Buying used mower - Honda Harmony 215 or John Deere JS63? Advice?

[paqrmatt]

Hi there,

I'm buying a used lawn mower and have done some research. I've settled on buying either the Honda Harmony 215 (seller wants $110) or a John Deere JS63 (seller wants $160). The Honda is a 5hp engine and the JD is has 6.75hp. My yard is typical suburban size...too big for a push reel mower but not big quite big enough for a rider (even tho my neighbor has one). Is the JD 6.75hp mower overkill for my needs?

I'm inheriting a well maintained lawn and it's fairly healthy and plush. Both mowers appear to be in very good condition from the pictures. I'll be checking them out in person as well.

What I want most is a mower is:

1. self propelling
2. blade control w/out turning engine off
3. Ease of use
4. Durability, long lasting

Advice/opinions on either of these two mowers? I appreciate anyone's input! Thanks!

Matt

 

[afoulk]

I personally think the honda is going to be a much better quality mower. that john deere looks like the same deck I've seen used on other craftsman and husqvarna mowers, so I'm guess its going to be about the same quality as them.

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

I personally think the honda is going to be a much better quality mower. that john deere looks like the same deck I've seen used on other craftsman and husqvarna mowers, so I'm guess its going to be about the same quality as them.

I agree. If I would buy a JD push mower it would have to be one like this:

 

[paqrmatt]

I appreciate the input. I just read about JD changing their product line to be like the cheaper models sold at Lowe's and Home Depot. And everyone's experience with Honda's seem to be great. I've been trying to determine from the pictures what model the Honda Harmony 215 is...the seller doesn't know the model number. The pics are small, but it looks to me like it's the HRM215SXA? I think for $110 it's a pretty good deal.

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

The pics are small, but it looks to me like it's the HRM215SXA?

Looks like it. :smile:

 

[afoulk]

I agree with fanatic, only jd I would by is one of those older aluminum decked ones with the Kawasaki engine, which can still be found on cl by the way. That Honda is a great deal as long as it runs good and the deck isn't cracked. That one should even have the better gxv (?) Engine in it to.

 

[bwdbrn1]

Yes, look over the deck on that Honda. Many have a crack in the "dip" under the carb. You can't beat the engine, though, it's the GXV140. A great engine.

The handle on the one pictured was on the earlier HRM/HRB215s. Later ones had the more ergonomic design similar to today's Hondas. Looks like that one has the earlier "jeep like" tread on the tires. Those sometimes develop a flat spot, and some split down the middle.

Try it out and see how the engine runs throughout the throttle range. See how well the Roto Stop blade control and transmission work. See how it feels to operate it.

 

[paqrmatt]

I bought it last night. The mower was in pretty good condition. First pull start, no oil leakage from what I could see and the blades, deck and underdeck looked good. The blades were sharpened in the spring, filters replaced and carborator replaced. Sounded great too. The only hiccup I could find was that the back left wheel was not quite circular (maybe a flat spot like bwdbrn1 mentioned). But it wasn't too bad and I figured on grass it likely would not be noticeable.

For the price, I thought it was a no brainer. My only disappointment was that the "blade brake stop" was not what I thought it was. I thought by releasing that lever the blade would stop but the engine would stay on. That's not the case...the blade and engine shut off when you let it go. Kind of a pain, but I couldn't pass up a quality mower for that price.

Do they make mowers now where you can stop the blade but the engine stays on? This is my first power mower I've owned in the last 25 years so I'm not up on the current models/features.

Thanks to everyone for the comments/advice!

 

[bwdbrn1]

Good deal! Yes, they do make mowers that allow you to stop the blade yet the engine continues to run. Sorry, I missed that this one had zone start in the pictures of the mower you included earlier. Still, you have a fine mower there.

 

[afoulk]

You did good:thumbsup: