Honda Buffalo Buck HRU19M1

Good reliable mower with excellent mulching capability – The key with this mower is that it is for cutting lawns not grass. So if you like to let your yard get out of hand then this is not the mower for you. If you have a lawn and like to look after it then look no further this is the one to own. Pros: it's very easy to start and it does such a wonderful job mulching I don't even bother using the… Read more

catcher.

I run a two blade setup but you can buy sets of four as well [ don't just add two more blades - they come in sets for a reason].

Weight wise it's relatively easy to move around and the wheels roll very well.

Note:

I never keep fuel for more than three weeks and I only use 95 octane unleaded. This is probably why I never have any starting or performance issues with mine like others have reported.

I change the oil and plug as per the manual and find it very easy to do.

Cons:

If you need to mow long wet grass then this is not your mower and you should look elsewhere.

If you think any old fuel you have laying around will do then this is not you mower either.

Conclusion: Great for Lawns, starts first time, easy to maintain, and works best with fresh 95 octane unleaded fuel. The mulching ability of the mower is wonderful so of you don't like emptying a catcher this is the mower for you. For those that let the grass grow long or insist on mowing wet lawns this is not the mower for you.

What a machine, I LOVE THIS MOWER!!! – After getting my 300sqm backyard re-turfed, it was time to upgrade my old B&S mower to a new mower. I already had the Honda UMK425 Brushcutter for 3 years and is working perfectly each time, it's never skipped a beat. So it made sense to get a Honda mower and after a lot of research I decided to go for the HRU19M1, and WHAT A MACHINE!!! I love… Read more ·  1

it! After 3 mows already, I now know why they cost so much. The alloy deck makes it very sturdy and strong, starts first time every time and sounds great. Very simple to use, no need to prime the engine and no use for a throttle (I found that a waste really)...just pull the cord and it starts. I think the best part is cleaning the mower, no need for tipping it on its side or lifting it to wash yourself. Just place your garden hose in the wash port, start the engine and you see it getting cleaned with all the water.

The chute isn't as big of a deal as people say, all you need to do is just get an extra 2 blades installed on the mower to cut the grass much finer, and it'll suck into the catcher much better.

Don't hesitate in buying a Honda mower, I can't wait to use it again and definitely will be recommending it to family and friends! Just can't wait to buy the Honda HHB25 Blower now, then I'll have the lot!

Tip Honda - I think you should have the 4 blades as standard on the mower, instead of 2. It doesn't cost much, just $20 extra. (I was fortunate to have that chucked in for free at the time of buying the mower). Also, maybe offer package deals or additional perks (like branded accessories) if customers want to buy multiple power equipment.

Happy Mowing Everyone!!!

Buy if you love mowing the lawn longer than before – If you want to spend more time mowing the lawn then buy a new Honda, because this newer design will clog up before the cuttings go into the catcher whether the grass is excessively dry, large, thick or even slightly moist under growth. The Mower Body discharge area has been drastically reduced compared to the older models which in turn clogs very… Read more

easily therefore one has to bend down and clear, then refit the catcher before starting again. Mentioned this to my Hervey Bay dealer who of course replied he hadn't had anyone mention this yet, go figure. When it does clog up, the engine starts to scream as it very quickly gets too hot due to the blockage. Also the Safety Lever? bracket digs into my abdominal area when turning round and has left some black bruises. I very much regret buying this mower and would strongly recommend others look for a mower that has a full discharge area.

Why any Design Engineer would restrict the discharge area as they have done here is beyond me.

And please don't ask me for further info Honda, I filled in and sent your survey back to you regards this and Honda never ever replied to me.

Great job – Good cuts dry or wet, high or low. Catcher is just big enough, however solid. Starts most times first go, but don't leave it idle to long as it heats up rapidly. Always clean under deck as blades will stay sharper for longer. Copes with lawn and shabby rentals grass. 6/10. Show details ·  1

Great mower – Easy to use, easily the best mower I have ever used. Top quality, easy to refill. Only downside is the catcher fills up only half way when the grass is too thick. But still a great mower. I use the mulching attachment alot and works great. Show details

Good, reliable unit – Had mower now for 9 months, block of land is half an acre, easy pull start and cuts grass easily even when wet. Dont catch grass in catcher, use it on its mulch setting. Show details

Good, but not great – - I have had this mower for a little over 2 years now and wish I didn't buy it. Spend a bit extra and get the HRU196. - The engine is great but has no throttle control. Additionally if you start the mower then 'let go' of the bar it will not start again. It floods easily. You will have to remove the spark plug and pull a few times, put the… Read more

spark plug back in and then you're good.

- The body is great, yet the folding mechanism is a joke. You literally have to unscrew the two side bolts until they are on the last tread for it to fold up.

- And yes, ladies and gents, the big one, that bloody chute. Need I say more. If there is the SLIGHTEST and I mean SLIGHTEST bit of moisture in your grass this thing will clog up quicker than the Monash Freeway.

My advise, if you want a Honda mower, don't buy this one. You will be disappointed. Buy once and buy right. Get the HRU196.

I am a big fan of Honda – Every time I am in the market I prefer to buy Honda without a doubt but this time a made a mistake as this model has very good specs, very powerful but the chute was small and can't handle wet grass. I mean technically who mows in wet grass but in winter months it happens and trust me u don't want to keep cleaning the chute after every 5 minutes specially when u spend $1100. NO NO  Show details

Doesn't live up to the Honda Hype – After purchasing a Honda 4 stroke trimmer and being impressed with it, I purchased a Honda Mulch n Catch to replace my aging and rusty Victa Hawk. For an alloy base Mower it is very heavy, both to lift and transport, and to manoeuvre. The blade brake is frustrating to the point of me clamping it on and the lack of any sort of throttle nothing… Read more

short of ridiculous. The chute is simply too small and clogs easily whether the grass is wet or dry, constantly stopping the Mower to empty the catcher and clear the chute makes an hour job take nearly double. I've since sold it on Gumtree and replaced it with a classic Victa Pace. Half the cost and legendary Victa reliability. However Honda do make the best engines in the business, it's a real shame they have over complicated what could be a magic machine.

Great mower – Have used Honda equipment for a couple of decades now. I do like the older model mower for use and this model I can not fault. Cuts great, nice balanced machine when the catcher is full and starts first time every time. Show details

Can't love with out – it always starts first time. I have had my mower for the past 2 years and will always buy a Honda. I sent a few improvements to be done and it has so thank you Honda power team Show details

Starts first time everything as promised – Fantastic mower. Easy to start, nice and easy to push around, great catcher and that brilliant Honda quality and reliability. Our yard is not the biggest but using this mower is always nice and easy and the catcher is one of the largest ones I have used. And say goodbye to the hard to start frustrations of the older style mowers as this bad boy starts first time every time.  Show details

Great mower – I love this mower! It's easy to start, easy to use, offers precision cutting, and as long as it is maintained with regular services it never has an issue. Look after the mower & it looks after you. There is not a day I regret buying a Honda mower and will never buy anything but again. Thank you Honda!  Show details

Excellent Mower. Honda 1st in the Market – Mower cuts great. Starts easy. Well built. Never had any problems for three years now. forget over brands spend a bit more to get an excellent mower. Very easy to manoeuvre and with great ease. straight edged cutting area.easy. I am very pleased with my purchase and i would definitely recommend this mower.  Show details

Great mower – Very happy wih the mowers cutting results. Very easy to maneuver and with great ease. Very easy to operate and to maintain is very quick and easy. I am very pleased with my purchase and i would definitely recommend this mower to friends , family andall fellow work colleagues .  Show details

Great Honda Reliability – It is a pleasure to use and always starts first pop. It has a precision feel to cutting which the cheaper mowers don't come close to. The catcher design works well even with overgrown or damp grass and seems to compress the catch. I am about to go and do the lawns this morning and I will be using the Honda and actually look forward to it whereas with my old Rover it was a chore. A good solid quality machine.  Show details

Ever reliable Honda – The first Honda mower I purchased gave up after 23 years of mowing an acre of lawn. Pretty good effort so I purchased another and it has not missed a beat since I purchased it about 2 years ago. I expect this to last longer as it is visibly a stronger mower and using it as a mulcher mower gives me a clean cut surface even on tough Kikuyu lawn. Starts first time every time and is used weekly.  Show details

Beat it – I've had tis mower for 2-3years & never mist a beat.very happy with it.clean it every time u use it & you'll never.have a problem with it. Very impressed. Starts straight up every time.does the job that i nead it to do.so impressed with honda i bought a brush cutter.  Show details

Great Build Quality – Superb build quality, so nice I hate getting it dirty lol. Aluminum Alloy deck is very nicely made, if anything over engineerd as mower is a little on the heavy side, maybe not ideal for the women. Cold starts takes 3-4 pulls Hot starts 1-2 pulls. Easy to change the oil and do general maintenace on. Leaves grass looking very nice. People… Read more

complain about chute clogging on cutting wet grass, but cutting grass when wet is silly anyway so.... Only thing i don't like is the catcher as it is not as easy to empty as a plastic catcher as grass gets stuck between metal frame and cover and you need to drag it out by hand.

Good Service from Allmowers Dee Why also.

Great mower – i cant fault this product. it cuts with breeze with short and longer grass. money well spent for the price. very easy to maintain along with starting the mower. the catcher can hold a decent amount of cuttings but you need to make sure you have all the grass clippings out the shoot.  Show details

Excellent mower – This lawn mower is amazing and has excellent cutting results. The lawn mower is light weight and very easy to maneuver for anyone. I love the safety feautures too get it to start and how easy it is to operate. It is a really great pi rchase and i recommend this product as it really works  Show details

Perfect Mower – This is my second Honda Mower, my last Honda I had for 9.5 years and just passed it on to my son. It never missed a beat in all those years, at the start of each season I would install plug oil filter and new blades and away I go. I believe you get what you pay for and I am completely happy with the performance and longevity of the mower.I can see… Read more

now why all the contractors have Honda mowers. I went back to the shop a week later and got a brushcutter as well and completely happy with it as well.if you need a new mower but one you won’t regret it.Currently on special price so that helps the decision. AAA Rating all round.

Easy to operate – We could not be happier with this mower. It's easy to maneuver, easy to operate and maintain, and it cuts better than any other mower we've owned. It starts easily as well. It's quite solid so it's a bit heavier than we expected it to be but that's not entirely a bad thing.  Show details

HONDA HONDA HONDA !!!!! – Bought a used Buffalo buck, First Honda, always wanted a redtop. Man - Easy start 1 soft pull and ALWAYS goes!!..Mulch option is FANTASTIC. I never use the catcher now!! After roughly 6 - 8 mows my yards look THICKER and GREENER. Wash port is great idea. This mower convinced me to buy a NEW UMS25 Whipper snipper that is excactly the same.. Starts… Read more

first pull every time ( choke on and one squeeze of trigger) ( like starting a carburetor car.). LOVE yard work now..Prayin for rain just to use my Hondas!! HEY HONDA.. How bout a HAT or T-SHIRT to pose to my mates !!!!

Waste of time and money – The mower has potential to cut the grass if only it worked. It starts easy then after 5 minutes starts surging then just stops. You then have to leave it an hour or more before you can start it again. Have taken it back to service people 5 times already. They can't find a problem. I think the mower is just faulty and should be recalled. I want my… Read more

money back. We spent a lot of money on this mower so I would have an easy job of mowing the lawn. All I have is trouble.

Very capable Mulching Mower – I have had Honda mowers for years and they have been fabulously reliable and work perfectly. My existing mower is 20plus years old and still starts first time. I have a large block and decided to look into mulching mowers. After much research - possibly obsessive- I settled on this one. It has not disappointed. Even the engine stop mechanism,… Read more ·  1

which I was concerned about, is no issue as the mower starts first time with just a gentle half pull.

I have not used it with the catcher so don't know if it works as well in this mode.

Terrible mower – Add me to the long list of owners who hate this mower. I bought mine a couple of years ago and have regretted it ever since. The chute continually clogs if the grass is the slightest bit damp. It takes me twice as long to cut the lawn because I'm forever having to remove the catcher to unblock the chute. The mower doesn't start easily, on… Read more

average at least 6 pulls. It has now developed a problem where the engine won't shut off, I'm guessing the throttle cable has slipped and needs adjustment. The mower has only seen around 25 hours use so it's hardly broken in. My old $400 Victa 4 stroke walks all over this mower for ease of use and reliability. I won't be buying a Honda again.

Very good – Honda HRU 19M is my first mower. I have been using it for 3 years on 1000 sq meter block. Cut is very good (I have 4 blades and change them about early). I only use mulcher and have never used the bag - The 4 blades shred cut grass well before mulcher's airflow pushes the cuttings down in to grass. I clean my mower after every use and dry it by… Read more ·  2

running engine for few minutes (this gets rid of petrol that's in pipe, as well).

I change oil, air filter and spark annually. Every now and then I put a bit of WD40 on wheel bearings and other moving parts. Mower works and looks as new. Good value; bought at Gosford Mowers & Chainsaws - good advice and service; nice people. Would buy same again. Quite impressed with the mowers performance I will buy Honda brush-cutter (straight shaft ) this year; as soon as it's on attractive a sale.

Amazing mower – Perfect machine. I was gifted one 3 years ago, and have loved every cut its done for me. I found the annual servicing to be way too expensive, so read the manual and started doing my own servicing on it, one tenth the price (and much more fun). Didn't buy the mulching attachment, but collecting the leaves and rolling over them once seems to do… Read more ·  1

what I need. Easy to clean, which is important to me, super easy to operate. Hopefully I'll never need to buy another mower, but I'd absolutely promote this one to anyone asking.

Works Well But Has a Few Issues – After buying several cheap Lawn Mowers that failed over time, I was excited to finally buy my Honda Buffalo Buck. I chose the HRU19M because of the mulching plug option. Pros - Strong body - Strong handlebars - Quiet - Very easy to start. The easiest mower I have ever started in fact. Cons - It's Heavy. A normal person will struggle… Read more ·  1

to lift this mower to put it into a vehicle for service or repair.

- Large handle bar folding configuration is badly designed and will not fold low enough to fit into the boot of some sedans or smaller cars easily. The weight just compounds the issue.

- The mower does not eject lawn into the catcher well due to the small opening at the rear. Not much of a problem if you live in a dry area of Australia, and you mow maybe twice a week. Any moisture in the grass will cause it to clump up at the chute leaving your catcher half empty.

The only other thing you need to know about this mower is to make sure your spark plug and air filter are clean. These mowers will surge if they have a dirty plug or filter.

Honda - so disappointing! – I was extremely excited to buy a Honda Lawnmower after so many people recommended them to me. I chose the HRU19M1 due to the mulching capability. Unfortunately, there are several disappointing features I need to warn potential consumers about. I will outline the pros and the cons because there are both. Pros - Strong body - Strong… Read more

handlebars

- Quiet

- Very easy to start

Cons

- Heavy. A normal person will struggle to lift this mower to put it into a vehicle for service or repair.

- Large handle bar configuration is badly designed and will not fold small enough to put into a compact car such as a Ford Focus sedan (old Masport I/C fitted easily into this car). This is a real pain and needs to be re-engineered. Every time I need to go back to the mower shop, I need to walk the mower 3.5 kms. Do not consider this mower if you don't have a station wagon and another person to help you lift it or alternatively a ramp.

- The engine is very fussy with fuel. If you keep your unleaded in a fuel can more than 5 weeks you will experience starting and idling problems.

- The biggest problem is the automatic choke. My first auto choke lasted 8 months before jamming and needing to be replaced. It used to belch out black smoke. Got the choke replaced under warranty and told that the new choke "counter measure" will be fine. New choke lasted 11 months until it too started to jam and blow black smoke. Back to the mower shop (yes another 3.5 km walk).

- The engine brake, although required for safety regulations is a pain.

- The mower does not eject lawn into the catcher well due to a small opening at the rear. Be prepared to empty the catcher frequently. I got the big bag option fitted which is better but I now can no longer mulch.

I would very much like to talk to a Honda mower engineer to fully explain my grievances as I think (with some clever improvements) this mower could be so much better. I hope that Honda rep will read and respond to my post.

Awesome mower, Kills any Briggs and Stratton motor – Compared Victa mustang (with honda motor) & honda HRU19 range of mower. Variable torque of honda motor is awesome (saves heaps of fuel too). Ironically some moron stole two of four blades and the mower still mows fantastically well on two blades My old mower was a victa quadcut with B&S motor. Petrol tank would be empty half way through my mow,… Read more ·  4

honda last twice as long. Honda is half the noise of the B&S engine

The engine stop is something I think honda had to do (assumable in response to some person getting their hand/fingers cut off). I think the blade stop would be better, the work around is a piece or rope of Velcro strip to keep motor going when emptying the bag.

This machine is built well and easy to use, so easy in fact my wife can mow the lawns (very happy with that)

When the lawns are wet I switch to mulching mode, allows me to mow in wet conditions. The chute hole in honda's retail models are smaller than victa or masport hence needs to be cleared more often in wet conditions. In other brand models you will need to empty the hard catchers more often.

B&S motor floods all the time, if you tip beyond 45 degrees (ie going up and downstairs) you will need to wait up to ten minutes before you restart your motor...very frustrating to use and wastes time. Honda starts first go

Honda's are much easier to repair and change oil in them.

All in all great machine!

Really regret getting Victa Mustang mower for farm...selling it for a commercial honda lawn mowing machine Reliable, fuel efficient, cheap to run, well built high availability of parts Engine stop annoys some, I had no issue with it

A mower made by someone who has never mowed – So I only bought this mower a few days ago and really wish I did more research into it before hand. My main complaint is the ridiculous engine brake that requires the arm under the handle to be engaged to run the mower, if you let go then the mower will turn off within 3 seconds. It sounds ok on paper but start mowing and you see how unpractical… Read more

this is. Say you are mowing and see a stick ahead that needs to be removed, you walk away to get it and the mower has turned off straight away. I really question the longevity of the mower for the constant starting that will be required and all though its first start now I doubt it will be first start in 5-10 years as with other Honda's I have used. As a somewhat fix to this problem I have put a cable tie around the handle and the safety arm that I then move down when I want to turn the mower off. it does get somewhat annoying though to have a cable tie resting on your hand while you mow.

The other issue I have is the auto choke, once again straight out of the box that's all good and well but in the future I want to be able to use the choke to diagnose problems and determine how well the mower is running, the absence of the choke also means the only way to shut the mower off is via the safety bar unless you pull the spark plug.

If you like to fold the handle bars up for storage or transport your mower around then you wont like the mechanism for this. You practically need to remove the the screws off the thread to get enough room to pivot the handles over, this is more tedious than any mower I have used.

The actual mower mows very well, its a strong motor and does a great job of mulching. It's sturdy and the wheels don't feel as though they will fall off. Others have mentioned the ease of emptying the catcher and I'll have to somewhat disagree, if you fill it to 90% capacity then the grass will easily tip out unless you hold it up at as your removing it but you'll still spill some.

Until Honda remove this engine brake I cannot recommend this mower to anyone. Sturdy, strong engine, mulcher works well, cuts grass like a breeze. Engine break that must be engaged for the mower to be on (hands must be on at all times or it turns off), handle bars do not fold easily, auto choke will not be ideal in the long term.

Great – I have used honda mowers professionally for years and have never had a problem with one . They do great job on all types of lawn and are easy to use . Show details