Honda HS 720 Review ► Would I Recomend It??
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ก.พ. 2019
- Thank you for checking out my review of the Honda HS 720 single - stage snowblower.
#snowblower #hondasnowblower #hondahs720snowblower
#calebspropertymaintenance - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
Never had a honda snowblower, but I bought the Toro 721 RC, the commercial one, seven years ago. No cabled shute levers or any of that stuff, you just bend over and manually turn the shute. It has been exceptional in every way, and I hold it up to friends as a modern product that I'm totally, 100% satisfied with. I'm in Canada, and I bought it for $700 taxes in, in 2014. I looked at the Honda, and it would have been $1,100 and I couldn't do the difference. I made the right choice. PS, in Canada you can get ethanol-free gas at Canadian Tire, the premium grade one, I use it with all my small engines.
👍🏻👍🏻😎
I got 2 of the HS720 Commercial and I love them, I've had them for 3 plus years. Reason I went with the Commercial is like you stated, the knobs are hard to use and the Commercial is all manual not much can go wrong. Only issue I've had with them is the handle on the chute was to long so when you go against a building it would hit the walls, so I had to shorten it. You could buy them like that , but if you have a welder then you can save a few bucks. The other issue I had with one of the blowers was were handle connects to the bottom of the blower cracked off and had to be welded. Either than that it's been good. Looking to buy another.
Thank you for your honest opinion and great video
David Edmiston That is the way I am. I am a black and white person. I don’t sugarcoat anything.
I have two 721's One commercial and one residential. Thanks for the review of the Honda
How are the 721? The Toro I assume? The plastic handles seem cheap beyond belief
Thanks for the review, very helpful.
My Honda HS720 works great here in NE Ohio. I only use it to clear snow at my house so I don’t have commercial use experience. My driveway is on a busy two lane state highway so the apron gets packed with heavy snow from the ODOT and County snow plows but this little guy chews through that rough stuff to clear it away. This is a good snow thrower, it’s not too heavy so it’s easy to maneuver , small footprint makes it easy to store. I like the fuel shut-off valve which I close and run out the fuel when done using. That keeps the carb cleaner and helps it to start and I haven’t had a starting issue in 4 winters of use. For the size it will get through more snow than I thought it would. I like this piece of equipment.
The fuel shut-off valve is definitely handy.
The Ariens Pro 21 single stage is designed to slide it easily into a truck with just one hand by using the handrails to slide up against the back of your truck. So you don't need to lift much. It also has a time meter on it, and a heavily reinforced front end.
I have this exact model. Used it 9 times already this winter in MN (it’s Dec 22) and dozens of times over the past two years. I’ve owned over 12 blowers/throwers in my life (an old guy), and this is THE best. I use premium fuel and take care of it.
Awesome!
Just got one from lowes for $756 out the door. Destroyed 8 inches (record fall for nov 11) of wet snow in detroit. Quiet and powerfull. Love the high controls for the discharge chute
John B It is a nice machine.
Very informative. Thanks Now waiting for the carb work you will be doing on it :)
spray discharge shoot and plate with cooking or silicone spray . You also can spray the snow receiving end at the same time . A little P. M. goes along way .
I purchased a HS928 fifteen years ago today. If I have any advice for someone considering a Honda snowblower here is what I can tell you.
I researched several brands before I chose the Honda. Other than the Yamaha, none of the others matched the Honda for build quality and features. ie: track drive and adjustable bucket height on the fly. I just had a hard time getting past the high price of the Honda. It was around $3200.00 Canadian dollars back in 2004.
After 15 years, I have had zero problems or regrets getting the Honda. (Knock on wood). I know the high cost is hard to get past, but if you have the dough, go for it
Wizard of Wor Great to hear!
I have the Honda HS720A as well here in Utah. We got 6-8 large storms from 8-16 inches last year and it handled all of it like a champ. I will say that the storms that were larger than a foot it would struggle with the passes at the end of the sidewalk/driveway where the snowplow pack came through. I
Ace of Spades Awesome! Do you know any of the TH-camrs from Utah? I do.
@@CalebsPropertyMaintenance Nope.. Any channel suggestion that I should watch? Your video popped up because I watched a maintenance video on how to change the oil/spark plug after storage.
Ace of Spades Look up Connor Ward, Brett’s Grasscapades, The Greener Lawn. Those people are in your state and mostly do videos on turf and how to have the best looking lawn. Connor is a riot 🤣
Recently bought a Honda hs720asa and I am impressed with its throwing distance and power. I am coming from a toro 721 powerclear. Making a quick comparison of what I’m used too, the wheels on both freeze up, the chute on Honda seems better constructed, both are easy to start, the Honda definitely throws farther, seems to have a little more vibration, which I’m surprised, even having handle bolts tightened to spec. The only time the toro would plug up is if it wasn’t drawing in enough snow and it packed up in the housing, I sprayed Pam which helped. Honda I haven’t used enough to see how the clogging issue is, but looking at the auger design I’d imagine if the Honda’s clogging it needs the rubber replaced, it’s contoured auger design cuffs the snow and throws it better in my opinion. I would have been okay with the base model without the remote chute and electric start but got it for a good price.
I like the toro handles better, more curved than the Honda. What’s your thought on that?
@@CalebsPropertyMaintenance I am 6.1” and found the toro really comfortable and perfect height, only thing I hated was the quick shoot adjustment on toro is on the right handle and can catch on things in tight spaces. The Honda I haven’t used enough yet to tell, only used it for about 15 minutes. I did notice it is a bit narrower, not as good for a grip and maneuvering. The toro feels like it’s doing more of the work too, Honda requires more effort to get moving and keep it moving, even with auger assistance. I like the easy folding handle of the toro too, Honda requires an open end wrench to take somewhere. Oh also the “wheelie” bar is more of a hinderance to me then useful so it’s cut off on mine 😬
I have the Toro single stage snow blower and on heavy wet snow it does the very same thing. You have to use spray in those conditions and you will no longer have the problem. My Toro is hard to manually start so I always have to use the electric start. If I switch to Honda the sole reason will be the easy manual start. Thanks for posting this video.
Steve Balistreri Thank you for the information.
My toros start up easy!
I have the Toro 721 RC. I have never had an engine that starts as easily as this one. It always started easily - it's seven years old now and I just replaced the spark plug for the first time. Now it's super easy; literally a flick of the wrist and it's running. Maybe it's your plug? Try the NGK . . .
Good review. Did you look at the Ariens commercial line of single stage snow throwers? They really are built for daily use with re-enforced metal sides, better ergonomics, heavier steel, exposed engine for easy access, an engine hour meter and more.
I have not. Interesting.
@@CalebsPropertyMaintenance there are some good youtube videos on it.
@@Peter-976
PS I have looked at these, and I think for a commercial business using them all the time they may better than the Toros, due to more metal construction, less plastic and easier to service engine.
@@Luigi-pk8mk I think that's true about the Toro's. I have a seven year old 721 RC, that I'm VERY happy with, but it is a hassle to get to the motor, you have to take the top off, not so easy to do. Having said that, I just changed the spark plug without removing the top; contrary to instructions it IS possible.
Have to agree on your points. I bought one last year and have had problems with the tires freezing up and not turning when the snow accumulates on them. Also, the cable for the directional portion of the chute wound up stretching out from being so stiff and difficult to use. I wound up buying the handle part off of a 520 model and replacing the cable chute. I would NOT recommend this model to anyone. The power of the machine is a plus though. 'd go with a 520 model if I wanted a Honda again.
BDuff1000 Great thoughts.
A little bit of penetrating oil and grease goes a long way bud.
Honda recommends 5w-30 oil with service category SJ or later for this snow thrower. Honda brand is hard to find. I used Pennzoil 5w-30 with service category SN. Will this work? Or is there additives in the Honda oil that makes it better?
todd Any oil is of course better than none. I only use fully synthetic and I don’t pay much attention to the service categories. I’m pretty sure when I changed the oil I used Mobile 1 10w-30 and it runs just fine.
Greetings from Russia! Honda HS 750 EA is a nice snow thrower. It is more than enough for personal house, especially if you need to remove snow from narrow pathways inside the house territory. Moreover, parking lot it can clean quite fast, but better to collect snow in small bunches with wide plastic snow scrapper (e.g. Fiskars SnowXpert™) and then during 5 minutes throw all snow away. Besides, this machine could throw snow behind the wall with height of 2.2 meters. I'm happy, that found this device and I strongly recommend for people, who live in town and remove snow after snowfall. It you live somewhere in mountains or in the far east of Russia or Japan (where snow height could be more than 2000 mm after one night), then it is better to buy a snow thrower with tracks.
I love mne.. honda.. it starts up one pull every time.. your sell rep, is correct about this unit. I watch other youtube demo and when out got one.
after two years of not using it i won't start by pulling at first two things i did in this winter, first I added gas line anti-freeze and used the electric starter after 5 electric starters(pushing the button I mean ) it started by itself,and I dislodged it from the electric starter and carried on by gas works fantastic a horse like horse
Great video. Was waiting to hear from someone who bought Honda as I was thinking bout them too. I bought a new Toro 721 rc last season. Works great in all conditions. I like how honest you were about the Shute controls. I hate when company’s try to overbuild simple controls. Oh I use Pam cooking spray to minimize clogs. 👍👍
Jim B Thanks for the advice.
I use Pam on my lawn mower as well, words great!
I also live in Pennsylvania and have had all flavors of snow over the 4 years that I have had my HS720. I never had a problem with clogging - unlike both of my neighbors with their Toro's. Our recent 30 inch snowstorm challenged it, but knocking down the piles with a shovel a little bit first I was easily able to blow the snow over the tops of the snowbanks. The chute adjustment gears can easily be lubricated after taking off the red cover. If he likes the Toro wheels so much, why doesn't he just change them out? I always run ethanol-free gas in my lawn and snow removal equipment and drain the tank in the Spring. You you think a property maintenance expert would take those steps rather than trusting stabilizer.
Your idea of changing out the wheels was my thought a couple of weeks ago exactly.
If you watch my latest video th-cam.com/video/O2dai3XvVwQ/w-d-xo.html and start it at 7:20 you will see exactly how it clogs.
My HS720 wheels get clogged with snow. Also mine is not good in wet snow, gets clogged constantly. It is amazing in a few inches of powder though.
Wet snow: forget it. Great in a few inches of powder. Any machine is. Yeah, the wheels suck, too.
I saw video use vegetables oil spray on all easy clogged area(clean first and spray), solve the problem , today I tested on 2nd day wet snow, It's work fine, I have a used Honda hs720, just hard to push if wet snow, better use on first snow day, and axe or friction part use w4 oil or silicone spray.
I've had a honda for over 5 yrs never a problem
these Honda single stage blowers are more expensive than two stage blowers of different brands. Is it worth it?
I never had any problems with mine.. But where I live in Canada, week-end almost never get wet heavy snow. We get several snow storms, between 6 to 15 inches, but nice snow...
Glad to hear.
I have had my HS 720 for three years, replaced the paddles and scraper this year. Just started having problems with the chute levers, side to side and up and down, but will wait till it warms up a little before looking for the problem as it is 6 above zero right now.
You might have to grease up those parts. Other than that, I would try taking it to your local dealer.
Caleb's Property Maintenance front chute bracket was loose from vibration and some small stones had caused the mechanism to bind. Took everything apart and cleaned it, now works great.
356rah Great!
The chute control cables may have water accumulate causing them to freeze, a solution my small engine place recommended was a hypodermic syringe with fuel line antifreeze injected on the inside of the cable to help alleviate the problem. If the cables are coated with Teflon, the cables may have to be replaced.
Check the clearance between the auger rubbers and the back of the blower housing. This should ideally be a few millimeters. As the rubber wears and the clearance increases, this will cause poor throwing distance and in turn will cause chute clogging. Those rubbers are wear items and need to be replaced more often for commercial use.
Sean Huebner Thank you for the information.
Sean Huebner I’ve been using mine for 5 years in Chicago area winters. Generally, how often do the paddles need to be replaced? Thanks for the great advice.
@@mct8888 There is no set time. When you're not satisfied with the throwing distance I'd replace them. Will run you about $40.
The manual says it will burn 87 octane with up to 10% Ethanol.... Some gas stations sell Recreational fuel that has no Ethanol in it. Its more expensive... $4.00 a gallon as of yesterday in Metro Detroit, however thats all I intend to run in mine. Ethanol absorbs moisture which causes the carburetor to corrode when it sits in it. I am also told that it ruins the rubber seals... so for as little fuel as I run through it, and my generator and chain saws... its worth it to me to pay the extra for recreational fuel. Automobiles (newer ones) don't have a problem because they are fuel injected.
Thomas Doyle Yes, I would absolutely recommend that if you are a homeowner.
Have you tried to open up the plate area with a dremal or a type of grinder.
I have not.
Enjoyed your video. I own the exact same model, two full winters now enjoy it, but also have the chute clogging issue with certain snows. What a pain! I am going to silicone spray my chute and try it, thanks. What the hey, I’ll solicited spray the wheels too to see if stops snow build up. 😃 As to the chute adjustment cables, mine are much easier to move than you show in this video. I suggest greasing yours, shouldn’t get stuck like that. Thanjavur for sharing your experiences. ❄️ Let it snow!
I hear alot of people saying the snow sticks to the wheels.Why not spray them with silicone spray or wax them .That should help out alot.
I've used silicon sprayon the wheels, didn't help a bit. I built a wheel wiper and that didn't work either. The wheels have no traction. My drive has a 2" per 4' slope and I have to push the blower at a 45* angle to go cross slope. I like everything else about the machine.
Who agrees caleb is the best👍👍👍
The chute levers need lubrication. They should be lubricated from the factory, but it looks like none of them are. My were not.
I just picked up my new Honda 720 pro today. Hope it works out for me. When I lived back east, I had a large 32” wide Club Cadet snow blower. It used to get clogged with wet snow too. The wet snow on the augers used to freeze overnight. I quickly learned to remove any wet snow before I put it away for the night.
Great! Hope it serves you well.
7:10 have you ever had that fuel knob get too hard to turn? Mine is very difficult..
I just started it yesterday, after 2 years of sitting, and it was a little difficult to turn.
@@CalebsPropertyMaintenance thx! did you add fresh gas?
@@stateniland I had put Stabil in it so it started without any problems.
@@CalebsPropertyMaintenance cool!
You should try the toro Snowmaster! It is a beast if you go with the Snowmaster 824. It is a hybrid between the dual stage and the single stage. I love the 252 cc !
I looks like it would be good. How heavy is it?
Better than the toro 621 and the Honda 720. But not quite as good as the toro dual staged? But with the 252 cc I would buy the toro Snowmaster because of the weight 98 lbs. If you have a gravel driveway then I wouldn’t recommended it. I have own theHonda single stage before but it was terrible in wet snow due to the small size engine.
Good but couldn’t use to the personal pace in close quarters.
Do Honda snowblowers have handles that collapse for easier transport?
Amy Butler If you’re looking for an easy folding handle, Honda doesn’t make it. You can however loosen the 2 bolts and then fold the handle down.
In my experience, you have to remove the two bolts entirely. I reinstall the bolts after the handle has been folded. Be careful not to damage the cables as you fold the handle.
I am planning to use this for my giant deck with wood surface. Do you think it will or will not scrape the wood surface?
opalshuhuaallen I think you would be good to go. It has a plastic scraper and rubber paddles.
I don’t understand why you say it can’t handle wet heavy snow. I have a 15 year old HS520 that has that same plate in the chute and it handles wet rainy snow great. In fact I prefer it to my 2 stage Honda HSS1332ATD which also does well with heavy wet snow. As far as the wheels on mine they work far better than my neighbors said brand (Toro) which gets snow stuck all over the wheels locking them up or bouncing as you go down the driveway making for uneven cleaning. I have been blowing there snow for 3 years with it so I know both brands. They are both good brands but they both have the same issues. I will say the Toro pulls down the driveway better though but I might need new paddles.
Honda is all about the engine lol . they make THE best motors in the game, short of Toyota (but Toyota doesn make small motors). anyways, thanks for the honest review
Well, the closest small engines to Toyota are the Daihatsu made Vanguard or Subaru
Did greasing the chute parts help?
cameriqueTV Yes 👍🏻
Briggs and stratton has cutter in a middle of impeller and it prevents clogging with wet snow I can confirm
I would highly recomend that you use 4 cycle engineered fuel (ethanol free) rather then gas station gas. You can get it at Home Depot. Yes it costs more but if you use your unit infrequently it will save you alot of headaches and I believe in the end money. Also use the proper Honda brand oil.
I would use ethanol free 100% but I can’t get it anywhere near me. I justify it by saying that I run through gas very quickly.
Works good
It's called a Chute Deflector. All blowers can and will at times clog the Chute when blowing wet snow. It's not the Chute design. It's trying to run too much of the wet stuff thru the chute. It's a fine balance between enough and too much. It's heavy and it won't exit the blower housing as quickly as dryer snow does.
My experience was with small amounts of snow that escaped the snowblower on the first pass.
Yeah that was kind of my point. It comes down to snow not leaving the blower housing with enough speed. Either because there is too much trying to exit. Or not enough. Either way it starts to pile up right at the bottom of the chute. There is not enough force or speed to eject it fast enough out of the chute opening so it tries to fall back in the housing. It is a pain in the butt for sure.@@CalebsPropertyMaintenance
I don't understand why you are referring to Toro (?) as "Said brand".... are you sponsored and not able to mention their name in a comparison? It made the video confusing... in a review I would expect it to be reviewed against competing products so it makes sense to discuss them.
Would also be great to include some action videos to show it in use.
mbrickner87 I wanted to not mention their name in case Honda wanted to use the video in any way. I’m not sponsored in any way. I actually have a video of it in action! Here’s the link: th-cam.com/video/ezYmlLrxDg0/w-d-xo.html
I have a 'Said Brand' Powerclear 418 that throws snow fine, and slush very well. I have the same problem with the wheels getting snow buildup on them and soon you're bouncing along the driveway. I was going to look at a used Honda 720 but other than the extra horsepower not sure what I'm gaining. Oh the 418 engine is unbranded so I assume it's from China, but it does start easily.
Okay, i DID get the Honda HS720 that was on Craigslist and used it in wet snow today - IT CLOGGED LIKE CRAZY. I thought the single stage machines were better for slushy wet snow, I know the Toro is. Plus part of my drive is a slope and the Honda is much heavier to push upward - in fact I couldn't. Maybe the paddles are worn because it doesn't pull itself along like the little Toro. I only paid $200 for the machine and it's in clean shape so I won't be out any money. But it's disappointing, for my situation anyway.
Always run your unit dry with the gas line off. Keeps the carb from gumming up.
While it recommends regular 87 fuel, higher grade fuels don't have ethanol added to them.
Only SOME higher grade fuels dont have ethanol
Bought one of these 1 yr ago (2019) did everything as directed in the owners manual. On about the sixth use in about 4 inch light snow I heard about 5 rapid pops, similar to backfire, took it in because It was still under warranty, the ENGINE SIEZED UP! What a Honda? Yes it is true. Buyer beware!
Apparently they don't build therm like they used to build them - Sad. I'll find another snowblower brand to spend $800
Must have been a lemon. I’ve had no engine problems whatsoever.
I’m going with toro on this one
Have both and the honda blows more snow farther . Commercial user. Replacing all our toros with Honda eventually.
@@MrROREFICE 💯 agree. I had the toro power clear 721 and the Honda throws it much better
I spray a s*** ton of white lithium grease., Between the shoot and the rubber., And it turns like butter., As for the top part, I've never had an issue., I assume like you said., Might need a little lubrication in the Spring., Or probably needs some lubrication in the cable., I do have to say I am partial to Honda., I have had 2 of the other said brands., The 2 stroke and the 4 stroke., And as you said, Those are just fine machines., Although I do believe they are outsourcing their engine to China now., I think the engine on the said brand is., A, Lon c. I. N., Everything's cheaper in China.😂
When or if you get old electric start will keep you going.
What are you referring to? It’s been a while since I did that video.
@@CalebsPropertyMaintenance I like the way you stand and proudly proclaim you do not need the electric start. Someday when you’re 65 or older you may discover a bad shoulder. It may be hard to pull that rope. You’re not going to be young forever. Having an electric start will enable you to start the snowblower and accomplish the task as you may not be too old to run the snowblower. Also physical injuries can occur. When I retired the first thing I did was put in the second railing going down my basement. I thought I better do it now before I become an 80-year-old man. So any comment about not living that long was certainly not a threat because of the way you did the video. But because we never know what comes up in life. May you live long and prosper. By the way I love Honda engines. I also found out from a small engine repair shop that there are gas stations that have gasoline with no ethanol. I use that gasoline in my small engines that makes a big difference. gasoline will deteriorate in three months. I also add sta-bill storage. you can also find TH-cam videos we’re people inform you about that. Thank you for your question and have a wonderful day.
@@pj61114 No, I totally agree with you. It’s just when I’m going from driveway to driveway, electric start does me no good. Ethanol free gas is definitely the way to go. Stabil is definitely good that’s what I use to winterize my mowers.
If I had a dollar for every time I heard "said brand" the blower would be 15% off lol
The unit in this video seems poorly maintained and the reviewer is right about the controls needing lube. Check out the ease of the chute controls in this review th-cam.com/video/seHDl8mrEm0/w-d-xo.html. Design of the unit for the chute controls levers is excellent and snow blowing is amazing, see for yourself. Chute clogging would have been good to see in a video, sounds like a real con for wet conditions.
HONDA makes the best snowblowers. They are one notch better than Toro. I have both units , single stage: 23 yr old honda HS621 & 10 yr old Toro 421QE. both have 6hp motors.
Honda has a 1" thick drive belt which I replaced after 20 yrs & toro Toro has a thin 1/2" belt that you have to replace every 5 yrs.
Honda's have a fuel shut-off valve, toro does not.
Rubber paddles seem to last about the same time.
ALWAYS USE PREMIUM GAS WITH NO ETHANOL. Add fuel stabilizer to that premium gas.
At the end of the season run it dry.
Any leftover gas pour it into your car. Never keep to reuse for lawnmower or for next winter season.
Hehe your dealer eh?...... lmao I see you..✌my bro
My equipment dealer to be clear.
@@CalebsPropertyMaintenance ....... I hear ya ...equipment for maintaining greens of all kinds ... lawns, bushes,..... 😉
@@shawnsimpson970 🤣🤣👌🏻
Other than that I really can’t complain! 😂🤣😂🤣 TORO CCR2450 or CCR3650 only or smaller Powerlite.
Never look back when your ahead of the pack.
J Fox 😂😂😂, I know I complained about basically everything except the engine. But you also have to take into account the various snow conditions. Each storm is different.
The chute control sucks! Rest of it is great imho.
Yep!
NO Co. beats a small engine by Honda.
You got that right!
Fucking kill me if you say “Said Brand” one more fucking time , nice review anyway ‼️‼️😡😂
the "other" brand you hint at does not have those problems and the 821 version of said brand will out-power the Honda
Why because specs say so? I’ve seen them both in use and the extra CC still is not throwing farther then the Honda
@@michaelholly88
It’s not just how far it throws it’s the power to claw thru the piles left by the snow plow at the end of the driveway
@@Luigi-pk8mk the auger design doesn’t seem as affective to me. Idk I’ll find out tonight with the 8-12” coming. Either way, I can sell Honda for what I paid and get the 821rc
@@michaelholly88
I do like the Honda too though for the reason that the whole machine including the engine is made in USA last I checked. Toro is using made in China Loncin engines. Have not heard much bad about them but that is a consideration.
PS I have a 1998 Toro CCR3000 with the Suzuki 5 hp 2 stroke. Not as powerful as the newer singles but the Suzuki was a commercial grade engine that just doesn’t wear out. Some parts are very expensive though (carbs and ignition magnetos). Great machine starts right up!
@@Luigi-pk8mk I had a toro 721 212cc and wasn’t really what I wanted but got it on sale, sold it for the Honda hs720asa from an older gentleman that was moving south, used it twice, he always went South for winter. I paid $400. At the price I probably can’t complain. I just wish I could have found the 821rc model, I don’t need remote chute and fancy start, just want it to be reliable
Just get a toro!
had to stop watching do to wind
I never force anyone to watch my videos.