# Is electric start worth the $200 extra?



## Gotsnow (Sep 17, 2017)

Looking at a wheeled HSS928AW, but was wondering if the key start is worth the extra $200.


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## adegrno (Jul 6, 2017)

Well, if that engine starts as easy as my hs55 i would say no


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## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

most of the time . . . not really needed. but that 1 time when the engine is being difficult might be worth it.

I start my 305cc Briggs with the pull starter.


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## jrom (Jan 10, 2014)

Gotsnow said:


> Looking at a wheeled HSS928AW, but was wondering if the key start is worth the extra $200.


Weird as this may sound, my wife (who's family is from Rochester, NH, by the way :smile2 is one strong woman...helps me cut, load and stack 12-20 face cord of northern hardwood firewood every year, hand rakes leaves and thatch on roughly 27,000 sq. ft of lawn every year, routinely helps me haul furniture in and out of trailers (she distresses old stuff) and yet she absolutely hates pulling an 8hp Honda GX engine and won't touch our 390GX. 

I do get a kick out of it...120V or 12V, the only way for her! Most of the time, I can't believe it. :smile_big:


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## Julien Morrissette (Oct 7, 2017)

I'm too lazy for an electric starter ( pulling out the power cord, plugging it, unplugging it ) Lol


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## Gotsnow (Sep 17, 2017)

Julien Morrissette said:


> I'm too lazy for an electric starter ( pulling out the power cord, plugging it, unplugging it ) Lol


Honda doesn’t need cord. Starts just like a car.


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## Julien Morrissette (Oct 7, 2017)

It uses a battery?


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## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

Julien Morrissette said:


> It uses a battery?


Yes, it has an on-board 12 volt battery and turn key electric starting system.

:blowerhug:


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

Julien Morrissette said:


> It uses a battery?


yep, some models do. just set the choke and turn the key when cold.


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## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

Gotsnow said:


> Looking at a wheeled HSS928AW, but was wondering if the key start is worth the extra $200.


IMO, yes it is.

Too bad they don't offer the hour meter, auger protection system and dual chute deflector on the HSS724/928'D', otherwise it'll be a no brainer for anyone to decide between electric or non-electric start as there is a difference on only $200 on the 1332 with all the extra features.


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## Mudflap (Sep 13, 2015)

I don't know if it's "worth it" but my "want it" would kick in.


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## jrom (Jan 10, 2014)

Gotsnow said:


> ...was wondering if the key start is worth the extra $200.


Sorry about the long winded version, but...yes I think it is too.


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

If my machines do not start on the 1st pull easy i fix them so they do.
Electric start is nice as a backup and a selling feature most want


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

YSHSfan said:


> Yes, it has an on-board 12 volt battery and turn key electric starting system.
> 
> :blowerhug:


and a generator. a lot of people like the electric start mostly for the wife. also because some people think 2 ways to start is better than one.

personally, i have never needed an electric start on a Honda.


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## unknown1 (Dec 13, 2015)

Do you have a shoulder injury?- Are you old and frail? - If you answer yes then it might be useful... but even then it's only "worth it" if you say it is.

The fact that you are asking the question strongly suggests to me that your gut feel is... NO!


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## WalkThisWhey (Feb 15, 2017)

I feel like electric start is worth it if you're in a sub-zero location.


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## slybarman (Nov 28, 2016)

I only use it for the first start of the season, so I'd vote "no."

Sent from my SM-N910T3 using Tapatalk


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## Hanky (Nov 14, 2014)

I say yes a couple years ago my neighbor had his kids up for the weekend we had 6 in of snow his son-in -law went to start blower and rope broke on a Sat night so out came the electric start for the next week till he got it fixed .


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## 43128 (Feb 14, 2014)

a well maintained honda gx(or even a clone) will always start first or second pull in my experience. so to me if it has it great will you ever see me using it no if its 120v onboard 12v batterys shot in 3 years anyways and im not paying 50 bucks to replace it when it fails


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

You do not want a tracked unit? I would suggest adding the key start unless you have a kerosene fired space heater to warm the snow blower engine and transmission up for 20 minutes from about 8 foot away.

I would also buy some V bar snow chains for this snow blower if you do not want a tracked unit.

www.tirechains.com is one place to find them.


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## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

I am a healthy person and I've had a couple dozen snowblowers in the past, if the snowblower has a 120v starter I mostly won't bother using it but if it has 12 volt turn key electric start (I've had 4 Yamahas and 2 Hondas with that feature) I'm using it every single time, despite the fact that all but one have back up recoil pull start.
To me 12v starting system is a great and convenient feature.

I'd like to hear from Honda HSS owners which have a 'D' model with turn key electric start:
How often do you use the pull start vs the turn key electric start....?

:blowerhug:


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## JnC (Feb 21, 2014)

YSHSfan said:


> I am a healthy person and I've had a couple dozen snowblowers in the past, if the snowblower has a 120v starter I mostly won't bother using it but if it has 12 volt turn key electric start (I've had 4 Yamahas and 2 Hondas with that feature) *I'm using it every single time, despite the fact that all but one have back up recoil pull start.*
> To me 12v starting system is a great and convenient feature.
> 
> I'd like to hear from Honda HSS owners which have a 'D' model with turn key electric start:
> ...


Agreed, pretty much all my Hondas have had the 120V starter and I think I only used them to make sure they were working and never again. The GX motor starts on first or second pull so its not worth the hassle dragging out the extension cord. 

In the case of 12V keyed start, its easier to turn the key than pull the recoil starter :grin:


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## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

Starters are nice for checking spark and compression... or "drying out" a flooded cylinder.

With Hondas, you probably don't have to do either of those activities very often :smile_big:.


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## Bob E (Jun 9, 2014)

It's nice to have options, but it's not worth $200 to me, and when I look at batteries on seasonal equipment I just see more money being spent on replacements. I have a self propelled craftsman push mower out in the shed with a 12v starter. The battery is some goofy little dry cell that costs $75 to replace. I got a good deal on it because of that. Pull starter still works great.:icon-cheers:


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## Sid (Jan 31, 2014)

It depends how old you are. The older I get, the better E-Start looks. Yeah I can still crank em over, but I like E- Start.
Sid


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## happycamper (Jan 3, 2015)

My Honda lawn mower has a similar system: electric start with an self-charging on board battery. So far, I haven't even attempted to use the recoil start. It is far easier to simply turn the key. Plus, I am waiting for the day when my daughter is old enough to mow. No excuse that she isn't strong enough to start the engine!


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## jrom (Jan 10, 2014)

YSHSfan said:


> ...I'd like to hear from Honda HSS owners which have a 'D' model with turn key electric start:
> How often do you use the pull start vs the turn key electric start....? :blowerhug:


I park my 13 in an semi-enclosed lumber rack in my garage. Lower bay is for my two blowers, upper shelves hold lumber, plywood, extra metal roofing, etc. I can't access the pull start without crouching down and tucking in under the first lumber shelf, so the first start (and it's usually the only start of the day) is with the key. I probably use the pull start about every 5th snow blowing session, just to make sure it's still working.

One time I held both steering levers, backed the 13 out by about a foot, then used the pull start. Super easy. Seems to start at about 2/3 of a pull when cold and about a half pull when warm.


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## rfw1953 (Oct 11, 2017)

Gotsnow said:


> Looking at a wheeled HSS928AW, but was wondering if the key start is worth the extra $200.


 
I now have the Honda HSS1332ATD, electric start w/ tracks. The electric start is like getting in your car and turning the key. It's worth the extra money once you have been worn out pulling the start cord on a snow blower that stalls in heavy snow at the bottom of a sloped driveway. I hated having to rely on a long extension cord or pulling the snow blower back up the driveway. Once the snow blower stalls it can be challenging to restart. At least this is what I experienced with a tired old Craftsmen 28" snow blower. *It's never a problem pull starting until it's a problem.* Spend the extra money to save your body and mental state from exhaustion.


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## [email protected] (Nov 21, 2011)

Almost all American Honda (USA models) snow blowers have been available with or without electric start. Older HS-series used an AC starter motor, which required the operator to connect an extension cord to a 120V household outlet. Then, push a button to operate the starter, and disconnect the cord. Some pros and cons about this design...on one hand, it was highly reliable, no battery to maintain, starter always ran at max. speed, less weight, etc. The downside was having to futz with the extension cord, which, if you didn't have access to an outside receptacle, meant stringing the cord from inside the house to wherever you parked the snow blower. A series of customer follow-up surveys revealed a significant number of customers wished they'd never paid extra for electric start, as the engine pull-started so easily, they never had to bother with the extension cord. 

Honda Canada has gone with on-board 12V electric start on a number of their models, and American Honda's new HSS-series offer the same option. So far, customers have indicated positive feedback on the change; not having to string an extension cord was far more attractive than hooking up a battery tender at the end of the season. 

The exception is the single-stage HS720; its electric start model still uses the 120V/extension cord method. No plans as of Oct. 2017 to switch it over to 12V/on-board battery. Being a single-stage, it is fitted with a 190cc engine, which is very easy to pull-start. Still, there are enough customers who are physically unable to use a recoil stater, so that's why that model is still sold by Honda.


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## ajpleblanc (Dec 9, 2013)

I have 2 thoughts on this... 

1.) It looks like the MSRP on this blower is like $2400, so you're clearly making an investment. I'd say that $200 is reasonable if you want the benefits of having the electric start. 
It's not like you're spending $800 for a machine and you want to add 25% of the price on top. I just feel like it's different. 

2.) For me, the electric start is important. I don't have a garage or a shed, so the blower sits out in the elements and when it's super cold, starting it can be a real pain. The electric start saves me the hassle of all that. 

These may or may not apply to you.


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## CalgaryPT (Dec 7, 2016)

Gotsnow said:


> Looking at a wheeled HSS928AW, but was wondering if the key start is worth the extra $200.


Totally worth it for me. As you get older you start and stop to take breaks a lot more. I do up to 16 properties as a volunteer, so a lot of people stop to chat and say thanks/give me treats, etc  

I am always starting and stopping. It's worth every cent to me on my tracked HSS724CTD.


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## Dragonsm (Nov 24, 2015)

Quite a few responses giving their 2 cents....I'll add mine (Bet we are almost up to a buck)

For me personally, yes I would only purchase a unit with some sort of electric start strictly as a benefit to my wife.

Over the past 8 or so years, I seem to always have to travel out of country come January or February for 2-3 weeks at a time. 

During these travels, I have lined up neighbors and even some co-workers to help her out if we were to get pounded with snow...and most of the time, we get at least one good storm.....but for as independent and "stubborn" as my wife is, most of the time she is outside and snow cleared before most others in the neighborhood. I leave the snowblower ready to go for her with the extension cord ran over near the unit to make starting easier. Even though she takes her time, keeps it in "granny gear" and doesn't get it quite a clean as I would, I'm pretty proud of her to do that as I don't see many other wives in our neighborhood take on the task.....most of them would just keep driving on it and packing it down.

Steve


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## Kielbasa (Dec 21, 2013)

Well... for me, when I was still using that H-70 on my 1971 Ariens, I never pull started it after adding the electric start because it was just one h _ _ l of a pain in the dupa. :grin: 

But now with the Briggs And Stratton 342CC, it is so... easy to pull start I never use the electric start. But it is nice to know that it is there. 

I would get the electric start just to have it.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

Dragonsm said:


> For me personally, yes I would only purchase a unit with some sort of electric start strictly as a benefit to my wife.


Ditto... After 30 years with a 120V electric start HS80, and a number of times when my wife stalled it at the end of the driveway when I was away and couldn't restart it, I went with the HSS1332ATD specifically so that she could easily start it under all conditions when I'm away.

This worked out so well that I recently converted our 35 year old HR214SXA mower to a HR214SMA (electric start) and she has been mowing the front lawn with it. Who knew?


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

On board battery electric start for the win!

I taught my wife good pull starting technique and she can start almost every one of my machines except my old bobcat mower with the kawasaki fb460v and my champion generator with a 420cc clone. I am particularly impressed that she can get the redmax ebz8500 with little trouble.


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## Northeast603 (Dec 23, 2017)

I've had two electric start Hondas. The only time I ever used the electric start was to see if it still worked. They're very easy start machines.


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

Were they turn key machines with an on board battery.


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