# Snowblower that will eat through packed snow?



## Swampcreek (Jan 8, 2022)

I have a 9HP Craftsman snowblower that works fine working through fresh snow both dry and wet. But it can't handle clearing the snow that slides off the roof of my house. The machine won't chew through the snow without breaking up the snow in front of it with a shovel and pushing the blower ahead (which is getting harder as I get older). Is their a snowblower out there that will work through these berms without having to break up the berm and muscle the machine around? Thanks


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## dagjohnsen56 (Dec 7, 2021)

Swampcreek said:


> I have a 9HP Craftsman snowblower that works fine working through fresh snow both dry and wet. But it can't handle clearing the snow that slides off the roof of my house. The machine won't chew through the snow without breaking up the snow in front of it with a shovel and pushing the blower ahead (which is getting harder as I get older). Is their a snowblower out there that will work through these berms without having to break up the berm and muscle the machine around? Thanks


A heavy machine (+300 pounds) with track drive and hydro is the solution in my opinion. You need to be able to move really slow. Trackdrive dont break up like a wheeled blower. Honda and Yamaha are good, Ariens Rapidtrak PRO as well.


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## NOS (Dec 3, 2021)

This young fellow has as an 828 powershift like mine.
Pretty good on hard to push through snow.
I got mine free at the side of the road and although its in the reserve fleet, it comes out for those hard to clear drifts and the packed plowed in snow banks.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

That kid needs a lesson on how to use a blower ...... I sure hope he Is supervised, as he is going to get hurt.


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## RC20 (Dec 4, 2019)

My brother borrowed my Honda HSS724 to do his slid snow off his garage roof (metal).

He did have to cut a square to start as it had then froze solid (0 deg or so) but once he did the 724 ate its way through it.

I used to shovel our roof front and back (bad blown in insulation job and huge ice formation I have since corrected). The Yamaha ate through it just fine.

I run trenches across the front yard as my wife does a spring Bunny build. Last year it was above the Honda (I had an arch mid trench). Ate through it fine though had to creep. 

This year I did it when it was 20 inches and same thing. Once I got into it and level, slow creep and ate through it fine.

The engine is acualy the regulating aspect. The Honda engine is not as good at low grunt as the Yamaha but with the Hydrostatic you can set a very slow creep and it steadily eats its way through. 

You do have to learn to use the lift strut, release and up if you need to back up and varying amounts of down pressure for forward. 

I have my street frontage blown back to the curb, grader comes by and pile it out 2 feet and I slowly walk my way through it.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

If I ever needed a unit for packed snow, I grab my 7100-2 series YardMan ..... although, I now have some contenders with my JD, Snapper, and my 357cc Cub.


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

Need I say more! One forward speed, drives itself!!


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## dagjohnsen56 (Dec 7, 2021)

NOS said:


> This young fellow has as an 828 powershift like mine.
> Pretty good on hard to push through snow.
> I got mine free at the side of the road and although its in the reserve fleet, it comes out for those hard to clear drifts and the packed plowed in snow banks.


Put snowchains on that one and your good to go, cool feature!!


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

My HSS1332AATD does quite a good job at chewing through anything, but this is the ultimate snow bully this side of a Yanmar or Wado:


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

not sure what these cost.....buy used....


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

NOS said:


> This young fellow has as an 828 powershift like mine.
> Pretty good on hard to push through snow.
> I got mine free at the side of the road and although its in the reserve fleet, it comes out for those hard to clear drifts and the packed plowed in snow banks.


gessus mineesus


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## Auger1 (Dec 4, 2020)

I don't know what's wrong with your 9hp Craftsman but after I did the auger mod my 29" 9hp it would eat through any amount of snow light, thick or wet. I just sold it last week, wondering if I will regret loosing that one, it really was a tough old machine.


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## Swampcreek (Jan 8, 2022)

Auger1 said:


> I don't know what's wrong with your 9hp Craftsman but after I did the auger mod my 29" 9hp it would eat through any amount of snow light, thick or wet. I just sold it last week, wondering if I will regret loosing that one, it really was a tough old machine.


I wondered about changing the auger to something more aggressive. What type of auger did you put on your blower?


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## Auger1 (Dec 4, 2020)

Swampcreek said:


> I wondered about changing the auger to something more aggressive. What type of auger did you put on your blower?


I just added the rubber paddles to the center impeller like I watched the guys on youtube do, it really made a huge difference after that.


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## dman2 (Sep 22, 2019)

Serrated augers on modern snow blowers.
Using an angle grinder, you can easily cut your current auger to make it serrated.

Add weights to the bucket would help. Also, the impeller mod.

Your auger gear box might not be heavy duty enough.

If it's too packed and icy, then no snow blower will do it. You need to clear snow as soon as snow stop falling.


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## dr bob (Dec 12, 2015)

orangputeh said:


> not sure what these cost.....buy used....
> View attachment 186321


I was looking at some other used gov't equipment last spring, and saw an auction for half a dozen of these locally. I have no place to park one, even if I told the HOA I would get rid of all their snow and winter dogwalkers for free. They sold for $4-7k, depending on one needing batteries or missing a dash instrument. ODOT sale. The one that needed a few $hundred in new batteries about the cost on a new big Honda snowblower. Except for the batteries shot, it started and ran fine once started. Everything worked. A little polish and window cleaning, good as new.


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## JnC (Feb 21, 2014)

Find yourself a used Honda HS828T, 828s go for 30~40% less than the 928s yet you wont be able to tell the power difference, I swear sometimes I feel like the 828 is more powerful than the 928 (weird, I know). The track will insure that the bucket wont lift when trying to chew through hard packed snow and the hydro will insure that you dont have to pump the handle to select the right speed insuring the machine wont die.


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## bisonp (Mar 23, 2018)

The problem with adding weight to the bucket is that you then lose traction. Tracks are generally the best option in hard conditions as they keep the front end down. Some tracked machines are a bear to move around when not running. An Ariens RapidTrak may be a good compromise if overall ease of use is what you are looking for. Try driving them around a bit before buying if you can.


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

I'm suspicious of the OP's comment on digging out 'snow' that slid off the roof. I'm wondering based on the conditions whether it's hard snow or it's ice? I'd suspect if it was snow, packed or otherwise it would break up falling to the ground. Either one of my big blowers would chew up snow on the ground, packed or otherwise. Ice on the otherhand would have to be broken off with an ice chipper before either would chew on it.
That's my 2 cents.


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## Swampcreek (Jan 8, 2022)

HCBPH said:


> I'm suspicious of the OP's comment on digging out 'snow' that slid off the roof. I'm wondering based on the conditions whether it's hard snow or it's ice? I'd suspect if it was snow, packed or otherwise it would break up falling to the ground. Either one of my big blowers would chew up snow on the ground, packed or otherwise. Ice on the otherhand would have to be broken off with an ice chipper before either would chew on it.
> That's my 2 cents.


This would be mainly snow that would slide off the roof - a combination of wet and dry snow. The snow normally won't slide until it warms up or rains. Snow gets packed with impact to the ground. What size blower do you use? Thanks for the info.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

HCBPH said:


> I'd suspect if it was snow, packed or otherwise it would break up falling to the ground.


Actually, in my experience snow that comes off the roof is incredibly dense and compact, kind of like thrice-thrown slush. If you don't get to it right away, it freezes into a large immovable object.


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## RC20 (Dec 4, 2019)

_I'd suspect if it was snow, packed or otherwise it would break up falling to the ground._

Nope, per above. When it slides its about as bad as it gets, shoveling off probably not a lot worse. 

I did it with my worn out Toro, the YS624 did it fine. Forward tilt and Honda HSS724 does it (lent it to my brother for just that use).


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## dr bob (Dec 12, 2015)

Swampcreek said:


> This would be mainly snow that would slide off the roof - a combination of wet and dry snow. The snow normally won't slide until it warms up or rains. Snow gets packed with impact to the ground. [...]


^^ This ^^

The snow I rake off the roof (or slides off) is generally close to cement consistency, especially after it is compressed some on impact with the ground. Dry powder doesn't weigh enough to rake, and it's more likely to blow off before it slides off. The 'slide off' seems to happen when there's a heavy wet or frozen layer somewhere in the roof snow, and the pack above it is heavy. 

Regardless, the stuff I end up clearing is like cement, and it's a lot of work to move. Others may have different experiences... YMMV of course.


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## Great white (Feb 4, 2021)

NOS said:


> This young fellow has as an 828 powershift like mine.
> Pretty good on hard to push through snow.
> I got mine free at the side of the road and although its in the reserve fleet, it comes out for those hard to clear drifts and the packed plowed in snow banks.





NOS said:


> This young fellow has as an 828 powershift like mine.
> Pretty good on hard to push through snow.
> I got mine free at the side of the road and although its in the reserve fleet, it comes out for those hard to clear drifts and the packed plowed in snow banks.





NOS said:


> This young fellow has as an 828 powershift like mine.
> Pretty good on hard to push through snow.
> I got mine free at the side of the road and although its in the reserve fleet, it comes out for those hard to clear drifts and the packed plowed in snow banks.


god bless this young man. He needs our help and direction. Perhaps, he’s a future member. Welcome.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

I concur ... snow falling or being raked off the roof and compressing on the ground from the fall is certainly more of the concrete consistency ... thus requiring a lot more effort to remove, be it by hand or machine.


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

Swampcreek said:


> This would be mainly snow that would slide off the roof - a combination of wet and dry snow. The snow normally won't slide until it warms up or rains. Snow gets packed with impact to the ground. What size blower do you use? Thanks for the info.


I have an 8 HP Ariens along with a 10 HP custom-built Craftsman (the Searsasaurus) and either will move the stuff that the city plows push onto the sidewalk which is a combination of snow and packed snow. If you leave it till it freezes up into ice then that's a different story. If it's froze solid, I have to take an ice chipper and break it loose then the blowers will attack it, but if it's still a frozen block the augers will just bounce off the ice wall.


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## Ultramag (Oct 15, 2020)

Swampcreek said:


> I have a 9HP Craftsman snowblower that works fine working through fresh snow both dry and wet. But it can't handle clearing the snow that slides off the roof of my house. The machine won't chew through the snow without breaking up the snow in front of it with a shovel and pushing the blower ahead (which is getting harder as I get older). Is their a snowblower out there that will work through these berms without having to break up the berm and muscle the machine around? Thanks


Get yourself some weight on that bucket to keep it from riding up& take it a little slower going through that hard pack snow. I have a 2013 Ariens Deluxe 30 & put 30 lbs on the bucket. It goes through hard pack like it wasn't there.


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## aldfam4 (Dec 25, 2016)

I found these Universal weight machine weights on the curb. They fit perfectly on my Ariens 924086 snow blower. Each weight is 10 lbs. and really cuts down on climbing up the EOD snow. Glued on magnets with velcro secure it to blower! No drilling into the bucket (under the weights). Weights can be easily removed also.


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## LenD (Nov 17, 2020)

Considering the weights that are sold specifically for that purpose are 11 lb , won't 20 lb cause issues??


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## bibeaud (Jan 1, 2021)

LenD said:


> Considering the weights that are sold specifically for that purpose are 11 lb , won't 20 lb cause issues??


I'm using two Husqvarna weights underneath the upper bucket (top surface) of my Columbia C224 that weigh a little under 20 lbs to keep the bucket down on the pavement.


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## aldfam4 (Dec 25, 2016)

LenD said:


> Considering the weights that are sold specifically for that purpose are 11 lb , won't 20 lb cause issues??


As you can see that snow blower is a tank! Weights are used for big snow storms here in Buffalo.


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## repaso (Jan 6, 2021)

I move compacted snow berms that shed from the roof. I have owned an 8 hp 24" wheeled MTD, 10 HP 28" wheeled Toro, 13 HP 32" track Honda and a 13 HP 28" rapidtrak Ariens. After two feet or more builds up on the roof and then sheds onto the ground there is a core of snow inside the berm that is hard as concrete and the berm is very tall and wide. Moving these berm mountains is hard work and time consuming. All of these snowblowers climb the berm. Even the track machines. I usually tackle the berm by taking small swaths on the side of the berm. I use the lowest gear available and only go into the berm 1/4 to 1/2 of the auger bucket width. Weights on front of the snowblower do not help because that will cause more resistance and cause the wheels/tracks to spin on the ground instead of progressing forward. None of these snowblowers tackle the berms the way I would like them to. The Honda does the best, but the chassis that supports the track is too low and it gets high centered causing more resistance. There are things the manufacturers can do in the snowblower design to make them more effective. The auger needs to extend outside and in front of the auger chassis. The auger needs to hit the berm first, not the chassis. The auger should incorporate solid rotating metal disks at each end of the auger to drill into the berm and contain the loose snow as it travels back to the impellar. The snowblower should be no less than 12 hp and the auger and chassis should be made of heavy gauge metal, otherwide the snowblower will flex and bend under the pressure. Yamaha has a 32" snowblower that incorporates this design. They are not sold in the USA. I do not undertstand why. Honda use to make samething like this also, it also incorporated the reverse and forward rotating auger which allowed it do drill into the berm. It looks like an Edward Scissorhand. Wicked, but effective. Why these types of machines are not made and/or sold in the USA, I don't understand. The standard of effectiveness for a snowblower should be measured by how well it can tackle the heavy, compacted snow berms. Even the cheapie/junkie snowblowers can effectively move freshly fallen snow. Many people that deal with significant quantities of snowfall know the importance of a snowblower that can remove heavily compacted snow berm mountains that occur at the end of the driveway on the ground at the roof dripline. Come on, snowblower manufacturers, make something that can effectively deal with these snow berms.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Appears Honda still makes one similar to what you describe, at least for the Canadian, Asian and European markets, but $$.
Unless this is an out dated photo on the Canadian Honda website.














HSM1336iKCD | 92 cm (36 in)







powerequipment.honda.ca


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## repaso (Jan 6, 2021)

The Honda HSM1336iKCD looks to be a currently made snowblower by Honda. Not sold in the USA is frustrating. It appears to have the ability to take care of snow berms very effectively. The Honda I was speaking about is demonstrated here. It has auger blades that are oriented in both directions. Appears to be equally effective at chewing through heavily compacted snow. Amazon.co.jp: Honda Small Snow Plow HSS1170n (JX1) HSS1170N1 JX1 : DIY, Tools & Garden


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

repaso said:


> The Honda HSM1336iKCD looks to be a currently made snowblower by Honda. Not sold in the USA is frustrating.


You can read more about the Cross Auger system here: Honda Snow Blower Information Repository
The HSM1336i is what we get here in the states:





Honda HS1336iAS Two-stage 36" Hybrid Snow Blower | Honda Snow Blowers


The Honda HS1336i two-stage snow blower clears a 36” path and throws snow up to 62 feet. This snow blower is ideal for large properties, resorts & academic institutions.




powerequipment.honda.com




One of their larger units like the HSL2511 or the one below would be nice to get here as well:


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Used Yanmar but not sure of parts availabilty
The one above...or .Honda HS1336i I believe. About 10 grand with a 3 year warranty. Better buying new. Used units still go for around 8 grand around here. Mostly they are used commercially so have a lot of hrs on them.


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## RC20 (Dec 4, 2019)

_Actually, in my experience snow that comes off the roof is incredibly dense and compact, kind of like thrice-thrown slush. If you don't get to it right away, it freezes into a large immovable object. _

Sometimes referred to as concrete (grin). My brtoher did it by cutting a hole in the slide and the center was not fully solid but yea, its a gonad buster.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

Gravely Convertible!

I've seen my neighbor go through a corner pile by the Town plows with a Simplicity Pro 860. I bought a used Simplicity Pro 860 8hp 24" this spring for $135 delivered. This is one heavy machine. It's hard to push down on the handlebars and definitely to lift up to put in the service position. If we get a lot of accumulation, I'll see myself.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Those are very sturdy units; you should be very pleased.


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

How about a gravely ?


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## repaso (Jan 6, 2021)

The Honda HSM1336iAS is just a bigger version of the Honda snowblower design we are accustomed to in the USA. Without the cross cut auger and/or protrudung auger with solid metal disk sides, the HSM1336iAS will not be very effective at chewing into a deep, heavily compacted snow berm. Why Honda will not sell snowblowers in the USA like the Honda HSM1336iKCD is beyond me. If Honda could make a snowblower like the HSM1336iKCD but with a 28" or 24" auger width and the same horsepower, that would be ideal. It could be the Honda model number HSM1328iKCD or HSM1324iKCD. I would buy that tomorrow. Please Honda listen to our cries for help. I bet people in Truckee California would be lining up right now to buy that machine. I live in a town that receives an average of 136" of snowfall annually, but it is not uncommon to receive significantly more on some years. Truckee receives significantly more annual snowfall per year and there are places in Alaska and New York that receive similiar or greater snowfall amounts. There is a customer base in the USA for a berm eating snowthrower machine. I don't understand why companies like Toro, Ariens, Honda, Husquarvarna and Simplicity make higher end snowblowers with the thicker gauge auger/impellar/chassis metal and larger motors to only effectively eat into loosely fallen snow. With the higher end materials and bigger motors those snowblowers have the capability to throw heavy compacted berm snow. The auger design, however, is ineffective at chewing into the berm. All that extra power does is allow the wheels and tracks to spin in deep berm snow or climb up the berm, because the auger is poorly designed and unable to effectively drill into a berm of compacted snow. Wheels and tracks will continue continue to push forward as resistance is moved away from an effectively designed auger.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

repaso said:


> Please Honda listen to our cries for help.


This is where to place them:





Contact Us| Honda Power Equipment


Contact Honda Power Equipment for assistance with Honda Generators, Lawn mowers, Tillers, Trimmers, Snow blowers, and Water Pumps.




powerequipment.honda.com


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