Honda Buffalo Classic HRU196M1 (L/R, Blade Brake)

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

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.

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

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

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.

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 $

CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT YOU – This Honda mower is the best mower I have ever owned, heaps of power and so quite, the mower cuts very clean and fills the catcher full as a googe even wet grass packs in tight, the Honda is so easy to clean by putting the hose in the deck hole, starts first time every time, well done Honda.  Show details

HONDA HRU 196 HAD LOTS OF HARD WORK BUT AS NEVER LET ME DOWN.... VERY GOOD MACHINE – "Honda HRU196 Buffalo Classic" with GXV160 Easy Start engine, PURCHASED 13 May 2004. The lawnmower as worked as a grasscutting contractors lawnmower in Darwin N.T. in extremely hot and dusty & tough conditions. It as NEVER let me down, it as a "STRONG cast iron bore engine" which as always started 1st time every time. With a change of oil and… Read more

changing the air filter, the HRU 196 as gone on and on. I have just sold the mower today, as in the heat here in Darwin, it is myself that as been retired rather than the Honda HRU 196 lawnmower. PLEASE NOTE this model was BEFORE Honda started developing a half shute which continually blocked on later models and before Honda put a blade break on the machine, WHY I do not know, possibly due to users whom do not have enough intelligence to not put there hand under the mower when the blades are still turning? O.H.and safety too much!, which affixing the blade brake as apparently caused other issues, fortunately my machine was before they brought in such a stupid fixture, the model I speak of was simple strong and reliable. Today when it was SOLD, it still started 1st time and the purchaser walked away happy with there purchase!

Like the old but better – The 19 inch special edition heritage is a very good mower, I've reviewed my five year old previous modal with the fabric catcher and half shute in product review. This newer modal that I've had a year has the old style plastic catcher, full shute width, engine braking, you can mow the lawn a notch shorter with the same ease and its lighter, same… Read more

reliability, it makes a difference in effort required compared to the other honda, you'll be lucky to find the heritage as it's a special edition, but it's a good improvement.

I regret my purchase decision – This is my third Honda lawnmower. Every mower has got progressively worse. Current one won't start and has always been difficult to start. If you are lucky, you may be able to find a Honda HRU150 in good condition. This is the one that Honda established its reputation on and has not been able to produce one as user friendly or reliable since.  Show details

High Quality Engine. Superb finish to lawn, when it works – After owning Victa and Rover mowers, I bought this Honda mower brand new from a Honda Dealer about a year ago, and had used it quite a lot since then. This is a very heavy lawnmower (far heavier than a normal Victa or Rover push mower), and will give you an aerobic 'workout' when pushing it around the yard. It mulches the grass exceptionally well.… Read more

It has a very powerful engine, and sounds great when you start it (a deep rumbling engine sound). Overall I have been happy with its performance. However, it does not cut long grass well, nor does it work when the grass is wet (as it gets clogged up). The body shakes a LOT when using it, and after about 45 mins mowing, my hands feel like they are a bit numb from the vibration. It feels unbalanced when using. I am disappointed with its performance when cutting grass over 10cm in height, as the blade gets choked very easily and often stop cutting altogether. My old Victa (that cost half the price) performed much better in these conditions. However, the Honda cuts the grass much more evenly than my Victa or Rover did. The filters cost about $40 each. It uses the exact same oil in it as my Honda brushcutter and Honda generator. One of the best things about it - is that it starts very easily (second pull on the cord every time). Although I am happy with the Honda, I think it is overpriced compared to the other brands that I could have bought a year ago.

Terrible product - with narrow Shute ! – I purchased a new Honda mower about 18 months ago , thinking it would be a great product - which is often used by professional tradesmen. Boy was I wrong ! It turned out to be the worst mower I have ever owned. With the narrow Shute it was constantly getting blocked , then not picking up the grass. I agree I let my lawns grow a little long at… Read more

times and some times the lawn is damp - but this is no excuse for the mower getting blocked at the rear chute every 2 minutes.

I was so sick of this problem , I recently traded it after only 18 months of ownership, taking a $500+ loss. The dealers all seem to know about this problem and many many customers are complaining about the same problem . I really think Honda should have corrected this problem at no charge to owners.

Be warned about this dodgy product!

I have now bought a new Honda with same engine , with the old fashioned fully open rear design (Herritage ). The way it used to be ). Fingers crossed this is also not a lemon!

Check your blades – We were about to sell our supposed great Honda top of the range mower cause it wouldn't pick up grass. Even dry grass. But I got new NON MULCH BLADES & yeah it now catches grass & even filled the catcher. Never has this happen before. Even from brand new. The dealer fitted new blades but they were mulching blades. Now fitted with low & high throw blades it works a treat. Finally a nice looking lawn  Show details

Avoid Honda Mowers At All Costs – I bought a Honda Mower thinking I was getting a top quality product that professionals used. For a couple of years I have mowed my lawn, the catcher rarely has grass in it as the chute clogs and the mower just spays cut grass all over the lawn. Extremely angry that I have paid double what other mowers cost to buy something has a major fault in… Read more

design, I didn't know this until I read reviews that others have left to say they too were having the same issues.

Avoid buying when mowers half the price would do a better job.

The one good feature of this product is dead man handle, which at the time of buying I didn't want, but considering how many times I have to put my hand near it to declig grass out my mower I actually really like the feature.