ARE HONDA LAWN MOWERS STILL WORTH BUYING IN 2023?
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- čas přidán 24. 03. 2023
- #garagegear #honda #lawnmower
ARE HONDA LAWN MOWERS STILL WORTH BUYING IN 2023? Honda has always made an EXCELLENT MOWER! Unfortunately, their LAWNMOWERS are being discontinued as of September 2023. Should you still consider BUYING one before they're gone? Watch and see what I think as I UNBOX this HONDA HRX217VKA lawn mower. LIKE & SUBSCRIBE!!!
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PRODUCT LINKS:
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Honda HRX Lawn Mower - Higher End Model amzn.to/3tf20Xy
Honda HRN216 Lawn Mower Blade Set amzn.to/3rAOPAe
Honda HRN216 Tune-Up Kit amzn.to/38NCoZs
Honda HRN216 Air Filter amzn.to/3Kkwi47
Pittsburgh 225 Piece Socket Set amzn.to/3aRJa0Z
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Here is a LINK to the HONDA LAWN MOWER used in this video! Thank you for supporting the channel! amzn.to/3FTmFZL
Dang inflation is nuts right now.
@@kartboarder22g17 sure is!
@@kartboarder22g17 id paid $1,182.00 for my 12.3hp hrx2176 but its for sell upgrading to 16.5hp dr
@@kartboarder22g17😊😊😊😊😊😊😊”@
@@GarageGearwq
Pro tip, keep the original oil bottle for the next oil change. You fill the bottle with the exact amount of oil then pour in the mower it will not over fill.
Thanks for tip! Thanks for watching!
That is such a good tip. So intuitive yet I threw that little one that came with the mower away. Thanks
It is in the ballpark, but not necessarily a good idea. For instance, the oil supplied in the video is 12 fl oz, but the Honda stated engine oil capacity on the HRX 217 engine is 18.6 fl oz 10W-30. It seems to me that about 4 fl oz may have been left in the engine from the factory testing and even the manual warns about varying oil levels left in the engine and to confirm on fill and engine break in. Not to mention various methods of draining the oil on maintenance can vary wildly in their success rate at removing all used oil. In my experience with Honda motors and oil changes, I will let drain, and fill with 10 fl oz, then run for a few minutes and check the level and top off. After my first couple of mows I will double check the level and run for that season with periodic checks that something hasnt failed. Will filling with 12 fl oz like the initial top off container work, probably enough to not fail, but for my results and for my Honda to last as long as possible, I go with fill mostly, run, and top off to get best level to be sure.
Yes I do this when I change my trucks oil. Also helps to give an indication about how much oil you burn
@@Amouselives Agreed, the oil drain amount always varies.
I do miss the drain plug on the bottom. It did drain more of the oil in the engine, it was a pain but I always found it more effective than the tip over the side.
Lawn mower emissions. Lol what a joke. Hondas are the best.
Right!?! Thanks for watching hillbilly!
California will have grass issues everywhere first with nobody except council staff affording battery operated equipment to cut multiple lawns
I’m speechless. Emissions from mowers. Do politicians have vested interests in children-run copper/cobalt mines in 3rd world countries? The world has gone crazy.
A company that makes lawnmowers makes safer planes than Boeing!
@@DadolaurenovicAnd good luck with the billions (each EV has several thousand) of lithium batteries coming to your local landfills, polluting everyone's water supply.
My husband is a diy guy and in the twenty five years we've had our house he has never purchased a mower. He finds them on the side of the road and fixes them to use for awhile and then give away to family and friends charging only for parts. Someone curbed this exact mower three years ago because it wouldn't start. He took it home, spent a weekend in his garage, and now it is his favorite mower. Starts first pull every time. I asked what was wrong with it and he said people are stupid.
Hey Andrea! This is awesome! I’ve found many on the side of the road as well. Fixed them up and sold them. Easy money. Your husband has a skill that will last a lifetime! Thanks for sharing! 👍
I found an old 86 toro mower on the side of road, fixed it up then gave it to my manager after a couple years of using it for myself and it started on fire lol
@@jonnysnipes3123 awesome!
Yea most mower engines are pretty rugged. I have fixed many old mowers the same way, most need work but the engines are still great.
I trashed picked my walk behind tiller and two stage snow blower. A few minor parts like filters etc, a good cleaning and a tank of non ethanol gasoline and they run better than new.
Same with outboard motors. I have had a few trash picked outboards the same way. Throw away society’s loss is my gain.
Not to mention the old boats I have gotten for nearly free, cleaned up an sold for thousands of dollars. A little scrubbing and maybe a touch or paint. Your hubby is correct, many people are stupid .
@@BillO964 thanks for sharing!
It is to bad they quit making Honda lawn mowers
It is a shamed, but you can get them while they last.
Man, I bought the same HRX217VKA Feb ‘22. And I’ve been super happy with it. This Spring it turned on the engine from the 1st pull after being “winterized” . I followed all the videos you did for it, specially your 30 mins oil break in when I bought it and yes sir, it was interesting to see all those specs in the old oil. I want to sit down and make a spare part list and buy them so I don’t have to have a hard time getting them. Keep up the great job filming videos.
Great plan Eugene! Appreciate the positive feedback bud! Thanks for being a cool fan!
Honda parts will be available for 10 years at least
@@royhobbs785 thanks for sharing Roy!
Took you advice and bought my last mower (3 others still working)! Used it one time and when I went to use it the next time, it didn’t work. Dealer stated it was the “cam”. Three people months later it was returned. Dealer stated that had a hard time getting a “good” cam….finally they got one that worked. I was tempted to return but knowing it was the last one, I kept it. I looked at other brands but there are no others like a Honda!
Glad you got one that worked Brenda! Thanks for sharing
Hello JB: I have been Restoring, repairing and maintaining Honda lawn mowers for 10 years now. Recently, I have had two HRN216VKA mowers (from two of my neighbors). Both Honda mowers were suffering from two conditions. 1. Hard to start, it took 3 to 5 pulls to start the engine. 2. Poor idle quality after engine warm up and idle surge. I first tested the "Thermowax" assembly (which you call in your video the Auto-Choke actuator, Honda calls it "Thermowax") functionality and the auto-choke functioned fine on both mowers. Based on my years of small engine repair, hard starting and idle surge is almost always a Carburetor issue. So I fired up my Ultrasonic cleaner machine and removed the Carburetor from one of the HRN216's. Dissembled the Carb, removed the jet, emulsion tube (or main nozzle), float assembly (plus needle), removed the Phillips screw on the top of the carb. and did not remove the idle mixture set screw (really no need to do this). Placed the Carb body, Jet and emulsion tube into the Ultrasonic cleaner and out it thru 4 4-minute cleaning cycles. One note here, the jet and emulsion tube were clogged up pretty good due to Unleaded Ethanol gas the neighbors use. Anyway, assembled the Carb back up and installed back on the GCV170 and the GCV170 started easily the first pull with very little effort and the idle quality was like Music. So that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I hate to burst your bubble and just so you know, it's almost never a "Thermowax" assembly issue, as you call it the Auto-Choke actuator. I'm also a member of the Facebook group called "Honda Lawn Mower Fan Club" if you ever want to stop in some time.
Thanks for sharing chris!
I have the exact same mower (bought at pre-Covid price) and push mowed 30 residential yards with it for three years until recently purchasing scag vride 2 48. Best mulching mower via twin blades (keep them butter knife sharp) and is a beast cutting tall wet grass. Cut quality superb and naturally stripes without kit. Wld recommend buying adjuster kit set to have on hand as you said - my knob and pin went flying one day. That is the only problem I’ve ever had! It has taken a beating and keeps on ticking!!
Awesome thanks for sharing this hawk!
My dad had a 1989 top of the line honda mower. Cast aluminum deck, shaft drive, real bearings in the drive wheels. Lasted 28 years before the deck was worn through. Engine still started on one pull. Honda's ad campaign at the time was the Clara Johnson test. I got my honda right before they started using plastic bushings on the drive axles.
These things just last! Thanks for sharing JT!
1988 HR214 here. Aluminum deck. Shaft drive. Blade brake. I paid a little over 500 then. Smokes a little when I first start but still runs great.
A tip: when you go to a dealer, and they look up the Quadra cut blade/belt adapter, it is listed in two parts of the parts catalogs one section has the part listed as 12 dollars, the other section has it listed for 75 dollars, if you are at the dealer, and they quote you 75 dollars, have them look it up towards the front of the parts catalog, they will find it much cheaper, different part number, but same exact part.
Thanks for sharing this knighthawk!
@@GarageGear Hi knighthawk
KnightHawk you are a lawn legend 🎉🎉
My Dad and Grandmother bought a JX85 brand new from John Deere in 1999. They shared it and then when I got to be about 13 I started cutting yards locally with it. Bought my first car that way. I was lucky to have access to a tank of a machine like that. My parents still run it on their yard today. I am gonna scoop one of these Honda's up for my yard but that JX85 will be in the family for a long time to come. Great video!
Hey Gibson I had one of those JX85 models before! Great mower! Thanks for sharing
In addition to an HRX 217 that I picked up about 5 yrs ago at an end-of-season sale, I also have a (silver deck) John Deere 14SB that I purchased in 1994. That mower is 29 yrs old and it's mowed tons of yards...my two kids used it for many years for their lawn jobs, as many as 10 per week, and now my grandson is using it! I've used the Honda quite a bit as well...I really like the nexlite deck, power of the engine, and the way it cuts! Starts first pull every time!
@@edwardanderson2632 awesome Edward those John Deere’s are great!
Well done video with some great tips. Especially change the oil after 30 minutes of run time. The one thing missing was seeing how well the rear wheel drive performed, especially if the lawn had an incline. I understand the bad weather, but maybe plan around it. I bought a Toro RWD and had to push it almost as much as it drove itself. Since the places I can buy the Honda mower won't let me return it, I have a hard time spending $$$ and not be satisfied. Glad I found Garage Gear.
Thanks for sharing and welcome to the tribe sb!
@@GarageGear Well I have the honda hrx 217hya but now it is $999 isn't crazy
>Especially change the oil after 30 minutes of run time.
You mean change the oil after the first 30 minutes of break-in, right? or did he say literally every 30 minutes and i missed it. (cuz thats kinda insane)
I'm a toro personal pace guy but always wanted a Honda HRX217. I bought one last year. I found some issues with it. It was much heavier than toro personal pace. It's not as nibble as toro. Grass clippings would get jammed into the clippings selector. I had to power wash it to get all of the clippings out of the selector. The air filter had to be super clean in order to run well. I had to remove the air filter to get it to go up hill. I decided to stick with my toro. My lawn is about 2500sqf. Plus the personal pace feature is so much easier to use and just intuitive.
agreed with you 100% I also purchased an HRX217 a few years ago, gave it away a couple years later and purchased a toro personal pace super recycler, a lot of people dont know they are not as easy to maneuver as say a toro, love the engine, quality and cut, but if you have lots of trees etc then you are better off with a more manoeuvrable mower, my opinion.
Thanks for sharing malisha
Thanks for sharing zman
the nice thing about Honda is even if they stop making engine parts there’s chinese Honda cones out there you can buy from HF . therefore even though it’s not honda parts the honda cone parts should work , keeping your honda mower going . I unfortunately had to replace my old 2008 Briggs & stratton brute 6.5hp because the rear grass bag needed to be replaced and it was going to cost me $150-200 plus shipping and the wheels were also shot so it didn’t make financial sense. I wanted a honda Hrn216pkc but there $749 canadian and after reviews honda seems to have cut corners on theirs decks as well as using more plastic parts so i went with a toro 21445
Mid 80’s HR 214 with key start. I used it as a kid growing up and still use it at my house! Key start and self propelled still works perfect!
Awesome my friend! Thanks for sharing!
JB! Really love your channel! This was an awesome unboxing and review / demo of that awesome mower! Thanks for putting this together for us! I don’t have a Honda mower or snowblower but if I have a chance, I’ll likely pick one up! I wouldn’t mind either picking up an older one say that would need some minor tune ups / restoration.. just to put my flare into lol! Anyways take care JB! Love your content! Cheers! Andrew from NB, Canada :)
ROCK ON ANDREW! If you can knab one along the way go for it! Appreciate your positive feedback as always my friend!
I bought a 216vya honda and the plastic door where it attaches to the bag allows for blowby clippings to hit you in the face, and the downward flap speed control is frustrating at best. The engagement of the bag on the 217 and the upward facing speed control flaps appears to be a big improvement. Home depot will take the 216 back on return and I'm trying to decide between the toro and the honda 217 series. Talk me through it. I'm leaning Honda as I ran my HRX215 for 23 years before I finally put it to pasture. Thanks in advance
Hey Randy, I’ll be doing a comparison of these two mowers in a few weeks. Stay tuned!
I bought a Honda Harmony in 1993 with a plastic deck like this one - it was expensive back then but I wanted a mower to last forever - it cost $500 if I remember right. The mower is perfect and the deck is better than any metal deck. I use it to this day.
Awesome my friend! Thanks for sharing!
Makes me feel good about the used HRX 217 HMA I bought. Has been amazing so far!
Have a honda lawn mower since 2010 now is 2023 still easy to start and cut the grass nicely
I purchased my HRX in 2003 when they first hit the market.
Always a great mower. Starts easy and runs smooth.
My previous home had a steep yard front and rear. The transmission failed in 2017 so I replaced it = no other issues.
All original except for trans and spark plug.
Mower just keeps on going great. I sharpen my own blades and do all maintenance.
This mower may outlast me as I'm 73 now.
You got another 20-30 to with it at least! 😉 thanks for watching Joe!
The biggest problem that I've had with my HRX217 (2016) was an oil leak from the front of the engine, you would think it's from the valve cover but actually it's from a small o-ring that rides on the bottom of the shaft that go through the cam wheel. Worst part is you have to do a valve cover job in order to replace the $6.00 o-ring which gets hard and brittle and no longer seals after about 6 years. Thanks to CZcams video for the heads-up.
Thanks for sharing jas!
Valve cover job are so annoying on Hondas, pretty sure hrx or hrn just use RTV instead of a simple gasket... It's not hard but you need to take your time getting it perfectly clean and careful with how much you put on
I’ve managed to overseed a N. Atlanta,GA tall turf lawn with Jonathan Greene seed. It’s all come up really well with minimum weeds. I put down Scott’s weed & seed at start of the season as a pre-emergent. Post will be spot spray. My question is, with the hot dry Georgia summers, I tend to loose 1/3 of my lawn even with an irrigation system. I fertilize three times in the spring and three in fall. Over the summer all I do is water and still loose a lot of grass. Do I need to add a slow release fert like morganite or a liquid based fert over the summer? So, in short, how should I maintain a tall turf lawn in a hot dry climate in the summer?
Hey cp! I would try bumping up your watering program and perhaps try a liquid product with higher potassium to help increase plant strength. Theirs lots of liquid fert with it! Let me know what you decide!
After opening the included 12-oz. bottle of oil, look inside to see the oil level, then mark that level on the outside of the bottle. Keep the marked bottle as a handy way to measure new oil for oil changes.
Good way to do it. Thanks for watching tt!
i never change oil for my lawn mower, look like it still working just fine
Having owned one for now starting my eighth year, the 217 is absolutely the best investment I've ever made in a power tool, bar none. The deck is the best, lifetime warranty.
Pro tip: See that shiny aluminum looking bar the bag door rides on across the top of the back of the mower? Eventually it will come loose. Do yourself a favor and drill that rod at the end so you can put cotter pin in there. You might also want to put something up under that same lid to hold it open about an inch or two. Why? When you cut some deep grass, you'll want it to rear eject the mower cleanly. Propping the lid open a bit lets it blow through with no restrictions.
Great information here monkeybar! Thanks for sharing this! 👍
I have one from a few years ago. Got it crazy cheap! Was a return at Lowes. My biggest complaint is fixing the carb. I had a previous troy built that was honda powered. That mower sucked... best thing about it was the honda mower. 13 years with it. The two bolts that hold the carb on suck to put it all back together if you have to clean the carb. I run premium ethanol free in mine and treat. The new one seems to run lean and surge sometimes if I have cheaper gas. Just keep the fuel fresh and put it up correctly for the winter.
Thanks for sharing danman!
I was one of the few and lucky people to be able to buy a HRX217HYA in 2020 during the peak of epidemic with very limited supply at MSRP of $750. Today the same mower costs $999. I love this mower. I tried battery electric and it doesn't perform as well. All these battery electric mowers claim to cut great, but they don't hold a candle to Honda. If you put a 4 year old EGO, Ryobi, Greenworks, Kobolt, or any battery electric up against a 4 year old Honda, honda will perform just as good like on day 1 since those 4 year old batteries will have degraded.
Battery is not the way to go that’s for sure.
💯 agree Chris! Thanks for sharing!
I agree. Yet so many people are buying batteries today. Not sure why. The last thing I want to worry about with a mower is having enough battery. My extended family likes Ego products (to each their own). I can't stand the ergonomics of the trimmer, and almost like clockwork the batteries are completely shot at the 3 year mark right outside the warranty period. They actually start to have issues at 18 months, not getting a long run time but Ego won't warranty them. And the batteries are $250- $450 depending on the size!
@@lazylearner967 crazy I know! You can buy a battery powered trimmer for $200-$250. Get 3-5 years out of it before it’s completely dead. Or you can buy an echo gas trimmer for $250 and have it for 20 years. You would have to spend nearly $1000 to equal that with battery stuff! They’re just taking your money lol!
It depends on the quality and type of cells. If lfp cells are used then they can last over 10 years without degradation.
honda uk is not stopping making lawnmowers. we have the hrx and hrn, as well as the hrg 'izzy', over here, just with different engines and different tunes for our strict emissions rules. you will definitely be able to buy parts for honda mowers for many years to come. they might eventually become a bit more expensive over time for transport costs, but they definitely will still be available
Awesome thanks for sharing Sammi!
Having just come home with the new Honda HRN 216 KUA and mowed my lawn. I am pleased with the results. That is one good mower. Perhaps I should have got the self propelled but shrug, I thought that is one less thing to go wrong.
My reason for buying a new mower today was that the old one, a Ryobi which lasted seven years of fairly heavy use, finally would not rewind the pull start; cord replaced, spring had sprung, blades needed renew and while looking for parts I saw That Big Red HONDA. Love at first sight. Give me give meeee. Now to get rid of the older mower. If I leave it on the sidewalk it may just disappear, I hope.
Thanks for sharing Steven!
Hey JB! Great unboxing of the Honda HRX. I bought one several years ago and it’s an awesome machine. The cut is great and mulch’s nicely. My son has it now. I’ll be doing a spring maintenance job with him. I actually looked this morning to see if you can still get them. Only at box stores. They’re not cheap! It was the closest mower to the John Deere silver anniversary edition that I bought in 1990, and still is being used by my Niece today. Awesome video as always! Another beautiful weekend huh! Cheers buddy. Have a great weekend!
Appreciate you Jay! Hard to beat a Honda! Tired of these bad weather weekends! We’ll get a good one here eventually! Any plans for the day?
I certainly hope so! Nothing really planned. Not sure what that yellow ball in the sky is...haha! Anything planned?
@@jaybooth4815 hahaha today is an edit and pick up sticks in the yard kinda day. Lots wound up on the lawn! 👍
Yeah ditto. Will also check to see if everything is still attached to the house!
@@GarageGear Hey Jb I feel like I own the best and most powerful residential mowers.
I bought one and love it. I got tired of paying lawn guys $80 a month for sometimes showing up.
Smart move!
My old 4 stroke Rover finally decided to die last week and I've been looking to replace it with a Honda, we get different models here in Australia though. Been looking at the HRU196M2 which is a 19" cut alloy deck push mower with a GXV160 4 stroke engine, seems like a super solid mower. I must admit though, I am a bit worried about spending all that coin and then having petrol mowers banned in a few years time. Cheers for the video!
Thanks for sharing NA!
I was using a Rover Scott Bonner GreenKeeper (23yo). Considered the same Honda till I looked at and just bought the Makita XGT 40v battery mower. Zero regrets. Awesome mower.
@@ecp4500 thanks for sharing!
Hey JB, another great video. My Honda mower is only one year old, but do you think I should buy one of those automatic choke actuators and keep in in my stock until I need it? Or is that not necessary. Oh, and by the way...I couldn't help but notice your buddy Brian's garage floor. Do you think this is the year you make your move to a polyaspartic coating for your garage?
Thx!
Hey Douglas! Thanks my friend! It wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep one of those on stock for that day you’ll need it. It’s about the size of a quarter so it won’t take up much space.
A lot of my neighbors have had their garage done with that coating. All by different coatings and every single one had to have them come and have it fixed. They look great but don’t hold up. And with all the equipment I move in and out of here it will most certainly be ruined quick. I think Brian even had his redone at one point. Thanks for watching my friend!
Might I ask you about diagnosing the automatic choke actuator failure? I thought I had a stuck needle valve as I had fuel dripping from my air cleaner but then recalled your advice about the actuator. Is "fuel pouring from the air cleaner" a symptom of this component's failure? Thanks!@@GarageGear
@@douglaslippertindy hey Douglas! This sounds more like a carburetor issue to me. A non working actuator will cause the engine to surge and rev!
Thanks a bunch, JB. I agree and, given the cost of a single needle valve vs. a new carb, I've ordered the new carb. Will change the oil, too, as I'm assuming if fuel was draining from the air cleaner enough entered the cylinder to wash past the rings and enter the crankcase. @@GarageGear
Bought my HR214 in 1987. Still runs although sometimes it takes 2 pulls.
Awesome my friend! Keep it running!
I completely agree with you about Honda mowers. I have an HRX 217 HXA that I have had for over ten years. I maintain it myself and it runs like a charm. Before I had the Honda, I went through a series of Craftsman mowers. Never again!
I recommend Honda mowers to anyone who asks me about my mower. Half of my neighbors now have Honda mowers, with which they are very happy. As you do, I trust Honda to have mower parts available for decades. If my old Troy-Bilt 3090 snow blower were not such a dependable beast, I'd have a Honda snow blower, too. Honda engines RULE!
Regards! 👍👍
ROCK ON JERRY! Can’t go wrong with a Honda! Thanks for watching!
I bought the Honda HRX217HYA and gave my parents my Honda hrr216vka that was 10 years old. As you know, I’m a huge Honda fan. I called multiple dealers and even Honda themselves. Yes it’s true, in USA they are discontinuing all mowers and single stage snowblowers. Super sad 😢. Huge fan of your Channel. You didn’t grease his wheels haha
Crazy world we’re in now my friend! Changing times! Sad to see Honda getting out. Your an awesome fan my friend! Fan of yours as well! My neighbor watches my videos he can hit em! 👍 have a good rest of the weekend bud!
Just like VW quit importing the diesels after they were fined for fudging emissions numbers. People were regularly getting 50mpg in high reliability vehicles. Makes you wonder….is it worth the trade off?
Great Video with a lot of knowledge on these Honda Mowers. Thank You.
As owner of North Valley Repair, most know me as Mark Nye thefixitguy, these Hondas are good , but not great. They made them very difficult to work on, especially these GCV engines.
Over time, with this Ethanol Fuel today, these carburetors will either need to be replaced or rebuilt.
The Ethanol just destroys these engines.
Getting the carburetor off is the easy part. Getting it back on is a nightmare at times.
All Honda needed to do was install bolt studs in on the block with nuts holding on the filter housing. This way you can install the gasket, carb , more gaskets and the filter housing without everything falling.
I am working on changing this design out on all the Honda engines I work on.
I have do agree that the Honda engines are good and will last, if you use a fuel stabilizer or fuel conditioner like Seafoam.
One more thing on the HRR and HRX mowers and GCV engines.
Why did honda go to the plastic fan and plastic recoil ?
It's just one more thing I've repaired on most of these mowers.
Thanks again for the great video
Hey tng! My guess is cost on those parts! Thanks for sharing your experiences here! It helps our community! Thanks for watching! 👍
Which mower do you recommend?
Well got my lawn mower back they basically replaced the entire engine part by part. Honda didn't send a complete engine, but they had my dealer rebuild it. It now runs perfectly. No joke, though now the transmission went (the mower isn't even a year old). Honda authorized a brand new transmission so essentially I have a brand new engine and a brand new transmission. Doing my first cut since getting it back this week. Hopefully my saga is over with and this baby lasts a long time. Time for the 30 minute warm up and oil change and then Amsoil synthetic it is!!
Glad you got your mower back and you’re ready to tackle this season! After the warm up and oil change, it will be good to go!
I love my Honda HR214! It was my aunt's and I got it in '92 after she passed. It still starts on the first pull every time! All I've done is replace the carb and tune ups. 👍👍
Thanks for sharing! Honda makes a great machine!
One thing you missed is you should have checked engine oil level after filling just to make sure if didn't have too much.
Good idea thanks for sharing!
I replaced a cheap non-Honda brand mower after fifteen years, last summer. Its engine was a Honda and started on a dime every spring but the deck wore out.
I then bought the XML08 Makita mower, which is nothing but a toy (gutless power, terrible battery life). Two weeks later returned it and bought another Honda mower, which I’ll replace with a battery mower sometime well into the 2030’s when they are actually worth buying.
thanks for sharing!
Hi JB, I just found your channel. I like your videos and have subscribed to your channel,
I need some advise. For the last 35 years I have used Honda lawnmowers. I always buy the HRX 217 model. Unfortunately, my current Honda is quiet old and I planned on replacing it in the spring of next year. I just recently learned that this is not possible. I live in Troy, NY at the other end of the state from you. I take very good care of my lawn equipment, and keep it for a long time. Currently I’m trying to nurse my old Honda through Oct. I’m having clutch problems and the costs of repair ( the hourly wage here for small engine repair is $100 an hour and up) will be at least $300 to $400 will be too much. I do not have your skill level in repairing small engines. I’ve called all the dealers around here and there is no more new Honda stock.
So my next choice would be Toro. Your videos on the new Toro lawn mowers are excellent and taught my a lot about these mowers. I think your review of the 21564 is right, that baby carriage handle is is wrong. I also like your review of the Personal Pace drive system. I don’t want anything to do with that drive system. My review of the current Toro models shows that all the upper level models have the Personal Pace drive system. So the only model that I see might work for me is the Smart Stow Recyler 21445.
I would like a reliable mower, with 3 mowing speeds, good mowing height up 4”, gas powered, rear wheel drive. I am 75 years old but still very active. My lawn is midsized and completely flat. But there are sections where there is a lot of backward and forward.
I know nothing about the other companies that make lawn mowers.
Do you know of any online places where I could still buy another Honda?
Are there other companies that I should look at?
Thank you for all the hard work you put into your videos. They are very helpful and I plan on being a regular visitor.
Hey Mike! Appreciate your positive feedback. Choices are kinda limited nowadays for a decent lawnmower. The quality just isn’t there. The toro 21445 is a decent mower but not perfect. It’s definitely a better option but rustproof that deck regularly. I’ve seen them rust out fast. I like the drive system on that one a lot better too. You could also keep an eye out for a decent lightly used Honda. Thanks for watching!
Honda has had a good reputation for supporting their products long after their end of life. I'm sure the mowers will be no different. Especially considering how many of these are out in the wild.
Hey Smallblock I believe there will be some part out there for a while! Have a great weekend bud!
@@jeremynguyen2346 hey Jeremy
Loved the comment “nothing beats the smell of a brand new Honda”! Smells like victory! Love my 5 year old Honda mower and always use non ethanol gas and do the tuneups myself.
ROCK ON JOHN! 👍
Just picked up a HRN216 for $100... it has two and a half hours on it, garage kept. Seller knew what they had, just clearing out unused stuff. Has the tiniest bit of surface rust on the bottom of the deck, after degreasing and rust removal, any specific kind of paint or sealant you suggest? I was thinking just some primer and outdoor enamel would be fine?
Good find bud! I think that would be fine. Then coat it with slip plate like I did and barely any grass will stick. 👍
@HemiRod23
12 days ago
I work at a Honda Power Equipment dealer, and have already repaired several of these under warranty. I thought the same as you... I'm a fairly big guy, and could probably pull the rope anyway. Nope. The starter rope wants to rip your arm out of it's socket. It's a fairly lengthy process to replace the cam, because the crank shaft has to be removed to get to it. The new engines are overhead valve, but not overhead cam any longer. You have to remove all the parts under the deck, and all the parts on top until you get a nearly bare crank case. Even the cylinder needs to be un-bolted and removed because the cam is under the cylinder. The fastest I've done it so far is 2 1/2 hours, and warranty pays for 1 1/2 hours. I would like to watch a factory tech and see how they came up with that time. I'm hoping there may be a faster method or a trick to save steps. Time will tell, I guess.
Thanks for sharing this!
I seriously considered a Honda mower last year, but the rear discharge was the deal-breaker. I bought a Toro Super Recycler.
Same here....no side discharge option really rubs me the wrong way
I’ll see if I can get a test mow in with it to see how she does!
They are the king of lawnmowers in Australia. All the mowing guys used HRU196 and HRU216. Heavy, but built to last 20+ years.
Thanks for sharing big Chief!
In Europe the HRU is called HRD (many names!) with the bulletproof GXV160 engine, mine is stil working after 27 years 🙂
@@Tintoycar Yes the GXV160 is outstanding. I have a HRU196 here also over 20 years old, still starts first time.
Disappointing that the rear roller models only seem to be available in the UK. I’m in the market for my first mower since moving to NZ, Honda obviously top of my list but I’m also considering a reel mower for the roller and a new experience
The thing about changing the oil is you're supposed to warm it up, shut the gas off, tip it on its side 90° and the oil will drain which it did but then I set it back up lowered it again and more oil kept coming out and this happened several times. so obviously oil is getting hung up somewhere on the way out when tipping over. annoying. so just don't assume that the oil is completely out after tipping it once. also the self-propelled feature isn't that great. The wheel will stop spinning with any kind of downward pressure or just the weight of the mower. You really have to help it along to get it moving and if you're going uphill you're still doing most of the work on your own. and finally the mulch bag lever isn't as precise as you would think if you're too close to the mulch side it's going to just clog itself up and close all the way, so you really need to have it open at least 1/2 way for combo. and finally, if you are bagging you will be emptying that bag every couple of minutes it is a very small bag and gets heavy. videos like this always show it as the shiny new toy that has all the features but then the reality of using it it's a lot more work than is depicted. but none of these are negatives they're just the reality of using it I love it and it's very solid and reliable and cuts nicely.
Thanks for sharing this Mike!
I was looking here in the UK at Honda mowers on CZcams, as there was a used HRX one on offer. Didn't get it, but thinking that your page probably has a few worlwide viewers, I did find out that walk-behind Honda mowers are only stopping production in the USA. No change for those of us in the UK or Europe. Think they are being assembled in France for the European market. May also be able to get plenty of spares in the years to come if they can't be found in the USA.
Yes it seems to be only in the USA! Too many regulations coming out I guess
Can't companies just not sell to CA
Hahaha right? Let them fend for themselves! Thanks for watching!
I bought an HRX217 last year and love it. No problems. Easy to start, runs great, cuts amazingly well.
Can’t beat em!
Excellent play on leaving the box on his front porch!! He actually sounded pissed!! 😂😂 GOT EM!!
Hahaha we go after each other all the time! We went to high school together! Now I’m stuck with him as a neighbor lol! 😂🤷♂️😉
@@GarageGear its fun to gag with neighbors like that! Sounds like a good friend 🤙
@@fromex2lsturbo sure is! He’s a good neighbor to have! 👍
My HRX217HYA is 12 years old, runs like new, first pull start. Love it.
Can’t beat it!
I am 70 years old and have owned many mowers. I have never had a mower engine fail even on the cheapest push mowers, and I don’t baby them. Some I never even changed the oil.
Of course it is even better when you do. I have a 20 plus year old Craftsman riding mower with a Briggs engine that cuts at least 2 acres like a bush hog every week. I have replaces wheels, tires deck bearings and blades, but the engine runs like a champ every time.
What fails on mowers are things like wheels, rusted out decks and other bells and whistles.
Briggs and Stratton, Tecumseh, Kohler and all the rest are pretty indestructible . Use good non ethanol gasoline. That ethanol crap will kill an engine in a few weeks just plugging up the carbs.
All the hype around “expensive “ engines on mowers is just advertising hype.
Thanks for sharing bill!
Knowing where Brian lives, i am surprised you didn’t carry it over there. But you got to protect those tires.
Haha got it all there in one trip! He didn’t want to be out in the cold for too long! Lol 😉😂
As a small business owner in the lawnare business . Ive added one of these to my arsenal for the small city lots . Love that mower . Does a great cut as always.
These machines ROCK! Thanks for watching moodee
I have 7 of them. I cut about twice a week
@@temujinkhan6326 you must have alot of small yards.
@@temujinkhan6326 thanks for sharing!
I own 2 HRX217VYA and a HRN216VKA which I use for my lawn care service and they are beasts, all I do is change the oil 3 times a season and the blades twice a season and the air filter I do monthly as we live in a high dust environment. The HRN is going on 5 years old now and still fires up on the first pull except in low temperatures then it might take two or three pulls in the morning. Only weak link on the HRN is the wheels the plastic wheels tend to wear out pretty quickly but I just replace them annual along with the drive belt. I run Mobil 1 10w30 in all my mowers except in the initial breakin. Something I noticed with my HRX is the 12 oz bottle of actually read low on the dipsticks. When I did research the Honda GCV200 actually takes .042 qt not 12fl oz.
Thanks for sharing this Michael! You clearly take good care of your equipment!
I bought an old Honda lawn mower about 5 years ago, it cost me £50, and has never let me down. When I go to a new customer, and they see my mower, they always ask me if it works.
I am looking for a wider mower than the 17" cut, but that is the only second hand Honda, that I have seen, in this area. The wider mowers are not in my price range, and all have another make of engine on it.
Honda are the best, and it is most likely to be spark plugs which will need to be replaced.
Thanks for sharing peter
I wish wheels was more "grippy". I have a little slope in yard and wheels keep spinning. Other than that I'm pleased with my purchase, it pay itself because my local lawn guy charged me $120 every month
I’ll agree with that! I suppose you could possibly try taking a dremel and carve more tread into the wheels lol! Definitely pays for itself!
these wheels hasnt changed in ages
Honda lawn mowers still going to be made, just not in the USA…
Thanks for sharing bd!
I bought a "basic" Honda mower and I love it. It starts first pull and does a great job of cutting. I especially like the adjustable wheels. Sad to hear Honda will NOT be manufacturing any power products after 2023. This includes lawn mowers, snow blowers, generators and water pumps. The dealer where I bought it in my southwestern Ontario town told me that parts WILL be available for 10 years.
I would agree with the dealer that parts will be available for a while. Thanks for watching!
Buy all you can afford there is gold silver and then Honda lawn mowers I have four an hr217 2 hr214 and a harmony I use all 4 the harmony takes all the abuse 1 hr214 has side shut 1 hr214 for bagging the Hr 217 does mulching and leave duty and enough parts for the next 100 years when ever I see one set out for the garbage I pick it up for spare parts all I can say is if you don’t own at least one Honda lawn mower your missing out on the most enjoyable part of life something that still lasts forever
ROCK ON JOE! Awesome that you have so many! Thanks for sharing!
I have an HRX and love it. Like you said it a one pull machine from the day I purchased it. The only thing I wish was available is a high lift blade. It bags fine but I find during the leaf season some extra suction would be an improvement. Honda has always been a pricey product line but you get what you pay for!
You absolutely do John! Thanks for watching!
All mowers are one pull machines if properly serviced and maintained.
If you think Hondas are pricey, wait til gas mowers are phased out almost completely, even mid level electric mowers are the same if not more than a premium level honda, once you include the batteries
@@pillcosby3949exactly, we can’t let the government ban our gas mowers, they just want to make more money of us.
I enjoy your videos. Thank you
Appreciate you Bob! Thanks for being a cool fan !
Hey Garage gear I have a question for you or anyone that can answer it, I just got a new HRX2176HYC, I have notice at times it is very hard to pull start, sometimes it pulls easy other times it pulls the cord out of your hand, its like you have to try pull it through the compression stroke. is that normal, or should it be looked at? thanks
Hey SA I would have it looked at. This doesn’t sound like something normal! Thanks for watching!
When I heard about Honda doing this I had to rethink about buy one for my business I want to start up because of parts and price increase risk of repair/parts/ buying the mower itself increase of price.
I worked with these for years and even though it was abused by the company it still ran strong with small issues just from the fact no one took care of it at all like the front wheels dropping constantly, roller stopped driving from lack of basic care and that no one checked the blades properly so I kept noticing chipped blades from stones and rocks but it kept running strong regardless of its abuse which was a reason I want to have one but it is pricey and living in the UK a roller for stripes is a must since for some reason we're the only country who is obsessed with patterns on out grass. 9/10 customers want lines and the odd 1 customer doesn't want lines and if you say you can't do lines today with customers who want lines 7/9 of those customers they are willing to wait for the right mower and 5/9 will use another company if you don't have one at all as its an expected finish from professional gardeners. These are my own statistics of experience while working with a company I took notes along my way so I could learn from other peoples mistakes before starting up.
I really like a Honda but I dont want to struggle on getting parts if this becomes a thing or pay more than I should for fact of parts are plentiful but discontinued with repair companies taking that as a reason to hike up the prices on the brand saying "its getting harder to find parts". Using half truths.
Thanks for sharing this etr!
Still have my HR215HXA from the 90’s. Mowed with it twice last week, since my Electric riding mower was having a “lack of sufficient charge” problem. Filled the tank with gas, turned in the fuel, and start on second pull. I hadn’t used the Honda mower for 5 years. Still works like a champ. 😎
Honda for the win! Thanks for watching dig!
Honda push and self-propelled mowers are simply the best mowers ever made, period. I've owned two and bought my family one and we've been using them for over 20 years. There simply isn't a better mower.
Honda makes a great machine Bert! Thanks for sharing
I agree. I bought my first one in 1983. HR-214 SMA which had a Key Start. Key start was a waste of money. I've had many since I buy them broken and restore them. Although the Honda's are excellent, I just bought a year 2000 Toro Commercial Mower. It has the Suzuki 5.5 HP 2-cycle engine. The self propelled system is harder to use than I like but the Mower's quality is like nothing I've seen before. Plus I use it to piss off the neighbors that turned in their gasoline Mowers for Battery Mowers and now think anyone that operated gas equipment is a Terrorist. Figured the 2-cycle would add to their frustration as they told me my quiet Honda Mower was ruining the Planet. Now they can see the smoke. They were good with gas yard equipment until the Green Bug bit them.
@@scotta9114 Wonderful! I attempted to buy Stihl battery lawn tools and the 300S batteries have depleted a great deal since I bought them. This EV scam is total BS. Everything battery powered that I've ever owned failed very quickly from All-Clad hand mixers, to Apple laptops, to iPhones to Stihl lawn equipment, including their self propelled lawn mower which I returned the same day I bought it. It was trash.
Since my father having the first Honda model (HR21) and still starts on first pull and now I have an HRX, it’s sad that Honda did this to us tried and true mower fans. I was hoping that Honda would bring battery technology to the HRX chassis and I probably would have been on board and bought one. Seeing that tech in Europe and Australia seemed like the US was next. Very sad year, and really thinking of getting another HRX or HRC and put in dry storage for when mine kicks the bucket or get tired of doing repairs.
Not a bad idea! Thanks for watching Keith!
Honda is the largest engine manufacturer in the world. It would have been asinine for them to follow the trend and go battery. With the Cali lawsuits and ever tightening regulations, they said "Screw you, Government!" and left. Honda is also changing it's business strategies (read: getting greedy.)....they are focusing on their cash cow products to make more profit per unit. Unfortunately, us Honda mower die-hards will suffer.
@@tinygaragepowersports0122
Honda uk say they will only be refusing to sell petrol lawn mowers in California they have no plans to stop making petrol lawn mowers.
@@bobp6742 Very interesting. I'll look into that.
@@tinygaragepowersports0122
I just bought 2 Honda HRN 536VY from a new Honda garden machinery dealer and I mentioned about Honda stopping production of lawn mowers, he said he had spoken to Honda uk about the rumors as he wouldn't be happy taking on the agency if they were going to cease making one of the biggest earners in garden machinery, the reply from honda uk was they had no intention of ceasing production of petrol lawn mowers as they are a big seller, the rumors started when honda informed California that due to their tight restrictions on small engines that honda simply will not sell anymore small engine equipment in California and it sounds like the Chinese whispers started from there.
You might hear about bulletins been sent to dealers to squash the rumor.
Now if honda are telling the truth I guess only time will tell. But it does seem strange to stop production of a high earning, well received and popular piece of merchandise at least in Europe.
Bought a brandy new Honda mower a few years back. Yes, 1 pull start but engine surged forever more. Considered a carb clean out but geez!!! this thing never even hit the grass. Was told Aha!!! You put gas in it with corn. Got some way overpriced ethanol free stuff. Same thing. Scratch the head. Bought a bottle of mechanic in the bottle on Amazon. Dumped the whole bottle in and worked the throttle with my finger wide open trying to blow it up. Soon it smoothed out and now purrs like a kitten. Whoda thunk it. Yo.
Thanks for sharing this Neil! 👍
I love Honda mowers, especially the dual blade setup, but honestly the tire tread are really poor. Especially on the drive tires. I’m lucky to get 2 seasons out of the drive wheels before the tread wears off and they come apart. There’s a reason the big box stores have plenty of Honda replacement tires for sale. Which are not cheap.
I have the commercial version and the traction sucks
Ditto! 12 year old HRR. On my 4th set of wheels and the front ones bow outwards / \ no matter which hardware I replace. Having said that, the engine runs and the mower mows like the day I bought it. Just those darned wheels!
How many lawns do you do with the machine a week?
Thanks for sharing!
I mow 3 quarter acre house lots with my Honda mower. From mid April to mid November. If you subtract the houses, driveways, sidewalks, landscaping and patios, we’re not talking a lot of grass that gets mowed. When your putting out $500+ for a mower, you should expect the wheels to last more than 2 years. Honda should stand by their product, but then again they are getting out of the lawn mower business, aren’t they?
Hey brother, great video! I know I hate to see Honda make the decision, some of my commercial gear like aerators and dethatchers have Honda GX motors as does my PermaGreen ride on sprayer/spreader. I have 1 Honda mower in my collection for use at home along with my Toro TimeMaster. I still love my Honda.
It’s a bummer my friend! Fingers crossed they make them again in the future or another brand steps up their game. Thanks for watching as always! 👍
Hi JB, love your channel. I bought a Buffalo machine last month and used it twice with amazing finish. The 3rd time of use, it failed to start after not using it for only 4 weeks. For a minute I thought my son used a 2 stroke mix in the tank. But NO, it just wouldn't start and I was starting to worry as it's new! I walked away and was heading to the manual, as it started but was coughing and splattering then it stopped and wouldn't restart. Then before I could read the manual, my son kicked it over. It was weird. Is this a normal thing if unstarted after 4 weeks?
Hey satcha! Appreciate the positive feedback! What kind of machine do you have?
@@GarageGear Honda HRU19M2PKU Domestic
Petrol Lawn Mower
@@Satchafunkilus doesn’t sound like a normal thing to happen on a new mower. I would consider taking it back to the dealer to see what the problem is.
Word of advice, don't turn the mower around on pavement. Mow a decent strip around the perimeter and make your turns on grass, those wheels will wear out quick. I'm on my third set. I don't have this model, I bought mine 10 years ago with a metal deck. About that, not a fan of the plastic deck, that's the only ding I'll give this mower. Metal decks will last forever if you take care of them, plastic however will deteriorate over time.
Thanks for sharing
Congratulations on 50,000 subscribers JB.
Appreciate you as always WHITIE! What’s the plan for the weekend?
@@GarageGear getting my hair done and watching the snow melt. How about you guys?
@@whitieinvermont there ya go! Editing the next one! Watching the grass go from brown to green. Slowly… few more weeks and we’re mowing! 👍
Awesome Video!! I have this exact lawnmower and I love it!! It's sad to think Honda won't be making them anymore!! All because of the currupt EPA!! I would love to see you do a full service on this mower! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Hey cl! Sad I know! Perhaps down the road I can! Thanks for watching
Don't worry. After 5 years of making battery mowers that fail, or need a fleet of batteries to keep going, the gas engines will be back.
@@jayjaynella4539 hey Jay! I still don’t see any commercial guys carrying battery stuff. Dozens drive past my house and work in my neighbor’s lawns. No batteries in sight. Thanks for watching
RE: Parts and Honda, they've always been pretty good about parts availability. I was a dealer for them for 20 years. I sold 1000's of their mowers. I've been out of the business for about 3 years, and yeah, hearing they are getting out is sad, but not surprising. We saw this happen with Kawasaki and their 2 cycle line. We were selling at least 1500 units per year when they decided to get out of the business. I once had a rare 1980's era Honda that had a flathead 4hp motor on it. the HR214 When I got it it was over 20 years retired and they still stocked the wheels (they were pricey though $70 ea Dealer cost)
Thanks for sharing justin
Honda uk say they are not stopping making petrol lawn mowers they just won't be selling any in California.
@@bobp6742 thanks for sharing
Yeah as someone who has used gas powered mowers for most of my entire life have seen that even cheap mowers that used to be $150-160 bucks now are over $300 bucks now. It's because Gasoline powered mowers are not in high demand anymore so they are not making as many as they used to. Just this year we just bought a GreenWorks Pro 60V Battery powered mower. The time have changed drastically yet again like they have back from when I was a kid in the Late 1980s into my teenage years in the late 1990s into my adult hood in the early 2000s. I said this for years now that they don't make mowers like they used to.
Thanks for sharing
I still use my Honda lawn mower that I bought brand new in 1996 when I was mowing lawns commercially. Still, starts 1st-time pull. Used it 5 days a week 6-7 lawns a day for 8 years. Now that is reliable.
Definitely reliable! Thanks for sharing!
@garagegear will the HRX bag attachment fit on the HRN to get the extra capacity? Thanks for the great content
Hey jcd it may fit but may also throw the weight off and tip the mower back. The hrn is lighter in the front and could tip back with a bigger heavy bag. Not sure on this though.
@@GarageGear I can confirm that the HRX bag fits perfectly and doubles the bag capacity. The weight difference doesn’t seem to be an issue. It’s nice emptying the bag half as often.
@@jcd674 appreciate the info!
Im just gunna say this as someone whose worked with many small engine machines, hondas are always worth buying, its just always about price and whether you want to spend that. Ive used a masport 470 as a commercial lawnmower for about 7 years now and i cant fault it, maintenance is easier than a honda, they are lighter than a honda and once you tinker with the throttle control theres no issue with power, works first pull to this day and doesnt need to be primed despite having a primer lol
This mower outlived 2 hondas i used commercially with another business and they had more maintenance done and also by qualified mechanics.
At the end of the day its all about research, expenditure and appearances.
Research is so important, you can buy great cheaper mowers if you know what to look for.
Honda bodies are ultimate, the chassis are so solid that theybwill out live multiple engines.
Thanks for sharing this Blakey!
Well in the last 3 weeks I owned 2 brand new Honda HRX217HZA lawnmowers and both failed the exact same way. So here it goes. Purchased mower #1 on a Friday and mowed the grass once on full mulch with ethanol free gas. Cut perfect and all was good. 4 days later went to cut the lawn again and the engine wouldn't start with the electric start and then I tried with the pull start and the handles was ripped out of my hand so clearly a compression issue. Took the mower back and they looked at it and said it was bent camshaft and gave me a brand new replacement out of the box as they said the issue was not my fault. Came home and mowed the lawn this past Sunday and all was well. (BTW I even did your 30 minute engine oil replacement and even purchased AMSOIL small engine 10w-30 full synthetic for future changes). Took the mower out for 2nd cut last night and the exact same issue happened with mower #2. Drove back this morning and asked for a refund. Spent last evening on lawn forum sites and youtube videos and found a few examples of the exact same thing.
On the lawn forum site I found the exact same story as mine as if I wrote it and the man was going on mower #3. Spoke to a Honda mechanic and he said there was no service bulletin yet but the quality control is so good that if this is happening it could very well turn systemic. He also said he and others were very perplexed why Honda went away from the OHV design back to the current design which is similar to their design back in the 80-90's. He said they had worked out all the bugs on the previous OHC design but that Honda does this by tinkering and redesigning when they really don't need to. So bummed and now I have to figure out plan B for a mower.
Thanks for sharing this Amy
@@GarageGear
I know you have the new Super recycler are you happy with it? Is there any engine sputtering folks are talking about??
@@amywolfe6100 not a single sputter yet on mine! Video on it will be out tomorrow!
The biggest issues out there in the 'real world' is that there are huge number of DA to lazy to do simple maintenance on a gas powered mower. By simply doing the basic maintenance recommendation stated in the owners manual, almost any brand mower will provide years of service. I own a Honda. I check the oil EVERYTIME I pull it out to mow the lawn; even though it has never indicated any consumption of oil. I do not use gas with ethanol. I always put stabilizer in the fuel can. If my engine has a fuel shut off valve, I always turn the fuel just before the lawn is cut allowing the engine to empty out the carb. I ALWAYS clean the entire mower after every use. I lubricate all recommended areas, i.e. cable(s) wheels, axles. I always have 2 blades that I swap when one becomes dull. Then sharpen and balance the blade for next swap. I change the oil at the end of every season. One other item I notice is most people cut their grass way too short. That is stupid. It's hard on the lawn. It's hard on the mower. All it does is tear up the blade(s) and stunts the growth of the grass. I do not mow once per week. I mow every ten days and cut at 3 inches. To me it is so simple; basic common sense.
Thanks for sharing this curious!
I bought an older self-propelled Honda mower back in 2016, still going strong today in 2024.
Great mower! 👍
That sucks about the mowers being discontinued, but......... My rant: $1000 for a mower is insane, I'm done with buying expensive new mowers. Too much $$$, and your rather OCD, trying to keep your mower clean and looking new is too much hassle. Sometimes you just wanna mow and dump it back in the shed. Also I don't wanna (always) treat my mower with kid gloves. I wanna be able to trash on it a bit to get the job done. I have some areas of my yard that DO NOT look like a golf coarse, and the mower gets a bit of a beating. And dust.......oh man dust, during the hot summer my yard can be bone dry, and the mower looks like I left it out in a dust storm.
Thanks for sharing dwoodog!
Bought a new Honda HRX217HZA (electric start, 21") gas hydrostatic w/roto-stop. Followed the manual (probably my 12th mower). Electric start worked twice, then battery appeared to be discharged (just like the maual said it would). Tried the pull start: not going to happen> would not budge. Thought could be a hydrostatic lock or cracked ring or frozen/locked blade clutch or ???Pulled the spark plug. engine spun easily. Put the plug back in, locked still. Since the mower didn't come with a charger, had to order one and still waiting. Would like to get the mower running. Any thoughts on why it is locking up? I did a search and found that model online at a big box store and in the reviews with 1 or 2 stars only, there were MANY others with the same issue. Also, even though it only ran for about 5 minutes, there was more engine vibration than I would have expected and the throttle surged the entire time. Any ideas; or, should I just return it? Thanks in advance.
Thanks for sharing this commons sense I would take it back if you can if you’re experiencing issues like this!
Unfortunately your problem is very common with the new Hondas. The problem is a failing camshaft. The camshaft has what's called a "compression release" on the cam gear. It releases some of the engines compression enabling it to be started with minimal rope pull. Honda used a manufacturer to make these camshafts for them. They use a type of plastic or phenolic lobe. It appears that the manufacturer didn't let the lobes cool properly during a particular stage of manufacture causing the lobes to fail prematurely. Honda now has a Stop Sale order on all HRX's and HRN's because of this issue. You can go on some of the Honda forums and there is a guy named "David from Honda" (or something like that) who is an engineer for Honda who has explained this issue. Hope this helps you!
Hey JD can you do a video on the best and worst mowers from you local stores ?
Hey Rob that could be a possibility! Thanks for watching!
It is now 2024 and I have had a Honda Commercial mower many years. This is my second one bought in 2007 and I am having it repaired largely due to carburetor problems. Since Honda's announcement that they will no longer be making mowers for various reasons, including environmental issues, this undoubtedly will be my last Honda mower. These mowers had a good run but it will be time to change mower brands.
I would look into something commercial
@@GarageGear I was at my Honda dealer/ repair shop and I can opt for a Stihl commercial mower. Xmark also makes a commercial mower but it is a beast and I have no idea as to if I can get it to fit in the same space in my garage. I may have to do some rearranging of a few items
@@SteveMartin-zc7qs idk too much about Stihl but exmark’s are great!
Bought the HRN216 two years ago and it’s been perfect.
Great mower! 👍👍
Hope there's room for your cars in that garage. The intended purpose. Keep up the vids!
Only in the winter time lol! Too much lawn equipment right now. If I really wanted to I could fit the Jeep in there. Thanks for watching bud!
I have a honda mower I got in 21019.. not sure which model exactky.. but it has the GCV-190 engine and electric start.. that mower cuts like a machete.. its hands down the best mower ive ever owned.. it looks a little different .. I have adifferent handle. . i can control my engine speed and my self propel speed. . it also has a blade brake so I can let it idle if I need to stop and clean up debris in the yard ahead.. its one beautiful machine..
Gotta love them! Thanks for sharing eldorado!
I just did my oil , plug , air filter and blades on my HRN for the new season and one of the blades is hitting the plastic part of the deck up front. Checked it out and it looks like the plastic is bowed out maybe about a 1/8 inch. Cleaned all the residual dirt traped behind the plastic and it helped a little. I will see from Honda if that's been an issue with the HRN.
Hey WD! Thanks for looking into this. Thanks for Sharing!
I was at my local Home Depot today and they had several Honda HRN216 mowers in stock. I was kinda surprised to see em.
Clearing some out perhaps?
Owning a new home, I made the mistake of going with an electric mower (EGO) and it’s terrible. I’ve been looking at the HRX217VKA for a while & this video reassured me I’m making the right choice this time.
Question: I know you recommend the 30 min break-in time & changing the oil afterwards. Should I still change my oil after the 5 hour break in time Honda recommends?
Question: Is it better to use premium fuel vs regular & can I use 10w30 full synthetic oil?
I appreciate any help, thank you!
Hey Justin! You made a wise choice my friend! I would still recommend changing the oil after the first 5 hours! I always recommend running it on ethanol free fuel if you can get it. I think 5w30 full synthetic may have a wider temperature range. Check your manual. 10w30 full synthetic should be fine though too.
By the way what factors steered you away from the ego. Youre definitely not the first to tell me this. Interested to hear what you have to say!
@@GarageGear I’ll make sure to double check the manual, just want the best performance. I bought the ego a few years ago & couldn’t stand it after the first season using it.
Grass gets bogged up in the deck way too easily. If the grass is even the slightest bit damp, forget it. The mower shuts off because of all the grass bogged up. I would have to keep clearing the deck for it to start back up.
After hassling with the mower shutting off, the battery (at full charge) will give me 30-40 mins of run time. It takes roughly 45 mins to charge the battery. So I tried bagging only, & mowing the grass at a higher length. It handles better when the length is higher but still get the same results shortly after. I bought the mower in 2020 & started having these issues 2021. In between years, I succumbed to hiring a lawn service because the frustration of the ego. Never again will I go electric
@@justinconger385 wow! Thanks for sharing this Justin! Those who mowers don’t run cheap either. And their resale values suck too from what I’ve seen. Good for tiny yards. Not the average homeowner. Appreciate you bud!
i have this exact same mower 2018 version but looks the exact same. and i love it!
Awesome Justin! Thanks for sharing!
Pretty sure I bought the only Honda HRX217 mower that is a lemon. I have had so many issues with this mower! Bought it new in January 2016 and it’s made multiple trips back to the dealer for warranty work, now of course I’m footing the bill. Everything from a cracked rocker arm to all four height adjusters needing replaced, to transmission fluid leaking. Oh, and let’s not forget the frequent valve adjustments that are necessary, as well as the notorious mower won’t pull backwards due to rust build up on the axle. The latest issue is an oil leak on the bottom of the mower. It never ends with this thing, and I only have a small subdivision lot to mow. I’m thinking of painting it yellow because it is definitely a lemon.
Sorry to hear, Ron. Maybe consider selling it and replacing with something else. It sounds like you’re putting a lot of time and money into it and sometimes you gotta draw the line.
@@GarageGear Yep, that's where I'm at. Looking at Toro and also battery powered mowers, though I'm not completely sold on them yet.
HRR 216 K9V with smart drive is still my favorite mower.
Thanks for sharing Christopher
The old HR 214, and 215 mowers were the best Honda mowers ever made. Back when honda used GXV engines on residential equipment. As they get older, some do have a tendency to smoke a little, though.
They’re old enough to smoke though … lol😂
I had a John Deere 14SB, Honda, and the old Toro Commercial with the Suzuki engine and I wish I kept them all, the John Deere 14SB with the Kawasaki engine was my favorite of them all it was perfect IMO. Had the easiest to empty catcher and the fastest walk behind self propel. The Toro with Suzuki was damn good too.
Awesome thanks for sharing jas!
my third Honda mower 15 yr old HRX217HYA has hydrostatic transmission (no belts). Axle clips are slipping, wheels lock up, possibly need entire new transmission and, given the age of this, I no longer want to spend on more parts so off to the store for new mower. I can get the exact same model on sale but commercial version has reputation for durability beyond residential versions - so probably spend up for one given it will give me less problems given the issue of parts. My current gives me a fantastic cut on Bermuda grass and some forums say the commercial version (steel deck) does not cut as smoothly even though both have the twin blades. Any opinion on residential versus commercial version and even if I should not buy another Honda at all so Toro?
Hey half! A lot of subscribers mention that they love the Honda commercial mowers! No complaints about them. The toro commercial mowers are great too. I personally want the one with the Honda engine! Either will give you a great cut too!
Latest, my HRX217HZA mower leaked oil badly on a mow in November. Dropped mower off on Nov 4th , 2023 and just got it back today on Feb 28, 2024. The entire engine was rebuilt, this after the original camshaft disaster back in April of 2023. Don't know if I have a lemon but man for essentially a $1000 mower, Honda double bogeyed on the 18th hole to finish their career with lawnmowers. Really sad!
Hey Amy that’s a great way to put it. They definitely messed up at the end. Thanks for sharing
How much does it cost to rebuild a Honda engine on one of these things? Thanks!
@@charlieclark3029 I do not know the cost as Honda covered the cost. The dealer told me they paid them a ton, so for them to say it must be expensive!!