My overall opinion is a resounding, BUY IT, as a profesional lawn mower man it will last for years, the price is towards the high end but well worth it in the end.
6 months ago i purchased a lawn mowing franchise, not knowing which mower to purchase, i talked to other franchisee's, all had Honda hru196d, so on their feedback i purchased mine, the mower is easy to push, rolls straight and true, very large catcher, mulching capability, big engine grunts through almost anything, with the decompression on startup it is very easy to start every time.
the only thing i can point to in a dislike on the Honda is the locking nuts on the handle, running for 5 hours a day the locking nuts come loose, consistantly requireing tightening.

A quality mower with an aluminium base and wheels with ball bearings. Makes iut a breeze to mow your lawn large or small and the real plus is that it should last a lifetime provided that it is amintained properly.
The mower is very easy to start and starts first time every time ,unlike the old two strokes.It also has a good mulching capability.
I like everything about it.