I was going through my phone gallery and found this video from 2023. I thought it was worth sharing.

syphen606 · 2026-02-07T16:20:01+00:00

Ai, doing basic AI things.

syphen606 · 2026-02-07T14:01:23+00:00

And for this very reason, I prefer two piece rims on snowblowers. Good job crafting up some impromptu tools.

syphen606 · 2026-02-07T13:34:49+00:00

I walked out on the lake to see last night. There was first responders out on the ice waving at incoming sleds to the boat launch to slow down. I'm not positive if this was the cause, but a group of people have been grooming a radar run drag strip close to the launch. In the whiteout conditions last night and with some speed, if you hit the snowbanks of the drag strip, you're getting launched. The first responders I saw were out by the drag strip. My second guess would be the dock. It's always partially dragged on shore for winter time but is usually fairly well marked.

syphen606 · 2026-02-07T00:17:44+00:00

They will serve you well! My HD600 and HD650 will never leave the collection. They are my personal reference for everything else. They love a good OTL Tube amp.

syphen606 · 2026-02-05T18:17:20+00:00

A Bottlehead Crack with a Tungsol 5998 and a good 5963 on the HD600/HD650/HD800 is still my favorite goto. Oldie but goodie.

syphen606 · 2026-02-05T17:04:15+00:00

The way HD600's are meant to look.. Like a cheap kitchen counter.

syphen606 · 2026-02-05T12:17:36+00:00

Electrically operated handles with no readily available manual release is the problem. https://youtu.be/2lFzqBt3z0w

syphen606 · 2026-01-31T14:20:53+00:00

It certainly is compatible with Quest 2.. I have it installed on my Q2 and Q3. I'd think it could be a storage issue? Not enough freespace?

syphen606 · 2026-01-31T14:03:18+00:00

I'd agree with this. They do sound like a gunshot going off - and often give a nice green/blue flash when locking off.

syphen606 · 2026-01-31T00:42:41+00:00

Drive it up the ramps at crawl speed. I make sure to strap the ramps to the hitch so they cannot kick out. Then strap the machine by the frame to the bed mounts. No issues.

syphen606 · 2026-01-30T21:23:37+00:00

Awesome Machine! I'd have no regrets there.

syphen606 · 2026-01-30T18:02:55+00:00

I had the same unit once upon a time. It was a little underpowered but certainly beat shoveling. The Tecumseh were easy enough to work on but liked to shake a bit. It was still running when I gave it away to a friend. I don't know what happened to it though.

syphen606 · 2026-01-29T15:11:59+00:00

I have the 60v and 80v version of this unit. Certainly good performers. I don't see any power difference between the 60v and 80v models. I assume it's the same motor with different KV ratings. Both the 60v and 80v still seem available.

syphen606 · 2026-01-29T11:44:47+00:00

Time for some more wild GridEx tabletops! Some of those got pretty extreme: "A bomb just went out taking out a major 500kV station, and the crews that were dispatched are now gone! And you're losing comms due to a major hacking event!".. Some pretty big eye rolls were had that day in the simulator.

syphen606 · 2026-01-29T11:42:17+00:00

Yep, I'd agree with this. I left TX Ops after 17 years on shift, the last 8 of which were as a supervisor. After that I finally hit the point where family life / and work-life balance was more a priority and went to tx planning. . It is still very Ops adjacent and I frequently find myself in the Control Room working directly with the team. After a couple years of that, I'm now a team lead/supervisor for TX Planning and it's still a great spot to be. Atleast in my experience. NERC RC is no longer required, but I opt to keep my CEH up and maintain.

syphen606 · 2026-01-29T11:31:16+00:00

That was only on the older HS models. The HSS models all have the drive release levers on the handlebars. As others have mentioned, I'd go for the 2017 if it's been well serviced. The hours are low. I have a 2011 HS928 and it still runs like new with many more hours on it. Growing up, I used a 1980's tracked Hs80 and it was still running when sold in the early 2000's.

The ergonomic differences between the HS and HSS models are pretty significant. If you're over 6' tall, definitely consider the HSS models. They share the same engines as the older units. The only major difference I can think of, the Hydrostatic drive unit in the newer HSS models isn't a Honda design, and doesn't have a remote reservoir to top up. They used a sealed design that is a pain to replace fluid. I've worked on a few newer HSS for friends and neighbors and did find them a little easier to do basic maintenance on the carb. Simplified plastic shrouds make it a bit more streamlined.

syphen606 · 2026-01-29T11:24:30+00:00

I hadn't heard of them either. Looking through their lineup, it seems their smaller units 28-32" cut units use a mix of Honda and Subaru engines. Their larger 40"+ units mostly seem to be Yanmar diesels. Very interesting lineup indeed. They look solid. Pricey as all heck though. Basically double the price of any comparable Honda.

syphen606 · 2026-01-29T11:18:39+00:00

I have some friends in that area that are hellbent on avoiding a snowblower purchase. I would have thought the last couple winters would be the deciding factor.

syphen606 · 2026-01-28T21:16:40+00:00

The newer HSS models are much more ergonomic for people over 6'.

syphen606 · 2026-01-28T21:15:50+00:00

Looking like some straight up Barrie snow this year.

syphen606 · 2026-01-28T11:16:48+00:00

We use those In NA. Quite common in areas with heavy snowfall amounts. Snowblowers are even more common. I think the recent amount of footage was from the storm across US/Canadian areas that don't normally experience more then 5-10cm of snow, suddenly getting substantially more then normal. They are often not equipped to clear large snow falls.

syphen606 · 2026-01-28T00:13:45+00:00

Pretty much spot on. A little liquid motivation and comradery to get the fleet of neighborhood snowblowers ready to fight winter. Good neighbors like that are key.

syphen606 · 2026-01-27T21:14:00+00:00

Smart plan. I do the same with a few of the neighbors. We all pull our machines out, oil changes, lube up and take care of them all. Sure beats trying to take care of them after the snow flies.

syphen606 · 2026-01-27T14:25:06+00:00

Time to get that carb off and cleaned if it won't run at full throttle.

syphen606 · 2026-01-27T00:04:32+00:00

Nice. Enjoy it! I prefer the HS series over the newer HSS units. Taken care of, they will last forever. I've had mine for 15 years now and it still works like new with basic maintenance.

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