Abby's Guide to Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more)
Username Password
Discussions Reviews More Guides
Abby’s Guide > Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) > Discussions > honda hs 1132 pulls hard to one side

Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

Search For:
dfvellone


Joined: Jan 10, 2009
Points: 20

honda hs 1132 pulls hard to one side
Original Message   Jan 10, 2009 12:41 am
Hi all, new to this forum after having searched for a solution to my surging hs 1132.
Among the several problems I've had with this machine is the severe pulling to the right when the bucket is in the mid or low position. I've put it on a flat surface and adjusted the shoes and scraper to manual specs and no luck. Shoes are even and scraper is even so no misalignment there. I've tried to adjust the shoes and scraper to counter the pull but nothing worked. Track tension is even. This is a pretty frustrating problem as I clean a long drive and fight against the pull the whole time - tiring and forget it if my wife ever has to run the machine. As usual, my honda dealer is no help whatsoever. I had to inform them of the icing kit I learned of on this forum after three years of bugging them about the surging, backfiring problem I was having.
Replies: 15 - 24 of 34Next page of topicsPreviousNextNext page of topicsAllView as Outline
aa335


Joined: Nov 29, 2008
Points: 2434

Re: honda hs 1132 pulls hard to one side
Reply #15   Jan 11, 2009 11:31 pm
dfvellone wrote:
I bought the track model because I have a 1000' driveway, and the tracks plus "Honda" was what I thought would be the best bet. By no means is my driveway remotely similar to a paved drive and by this time of year the humps and ridges are good sized even though I'm fanatic about clearing snow before driving and packing it. So I don't expect to be casually strolling behind the machine, but between the carb problems, the pulling and the overall unimpressive features when compared to cheaper blowers  - not to mention the cost of some honda parts  - I'm definitely soured on Honda customer service and hs1132 engineering.  My 5000 watt generator is a great machine but I'll list this for sale next fall and try to find something that even my wife might be able to use.


Do you have a gravel driveway?  Is the bucket sides digging into the gravel over uneven sections?  IF that's the case, side skids may not help.  You may need to make a custom side skids that is longer and wider to allow the bucket to float over the grave/snow instead of digging in.
dfvellone


Joined: Jan 10, 2009
Points: 20

Re: honda hs 1132 pulls hard to one side
Reply #16   Jan 11, 2009 11:34 pm
aa335 wrote:
It was skittish but equally on both sides.  I didn't like how darty it was with the rear skids.

Is your surface level.  It will pull to the side that has more friction, ie grass, crowned roads.  You can try to see if both skids are loaded equally.

If it consistently pull to one side only, then I don't think changing skids will be solving the problem. 


My driveway surface definitely isn't level so I don't expect perfection but my old gilson brothers blower made this honda feel like plowing a rocky field with a rabid mule.

I clear my pond for skating and the machine pulls hard right. In fact on the ice I've held lightly to the handles and let the machine go where it wants to see how it turns and it'll pretty much just turn in tight circles.
dfvellone


Joined: Jan 10, 2009
Points: 20

Re: honda hs 1132 pulls hard to one side
Reply #17   Jan 11, 2009 11:41 pm
aa335 wrote:
Do you have a gravel driveway?  Is the bucket sides digging into the gravel over uneven sections?  IF that's the case, side skids may not help.  You may need to make a custom side skids that is longer and wider to allow the bucket to float over the grave/snow instead of digging in.

I do have a fairly rocky driveway - Adirondack sand and mixed size stone. I initially pack a light base with the car then for the first few cleanings I keep the bucket in the high position . Once I have a good hard base I'll occasionally clear in the mid position, some parts in the low.  If I just clear in the high position, by late february the base is just too deep. Otherwise I'd just clear in high and not struggle so much. But the parking area, walkways, woodshed areas are the killer for the turning.
aa335


Joined: Nov 29, 2008
Points: 2434

Re: honda hs 1132 pulls hard to one side
Reply #18   Jan 12, 2009 12:09 am
dfvellone wrote:
 But when I lower it to mid or low I can push down on the handles and the machine rocks as though the tracks aren't resting evenly. Everything visually seems in order so all I can guess is that possibly somethings warped. It's been like this from the get go but i don't usually clean in the lower positions because I have stone mix driveway surface.

On the height adjustment pedal, there are three notches on each side.  When you step on the pedal, the notches move back from a pin and allow you to move to the next notch.  I was wondering if one of the two pins are missing or not in its notch when you release the pedal.
dfvellone


Joined: Jan 10, 2009
Points: 20

Re: honda hs 1132 pulls hard to one side
Reply #19   Jan 12, 2009 12:29 am
aa335 wrote:
On the height adjustment pedal, there are three notches on each side.  When you step on the pedal, the notches move back from a pin and allow you to move to the next notch.  I was wondering if one of the two pins are missing or not in its notch when you release the pedal.

That's the first place I looked  last winter because I was hoping that there might be something I could adjust. Everything is together there. This is where I thought there might be a warp since the pulling occurs when I engage the pedal . It's the only point of control affecting the track wheels, right? The front wheels are mounted on the driveshaft and are static as far as their height. The rear wheels rely on the pedal/height adjustment assembly. If somethings bent there it could affect the how even the tracks are resting on the ground  and result in a pull one way or the other. Right?
Everything else seems fine. The mounting of the wheels is fine, the shoes are dead even and when I adjust them unevenly to try to influence the pull nothing changes. The scraper is even too.
aa335


Joined: Nov 29, 2008
Points: 2434

Re: honda hs 1132 pulls hard to one side
Reply #20   Jan 12, 2009 12:41 am
dfvellone wrote:
That's the first place I looked  last winter because I was hoping that there might be something I could adjust. Everything is together there. This is where I thought there might be a warp since the pulling occurs when I engage the pedal . It's the only point of control affecting the track wheels, right? The front wheels are mounted on the driveshaft and are static as far as their height. The rear wheels rely on the pedal/height adjustment assembly. If somethings bent there it could affect the how even the tracks are resting on the ground  and result in a pull one way or the other. Right?
Everything else seems fine. The mounting of the wheels is fine, the shoes are dead even and when I adjust them unevenly to try to influence the pull nothing changes. The scraper is even too.

The sprocket wheel (front) and the rollers (rear) are fixed in relation to one another.  When you raise or lower the bucket, the whole chassis rotates around the front sprocket shaft.  The track stays put.  I'm just thinking out loud.  If the pedal does not lock in the chassis on both sides, that might explain your feeling being uneven and rocking.  This in turn could mean that one of the tracks is loaded more heavily than the other.

Here's a parts diagram of the crawler.  It might help if you can take a look at the crawler assembly and the height adjustment plate assembly. 

http://www.wascolawn.com/pages/parts/viewbybrand/16/0/26488/4890/default.aspx

Underdog


Joined: Oct 18, 2008
Points: 332

Re: honda hs 1132 pulls hard to one side
Reply #21   Jan 12, 2009 2:34 pm
Have you tried removing the skids completely or at least raising them out of "operating range."  Just rely on the height adjustments and the front blade.  I  don't think that this will completely eliminate you problem but it may give you a better sense of what is going on.  I recently had my track drive honda apart  when a big storm rolled in.  I did not get a chance to put the skids back on so I blew the driveway with just the front scraper on.  Granted my hs-80 has a small 24 inch bucket but it does not pull from side to side.  It spins on a dime in the snow with one hand when locked into the mid and high position.   When the bucket is in full forward position it's stuck to the ground like rock. 

Your situation sounds a lot like the Ariens that I used before this honda.  I was always wrestling with it to keep it going down the driveway.  Constantly.  And I tried everything because it was   a beautiful brand spanking new ariens.   I think the issue was the relationship between the width of the chasis and the width of the snow bucket.  That's why I started looking for an 8hp blower with a narrow 24" bucket.  Maybe that's part of the problem with the 32. Boy, they sure look nice though.

I feel you pain on the cost of replacement parts. I rely on on-line parts dist., ebay and a local welder to keep mine running.

This message was modified Jan 12, 2009 by Underdog


mml4


Snow is good,
Deep snow is better!


Joined: Dec 31, 2003
Points: 544

Re: honda hs 1132 pulls hard to one side
Reply #22   Jan 13, 2009 6:42 am
dfvellone wrote:
 
A drive issue is what I was thinking since no matter how I adjusted the shoes or scraper the machine still pulled.
The tracks are in good shape. Wheels are plastic and everything seems to be ok with them.
I've got to get the shop manual to see what kind of adjustments might be made to the drive components. The machine is a misery to use unless it's in the high position.



A Honda guy from another board posted this:

 check the scraper bar. If it is not even it will catch and pull the machine in that direction especially if the tracks are set at neutral or lower. 

Sounds like your issue. Maybe the scraper bar itself is uneven in terms of the edge being mismanufactured / worn and not even in the relationship between the adjusting slots and the edge. Kind of out of square. I know this is a "reach" but it appears you checked everything else.

Marc

This message was modified Jan 13, 2009 by mml4


SnapperV210P,Toro22177,TroyBilt42010Snowthrower,Craftsman Shredder,American Turbo Pressure Washer HondaGX200,Stihl011Saw,EchoPas260Trimmer Edger,EchoPB602Blower,EchoHCR150Hedge Clipper
dfvellone


Joined: Jan 10, 2009
Points: 20

Re: honda hs 1132 pulls hard to one side
Reply #23   Jan 13, 2009 2:36 pm
Underdog wrote:
Have you tried removing the skids completely or at least raising them out of "operating range."  Just rely on the height adjustments and the front blade.  I  don't think that this will completely eliminate you problem but it may give you a better sense of what is going on.  I recently had my track drive honda apart  when a big storm rolled in.  I did not get a chance to put the skids back on so I blew the driveway with just the front scraper on.  Granted my hs-80 has a small 24 inch bucket but it does not pull from side to side.  It spins on a dime in the snow with one hand when locked into the mid and high position.   When the bucket is in full forward position it's stuck to the ground like rock. 

Your situation sounds a lot like the Ariens that I used before this honda.  I was always wrestling with it to keep it going down the driveway.  Constantly.  And I tried everything because it was   a beautiful brand spanking new ariens.   I think the issue was the relationship between the width of the chasis and the width of the snow bucket.  That's why I started looking for an 8hp blower with a narrow 24" bucket.  Maybe that's part of the problem with the 32. Boy, they sure look nice though.

I feel you pain on the cost of replacement parts. I rely on on-line parts dist., ebay and a local welder to keep mine running.


I haven't tried removing the skids - I adjusted them to dead level then started adjusting each  to different heights to see if I could manipulate the pull with their difference in height. I'll try to remove them...I'll try anything at this point.
dfvellone


Joined: Jan 10, 2009
Points: 20

Re: honda hs 1132 pulls hard to one side
Reply #24   Jan 13, 2009 3:35 pm
mml4 wrote:
A Honda guy from another board posted this:

 check the scraper bar. If it is not even it will catch and pull the machine in that direction especially if the tracks are set at neutral or lower. 

Sounds like your issue. Maybe the scraper bar itself is uneven in terms of the edge being mismanufactured / worn and not even in the relationship between the adjusting slots and the edge. Kind of out of square. I know this is a "reach" but it appears you checked everything else.

Marc


What i did with the scraper bar was to take it down to the pond and and check it against the ice surface. In the mid position I adjusted it to honda's specs which i think was between 3 and 5/32nds above grade. Then I put the bucket in the low position and pulled the bucket from the front to visually check how even it was scraping the ice. It was nice and even and the pull was still hard right.
This message was modified Jan 13, 2009 by dfvellone
Replies: 15 - 24 of 34Next page of topicsPreviousNextNext page of topicsAllView as Outline
Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Guide   •   Discussions  Reviews  
AbbysGuide.com   About Us   Terms of Use   Privacy Policy   Contact Us
Copyright 1998-2024 AbbysGuide.com. All rights reserved.
Site by Take 42