My experience with Honda mowers

[slomo]

Well to sum it up, not impressed with any model. I've tried to love them as everyone praises they are the best you can get.
I've used all deck versions and blade styles. Owned then sold a couple new commercial models that just didn't cut the mustard for me.
The engines last a long time, YES. But, they are way down on torque compared to a Briggs or the Kawi FJ-180V. Honda engines are a kick in the shins in tall grass. Even the commercial GXV160 is what I call gutless.
I have personally used what I call the "power strap" on several Honda mowers. You would know it as a bungee cord strapped directly to the throttle, held wide open. They cut much better this way in the tall stuff.
Honda engines are quiet, yes. I've noticed from the factory they only run at 2500rpm. No wonder they are so quiet and last a long time. Run one at 3600+ like a Briggs and see how long it lasts.
Bagging, forget it. The bag will never get full like a Snapper Hi Vac does every time.
Mulching, they are good but not great or class leading IMO.

What do you guys think?

slomo

 

[Briantii]

They seem fine to me minus the in-excusable design flaw most have that cause a ton of drag pulling backwards. Mine is 9 years old with just me and entirely home owner use. I've replaced the smart drive cable, the transmission (trying to fix pulling backwards as the shaft was worn), a few sets of rear wheels cause they end up worn bare, one set of bearings on the roto-stop (last year, still worked fine just had it apart and noticed they weren't as smooth as they should be) and lots of drama with the rear adjusters / drive bushings. Mostly just normal maintenance stuff. I converted the adjusters from bushings to needle bearings and it makes all the difference in the world - far less drag than the stock setup, it rolls backwards great, and seems to leave a lot more power for cutting grass AND it moves faster.

With that said... if I was buying a new mower right now I'd likely be looking between a new HRN216VYA (most likely), a Toro Commercial with the FJ, or the Honda HRC... though the Honda commercial just seems dated at this point. I really like the blade clutch which rules out Snapper it seems. For now my old HRR with the bearings is kicking butt and taking names for what I need from it and still starts first pull every time.

 

[gotomow]

The new Honda HRN's seem to have addressed the hard to pull back on issue.

 

[jsalis57]

I will keep my 30+ year old HR 214sx and or HR 215sx mowers until I cannot cut grass any more. I believe the old models are better than the new, just like many things now-a-days.

 

[Honda Tech]

Well to sum it up, not impressed with any model. I've tried to love them as everyone praises they are the best you can get.
I've used all deck versions and blade styles. Owned then sold a couple new commercial models that just didn't cut the mustard for me.
The engines last a long time, YES. But, they are way down on torque compared to a Briggs or the Kawi FJ-180V. Honda engines are a kick in the shins in tall grass. Even the commercial GXV160 is what I call gutless.
I have personally used what I call the "power strap" on several Honda mowers. You would know it as a bungee cord strapped directly to the throttle, held wide open. They cut much better this way in the tall stuff.
Honda engines are quiet, yes. I've noticed from the factory they only run at 2500rpm. No wonder they are so quiet and last a long time. Run one at 3600+ like a Briggs and see how long it lasts.
Bagging, forget it. The bag will never get full like a Snapper Hi Vac does every time.
Mulching, they are good but not great or class leading IMO.

What do you guys think?

slomo

Honda and ANSI wants the HRC216 running at 3100 =/- 150 RPM's. Did your dealer not set this unit up for you??? Lawnmower engine RPM's are determined by blade length. Longer the blade, lower the allowable RPM standards set by ANSI. If you have a B&S running at 3600+ RPM's on a 21" mower, it is running to fast. If the blade or crankshaft were to break and cause bodily harm, you would be the one found liable and not any of the manufacturers.
Remember, these are 'Lawn' mowers, not field mowers and you might want to clean the bag once in a while so it can breath. The Honda bag will pack itself with standard blades. Your Snapper requires additional 'wings' on the blades to bag, but you would have a very hard time selling a Hi-Vac in the Great Northwest. All they do here is clog in the chute.

 

[upupandaway]

Slomo, this is my personal observation:

...everyone praises they are the best you can get....

A vet friend told me that Germany made their guns in WW2 'too good' with small tolerances but they would seize up as they got hot from firing. True or not, this analogy explains most all the hondas i find. It seems to be like clockwork i find them when they are 7/8yo not working. One common problem is that the rear shaft will not roll backwards dragging tearing the grass. You need to tear apart the rear shaft to clean\lube it so it will turn again. Talking about rear shaft... the variable speed box that is not 3 or 4 speed works using clutch plates just asking to wear out by 10yo.
Talking about carbs that are a PITA... Again with WW2 analogy, they made carbs that were not a straight vertical shot but instead brass tubes with multiple very small holes. Try disassembling THAT and cleaning out these holes - even filing them larger to get the engine from hunting. The recent carbs that are straight passage(obviously honda learned on this mistake) the problem is gone with recent mowers.

Jsalis - the reason yours works is that these "features" are not in yours. Yours is setup like the MTD ish design- simple gearbox+ engine. I guess honda decided to get fancy with modifying to what I have experienced.
I tossed my sx214 many moons ago because of the cost to replace the broken parts- that is after throwing the rod and i have my 82 Ariens anyway. I found it on the curb not running and fixed it so no loss.

They are like what the Houston car guy says about Mercedes - do not buy one when it is older than 4yo.

Because of the honda reputation, they are like the "green animal" brand mowers people pay more than an a comparable MTD for a used one so the repairs can be worth the trouble to flip.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Slomo, this is my personal observation:

A vet friend told me that Germany made their guns in WW2 'too good' with small tolerances but they would seize up as they got hot from firing. True or not, this analogy explains most all the hondas i find. It seems to be like clockwork i find them when they are 7/8yo not working. One common problem is that the rear shaft will not roll backwards dragging tearing the grass. You need to tear apart the rear shaft to clean\lube it so it will turn again. Talking about rear shaft... the variable speed box that is not 3 or 4 speed works using clutch plates just asking to wear out by 10yo.
Talking about carbs that are a PITA... Again with WW2 analogy, they made carbs that were not a straight vertical shot but instead brass tubes with multiple very small holes. Try disassembling THAT and cleaning out these holes - even filing them larger to get the engine from hunting. The recent carbs that are straight passage(obviously honda learned on this mistake) the problem is gone with recent mowers.

Jsalis - the reason yours works is that these "features" are not in yours. Yours is setup like the MTD ish design- simple gearbox+ engine. I guess honda decided to get fancy with modifying to what I have experienced.
I tossed my sx214 many moons ago because of the cost to replace the broken parts- that is after throwing the rod and i have my 82 Ariens anyway. I found it on the curb not running and fixed it so no loss.

They are like what the Houston car guy says about Mercedes - do not buy one when it is older than 4yo.

Because of the honda reputation, they are like the "green animal" brand mowers people pay more than an a comparable MTD for a used one so the repairs can be worth the trouble to flip.

I don't know where you get this WWII rubbish from.
The metallurgy in Germany was way , way, way in advance over the rest of the world and one of the reasons why the USA & UK industry shot ahead post WWII was we got their superiour technology .
The reason why a lot of nazi gear failed was as the war ground on and thousands of loyal Germans were killed is much of it was made by forced labour, much of which was Jewish & funny enough sabotarged where ever possible .
We like to think we win because we were better and fail to recognize just how much we were assisted by the hapless victums and concquered populations .
Sory about the abruptness of this responce but there is way too much trash on the web and the trash gets picked up, repeated thousands of times till it becomes an undisputed fact thus rubbish must be called out when ever it is posted .

As for Honda engines , I have no problem with them & I service around 100 or so walk behinds each & every year.
The carb is simple to service if you know what you are doing and way more reliable than anything fitted to any mower, save the Mikuni .
As for transmissions no comment, we only got the 2 & 3 speed drive shaft boxes or the single speed so I have no first hand experience with them.

If I could make a living by only working on locally made Australian mowers , John Deers, Hondas & EU made Husqvarnas , I would be over the moon and far more productive.

IF I never had to lay a spanner on an MTD again in my life I would be a very happy technician , but the reality is I have to service whatever customers are silly enough to buy.
Now you are more than entitled to have your own beliefs & opinions , it is a free world however a mower that fails because the owners were too lazy to do the proper maintenance is not a failure of the machine, it is a mental failure of the owners.
I have motorcycles that are over 90 years old that still function like clockwork, but if I stop doing the required routine maintenance they become scrap metal

 

[HarmonySeeker]

I cleaned and lubed the gears in the wheel hubs of my Honda Harmony 215 and my once-dragging wheels are not only moving backwards and forwards smoothly, but quiet, as well. Shocking.
Though I realize I could be lucky. The rexolite deck is light, it mulches great with the double blade and mulch plug.
Parts are pricey, I have to say. That's my biggest objection.

 

[cruzenmike]

Well to sum it up, not impressed with any model. I've tried to love them as everyone praises they are the best you can get.
I've used all deck versions and blade styles. Owned then sold a couple new commercial models that just didn't cut the mustard for me.
The engines last a long time, YES. But, they are way down on torque compared to a Briggs or the Kawi FJ-180V. Honda engines are a kick in the shins in tall grass. Even the commercial GXV160 is what I call gutless.
I have personally used what I call the "power strap" on several Honda mowers. You would know it as a bungee cord strapped directly to the throttle, held wide open. They cut much better this way in the tall stuff.
Honda engines are quiet, yes. I've noticed from the factory they only run at 2500rpm. No wonder they are so quiet and last a long time. Run one at 3600+ like a Briggs and see how long it lasts.
Bagging, forget it. The bag will never get full like a Snapper Hi Vac does every time.
Mulching, they are good but not great or class leading IMO.

What do you guys think?

slomo

Are you purely fishing for a reaction or do you legitimately have a problem with Honda mowers? First and foremost, I think you have a bit of a misunderstanding of how a mower is supposed to work. Under ideal mowing conditions, ANY mower with a sharp blade, running properly, and with a place for the clippings to go will work. Change any one of those variables and your cut quality will degrade. If you have been a member of this forum long enough, you will know that you won't get any sympathy for your FAILED attempts to properly use equipment, or if your expectations do not align with how your equipment actually works. Anyone trying to mulch grass that is 6" tall is and IDIOT if they expect it to not clump or to look good. Anyone who thinks that revving an engine to its limits and expecting it to just work better is an IDIOT. Anyone who take their own personal experience and condemns an entire company and their products despite that company and their products being "top rated" for decades, is an IDIOT.

There is a reason why Honda mowers are not only rated so high, but also beloved by MOST of their owners; they are good!

As for your own personal issues, next time just say "yeah, my Honda mower isn't working well FOR ME, so I think I am going to buy a Toro." Don't go on a rant about all of the different ways that your mowers don't work for you when it is clear to see that you don't know what you are doing or what you are talking about!!

I have owned 3 housed with different grass types, multiple Honda mowers, steel deck, plastic deck, one blade, two blade, side discharge, mulch and bag and guess what, they worked exactly as they should!!!

At the end of the day you could always go buy yourself the perfect deck, put your perfect engine on it, the blades you want and cross your fingers and hope that it even works, but I am willing to guess that it won't quite do what you think it will because A) mowers are engineered with all of their components working together and B) you sir are no engineer!!! If you were you probably wouldn't have made the post to begin with!

GOOD DAY!

 

[HarmonySeeker]

Are you purely fishing for a reaction or do you legitimately have a problem with Honda mowers? First and foremost, I think you have a bit of a misunderstanding of how a mower is supposed to work. Under ideal mowing conditions, ANY mower with a sharp blade, running properly, and with a place for the clippings to go will work. Change any one of those variables and your cut quality will degrade. If you have been a member of this forum long enough, you will know that you won't get any sympathy for your FAILED attempts to properly use equipment, or if your expectations do not align with how your equipment actually works. Anyone trying to mulch grass that is 6" tall is and IDIOT if they expect it to not clump or to look good. Anyone who thinks that revving an engine to its limits and expecting it to just work better is an IDIOT. Anyone who take their own personal experience and condemns an entire company and their products despite that company and their products being "top rated" for decades, is an IDIOT.

There is a reason why Honda mowers are not only rated so high, but also beloved by MOST of their owners; they are good!

As for your own personal issues, next time just say "yeah, my Honda mower isn't working well FOR ME, so I think I am going to buy a Toro." Don't go on a rant about all of the different ways that your mowers don't work for you when it is clear to see that you don't know what you are doing or what you are talking about!!

I have owned 3 housed with different grass types, multiple Honda mowers, steel deck, plastic deck, one blade, two blade, side discharge, mulch and bag and guess what, they worked exactly as they should!!!

At the end of the day you could always go buy yourself the perfect deck, put your perfect engine on it, the blades you want and cross your fingers and hope that it even works, but I am willing to guess that it won't quite do what you think it will because A) mowers are engineered with all of their components working together and B) you sir are no engineer!!! If you were you probably wouldn't have made the post to begin with!

GOOD DAY!

I think he's fishing for a reaction.........