Honda HSS928AATD Review: 28 in Track Snow Blower Specs, Pros and Cons

Traction and control on difficult ground. A track drive spreads the machine's weight over two cleated rubber belts instead of two tire contact patches, so it keeps pulling on a sloped driveway, a crowned rural lane or a sheet of refrozen slush where a wheeled machine spins. Honda describes the tracks as pliable and rated for low temperatures, which matters because stiff rubber loses grip in deep cold.

The hydrostatic drive is the second strength. A friction-disc machine uses fixed speeds, typically 6 forward and 2 reverse, and you shift between them. On the HSS928AATD you push one lever forward or back and the ground speed changes smoothly. Honda notes that ground speed does not change auger speed, so you can slow to a crawl through a heavy plow berm while the auger and impeller keep spinning at full speed. That is the single most useful feature when the end of the driveway is a wall of packed, icy snow.

The auger height control lever is the third. With a thumb press you can raise the housing slightly on gravel so the scraper bar does not pick up stones, then lower it on pavement, without stopping to reset skid shoes. For gravel owners that alone justifies a two-stage; see the best snow blowers for gravel driveways.

Price for the job, and turning effort. At $3,599.00 it costs roughly seven times the WEN SB209E and more than twice the EGO SNT2405 kit. On a 24 by 24-foot paved driveway the extra 4 inches of width saves about 2 passes and roughly a minute per storm, which never pays back the difference.

Tracks also turn less easily than wheels. A tracked machine pivots by skidding its belts, so it takes more effort to swing around at the end of each pass on flat pavement. If your driveway is flat and paved, the wheeled Honda HSS928AAWD keeps the same engine, hydrostatic drive and warranty for $3,399.00, and turns more easily. The track vs wheel snow blower comparison walks through when tracks are worth it.

Finally, it is a gas machine. It needs oil checks before each use, fresh or stabilized fuel and an off-season storage routine, which battery owners avoid entirely.

Praise themes in verified owner reviews:

• Reliable starting in cold weather with the electric key start.
• The hydrostatic lever is easy to learn and makes speed changes through deep snow smooth.
• Traction on hills and icy surfaces is the reason most track buyers chose it over the wheeled version.
• Arriving ready to run, with no assembly, is appreciated on a machine this heavy.

Complaint themes:

• The price, especially compared with 24-inch machines that clear small driveways nearly as fast.
• Effort needed to turn the tracked machine on flat pavement.
• Size and weight in a crowded garage or shed.
• Scheduled maintenance and dealer service needs that come with any gas engine.

Buy it if

• Your driveway is sloped, crowned or regularly icy and wheeled machines have slipped.
• You clear gravel and want to adjust housing height on the move.
• You clear a long driveway, 100 feet or more, many times per winter and plan to keep the machine a decade.
• You face a heavy plow berm after most storms and want slow ground speed with full auger speed.

Skip it if

• Your driveway is a flat, paved two-car pad; a 24-inch two-stage is enough.
• You want to avoid gas, oil and storage prep; look at the EGO SNT2807.
• Storage space is tight or you need to lift the machine into a shed.
• Your budget tops out near $1,000; see snow blowers under $1,000.

Width decides passes, and passes decide time. With a 15 percent overlap a 28-inch machine clears about 23.8 inches per pass. At a steady 1.5 mph walking pace (132 feet per minute) and 20 seconds per turnaround, that works out as follows:

• 2-car driveway, 24 by 24 ft: 13 passes, about 7 minutes. A 24-inch machine needs 15 passes and about 8 minutes.
• Single lane, 12 by 100 ft: 7 passes, about 8 minutes, versus 8 passes and 9 minutes at 24 inches.
• Single lane, 12 by 250 ft: 7 passes, about 16 minutes, versus 8 passes and 18 minutes at 24 inches.

Those numbers show why the Honda is a long-driveway and difficult-ground machine, not a speed upgrade for small pads. Deep or wet snow slows walking speed, and that is where the hydrostatic drive earns its keep. Try your own dimensions in the snow clearing time calculator, or read what size snow blower a 250-foot driveway needs in heavy snow.

Honda's listing states a 3-year residential warranty covering the machine top to bottom. Commercial use carries different terms, so read the warranty in the owner manual if you clear snow for others. Gas engines sold in the US must carry EPA emissions certification, and machines sold in California must also meet CARB rules; the engine emissions label sits on the engine itself.

We cannot query the federal recall database from this page, so check the CPSC recall database at cpsc.gov/Recalls for this model before buying, and especially before buying used. Honda also lists service bulletins through its dealers. Keep spare shear bolts on hand, follow the manual's oil schedule and see the snow blower maintenance guide for off-season storage.