Honda Buffalo Classic HRU196

Perfect lazy gardeners lawn mower – I have had this lawn mower for 10 years never had a issue with it very little maintenance. Use the mower weekly during summer and a lot less frequent during winter. I have only change the blades, pull cord, oil and cleaned out the filter every three or four years. It starts every time all the time even after long periods of not using it during winter starts first time every time. I clean my mower after every cut so I don't have any problems with the catcher blocking up the next time I use it. Just remember everything mechanical needs to be maintained there is no magic about it. Just like taking care of your lawn you need to maintain it for it to look good and serve you well.

First time I have purchased a Honda Lawn mower and I am very disappointed – Same as other reviews, the shoot continually blocks and doesn't pick up the grass clippings. I mow my lawn every 2 weeks when its is dry, and it is still a burden. It also seems to be under powered and I have returned mower to dealer in Bunbury W.A. regularly complaining of low throttle speed, as I thought that this was the reason for grass blockage, nothing has improved. Also my clothes continually get caught on the protruding throttle cable guide. Very disappointed. It is no longer a pleasure to mow my lawn.

One of the best Petrol Mower i ever had – I bought this Honda HRU 196 Blade brake mower in September 2021 and i have been using it, need to mowe only once and very nice one and still start in one pull. Only issue i am having is, it very heavier, around 45kg and hard to push or pull sometime. I could have got the self propelled version of this, but i like the GXV engine and alloy 19inch chassis are built like a tank. Show details

Excellent Mower – The HRU196M1 is a 19" push steel-base blade-brake (not engine stop) with a plastic catcher and a full-width chute. Built like a tank, but weighs about the same - this is not the one you want if you need to lift it in and out of the car all the time. It's also quite heavy to push, so may not the the choice for cutting long/spongey lawns such as… Read more

deep buffalo - but perfect for my (very) large short-cut kikuyu lawn. Contrary to other comments about problems picking up grass and wet cutting, I have no such issues. I suspect that some of the confusion comes with the various models and the options for how mulching-mode is enabled, and the blades to use for each. The HRU196M1 uses a manual mulching plug, so it's not possible to mix mulching with catching, but HRX and HRN models use a lever to change modes, and I've heard stories of people using the wrong setting. Honda make 2 types of blades for the HRU196 - low-lift and high-lift - the former is for mulching and the latter for catching - using the high-lift blades makes all the difference for catching. The one point I am disappointed with is the air-intake design. The single filter intake at engine level means that it clogs up pretty easily if cutting in dusty environments. Easily cleaned in a couple of minutes with a leaf blower, but the higher intake that was used on earlier models would be appreciated.

Great mower, however the catcher keeps falling off – I bought this Honda Commercial mower about 6 months ago as I wanted a quality mower that would last and get the job done. The mower has been great. It starts first time and gets through most tough grass, however the catcher (hard plastic Australian model) now will just fall off when you are in the middle of mowing and you almost fall over it when… Read more

it drops off as there are only two small plastic bits that hold the catcher on. This is very very very frustrating when you are in the middle of mowing the lawn and have to stop continuously as the catcher is going to fall off. This can almost double your mowing time as you have to stop all the time. I would have thought by buying a Honda Commercial mower which is around $1200 would not have this issue. The main function of the mower is to cut and catch the grass in the catcher and I would not have thought I would need to use a jockey strap to hold the catcher on.

Has anyone else had this issue with there catcher or know of a way to resolve the issue?

I love this lawn mower so much if i could i would park it up in my bedroom – I always own a honda lawn mower and this one is the best one ever i always can't wait to mow my lawn next time around. Very impress with it Show details

Great reliable lawn mower – I’ve owned this mower from new for about 15 years & it is excellent. Starts easily, the totally reliable very powerful & can’t fault it. Honda are pure quality & well worth the money. Show details

A good mower after a couple of modifications – I had similar issues as others I have had with the poor quality of catching grass, but I did the following which improved the mowers performance. 1) I had the dealer lift the revs by about 10% after warranty expired. 2) I am in Darwin where there is a wet and dry season and only use a wet weather Dacron bag in the wet season as it has no plastic… Read more

bottom or top cover and the flow of air through the catcher helped pick up wet grass. 3) Make sure that 4 Hi Lift blades in good condition are installed. All the above fixed my issues so I am okay with using this mower now.

this is a fair weather mower, leave it at home when wetter – mower doesn't catch well as lawn gets wetter, good when conditions are good. its heavy, and cost a lot, not this one ever again Show details

Pile of crap – It's a utter complete crap mower the throttle keeps slipping the handle bars were twisted, I rang the dealership up they said that there will be someone up hmmm..still waiting Show details

perfect for me – It's a bit heavy for me as a senior citizen so I can't lift it into my ute therefore have to do all maintenance and work myself. I learned quickly and it's pretty simple. West Coast, South Island, NZ where the rough wet land is a challenge. Not so for the 196, I love it. Used weekly in summer and on dry days in winter so it gets a lot of use. I… Read more

can not fault it. Thanks Honda, the best mower ever for me. Hint: Do not lend it to anyone!! They don't want to give it back.

Love this thing – OK worst part of this mower is $1300 price tag but its worth it! Excellent mower that starts with little effort and gives a great result! not had any issues with out honda gear (Mower, whipper snipper, fire pump and generator) all start first go! Without a doubt people have issues but doubt they would be huge!!! Only thing is the mower is… Read more

much much louder than my old Victa Sport with the Fiat engine (Tecumseh motor). Suggest Hearing protection or deafen yourself with the iPod.

Would pay the extra and get the blade brake rather than the engine brake.

Wouldn't trade this mower for anything

Worst mower – Absolute rubbish. Bought this one online and had it delivered. Too heavy! Automatic choke sticks and it won’t start after using for a while. Have to remove the filter and use a screwdriver to poke in it to open it and get it going again. Can’t adjust the throttle. Show details

Mowing with ease – This mower was purchased as an additional mower as we needed to try and transport our original mower to to in-laws house every week and this was getting to be a problem. We have had it over 18 months now and it has not missed a beat. Starts most times first pull if not on the second. The blade brake is a great safety feature. servicing has not… Read more

been a problem. We change the Air Filter regularly as the area mowed is usually quit dusty. We only fill it up at the start of the day as It seems to run forever on a tank of fuel.. The only down side is the catcher is a bit difficult to empty when it is full to the max. Saying that it picks up every blade of grass. In the wet it it probably picks up 95% of what is cut.

My go to – Used daily and its my go to every time. Best lawnmower Ive had and would buy it again and again. Great on all terrain, dry and wet, and never let me down so far. Good on fuel. Catcher could be a little bigger but not a big enough issue to bother me. Show details

Long lasting and easy start, as expected from Honda Mowers – Our Mower is used weekly and has had minimal maintenance and even so, has been very reliable and my wife can start it easily first or second pull every time. Only issues we have had is when the air filter becomes blocked with dust and the chock butterfly was sticky, causing low power and the spark plug to fowl up. Once I discovered that the choke… Read more

was always on and fixed that, it has been great again. The blades ware quite quickly, especially when mower where there is not good grass cover (sand) and unless the catcher blades are not new, it will not fill the catcher. the loop to hold the pull start cord hangs out the side and has been broken off from being hooked on fences over the years. when in dust the air cleaner blocks up quickly, but the newer models have the snorkel that will improve this.

While this is not used as a commercial mower, I have estimated that it has travelled in excess of 6000km, likely closer to 10,000km and still going, although last week the height adjusted has worn out and needs replacing. It has just simply worn the catch out and broken off. Hopefully I can buy a new one and not be stuck using cable ties to hold it in place.

Mower is good, catcher is crap – The catcher is bad enough to put you into a fit of rage. Won't throw all the way to the back, only ever half fills, even after cleaning the screen. Love the mower, hate the catcher. My advice would be to spend the extra for the next model, or look at another brand.  Show details

Runs like a dream – This was a replacement for my 32 year old Suzuki Two Stroke. Another legendary mower but the Honda starts first time everytime. I use the mulching plug so that I dont need the catcher. Its so good that I almost enjoy mowing which I never did with the old mower. A fantastic product  Show details

Love this mower – I have had this mower 4 years, its been good to use. It starts fast time its never let me down and its always been easy to start. Its never run out of fuel because it takes a lot of fuel I can mow a big lawn with it easy.  Show details

Bought mine 10 years ago. No problems !! – The Honda 196P Push Petrol Lawn Mower is one of the best heavy duty lawn mowers in the market. Built to mow in the toughest of conditions, features the 4 stroke OHV GXV160 engine and guarantees to start the first time. Ideal for medium and large lawns as well as for serious contractors. Weighing in at 34 kg, this Honda Lawn Mower offers a 19-inch cutting width and 163cc.  Show details

Bad mower. Doesn't cut. Doesn't catch – Worst decision in a long time. Thought I'd buy a premium mower at more than $1100. Only thing good is that it starts easy. I upgraded to 4 blades from 2 and still does not pick up the grass, just blocks the tiny shut for anything more than the smallest cut..... even in the dry! Very heavy for a push mower. I am so frustrated with the mower that I… Read more

now mow/mulch and then hand rake up the grass!!!! I was told the motor is commercial grade, maybe it will last, however, it is not powerful and when the grass is thick the safety blade brake starts to slip!!! Once it has started to slip it generates heat from the friction and slips even more!

It's a good mower – Good mower to be honest. Mines been back under warranty a few times for the governor shaft leaking oil out around the shaft. Know out of warranty and it's still leaking and they don't want to know about it. Disappointed to be honest. Other than that hasn't let me down..  Show details

Great mower – Upgraded from an old Rover, this thing is amazing, starts so easy, makes light work of my tough buffalo, only con is the arm folding feature, very difficult to Fold for storage. I highly recommend this product, great safety features too. I like the simplicity, no choke, no primer, just pull the chord and away you go, well done Honda!  Show details

As a professional, there is only one choice. Honda – I've used a lot of mowers in my time. From the trusty HRU194, the HRU195 and now for the last 18 months, the ever brilliant HRU196M1 with the handy as heck blade brake. There are two types of folks in this world. Folks who use and love Honda mowers and folks who don't know how to use one. So many people I've seen complain about these mowers… Read more

have either left the mulch plug in before mowing, not adjusted the height of the mower relative to the grass height, mowed when soaking wet or simply not taken care of the mower appropriately. There's a fuel tap for a reason, yo!

Make no mistake, potential buyer, this mower, when used, maintained and treated correctly will give you YEARS of reliable and trouble free service. Know your product and know your job and you'll have a lawn that will be the envy of your street.

Solid mower - should give a long life based on experience with the original still going strong – The mower cuts well - handles wet grass ok. I use this commercially, and bought as I still own the original version since 1986 ( which I also used commercially and now continues to do home duty-still starts 1st time). The original is still going, and still cuts the grass at home, the new one I use commercially in paddocks and out in the bush… Read more

around public infrastructure when growth is too heavy for a brushcutter (35cc 4 stroke honda - which can really smash!).

Pros - Reliable robust frame material clears the chute ok - same frame as the original (can choke on wet heavy tussock grasses eg avena) starts always compact for its power - and has the power Cons - weight 44kg (hence robust) (I use a board as a ramp to roll up into a twincab ute) do not like the engine brake on the new model (has to be held to keep mower running - has to be released to stop engine - double side velcro strap solves) - price can be an issue but to me still value for $