Honda HRX217
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Dissapointed...Honda – Cold start issues from new. Purchased November 2022 locally & noticed never easy to start since taking delivery. It does sit for a while as I have 2 mowers & this isn't always used weekly or sometimes for a month or two. I hooked up a quick connect connecter for a CTek battery charger to keep the battery topped up & keep at a constant optimum… Read more
charge. I also use these chargers for my not daily drive Europen cars & this system works well at keeping the batteries at a premium charge. So full charge, I should also advise I use premium 98 octane unleaded fuel, I turn the key for 5 seconds worth of starter motor turn over (manual suggests 5 second bursts...no more)...once I have done that for about 15 attempts & not the sightest hint of activity from the engine I revert to the pull start...same result & after ?? (a lot) number of attempts it may burst into life. I read they use a wax pinned choke system which is known to fail for various reasons (here I am talking about a new engine) so that will be my next avenue to look at...it isn't difficult to replace or see infact if it is working correctly. From some videos I've seen, from the factory the choke unit has been incorrectly fitted. I haven't looked to date but todays pitiful attempt to start it has made me prioritise that venture. Overall the mower itself is of good quality & it's mulching ability is good. The drive assist is helpful (I'm not young) & the blade clutch a great saftey feature. The 'soft' construction catcher is 'not' good...it's badley designed with lots of places for grass to get caught & hung up on when emptying. My 25yo Rover beats it hands down here. I gave the mower a 2 star mainly for starting issues, but this mower would never receive a 5 star rating, in my view. If 1/2 stars were available it would get a 3 1/2. If your spending close to $2k for a domestic push mower I think there are better options available. Any specific questions anyone may have, your welcome to PM me.
UPDATE...this is an update of my intial review. The 'cold starting problem' persisted & I finally decided to pull a few bits off & check the wax choke operation. So it had jammed (as suspected) in the fully open position which meant I was getting no choke at all when starting cold. Butterfly was wide open. I went on line to Amazon, E-Bay, etc &… Read more
the wax choke cartridges were readily available, & I ordrerd a pack which had two of the choke cartridge, a fuel filter, carburettor gaskets etc, so a mini fuel service kit I guess you'd call it. I fitted all bits & changed the oil at the same time, air filter was still good, so service complete. Just to mention, the kit was 'not genuine Honda parts'. It started 'better' but if it sat more than a couple of weeks between use it would crank over longer than I think is acceptable. I changed the choke cateridge again (fitted the second one supplied) & same result. I did notice that although the pin on the cateridge was retracting when cold to close the butterly flap, it didnt retract fully. I went back on line looking for a the genuine Honda choke part & found several but they were all quite expensive, but there was a marine company in WA (Honda agents) that looked like they were having a clean out & had one only for a reasonable price. That arrived & I installed it & since then there have been no problems with cold (or warm) starts. NOTE...it was common knowledge that these parts, whether it was a batch or whatever, were known to fail & Honda even ended up changing the part number for the updated part. Pic of the latest part number.
I purchased this lawn mower new in 2022. The first month was great then the electric start NEVER worked again! The camshaft broke and was repaired under warranty. I asked the service personnel to repair the electric start. Nope, couldn't do it.… Read more
Also, if you are cutting more than about an inch or so off of your lawn, FORGET THIS MOWER!! THE DISCHARGE IS FEEBLE! Thank god the blade can stop while the engine runs as I spend half the day clearing out the rear discharge chute! Bagging is impossible and that dual blade system is hot garbage! I heard they discontinued this mower and I can see why! 1200 Dollars for this!! I will NEVER buy a Honda product again!!
Follow-up · The service personnel were fine. The lawnmower however can't cut the lighest grass without clogging up the rear ejection chute. The dual blade system gets clogged up with grass too and the grass gets stuck between the blades and plastic base jamming up the whole thing. I don't even use this thing anymore!
Reviews with attachments
- +1
Powerful and super easy to use – I bought this mower only 4 months ago secondhand. My lawn mowing is like a breeze. In my whole life it’s very first time when enjoying lawn mowing. I have tried both bagging and mulching but found mulching is perfect for my requirements. It cuts through sir Walter Buffalo like cheese cake. Auto propel and key start are amazing. Show details
Used twice - been in for repairs for 6 weeks – This was the first mower I have purchased. Liked the idea of key start. Purchased 30/1/23. Used twice and then wouldn’t start. Returned to shop for service. Apparently a $20 part failed. The new part was estimated to arrive in August 2023 and service centre quoted 5 hours to repair. Honda disputed the time to repair. Agent requested a new mower as… Read more
a replacement under the two year warranty. Honda refused request. Having to pay someone to mow my lawns which I am not happy about given I paid $1700 for a top of the range mower. I thought warranty offered protection for buyer. Would not buy another Honda due to the company refusing to provide a decent service .
In-depth reviews
Good mower but it got a bent shaft – Purchased this self drive a couple of years ago for a big sloping back yard, with a few rough patches. It drove up my hilly backyard with ease and went well in all areas, on the rough and on the smooth. This was until it tangled (unintentionally) with a stand of lomandra longifolia. It threw the mower a little sideways and in doing so it bent the… Read more
main shaft. The main shaft from the big end(?) is large and strong (maybe 25mm dia?) but is machined down considerably to house the complex clutch system. This diameter reduction is where the bend occurred. $1300 when it was new but now $1700 to replace the mower.
I contacted Honda through their customer contact form asking if this is regular problem and if anything could be done about it but they haven't bothered to get back to me. It is now with my mechanic to see if it can be repaired, but parts (a new shaft or engine,) is 6 months away. If it can be fixed it will be near $1000. Don't think I'd trust a Honda mower again. If they bothered to contact me, maybe they could have settled my concerns.
Will not cut Sir Walter buffalo – I have Sir Walter Buffalo lawns and this mower has trouble cutting them particularly if only slightly damp. They are almost level . Despite what else I read here the wheels slip when the mower is cutting low. The other poor design is the height adjustment. Having to adjust all four wheels on a mower as heavy as this is a real problem. Its a… Read more
pity that something so basic is included in the package. I also find the heavy weight of the mower even empty difficult to manage around mowing curves etc . Motor, starting all other aspects are good, perhaps a larger fuel tank than the small 0.9 litre base tank would be handy . I have a larger area so I do need to refuel often. I was assured this mower was the most powerful available but after using it for over 12 months I must say Its a disappointing expensive purchase particularly when it replaced an older Victa that roared through my buffalo without a problem at a fraction of the purchase price and used about half the fuel the Honda does.
No issues, great machine – I have used for 10 months now and happy with it. Easy to start, will start after few tugs even after a long stop between use. Height adjustment is not difficult at all. I was afraid of injuring my fingers after reading another review but this is not an issue at all. Only design fault is that you only need the lowest 3 settings, other settings are… Read more
too high to cut Australian grass. Does snot slip on wet grass even on the slight incline I got. 200cc motor is very powerful and self propeller can be controlled easily to my pace. It’s a pleasure to move my lawn one handed on the straights. Does a decent job cutting grass and shredding them but if you are after a golf course finish the rotary mowers can’t do it. Economical. Easy to change oil and clean the air filter. Blades are fine. I read a lot of reviews before purchasing this. I did not encounter any issues mentioned in them. So happy with my lawnmower that I move my 200 square meter lawns every fortnight.
Positive reviews
Great mower but with a couple of issues – I import this mower from the USA as they weren't available in Australia back 2013. Never had a issue with the mower other then the battery going flat on the electric start, which are expensive to replace, I never did and the mower start second pull every time. Other issues are the height controls on 4 wheels, pain to adjust, but I don't let my… Read more
lawn get that high that I need to, other issue is the mulch/bag deflector, can be hard to move if it isn't cleaned after mowing wet grass, other than that I haven't had a issue with the mower. It's a Honda made in the USA.
Awesome machine – Have had this mower for about 3 years, it smashes through anything including long buffalo with ease, it’s easy and a pleasure to mow with… But it is extremely heavy. My last mower was a commercial victa I had for 15 years, started first pull every time and never had 1 repair. Hope I get this out of the Honda !! Show details
Fantastic Mower – Cuts wet grass and catches it easily,the versa mow function and Hydrastatic Drive makes mowing a pleasure.The Blade Brake function is one of the best ideas that I have seen incorporated on a mower,you can stop the blades and move objects or let it idle down before switching off.I would recommend this mower to anyone. Show details
Negative reviews
Honda are not who they used to be – Paid $1500 for a honda mower because they're supposed to be a good brand. 2 weeks past the 2 year warranty and the clutch lets go $300 to fix Show details
Waste of Money – Bought 3rd February 2023. From the (non)start the electric start worked only intermittently. Repairs were tried on a number of occasions. Then, last month, the decompressor failed and Honda issued a recall as the pull start was also jammed and operating the machine was considered dangerous. The Service Centre rebuilt to engine three times without… Read more
resolving the problem. The Service Centre also rated my chance of getting Honda to replace the machine at Zero. I'd never buy a Honda again.
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worst mower I've used for clogging – Unfit for my use, always stopping and hosing all the built up grass underneath or will build up so much it stalls the mower, even tied the flap up and still constantly clogs, the most expensive and most infuriating mower I've used Show details
Recent reviews
Have had 5 since they arrived still going strong – I have had no problems with the 217 I keep the back wheels permanently on level 2 and adjust the front ones as required Have never changed a drive belt still all on original spark plugs bags still good Mow stacks of lawns in all kinds of conditions From drought to flooding Absolutely the best self propelled mowers ive owned since 2000 Bernie Show details
What a disappointment! – I have owned or used many Honda mowers over 30 years. Could not fault them......until now. This HRX217 is an absolute disappointment. Before 12 months of age - Pull start recoil failed. Clutch would engage at idle on its own. Auto choke failed. Catcher bag stitching failed. before 2 years of age - major oil leak from timing gear shaft. Pull start… Read more
recoil again. Clutch again. Just on 3 years old. Motor blown. Blades are expensive and wear very fast. Discharge chute blocks easily. Change over chute door seizes and hard to change over. Bad grass pick up. Bad cut. Does not like long grass.
Won't do same mistake – Brought one and half year ago, already not starting, need to wait 3 weeks to check for repair Under warranty. Engine always stop when put on low level, suggest never buy it,only brand name ,poor service and quality.
perfect lawn mower – recently purchased the Honda Lawn mower HRX217HYU to replace an older model, this mower is easy to use and very easy to start with the Honda quick start engine this model also has self propelled back wheels which makes mowing a larger area a breeze, simple to use controls it basically only has three controls one for the self propelled speed and… Read more
the other is to select the power setting ie low or high, and the last one is to select mulching or collecting grass option, the only fiddle thing i find is the wheels all have there own hight selectors but once you find the right one for your lawn its easy as. great machine and very quite
Should have bought one years ago – The JS48 started being problematic so it was time to go. Settled on this new Honda, after a lot of comparing the various Honda models, because of it's self propelled and electric start options. Love the safety features where you can stop the blades but still have the motor running when you have to empty the catcher. Cuts so much finer than… Read more
previous mower and with the bigger chute it doesn't clog and the catcher is bigger, but it can get heavy when full. It actually cuts so fine that the garbage truck dropped the first bin that I put out full of wet grass. Has a mulch and bag option without having to put in plastic plugs into the chutes like the John Deere. Only thing is that it doesn't have a side discharge but the flap at the back is designed so it allows the cuttings to come out as you mow, if you don't have the catcher on. Also has constant trickle charging for the battery , unlike my old one which you had to periodically put on a charger. Also has a lever for adjustable speed, which can be preset, so you don't have to worry about losing speed or the mower starting to get away from you. The only thing I find is that the key seems very flimsy, Only time will tell how long it lasts.
Just Ok - Expensive for unresolved issues – Purchased the Electric Start Honda to replace my 21" cut self propelled Honda which lasted over 20 years and must say the new Honda HRX 217 doesn't measure up. The Electric Start is great but the engine doesn't start as readily as my old Honda Mower so you need to turn it over heaps. The individual 4 wheel height adjustment is a nightmare and is… Read more
50 years behind the time. This means you have to adjust each wheel in each corner of the frame when you change the height setting . My lawn has 4 levels and different cut grass . The old self propelled Honda had 1 Lever to instantly adjust the height of all wheels at once. Shame on you at Honda. The catcher feed chokes up and does not properly feed the catcher so you are forever unclogging the feed between the blade and catcher. The catcher does not always lock in place and falls off when not expected. The mower , whilst having power does not like long grass as it can't get it to the catcher so you have to mow the lawn 2 to 3 times to pick up the cuttings.... The "Mulcher /Catcher Bag " Function is ridiculously stiff and not worth playing with while you are out mowing. The adjustable self propelled speed control is good with many drive speeds to choose. Blades are expensive. At time of purchase Honda Distributors were all bound to the same sale price set by Honda . You would get better deals on other brands. This definitely is not Honda's finest engineering. I would not buy this model again .
OK, but Mulch/Bag control needs redesigning – Bought in April 2018 after much research. It performs very well in actually cutting grass (Buffalo and Kikuyu) and has lots of good features .... However, 2 things detract from it - 1) When the bag is over half full, the front of the mower tends to lift from the grass. You need to apply positive up-force to the handle to keep it on an even keel.… Read more
2) The Mulch/Bag control (aka clip director) does not go to full 100% bag nor full 100% Mulch but just wanders around in between with a LOT of slack in the control. I took it back to the dealer 6 months ago and they reckon they are all like that. !!!!!!!!!!!!.
Relative ease of operation – Anyone contemplating this model should do some comparison research. Top of the line HRX21 - - - - with electric start, self propelled, bag or mulch clippings and clutch driven blades are an impressive array of features but with a couple of reservations. Labelled as assembled in the USA, that`s the closest you get to an import guarantee, given the… Read more
various Honda videos and online adverts praising the neXite polymer base and claims of a limited lifetime warranty on all HRX units, don`t be misled by the promo`s, Honda Australia gives 2yr on all parts of the mower including the base. We chose this mower as the one offering the nearest to our requirements. Even though Honda has a reputation for reliable rope pull starting attained over time the electric start was viewed as essential for purely personal physical restriction reasons. In addition all other brand electric start walk behind/push mowers considered had the restriction of requiring the start battery to be removed for external charging, the Honda seems to be the only small engine with on board charging capability, plus uses a regular standard SLA battery readily accessible and easily sourced at end of life. The self propelled function is a clear winner, although we would have preferred front wheel drive the rear wheel propulsion is satisfactory, to be able to set speed was a considered requirement as not many others offer this. The bag/mulch director is the one disappointment on this mower, we find the mechanism is easily clogged, wet or dry and adjustment becomes almost impossible until the sliding section is cleaned. Mind you the owner manual clearly mentions this as a possibility. The clutch driven blades are the ultimate in safety, This is a very heavy mower powered by a large and somewhat thirsty engine, required of course to propel the machine on its solid base and drive the blades, considerable effort is needed to elevate the mower to clean underneath or tilt to drain engine oil, promotional material claims the base being non metallic won`t rust, that`s true but attention to cleaning blades clutch assembly and bag/mulch slider is still required for premium operation. Generally a satisfactory performer as it is quite a new experience compared to `bare bones` mowers.
Leigh T.
Find out how Honda HRX217 compares to other Petrol Lawn Mowers
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Great Machine! – Very nice machine! I do various of runs throughout my yard and it makes my lawn look mint everytime! I like the latch to dismount the excess grass and the capacity is also quite big which was what I was after. The motor inside has plenty of power and hasn't broken down within the time I have bought it (about 9 months ago). I recommend this mower… Read more
to anyone who is after great performance at a reasonably good price with that reliability that many mowers do not offer!
Not happy Jan – Ok for the record I have 3 mowers and was a Honda fan so I decided to upgrade to the self propelled HRX 21. I have lawn all year round thanks to living in the tropics, so at times my lawn gets think. I mow regaruly weekly or more. But even mowing at a high cut and a very low travel speed the mower struggles to bag the clippings. I have probably… Read more
the greenest lawn in the street and my lawn is usually the envy of most lawn nerds, I now have to half cut the lawn then cross mow to get the finish I was use to and taking a lot longer. I’m not a big fan of the small bag shute and obviously the new blade setup is not suited to think buffalo grass. Leaving clumps of clippings over my nice lawn wouldn’t be doing Honda any good advertising.
I think this mower is more suited to the American market, maybe their grass jumps into the catcher.
I'm Lovin' It – This mower is great, no issues, plenty of power in the 190cc engine and starts 1st or 2nd pull. I've had this mower about 18 months, used for 250m2 flat lawn weekly, sometimes twice a week and the cut is great. I'd never go a non-self propelled mower after this. The variable speed settings makes it easy to get the right speed and the ability to… Read more
have the engine and self propelled on while the blade is not spinning is exactly what i needed to get up my steep driveway. The composite deck is not a problem, i was slightly concerned at the start. My only concern is the fixed blade, if it hits anything I've read it destroys the engine/mower, if that happens the cost of replacing will hurt.
Gose well. Have only one esu. It seems to lock weels sometimes – Mowes well. Starts just about first go only the weel locking is a real pain. When on a hill or sloppy ground It gives you grief. But over all a good mower for the price. You just have too love Honda. It just keeps going. And serving. Well the air filtering system will its so clean. Too good. Cheers Show details
Really nice mower – Just purchased one of these to replace a Proscape self propelled mower. Don't be put off by the composite base as opposed to steel or aluminium bases. The base on this is tough and stands up to punishment. The choice of 7 speeds makes mowing so much easier and the fact that it can also be pulled backwards while cutting (my old mower could not)… Read more
makes things so much easier when getting into tight spaces. It starts instantaneously which my wife loves. It almost makes mowing the lawn fun.
Great Mower – Im a mowing contractor and have been using Hondas for many years now. The 216 was very good but when the front wheel axle grommets wear you start getting an uneven cut. I was very cautious about buying a plastic mower but when I saw Honda was providing excellent warranty conditions I was finally persuaded. The individual wheel height… Read more
adjustment gives much better stable even cut, I'm always impressed when I look back at the lawn I just cut. With careful adjustment to the mulcher control you can seriously reduce the amount of clippings without the lawn looking like it was mown without a catcher.
The weight distribution (light front ) makes it easy to turn.
Would like to see a 2.5 litre fuel tank.
Blades seem to be wearing well, Its still early on so I'm going to find out how the transmission holds out and also all those extra springs.
I'm very impressed so far.
Michael
21" of of cutting power – I have owned a lot of mowers in my time and as a lawn contractor by trade, I cannot go past the honda series. the 21" makes quick work of even the toughest lawns and doesn't skip a beat. I have tweaked the revs up to 3500 for a little more grunt to cut through the thick stuff as at factory it is set in the low 3000's which slows productivity. Overall these models are hard to beat and not many competitors come close Show details
Very good – Very happy with this purchase. Feels solid. Love the fact that you don’t have to mix oil with petro. Powerfull enough and you will appreciate the large catch baskets. It’s quite heavy as it is however it’s feels like is not very well balance a specially when full of wet gras, it has tendency to easily go out of balance meaning front up. Show details
Blade performance – I was looking for the best wide cut lawn mower and was told by sales at Redcliffe Lawn Mowers that the GVC-190 was the big bad boy all the pro's use. Since I was only mowing my clean LAWN that I hold so much pride in I went with the Honda self drive GVC-190 at a cost of over $1000.00. Not happy with the service life of blades as they are soft… Read more
(Not Heat Treated)
OK to manoeuvre and unlike some others is easier to push when required with drive diss engaged.
Easy to use but this is where the good stuff ends and my disappointment starts,
Now less then 12 months old and doing half a summer and a full winter I have had to replace (2 main cut blades) and just now October 2017 replaced AGAIN the main blade as well as the 1st cut blade.
I had them checked and found the to be nothing more then "MILD STEAL" Pressed metal.
Past mowers : Mass Port single bar & Victor Corvette disc & 4 blades lasted 18 months to 2 years.
Honda GVC-190 require replacement 3 times a year at the very least.
At around $40 per set with a dissatisfied customer discount of 20%.
The sales person said Honda were hard to deal with and that the rep only swings by twice a year in announced and that it would be better for me to chase Honda up. WTF Pay a grand plus for a lawn mower from Honda.
NEVER AGAIN HONDA YOU WILL DUD ME or anyone I can tell about it.
I would have loved to supply photos of the blades but no attachments links were on the page.
Easy to handle – I live on almost an acre block and it is a massive chore to mow the yard. I find this mower light weight and easy to start as the old one I would have to get my partner to start. Starts first go. I still hate mowing yet I enjoy using the new mower so not as much as a chore to have to mow the yard now. I love my partner for purchasing this. We sometimes argue over who gets to use it. He he. Show details
Awesome machine – I bought my hrx217 last August, It's my first honda for my business. Runs great and very light considering it's size. The only problem I have is I operate on the coast and the blades don't last long because of the sand. I asked the local dealer and they told me you can't get a conversion kit to use swing back blades.... so I made my own have been using it for about 2 weeks. The mower is even better now Show details
some doubts – This is a good mower for suburban lawns. My problem arises because I ventured out from the lawn. This mower is designed for US conditions: rich soil, high rainfall, tall grass not so many rocks. Australia is not so kind. I've hit a rock and bent the crank shaft. Honda will not replace the engine in Australia, so this $1500 investment is now useless.Poor after sales service from Honda in this country. not happy. Mark Show details
Fantastic mower – Best mower I have ever had. It's an amazing machine. Starts first time every time and it's fairly easy to manuvore. The engine is huge with plenty of grunt. I would highly recommend this machine to anyone from weekend mower to contractor. The gearbox on these things are also fantastic. Show details
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