Brand new HRX217 takes multiple pulls to start when cold. Is this normal?
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SeniorCitizen
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You're fortunate. I bought a new honda generator and after about 2 hours of operation I had to spend 200 at a dealer to get the carb cleaned. No warranty. I filter my FRESH gas through a 226 micron filter when filling the tank. The only sure way I've found an engine will start cold on the 1st pull is to prime it by putting a 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon of gas directly in the carb air intake.
I have the new hrx217hya (2x actually with new gcv200 motor and its 1-2 pulls to start it but if you turn the gas valve off and let it run out of fuel then store it until say next week when you cut again, it will take 3-4 pulls for me. Nothing wrong with them just the way they are. Always seem to get a little better with some more hours on them. I have never had a problem with Honda auto chokes fwiw And I have and have had a lot of Honda’s. Big fan of there product.
As far as rear height adjusters being stiff to change height. Every 150 hours (check manual) you should do rear height adjuster bushings and pinion gear and spring and clean transmission axle with scotch bright type pad and put Fresh grease when putting all back together. Pulls way smoother backwards and height adjusters move easier. If you wash mower too much it’s a problem if you don’t clean it out enough it’s a problem. Air compressor is your friend. There are some good YouTube videos out there on more so the Honda hrr216 but process is basically the same. I actually like using amsoil nlgi #2 grease all purpose it’s red synthetic. Works well maybe better then the Honda grease. Just my experience. hope this helps.
My HRX217HYA is about 1.5 months old and never starts on the first pull, but almost always starts on the 2nd pull. This is the 3rd HRX I've owned and they seem to be better designed than previously. In addition to the more powerful 200cc engine, one of the new features I appreciate the most is the larger diameter gas filler neck. I can finally easily see the gas level as I'm filling it, and have yet to have spill caused by overfilling the tank. The older style tank's filler neck was too narrow to easily observe the level of gas while filling it. I too have switched over to "recreational gas", i.e, ethanol-free.
The oil filler has also changed a little from the previous design. I have now switched to using an oil extractor that suctions out the old oil. No more mess or having to recruit my wife to hold a container while tipping the mower to dump the old oil out.
Finally, I've also found that the rear wheel height adjustment is still difficult to operate, particularly the right rear wheel. I've found the solution to be to insert a dandelion digger tool or a similarly long (approx 12") screwdriver between the body of mower and the adjuster arm. Pry the adjuster arm out of the current height slot and slide it to the new slot while keeping pressure on the adjuster arm. This makes it a lot easier to adjust the wheel height. See the picture attached below.
I still find that damp grass can stick to the underside of the nexite deck, but have learned to keep it clean as possible. The twin blades do tend to get a lot of grass residue build up on them, which may inhibit the "lift" generated by the upper blade. I used to use paint scrapers or spackling knives to scrape this residue off the blades -- an unpleasant and tedious task at best, and would usually result in the blades being scratched and then somewhat rusty. I have now started using a blade cleaner I use for my miter saw blade to remove the grass resin and residue. I leave the blades soak in the solution for at least a half hour or more, then gently remove any remaining crud with a plastic scraper, an old toothbrush and an old paintbrush. The blades come out looking like new, and I believe they'll provide a better cut when they're clean.
The container I use is a food service tray container made of Delfin plastic, which is extremely durable and is a perfect size for the blades (24"L x 6"W x 2"H). It was ~$49 online with a part # 16658 (search Hubert Delfin 16658). Here's a couple of pictures of the during and after (didn't think to take before pics!):
The oil filler has also changed a little from the previous design. I have now switched to using an oil extractor that suctions out the old oil. No more mess or having to recruit my wife to hold a container while tipping the mower to dump the old oil out.
Finally, I've also found that the rear wheel height adjustment is still difficult to operate, particularly the right rear wheel. I've found the solution to be to insert a dandelion digger tool or a similarly long (approx 12") screwdriver between the body of mower and the adjuster arm. Pry the adjuster arm out of the current height slot and slide it to the new slot while keeping pressure on the adjuster arm. This makes it a lot easier to adjust the wheel height. See the picture attached below.
I still find that damp grass can stick to the underside of the nexite deck, but have learned to keep it clean as possible. The twin blades do tend to get a lot of grass residue build up on them, which may inhibit the "lift" generated by the upper blade. I used to use paint scrapers or spackling knives to scrape this residue off the blades -- an unpleasant and tedious task at best, and would usually result in the blades being scratched and then somewhat rusty. I have now started using a blade cleaner I use for my miter saw blade to remove the grass resin and residue. I leave the blades soak in the solution for at least a half hour or more, then gently remove any remaining crud with a plastic scraper, an old toothbrush and an old paintbrush. The blades come out looking like new, and I believe they'll provide a better cut when they're clean.
The container I use is a food service tray container made of Delfin plastic, which is extremely durable and is a perfect size for the blades (24"L x 6"W x 2"H). It was ~$49 online with a part # 16658 (search Hubert Delfin 16658). Here's a couple of pictures of the during and after (didn't think to take before pics!):
No factual evidence that any Amsoil grease or oil is better than any other. I would put Walmart's Supertech grease against Amsoil any time. This is a lawn mower we are talking about. So using synthetic anything is, well, it's your money.
slomo
I soak mine in hot soapy water for a while then clean them like you are doing. Then I inspect blades and then sharpen them and balance them. Yes the Honda blades even when cutting in dry grass does get green grass build up on the blades. I will say that it’s a good idea the remove grass build up when taking blades off to inspect for any small fractures and the grass build up can and does throw the balance off. Fact. Keep doing what your doing. some would say might be over kill but you keep doing your thing.