New Models From Honda (2013 Hondas)

[stygz]

I don't get why they make them like this.

When the mower starts I want the blade spinning.

Why do you need to stop the blades but not the engine ???

(( racing is the only sport that you need two balls ))

You would also want this feature when you are bagging the clippings. Stop blades, empty bag, engage blades.

If you dont like that feature you may be able to return/exchange it get the model below it without the blade brake. The HRX and HRR line both offer that option.

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

You would also want this feature when you are bagging the clippings. Stop blades, empty bag, engage blades.

Oh, yeah. I forgot to include the most important reason why it's nice to have a mower with a blade brake clutch...thanks for reminding me stygz! Yes, it really comes in handy when you are bagging. Definitely when you are bagging lots of leaves where the bag gets filled up very quickly....you will be glad you bought a mower with a BBC!

 

[stygz]

I was at HD the other day. They had a HRX217VKA3___ instock. I see now Honda is out with version HRX217VKA4_____. What was the updates?

 

[MisterEdF]

To engage the blades you have to hold in the yellow button on the blade control lever and push the bar in. And to tip it over you tip it so the air filter is facing up and the muffler is facing down.

Thanks for the help. I think I wasn't pushing the yellow button until AFTER I moved the bar. I'll play some more today.

 

[MisterEdF]

Thanks for the help. I think I wasn't pushing the yellow button until AFTER I moved the bar. I'll play some more today.

YEP! That was it. Live and learn. :ashamed:

 

[bwdbrn1]

YEP! That was it. Live and learn. :ashamed:

:thumbsup:

 

[robert@honda]

I was at HD the other day. They had a HRX217VKA3___ instock. I see now Honda is out with version HRX217VKA4_____. What was the updates?

The "4" is the most current version. The "3" has been discontinued (and may be discounted).

Two differences: The "3" uses an internal cone-clutch to adjust speed, while the newer "4" uses a belt-tension design. The "3" weighs about 1 lb. more than the "4" and otherwise, they are identical for all other features, controls, etc.

 

[robert@honda]

Why not just buy the clip that goes on the lever so you can let go and not shut the mower off?

In the 1970s, the US Consumer Product Safety Comish. made a rule: New mowers would need to be engineered so it would be next to impossible for an operator to stick there hands or feet anywhere near a spinning mower blade. Most mowers today simply kill the engine when you let go of the spring-loaded blade lever on the handlebars, so the blades and engine both stop spinning before you can get in trouble. In the industry, these are called "Flywheel brake" mowers, since a clamp/brake system is used to grip and stop the engine at the flywheel.

Better mowers use a blade clutch, which stops the just blade when you let go, but keeps the engine running. The beauty of this set-up is you don't have to pull-start the engine every time you have to let go of the handlebars (empty the bag, move a Frisebee out of the yard, etc.). These models are called "blade-stop-models" or in the case of Honda, "Roto-Stop" (a trademarked name). Because of the extra cost to mfg. the clutch, most blade-stop-models are about $75-$100 more than Flywheel Brake models.

NEVER defeat a safety device on a mower. Dozens of people every year lose fingers, toes, and get injured by defeating blade control devices. :thumbdown:

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

YEP! That was it. Live and learn. :ashamed:

I'm glad you figured out what it was! :thumbsup:

 

[GatorRay]

Yes, if it has the same Clip Director, you would be able to do full mulch, full bag/rear discharge, or any combo in between. For example, it says in the manual and in videos that if you want to shread leaves you just have to set the knob to 1 setting to the left of full mulch, and it will circulate the leaves (and cut them up smaller and smaller) until they can get through the opening into the bag. Personally I just put it on full bag and do it, though. I love the blade stop on my mower! It is good, like you said, when you are bagging leaves, because when you don't have to keep on restarting it, so it saves gas AND your arm! Also if you want to grab a drink of water or pick up a stick off the ground....it is one of my favorite features on my HRX! :thumbsup:

This is my first post on my new Honda HRX217 VLA. It replaced an older "T" PPace recycler with a Tecumseh 6.5 "hp" engine. I got my new Honda at a local big box store. The staff was exceedingly helpful, reasonably knowledgeable and let me install the oil and a little stabilized gas right there in the store so I could demo the electric start mechanism. True to form, it fired right up. We were all impressed. They loaded it into my truck and off I went. I have mowed twice now. The first time not realizing the wheel settings were about an inch and a half lower than my previous mower settings so I inadvertently did a near scalp mode. The chute clogged up and I had to do a bit of flushing when I was finished. I waited over 10 days to mow the second time with the setting now at 3 1/2 inches based on the
numbers. I did a 100% mulch using the Versamow lever. It did a fine job. It was equal to my old mower's super mulching. This time there was hardly any grass residue under the deck or around the chute. I just took off too much the first time without realizing it. I have about 0.2 acres on my lot totaling about 3200-3300 ftｲ to mow. It took me a little less than 45 minutes almost equal to my older 22 inch mower time. The electric start feature is really nice. You must pull the blade stop lever back to engage the electric start and you must be on a fairly low grass or concrete surface to permit the blades to turn as the electric motor is not superpowerful. That isn't a negative for me. It is simply a fact and something that the new user should consider for this mower. The fact that you don't have to plug in the battery for recharging is a super efficient engineering feat. The Nexite deck appears extremely durable. You might think that a plastic deck would be hazardous with a rotating blade but it is very solid and I believe it is actually heavier than my previous 22 inch mower with a steel deck (prone to rusting out x3 for that single brand.(That, in fact, is the principal reason I switched to the Honda Nexite deck as I was tired of having to repair the steel deck even though I was meticulous in washing off the grass/fertilizer/lime residues after every mowing for the 6 1/2 years of ownership on the last mower). I'll be anxious to see how it performs gathering/mulching leaves in the fall. The instruction say that I should elevate the wheels of the front of the deck slightly relative to the back so it will "scoop leaves in better. Makes sense. Maybe it'll cut down my leaf collecting/vacuuming/mulching with my corded vacuum mulch or unit. As far as the blade stop feature goes, this model does not have it. To be honest, I would not want that feature and did not seek it simply for the fact that if I stop to do something i.e. obstacle, hazard, put out an engine fire, etc. I don't want the engine running at all. The electric start eliminates that motor stays on feature as far as I'm concerned. I don't find it desirable. How do you turn off the unit other than turning the fuel stopcock off. It takes my mower nearly 2 minutes to shut down when I turned off the stopcock to eliminate fuel going to the carburetor . What happens when there is a fire etc. What about inadvertently running over a metallic object and not realizing it then re-engaging the blade only to have it eject forcefully? I see the engine continuing to run even though the blades have stopped as a hazard and I'm glad my mower shuts down when I release the safety bar. I guess it's a matter of "different strokes for different folks". I'm looking forward to many many years of reliable Honda lawn mowing.