This is a very nice machine.  It does what it says it will do.  My grass is quite tall but it is mowing it with some bogging down.  This is quite an accomplishment.  I am well pleased.

Folks...I had purchased a self propelled troy bilt lawn mower about 2 weeks ago. I used it three times...it ran very rough so I took it back to lowes. I proceeded to go to Home Depot and purchase this Honda mower...Boy what a great decision. I took it out of the box, added the oil, adjusted the cut, and gased it up...It started on the first pull....it cuts very amazing with the twin blades. I would buy this again...I highly recommend it...

This is my second mower!  Wore the 1st one out after 15+ years.  The improvements are what you would expect from a 1st class outfit.  Only used it once and I am very happy.

starts up easily; good power and lightweight for ease of use; highly recommend

 Neighbor has onefor 5 years. Neighbor’s mower did an excellant job so I bought one. Iespecially like the ease of removing the bag to dump on compost pile and the ease of switching from bag to mulch. 

n/a

we wanted a good mower that will last we always know honda is a good brand .. we read reviews and so happy we bought it ..we have 3/4 of an acre lots to mow for 2 of my sons .. very young 10 and 12 yrs and they are able to handle this mower !!

FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS

STARTED FIRST PULL

NOTHING TO IT !!!

Although this review is not for the model number provided by the drop down box. It is a review for model number HRR216K9VLAA....this my 2nd Honda mower, my first one I wore it out, 6 years mowing about 1/2 acre once to twice a week during spring, summer and fall. Start 1st pull every time. You get what you pay for. I up graded myself to an electric start....right out of the box, the electric starter barely got the mower engine to full revolution before it started. I look forward to another great experience with this Honda mower....one other note, I did look at the real pricy Honda Mower with the fancy lifetime carbon fiber whatever mowing deck..the metal deck off my old mower was as good when I retired it as when I bought it. I guess if you live surf side or near the coast where salt is in the air the carbon fiber deck would pay off....if ya don't, save your money.

Purchased 8 years ago andused on my 1/2 acre hillside yard and was used by my son to mow two neighbors yards for three summers.  Initially not impressed with power or cutting ability with tall or damp grass coming from a 5.5 hp Briggs and Straton motor on a 20" mulch only cutting deck that was an unstoppable monster. Wet or damp grass would invaiably clog the deck and stall the blade and engine on the Honda which never happened on the old Briggs and Straton.  However, a switch from the original single blade to the Honda double much blade and coating the underside f the deck with POR 15 turned this mower from dissapointing to acceptable.  Overall I have warmed up to the reliability and single pull starting as well as the relative lightwieght and easy push.  Should have had bearings in front wheels, but have to say they have held up as well as the rear wheels.  Little rust has formed which is surprising as I live along a river in a high precipitation region and store in only a partially protected area, under the eave of the house.  Change oil once a year and I've never added any oil between.  Still on original spark plug and 3rd air filter, so maintainence costs are minimal.  Good mower in the end and would buy again.

I have used several different kind of lawn mowers throughout the years and love this lawnmower.  Its built well, easy to use, cuts well.    I only wish the larger engine was standard, but I understand why it's not.  

this mower is very easy to start. the cut is ok but leaves a funny line. this may be due to the defective front wheel mount. still waiting to hear how that might be fixed. 

I am  a seventy years old, have the standard 1/4 acre parcel  on two levels, top level is 4 feet higher.  It was a pleasure to mow my yard.  One pull easy start. power was great.  It so nice to use the smart drive,  no more pushing the mower up the steep hill. press the button and up it goes.  Hang on .  It was a real pleasure to be done in a hour and not fighting the machine and grass.   

I wanted a basic push mower. After research, this unit was clearly the best one with all metal construction. I wanted something that would last and was willing to pay for it.

This mower starts immediately and cuts well. It adjusts faily high and throws the grass well. I don't intend to use it for mulching.

The reason for the low quality rating is twofold. First, the front wheels do not have ball bearings like the rear ones. This a silly, unacceptable cost saving and I will have to spend another $50 to upgrade them. Also, one mounting bolt for the handle was severely bent and I had to carefully pry it back straight.

Lastly, the unit arrived without oil or a manual and Honda was unwilling to replace it. Said they can't ship oil. Really? What about the oil that was supposed to be in the box? Poor customer service. Not a good way to build brand loyalty. 

I've found that the Honda  twin blade system mulches EXTREMELY well, better than any other that I have tried. However, the blades themselves seem to be made out of thinner stock than other manufacturer's single blades , so let's see what happens to those twin blades the first time I hit a fallen tree branch or a hard black walnut hidden in the grass. I'll get back to you on that. I would like to see Honda offer a conversion kit to discharge grass clippings to the side, like they do with some of their other mowers. When cutting tall grass, and letting the clippings exit the rear of the mower (with out using the bag, which I have not tried yet,) the clippings tend to clump up and land in piles instead of spraying out evenly and / or clog the smallish exit opening, which needs to be larger. Another issue with cutting tall grass, and letting the clippings exit the rear without using the bag, is that when the mower is adjusted to it's highest position, it tends to leave a strip of uncut grass along both sides of the swath that you are cutting. This can be addressed by over lapping your cut, but you have to over lap much more than what I am used to. This may be a function of the aerodynamics of the twin blade mulching system, or that the smallish exit opening is constricting the air flow. It is like the outer edges of the tall grass are being blown outwards and over, instead of being sucked in and cut, as I believe that they would be, if the exit opening was larger. I would like to be able to adjust the mower cut higher. This model seems to be designed for home owners who want to keep their lawns cut as short as putting greens, yet most lawn care manuals advise cutting lawns no shorter than 3 inches. This mower maxes out at 4 inches high, not high enough in my opinion. Finally, I've discovered a flaw in Honda's paint formulation. I live in the county in Pennsylvania that has the highest number of Lyme Disease cases in the state. What with Lyme Disease and the Zika virus, it is only prudent to use insect repellent every single time that you do yard work. I had sprayed my gloves with a tick repellent containing DEET, and the first time that I used my mower, that was enough to turn the shiny black paint on my mower's handlebar into a dull, sticky goo. Honda needs to reformulate it's paint to cope with real world situations, or at least mention this problem in it's owner's manual. Honda sells touch up paint for the black handlebar, but not for the gray mower deck. Why not?

Second one ordered that arrived with bent wing nut screw to attach handle.  I returned the first one to home depot, and reordered, second one had same issue.  So wingnut cannot be tighten, so mower handle will be secure.

Light weight. Use it to trim areas my zero-turn 50" Quest can't reach or is likely to sink in due to wet conditions. Starts on first or second pull. Very easy to maneuver. Self propelled and bagger would only make it cumbersome and heavy. You can change from mulch to side discharge in about five seconds by inserting or removing one spring-loaded part. It mulches even deep grass without clumping. Only things missing are a clean-out port and my desire to have a minimum of 4'' maximum height adjustment instead of 3 1/2".  Those are minor issues for the way I use it. Also, relatively low engine noise and excellent fuel efficiency. 4-year warranty with registration in first 30 days is a plus, but I am guessing it is mute due to likely bullet proof reliability and my limited use of the mower.

 

I haven't used it yet. I bought it back in December & just took it out of the box. I plan on trying it after I figure out how to use it. The Hope Depot store had one in a box in November & said it would cost $35 to assemble. So much to my surprise when I opened the box it was pretty much assembled! I'll write more later.

Well, I used it for the first time & I love it! It was so easy to adjust the bar & the paddles for acceleration. It started on one pull! Once I got used to the acceleration cutting the lawn was easier than walking my small dog! The lawn looks great! 

The one thing that I would change was the adjustment of the wheels. If it could do all wheels at once I would have given it a perfect score. When I had to stop it & restart it, it took several tries & I'm not sure why?

Just finished using my new mower for the first time. The engine started on the first pull. The mower is as light and maneuverable as I hoped it would be. The engine never bogged down while cutting the tallest portion of my lawn. It is obvious this model has been designed with proper thought. I'm looking forward to getting a lot of years of service from the engine. I took an entire year trying to determine which manufacturer and model to buy. After all that consideration I feel confident I made a wise choice.

I special ordered this mower from a local business that did not normally stock a Honda push style mower.  I received the unit in good condition. It was very easy to assemble and started on second pull.  I went to mowing right away and was pleased with the power and how well it bagged.  My old John Deere mower would not fill the bag nearly as well as this one.  This Honda double blade system seems to cut the grass into smaller pieces which packs the bag much more densely which in turn keeps you from having to dump the bag so often.  The mower also vacuums up the grass quite well.

I scored the features down to four stars because I would have liked a few more height adjustments on the push bar.  ( I am 6'2") and it comes close to being correct for my height but not quite.

THE MOWER STARTED ON THE 1ST PUUL, GREAT FOR A NEW MACHINE..EASY TO PUSH,,ONLY USED ONE TANK OF GAS TO CUT THE WHOLE YARD..ALSO GREAT WARRANTY

put gas in it started first time  run great

I really enjoy this mower. It is simple and powerful. The mower is very easy to push and really cuts the grass nicely. First time to have a Honda mower and I am very glad I got it.

I bought this mower at the beginning of this mowing season.  It starts and runs great. It mows HORRIBLE.  I have owned  a few mowers over the years and this one by far mows worse than any mower I have ever seen.  I have a Bermuda/St. Augustine mix, the mower leaves a strip of grass in the Bermuda and leaves random blades of grass in the St. Augustine.

I would not recommend this mower to anyone.  Wish I had my old mower back.

 

Just bought this mower today because my last mower finally quit on me after 17 years of use. Starts incredibly easy of course - it's brand new. No on/off switch or throttle, just squeeze the handle, start it, and it goes. Let go of the handle and it stops. I read reviews about the front wheels not having nice wheel bearings like the rear wheels and that is true. The rear wheels spin freely while the front wheels do not. Not sure if that will correct itself over time as the wheels wear somewhat at the point where they contact the axle. I also read reviews about this mower appearing to miss grass, leaving spots on the lawn with longer / uncut grass. I have to agree with that reviewer because I cut the lawn today and it does seem like it's missing grass even though I overlapped by several inches with each pass. I'm wondering if it's the way the blade is sharpened or if it might be because the lawn was somewhat damp and pretty lush and thick. Maybe the buildup under the deck affects air movement as the blade spins and that keeps the grass from lifting so it can be cut. Not sure at this point but we'll see if it works any better on a bone-dry lawn. Like I said at the beginning, my last mower lasted 17 years so I hope this one lasts at least that long. I'm counting on Honda to make that happen for me. Stay tuned.

Just bought this mower today because my last mower finally quit on me after 17 years of use. Starts incredibly easy of course - it's brand new. No on/off switch or throttle, just squeeze the handle, start it, and it goes. Let go of the handle and it stops. I read reviews about the front wheels not having nice wheel bearings like the rear wheels and that is true. The rear wheels spin freely while the front wheels do not. Not sure if that will correct itself over time as the wheels wear somewhat at the point where they contact the axle. I also read reviews about this mower appearing to miss grass, leaving spots on the lawn with longer / uncut grass. I have to agree with that reviewer because I cut the lawn today and it does seem like it's missing grass even though I overlapped by several inches with each pass. I'm wondering if it's the way the blade is sharpened or if it might be because the lawn was somewhat damp and pretty lush and thick. Maybe the buildup under the deck affects air movement as the blade spins and that keeps the grass from lifting so it can be cut. Not sure at this point but we'll see if it works any better on a bone-dry lawn. Like I said at the beginning, my last mower lasted 17 years so I hope this one lasts at least that long. I'm counting on Honda to make that happen for me. Stay tuned.

Today I received and packed my Honda push mower. The assembly instructions were clear, the set-up easy. It started with the first pull and mowed cleanly and evenly. After the first mow, I'm delighted. 

Started first pull.  Instructions easy to understand. 

i am very happy with this puchase.  Honda certainly lives up to its moto of starting with the first pull.  I have no problem handling this light weight mower I got for myself, and I am 65 and weigh 114 lbs.  hh

I am very disappointed with this lawn mower.  I was always having problems with mowers with Briggs and Stratton engines.  I thought that with Honda's reputation for quality, spending the extra money on a Honda mower would alleviate the problem.  Well I was wrong.  After only the third time using the mower the engine started having problems.  It will not run at a steady RPM, rising and falling even when stationary, and feels like it has reduced power.  The air filter is clean, the gas is fresh, and the spark plug is obviously new.

After very little use I am already going to have to take it somewhere to be worked on.

Honda can, and should, do better than this.

I have the non-CA model of this mower ...HRS216PKA. I have been using it for about 13 months.  I normally do not give reviews but I break my silence for this mower hoping to save others the same frustrations.  I was rather excited to start using this mower but I was sorely disappointed. 

The engine performed as all Honda engines ... Without any trouble and as advertised.  But the grass cutting performance far out ways the good engine. I have never been as frustrated with a mower as this one and I have been mowing with push mowers for 40 years.

My grass is a mixture of Kentucky 31 and tall fescues.

The biggest problem was the strip of grass left partially cut and at times uncut.  I finally determined that where wheels smashed uncut grass down on the previous pass, the mower was not able to lift it for cutting.  Therefore, there was a partially cut strip that followed almost every where.  The only solution I have found is to go over the yard twice.  I should note that this is worse with high settings and I have settled for three clicks from the highest position. I tried sharpening the blame, going back and forth, going around the perimeter, and back & forth on a diagonal. Nothing changed.

Also the mulching feature (my preferred method) did not work either.  The grass seemed to just stay under the deck and build up.  Often grass would build up to point of needing to clean under deck several times during mowing. And speed was out of the question.

My hope is that this will help and keep someone from the same frustrations.

My plans are to dump this mower and buy another.

First of all, your drop down list asking for model number does not include my model number which is : HRR216K9VKAA.

The smart drive is very hard to get used to. Machine at times runs away from me with the slightest variation in of the pedal. There should be an option to lock in the degree of pressure you want.

2nd Honda mower frist one I got 20 years ago I gave to my brother in law when I move from Michigan to Ca.Got to Ca when to home depot and got a nother Honda mower (HRR2169VKA) took it  out of the box put oil & gas in it and again 1 pull it one time and it start it right up like my last one and dose it everytime.I love it. 

JJ San Diego,Ca

Ps I am 70 years old it is nice.

             

great machine. First new lawn mower in 15 years. I made the right choice! Easy start. Great speed. Completely mulches. No raking!

highly recommended

Well, I ordered mine and it showed up in a nice box.  Yahoo, a Honda that will last forever with regular care.  5 minutes to get it ready.  Used it for 1/2 acre lawn.  Pushed hard as heck.  Looked down and saw that the front wheels have no bearing and the rear wheels do.  I took off the front assembly and greased it up.  No Better.  The metal axle is pushing against the plastic wheel.  I backed off the axle bolt as little as possible to allow it to spin freely, tried it and the left front wheel FELL OFF after 20 feet.  The right front stayed on, logically, because it tightened as I push.  The left loosened.  Am I nuts?

I called the on-line distributor (FAO) number to issue a complaint.  After two weeks of run-around, they finally got back to me and said "Oh, that's how it is designed, look at the specs; no one has ever complained about these non bearing wheels working hard.  Sorry, have a nice day".  How can anyone expect the front wheels to not need bearings?

LOL - Here is a video showing "how to replace your Honda mower's front wheel bearings. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9o4ALyETMA

This is nuts!

I want to ship it back but that is such a hassle.  Now, it looks like I need to buy a set for $15 at the local dealer. 

Looking for Honda to help.

Mower was shipped to house Via carrier. Opened box surprised with all the extra's supplied with mower, ( oil, gas can, gloves, safety glasses, ear plugs, Sta-Bil. gas treatment, Etc.) Mower assembly took 5 minutes with adding the oil and gas. Mower started first pull out of the box, WOW :). When buying power equipment in future I will be buying Honda.

The one thing I would like to see improved is the handle. I have to make sure it is tight before using the mower each time. Otherwise, the mower quality is excellent.

My old Lawn Boy finally died after 28 years, so I needed a basic push mower for some corners and hills that my tractor cannot reach. I didn't want to go super cheap with a low end brand, and found this model online. I had to wait a couple of weeks to get it since it was back ordered at Home Depot, shipping was free and delivered by UPS, and Honda had a promotion until May 31 with one extra year of warranty. It comes with 3 years standard, so this promo made it four years. That clinched it.

Couldn't be simpler - take it out of the box, unfold the handle, pour in the oil that comes with it, add some gas - and it started on the first pull. And the pull required was not a heavy pull like some old mowers, it really was very light and easy.

Observations -

* first pull start - unbelievable

* motor is very quiet compared to older mowers

* easy access to spark plug and a real air filter (folded paper cardboard style vs foam pad)

* includes an attachment for side discharge of grass if needed, otherwise it has a closure on it for mulching)

* blade removal appears easy, held by two bolts

* cuts grass very well and mulches (this has just one blade, the next model up also has a small criss-cross blade for more mulching)

* gas cap is on the left rear side on top of mower housing and sometime gets in the way with low branches. This would have been better positioned in the middle to avoid obstacles as you walk by.

* oil filler neck sticks out on the right side for easy adding of oil. However there is no oil plug to drain the oil when you need to change it, apparently you tip the unit to the side to drain it, we'll see how that works.

* the wheel height adjuster clips are metal, and the front of the mower is metal and not plastic like some of the other models (comparable Lawn Boy), however, the notch that goes into the slot to adjust the cutting height is plastic. This may wear down over time and give out, better if this notch was also metal like my old Lawn Boy

* seems a bit heavy, the weight is 62 pounds, it is a bit heavy to push around, and noticeable compared to my lighter Lawn Boy. Most other basic push mowers seem to be around 62 pounds or more, so not sure what else could be lightened up without cheapening the deck or wheels.

* Honda makes solid engines, and overall this mower should last at least 10-20 years

* overall it appears to be a solid buy, I give it 4.8 out of 5

* Home Depot should carry this in the store for the basic need customer, unfortunately some Honda dealers did not carry this model nor wanted to order it, as they preferred to sell the higher end self-propelled models.

I purchased this mower after a very bad experience with a new yard machines mower purchased just one year ago.  The YM mower had so many plastic and cheaply made parts the whole thing started falling apart within one year of purchase and the Briggs & Stratton Engine required service within 4 months of purchase...terrible.

I wanted a mower will all metal deck, and wheel adjusters with a quality engine.  That's just what I got with this Honda.  Have moved almost a half dozen times, and it started on the first pull out of the box and has done the same each time since.  I purchased through Home Depot online because this version is not available in the stores, but I'm glad they offered it online.

I really like the on/off quarter fuel valve that lets you run the gas out of the carburetor at the end of season or for long term storage.  Ethanol fuels cause most the fuel problems in modern mowers, but this simple additional feature resolves all those potential issues.

As mentioned the all metal construction is great and near impossible to find in any competitor.  It has the same 160cc motor as the self propelled, but without that power robbing feature...those things can be very heavy to pull backwards and move without power.  Only additional feature I wish Honda offered on this mower was a rear bag attachment, but it does have the add-on side chute when dealing with a mass of dead grass and leaves or longer grass.

All in all, a great quality product from which I expect several years of reliable service.  Great job Honda!

I picked up this Honda mower after my last Honda mower's self-propel unit stopped working.  I called the local Honda shop and they suggested that the repair would cost about $260 to $300 (after repair and tune up), and I decided to just get a new mower ($399) and figure this out later. 

Set up of the mower.  Easy.   But use a box cutter, and cut the box so you can roll the mower out of the box.  This method is super simple and is a one person job.

After flipping up the handle, and assembling the grass bag, I filled up the mower with oil then I pulled the cord several times to ensure that the oil was circulated in the engine.  I could tell that the engine was ready to go.  I mean she just wanted some gas.  So I did what any good person would do.  Filled the tank with some Chevron Supreme turned on the fuel valve and I pulled the cord....it started first pull and it ran for a couple of minutes.   Then it sputtered and stopped.  Strange, but in order to get the mower going again I needed to turn the fuel valve on (?) how did it run to begin with?  None-the-less I turned on the fuel and she ran like a champ! 

Mowing my lawn.  So I have an unusual lawn mowing method.  Being that I have an acre of lawn, I use the Honda till it runs out of gas and then I pull out the 52" Husky rider and finish up the job.  I mow the lawn this way because it helps to trim the waistline and it ensures that I can do other things during the weekend. Ok that's what I tell the wife.

This weekend was different, the Honda and I mowed the entire lawn.  For those who like measurements, it was 1.5 tanks of gas or 14,386 steps as measured by the pedometer.  I really liked this iteration of the self-propel always the right speed.  Good job Honda engineers.  Better yet, when the wife returned from running errands she commented on how nice the lawn looked.

I don’t understand what went wrong with the fuel valve…I mean if the mower came with a small amount of fuel, it should have started when I was circulating the oil.  Bright side of this story, is that Home depot has several used mowers where folks return their mowers because of this…..they are 20-30% off.  Mine was full price but just wanted to throw this out there. 

Long story short:  Great mower.  My third Honda mower in about 13 years…..if you find the one you want...see if your local home depot has one in its scratch and dent dept....it will save you $ and many are because of the fuel valve.

Just used for HRR2169PKA for the first time. Started on second pull. Easy to push and lawn looked great.  I am sold!

Best mower I'very ever had. Easy start up and runs for ever on a tank of ga.

I have had this mower 15 years in July.
The lot that I cut is 15000 square feet before all the improvements
were built. I leave the grass on the long side, setting #4 and I
always mulch unless the grass is to long then I use the side discharge. I bought the 216 in
2000. I love that mower so much that when my wife wanted me to get a
rider I compromised with her and bought a Honda HRX217HYA. The 216 is light
weight and simple to use. It has always started after sitting in the
garage all winter and I don't use any gas additive. I may have to try
6-8 time to get it going but it has never fail to start.  After the first start of the spring each will usually start on the first pull. I still use the 216 for trimming around the fence and
landscape, etc. I do have then services every other year at the Honda
dealer. 

I bought a house several years ago and when I moved in I bought a cheap lawn mower which quickly gave out on me. Bought a slightly better mower the second time but with the same result. I finally bought a Honda and it started up the first time and I could maneuver it with one hand. It's been great and I highly recommend anyone who is thinking about buying a Honda.

I've really like this mower so far. I've only used it one season but have loved the simplicity of the mower and the fact that the mower is made by Honda and there quality is always great.  The fuel efficiency of the mower is very good as well; that is one thing that will stand far above the competition, how little fuel Honda products use. My push mower and trimmer both use a small amount of fuel compared to my other brand products I have owned in the past. I mow a .75 acre yard with this mower.

The only thing I would personally change is having ball bearing wheels..they dont roll quite as smooth as the higher up Honda mowers that are offered. Overall I love Honda products and dont see a reason to change from them.   -Phil