I bought a Honda lawn mower

[MillCreek]

At my old house, the Black and Decker 36 volt cordless was fine to mow the 4000 square feet of flat lawn.  At the current house, it struggles to mow the 15,000 square feet of hilly thick grass.  I go through both batteries and finish only half the lawn.  Since the batteries take several hours to recharge, I have to finish the lawn the next day.

I had been equivocating if I wanted to go back to gas lawn equipment, but today sealed the deal.  I was having to mow in six inch wide strips to keep the electric mower from stalling out completely.  I did my due diligence in reading reviews, and just clicked on Amazon to buy the Honda HRX217VLA for $700.  This is the same price as the local dealers and Home Depot, but buying it on Amazon saved me $ 72 in sales taxes.

In the past, I had bought the $ 300 mowers from Costco and gotten about four years before they went belly up and were not financially feasible to repair.  I hope that with buying the Honda, this will be the last mower I buy.

[Ben]

If you take even half assed care of it, it'll run you at least a decade. More likely 2-3 decades.

[Monkeyleg]

I have the Honda HRX217VKA, a 21" self-propelled. I just bought it last fall and have only used it twice.

It's a really nice mower, and a real treat for me after having a beater Craftsman for over 25 years. But there's a couple of things about the Honda that disappoint me. One is that there's a large gap at the front of the bag between the top of the bag and the top of the mower deck. Probably about 2" to 3" high and runs the full width of the bag. The mower blows clippings and dust out of that gap and gets it all over the mower and all over me. I have to wash the mower when I'm done, and take my clothes off before entering the house.

The other thing that's bugging me is the lever that is used to vary the amount of grass that's mulched versus grass that's blown into the bag. There's a door inside the mower deck that's controlled by a lever on the outside. The more the door is opened, the more grass blows into the bag. Close the door more, and more is mulched. The lever moves to the middle all by itself, though. I can't get it to stay in place.

I called Honda about the problems and they said to take it to a dealer. I have no way of getting it to a dealer short of renting a truck, so I guess I'll have to fix the problems myself.

[Kingcreek]

I've never known Honda to make any junk and they do 4 cycle gas engines better than any other small engine maker. If I needed a new push mower I would get either a Honda or a husquevarna with a Honda motor.
Over 15 years ago I bought a commercial toro mulching mower. I took it out of the barn 2 weeks ago and it started first pull with last years gas. The priming bulb is cracked so I prime it 12x instead of 3-4. It's never had anything but routine maintenance and a couple spark plugs.
Cheap mowers are not a bargain.

[AmbulanceDriver]

I have the Honda HRX217VKA, a 21" self-propelled. I just bought it last fall and have only used it twice.

It's a really nice mower, and a real treat for me after having a beater Craftsman for over 25 years. But there's a couple of things about the Honda that disappoint me. One is that there's a large gap at the front of the bag between the top of the bag and the top of the mower deck. Probably about 2" to 3" high and runs the full width of the bag. The mower blows clippings and dust out of that gap and gets it all over the mower and all over me. I have to wash the mower when I'm done, and take my clothes off before entering the house.

The other thing that's bugging me is the lever that is used to vary the amount of grass that's mulched versus grass that's blown into the bag. There's a door inside the mower deck that's controlled by a lever on the outside. The more the door is opened, the more grass blows into the bag. Close the door more, and more is mulched. The lever moves to the middle all by itself, though. I can't get it to stay in place.

I called Honda about the problems and they said to take it to a dealer. I have no way of getting it to a dealer short of renting a truck, so I guess I'll have to fix the problems myself.

Something is definitely wrong with that door.   Mine *very* positively engages the detents for the different mulching settings.   and even though mine also has that gap, it definitely doesn't blow stuff all over the mower, as the hinged cover engages and while it doesn't seal the bag, I've never noticed stuff blowing out from the gap getting anywhere.

[grampster]

My son has my Honda self propelled, rear bagger.  Comes with a plug if you want to mulch.  Has two blades stacked one on top of the other.   I bought it sometime between 1990-93.  We moved to the lake in '93 but I think I had the self propelled before we moved there.  Anywho, it still runs.  Starts on the 1st or 2nd pull.  I think I changed the plugs once or twice.  Changed the awl maybe every couple, two, tree years.  Had to change the treads on the wheels once.

My two Honda single stage snow throwers are equally aged and still going strong.  A 621 and a 520.

[Northwoods]

Not sure on the model, but I have the Honda self propelled mower that I had used as a teenager (I'll be 40 this summer - you do the math).  That mower was still so good that when we first bought our house the landscaper we hired to help us get the 4' tall grass under control abandoned using his own mower and used our Honda instead.  He offered us $500 cash for that mower right on the spot (we turned that down of course).

[TechMan]

I have had a Honda HRX217??? for 11 years now and it is still going strong.  I need to get the carb cleaned as it doesn't start on the first or second pull anymore after being stored for the winter.  I blame ethanol for that.  After the initial start in the spring it will start on pull one or two.

[TechMan]

Something is definitely wrong with that door.   Mine *very* positively engages the detents for the different mulching settings.   and even though mine also has that gap, it definitely doesn't blow stuff all over the mower, as the hinged cover engages and while it doesn't seal the bag, I've never noticed stuff blowing out from the gap getting anywhere.

Same with mine on both accounts.

[Monkeyleg]

Same with mine on both accounts.

What holds the door and/or the lever in place? I put my mower on its side, and I can't see any device that would lock the door in place, or anything that would hold the green lever in place. I can push the door from side to side with one finger, or move the lever from side to side with one finger. The lever doesn't even move up into the notches.

If nothing else, I'll get something to bolt the lever in place. I found a lot of complaints on lawn forums about Honda's Clip Director not staying in one position. I'm not alone.

[TechMan]

What holds the door and/or the lever in place? I put my mower on its side, and I can't see any device that would lock the door in place, or anything that would hold the green lever in place. I can push the door from side to side with one finger, or move the lever from side to side with one finger. The lever doesn't even move up into the notches.

If nothing else, I'll get something to bolt the lever in place. I found a lot of complaints on lawn forums about Honda's Clip Director not staying in one position. I'm not alone.

Monkeyleg, it feels like a spring of some sort for the clip director.  I have to press down the lever and keep it pressed down to move it, the second I let go it springs back up into one of the notches.

[Monkeyleg]

Monkeyleg, it feels like a spring of some sort for the clip director.  I have to press down the lever and keep it pressed down to move it, the second I let go it springs back up into one of the notches.

Thanks, adively. I don't feel anything like a spring, nor can I see anything inside the mower housing or under the deck. I made an L-shaped plug out of yellow plastic (so it looks like a mower part) that slips into the lever and prevents it from moving.

[TechMan]

Thanks, adively. I don't feel anything like a spring, nor can I see anything inside the mower housing or under the deck. I made an L-shaped plug out of yellow plastic (so it looks like a mower part) that slips into the lever and prevents it from moving.

Monkeyleg, I will try to make a video tonight to show you both cover and the operation of the clip director.

[Monkeyleg]

No need to, adively. I looked at a blow chart of the clip control. The lever connects to a vertical shaft that then engages a horizontal fork and also engages in a recess in the door piece. The fork has an angle in it, which tells me that it's a spring load piece designed to push the handle up. So, it's either not doing what it's supposed to, or there's enough junk between the clip control door and the deck to keep the lever from moving all the way to the top and engaging in the notches.

[TechMan]

No need to, adively. I looked at a blow chart of the clip control. The lever connects to a vertical shaft that then engages a horizontal fork and also engages in a recess in the door piece. The fork has an angle in it, which tells me that it's a spring load piece designed to push the handle up. So, it's either not doing what it's supposed to, or there's enough junk between the clip control door and the deck to keep the lever from moving all the way to the top and engaging in the notches.

Monkeyleg, I am taking a guess at what sub-model that you have but here is a parts diagram for the RX217VKA. Look at the Shutter sub-assembly.

http://peparts.honda.com/powerequipment#/browse/lm/hrx/hrx217/HRX217K5-VKAA

[MechAg94]

If you take even half assed care of it, it'll run you at least a decade. More likely 2-3 decades.

I would hope 2 to 3 decades for that money.  I hear real good things about Honda motors.   


I prefer to keep it simple with a regular push mower.  They come a good bit cheaper.

[Monkeyleg]

Monkeyleg, I am taking a guess at what sub-model that you have but here is a parts diagram for the RX217VKA. Look at the Shutter sub-assembly.

http://peparts.honda.com/powerequipment#/browse/lm/hrx/hrx217/HRX217K5-VKAA

Yeah, that's the blow chart I looked at. The fork I'm talking about is part #6. It looks to me like it could be a spring steel part that flexes and holds the lever into one of the notches on the body. Just a guess.

[TechMan]

Yeah, that's the blow chart I looked at. The fork I'm talking about is part #6. It looks to me like it could be a spring steel part that flexes and holds the lever into one of the notches on the body. Just a guess.

I would say you are correct.

[Monkeyleg]

I would say you are correct.

Really? What do I win?

[charby]

15k sq ft of grass is starting to approach rider mower.

[MillCreek]

15k sq ft of grass is starting to approach rider mower.

The wife is bitching at me to buy one.  Probably 80% of the houses in our development have one, since we are all on acre lots.  I am still young enough to enjoy doing the lawn with a push mower; I figure it is good exercise, and on mowing days, I rack up around 16,000 steps or so on the FitBit.  I mollified her a bit by getting a self-propelled Honda.

[TechMan]

Really? What do I win?

A pair of your own moccasins, enjoy.  

[charby]

The wife is bitching at me to buy one.  Probably 80% of the houses in our development have one, since we are all on acre lots.  I am still young enough to enjoy doing the lawn with a push mower; I figure it is good exercise, and on mowing days, I rack up around 16,000 steps or so on the FitBit.  I mollified her a bit by getting a self-propelled Honda.

Well you got a mower to trim with when you get a rider.