# Honda Snow Blower 24" Steering



## Gary Ellis (Oct 14, 2019)

I just bought a Honda Snow Blower 24" Gx 200 Hss724aawd and was wondering about the steering. When I pull on the left or right handle lever should it turn by itself or do you have to help it turn? If I pull either trigger I can make it turn left or right. It doesn't seem to matter which lever I pull up on I can turn it either way... I thought by pulling up the lever it should turn by itself.


----------



## Miles (Sep 16, 2016)

Spend some more time with it and you will get used to the steering. You can steer these without the trigger steering, but it takes a lot more muscle. Get going in a straight line slowly and then pull on the left trigger and make your turn without pulling on the handlebars. It takes a bit of practice to get used to it, but you will. Initially, I was not using the triggers to steer and was using the handlebars. It takes a lot less work to use the triggers.


----------



## SkunkyLawnmowers (Oct 18, 2018)

Hi Gary Ellis

In additionm to what Miles said......

I have your exact model. (2017) 

The blower will turn l/r without engaging the little levers _but_ it makes it much easier when you do. 

Basically, the more throttle is engaged i.e. the higher the rpms, the faster the machine will turn if you use the triggers. 

I find them easiest to use at low throttle and very handy they are, too. 

Be aware - when you want to move the machine without the engine running, you have to hold _both_ triggers down for free wheel.

Tip - the blower works even better with an impeller kit installed, esp in wet snow; I was getting quite bad clogging up until I installed my kit. There was also a redesigned chute a little back.


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

SkunkyLawnmowers said:


> Hi Gary Ellis
> 
> In additionm to what Miles said......
> 
> ...


i thought when you depressed the steering handle it stop that track while the other track continued to turn thus making it easier to turn the machine.


----------



## SkunkyLawnmowers (Oct 18, 2018)

orangputeh said:


> i thought when you depressed the steering handle it stop that track while the other track continued to turn thus making it easier to turn the machine.


It might do but I'm only referring to wheeled models (as is, I believe Gary)

Edit - I think it does the same to the wheels. Did I say anythiong contrary to that in my main post? The net effct is the same I believe.


----------



## Gary Ellis (Oct 14, 2019)

I have the wheels and I thought when you pulled say the left lever up the left wheel would stop turning and the right wheel would continue to turn. If I pull up the right lever I can still turn it left. I was thinking if you pulled a lever up it would turn like a tank but I still have to help it turn. Strange that either lever will allow me to turn it either way. It sort of works like the Aries auto turn without the levers. What is the impeller kit your talking about? mine is a 2019 model will I need it and how good or bad is the electric chute. I read the motors freeze up. Have they corrected that problem


----------



## SkunkyLawnmowers (Oct 18, 2018)

Gary

I'm not sure if you've used your Honda in snow yet - all I can say is that the effect of the turning levers is more pronounced once the wheels are tracking in the snow and once the engine is revving. I actually prefer the blower to turn slowly, not so much because I'm a girl but because it's a machine one has to be careful with and treat cautiously. 

Regarding the impeller kit. You'll know if you need one once you've used your Honda in wet or slushy snow / ice. Mine clogegd multiple times in those conditions and was borderline unusable. I live in Northern VA so the winters are not as cold as elsewhere.

So the end gap, so to speak, between the impeller and the auger housing is closed up with an impeller kit. That small gap is the cause (for me anyway) of slush and ice building up causing blockages. See the link below for how I did mine. I also link to a Youtuve vid of someone else doing theirs. 

Re the chute - yours may have the new version - it will be the new one if the collar at the bottom of the chute is only a a couple of inches high, compared to about 5 or 6 inches with the old one.

My kit https://www.snowblowerforum.com/for...1-honda-hss724aawd-impeller-modification.html

Someone elses -


----------



## Gary Ellis (Oct 14, 2019)

SkunkyLawnmowers said:


> Gary
> 
> I'm not sure if you've used your Honda in snow yet - all I can say is that the effect of the turning levers is more pronounced once the wheels are tracking in the snow and once the engine is revving. I actually prefer the blower to turn slowly, not so much because I'm a girl but because it's a machine one has to be careful with and treat cautiously.
> 
> ...


Can you show me what you mean about the new version collar at the bottom of the chute? Thank you
Why do you say," it's a machine one has to be careful with and treat cautiously"?


----------



## SkunkyLawnmowers (Oct 18, 2018)

Read here https://www.snowblowerforum.com/for...oncerns-official-update-honda-parts-info.html

It's a snowblower with potentially dangerous moving parts!!! Hot engine!!! Ice and snow are slippy!!! Have to take care in residential areas!!! Read the manual!!!


----------



## Gary Ellis (Oct 14, 2019)

SkunkyLawnmowers said:


> Read here https://www.snowblowerforum.com/for...oncerns-official-update-honda-parts-info.html
> 
> It's a snowblower with potentially dangerous moving parts!!! Hot engine!!! Ice and snow are slippy!!! Have to take care in residential areas!!! Read the manual!!!


Well Thank You, you all have been very helpful. Mine is the newest version and now I just have to wait for the snow. I'm in VT...I had a 4 year old Ariens Pro Hydro 28" with a 422cc engine. I wanted to down size with a 24" Hydro so the Honda was really my only other choice. I hope the 198cc engine will be strong enough... I had a Honda 28" track 4 years ago and found it was very hard to maneuver but loved the motor...


----------



## SkunkyLawnmowers (Oct 18, 2018)

OK it's good you have the new chute. 

The GX200 engines are very strong. Some people rejet them to get more power out of them but I haven't done that. 

Again, not because I'm female, but I actually think the 24" blower is better - read more maneuverable - in urban settings and tighter places. The wider blowers can be more of a handful here. But in big open spaces or long wide driveways the bigger blowers come into their own. 

I'm sure you'll love your new baby!!!


----------



## bendingo (Mar 19, 2018)

When you pull one of the steering levers, it's like pushing down a clutch pedal in a car - that wheel should stop turning under power immediately, but it will still freewheel if it's being pushed forwards or backwards by the motion of the blower (or your body English), it won't lock like a car in Park. So if you are on like dry pavement, the other wheel turning can drag the snowblower mostly forward with the still-engaged wheel. Paradoxically, if you're on slick snow/ice, sometimes the powered wheel will spin, also causing the snowblower to fail to "turn automatically like a tank".

However, the behavior should be pretty apparent on any surface - pull the trigger, what happens? Heck pull both of them, does the blower stop moving forward? Let one off, then the other?

I have totally noticed a complete failure of the system - pulling a trigger does not cause the wheel to disengage - on multiple occasions when ice has packed around where the cables from the steering levers go into the rear housing of the snowblower. Probably not your issue, since you haven't used it on snow yet ... but you SHOULD be able to see, fairly obviously, whether those steering levers are doing what they are supposed to or not.


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

SkunkyLawnmowers said:


> OK it's good you have the new chute.
> 
> The GX200 engines are very strong. Some people rejet them to get more power out of them but I haven't done that.
> 
> ...


I love 24 inch blowers over the 28 or 32. I can use my 824 ( 80) and not be tired after an hour whereas the 28 or 32 inch Honda seems to give you more of a work out. The 24 is about 70 pounds lighter. So you have to make a pass or two. BIG deal. Plus you're right with the power. It goes thru the berm pretty well. 

My ol 80 is like a tank. used it over 30 hours last winter and all I had to do is change the oil and lube and regrease.


----------



## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

orangputeh said:


> I love 24 inch blowers over the 28 or 32.


I know you love the old HS blowers (both friction wheel and hydro) the same way I like driving my 1922 Model T, but you REALLY need to try out a properly adjusted HSS1332 some time... It really opens your eyes! ccasion14:


----------



## SkunkyLawnmowers (Oct 18, 2018)

tabora said:


> I know you love the old HS blowers (both friction wheel and hydro) the same way I like driving my 1922 Model T, but you REALLY need to try out a properly adjusted HSS1332 some time... It really opens your eyes! ccasion14:


You want arms like Popeye? You go ahead!!! Some of us are happy with less is more  :kiss:


----------



## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

They use the "Skid Steering" principle but without a brake to stop the wheel from spinning, it will "Freewheel" instead but it wont be powered to drive.
Unlike some bulldozers and skid loaders that use skid steering that disengage power and apply a wheel brake at the same time, the snowblower just releases power to the drive wheel or track that is activated when the lever is pulled.
It sounds like most people think it will stop the wheel or track fully from turning when applied, which it is not designed to do, just disconnect power to it.


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

tabora said:


> I know you love the old HS blowers (both friction wheel and hydro) the same way I like driving my 1922 Model T, but you REALLY need to try out a properly adjusted HSS1332 some time... It really opens your eyes! ccasion14:


haha..I have but don't want to use them too much.......then I'd have to have it.:wink2:


----------

