the East Coast. I was inquiring on your locale as there is a 36" Honda hybrid on Kijiji in New Brunswick for $4K. This is a serious unit that would be ideal for your needs; however, it might be a bit of a drive from the left coast.


Yeah it's a very fair deal. With speaking with my friend he just sets his skids up 3/4" until a base is packed then drops it it to 1/4"ish afterwards and said it's not much of an issue in regards to throwing gravel. Where we are we have 1 or two real nasty snowfalls a year where we'll see 12" drop over night. Most snow falls are usually no more than 6" so I don't think that should be OVERLY taxing on a 928....I hope !


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## Caper63 (Jun 15, 2021)

This is what you need:

Honda hybrid 13/36 snowblower | Snowblowers | Moncton | Kijiji


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