After 15 years my Honda self propelled mower drive unit started to go-great machine!

I did all the maintenance on the mower myself, including cleaning the machine after use with water and drying the unit off. I would have given five stars on the new model, with the exception it does not have a flat deck like my old model, and is very difficult to clean dirt from under the engine area on the top side of deck. When I spend $700 for a mower, I would like it to last for several years. Please pass this note on to your engineering/design staff.

Just purchased this awesome Honda mower. I have only used it once so far and it was just what I expected, Great!

I have another Honda mower that I have had for 24 years and it continues to run great (not self propelled). I did not need a new mower, however because I am aging, I thought I would make it a little easier on myself and purchase a self propelled mower.

I highly recommend Honda products, they are well engineered, quality built and long lasting. (That includes Honda vehicles as well) 

I have used several lawn mowers with and without self propelled features including the Honda Hrr216vka which I compare to in this review.  This one is by far the best. I bought this first off to have a better cut lawn since I mulch and from that standpoint the cut quality is excellent but the same as the hrr.  I suppose the larger motor could churn through thick stuff a little better but I don't wait that long between cuts.  The advantage perhaps is that the deck is a little closer to the ground to hold in the mulch.  It doesn't scatter as much but not sure it mulches any finer. The second reason I bought this unit was to teach my son.  Here is where the lawn mower shines... First, the dial in a speed helps you to set a maximum speed but still control the acceleration.  Easier to feather in gradual speed increases with entire hand rather than thumbs.  Second the unit has three height adjustments.  My son is under five feet and I'm six foot six and the top and bottom position are just right for each of us.  Mind you my son is highly supervised and  just starting to learn. Third the electric start also makes easy work of starting the engine not that it's hard to start anyway.  Overall I'm super pleased with this mower.  Gas usage for a 200 cc is not bad either getting about 1.75 hours of usage. Couple of areas that could be better.  The mulching setting still leaves a good hunk of grass in the discharge chute.  Somehow they need a tighter seal.  I would trade fully open and fully closed opposed to all the partial settings to avoid pulling out several handfuls of grass from the bagging chute.  Lastly the grip could have a little more padding to isolate the vibration.  Of course gloves could accomplish the same purpose. Overall a very high quality mower that I will take care of and keep for hopefully a long time. 

The mower was ready to begin mowing when I went to pick it up.  The sales staff gave me a complete rundown of the features specific to this model.  I was ready to go.  Once home I tried the electric start and it fired right up.  I then shut it down and tried the pull - very easy and fired right up.  I shut it down to make sure the wheels were at the right height - very easy to adjust - not like my old one.  I then started to mow and easily adjusted the speed while I was walking behind still mowing.

The grass was cut very clean and the lawn looked great.

But the best part was how quite the mower is.  Much quieter than I expected - but very pleased.

Did a lot of research before buying this mower.  It was certainly not expected when the left rear wheel fell off within the fist 2 minutes of mowing.  As the only assembly required was the bagger assembly, I didn't think to check all the bolts and nuts before putting it into service.  Have never had a wheel fall off a mower so it was an eye opener.  It does take some getting used to the walk-behiind speed control.  It absolutely won't go up a hill while in slow. 

Does a great job of cutting though!

Havent set it up yet, just bought it.  Have owned Hondas for 20 yrs of various items, loved them all so far, we

expect continued great experiences.

Have used this mower to mow lawn about seven times and it has several positives. Quality seems fine. Mower starts easy and does good job of mulching. It's well-balanced and fairly easy to maneuver.

On the con side:

it's louder than other mowers I've had but not a big deal since it has such good power.

A major problem on this mower (Model HRX217k5 VLAA - top residential mower a few months ago) is the "Honda Smart Drive Speed Control" - it's not good at all. Setting the dial to minimum may or may not cause the mower to move when the control lever(s) depressed. Setting dial to about 1/4 between min and max allows you to push the lever to get a speed between slow and a very fast walk. The control levers are flexible and very sensitive to where an operator places their thumb on them. It is difficult to maintain a consistent speed less than a very fast walk. I would not buy this mower again because of the difficulty to control the speed. I see Honda just came out with a new top-end mower (I paid $679 and new one is about $730) and it has a lever and hydrostatic drive for speed control. I won't afford to try to sell a seven month old mower to buy the fixed new model. I would expect the new mower with good speed control to be a fine mower but can not recommend the one I currently have.

Purchased this mower June 19, 2018 because of the self starter feature.  Instructions state that if self start does not work with initial use after manual starting the key start should function.  Since owning the mower which works well cutting my lawn the self start electric feature after more than a half dozen uses does not work.  Today I brought the unit into the Home Depot store I purchased it from and was told this is partially my fault for not coming in sooner than 60 days and therefore I had to pay a $20 fee to have the unit looked at even though the electric starter feature has never worked properly.  The store manager (Carey), was not the best representative of a store manager telling a customer its their fault for not looking into the problem sooner than 60 days.

This Home Depot Store located at 5309 N. Davis Hwy., Pensacola, Florida 32503 is not the best retailer to sell this product which I believe is a good product other than the electric start feature not functioning since I purchased it.

Major drawback because the mower did not have the rotostop feature.  I now have to drag the mower back to the storage shed. Understand that for an additional $200 I could have purchased a model that continued to have the rotostop feature.

Dr. Art Zoloth

$700.00 for a lawnmower and you didn't include the charger ($32.00) for the battery start.

Manual says it will self charge after 1 hour of mowing....it takes me 20 minutes to mow my lawn.

What an insult Honda!!

I bought the first one in Septmber, 2015 from Home Depot in Huntsville, Alabama. Not happy with electric start, returned within 90 days, replaced new in December, 2015. Most of the time one pull start, electric start still doesn't work and not happy about that. Honda should look into this problem. I would give 1 rating for false ad. I paid $499.00 plus tax from Home Depot, just because it was an electric start and, because I have lower back problem..You decide for your self if you want spend over $500.00, and not getting what you want..Honda is a very reputable company, and hopefully after reading my review, replace a new electric starter or refund at least $100.00.

This is my second Honda mower and it is great just like my first one.

Istill have my first mower and just could not wear it out so gave it to my daughter to use.

It is 10 years old and never fails to start on the first pull.

I am 71 years old and wanted to get a new Honda mower with electric start.

I have used it twice already and it is a totally awesome self-propelled mulching mower.

I highly recommend Honda mowers.

Bill

I was really looking forward to the electric start. The manual start is easy but I went for the extra money and I am disappointed. The first time I mowed I assumed the battery would charge. The second time I used the mower, today, the key worked twice and no more. I had to stop several times as the weather was extremely hot.

What is the point of this electric start and charging system if it doesn't work? It is extremely difficult to go back to Home Depot with it for repairs after only the second time. At this point, although the cutting features are find, I am very disgusted with the electric start feature for all the money this mower costs. 

Set up was easy and fast. Everything works so far. Speed control takes some getting used to due to use on hilly and sloping lawn. First cut on very high grass and weeds at full mulch which left numerous shreds of uncut grass. Next cut will be at full bagging and not so high grass. I expect better performance. Quality is very good.

I've gone back to a Honda lawn mower after owning two Hondas then switching two other brands. Both of the

other brands were Honda powered but neither would cut and/or mulch like the Hondas. I will stay with the

Honda lawn mowers from now on!

Great engine and well built.  Mows very well and does as advertised. Bags and mulches better then most of its competitors.  One of the highlights is the mower deck not being metal is awesome.  Does not build up grass like most other mowers.

The only negative is the wheel height adjusters are a little hard to move.  Won't matter if your not moving them every time you mow. 

Premium price for a premium mower.

This review is for my recent purchase of a Honda Self-Propelled Mower with Electric Start. Model #HRX217K5VLAA GH Please note: You should update your site to include my Model #...I had to choose the selection for Model #HRX217VLA since my Model # was not listed.

1. The mower has "wheel-hop" when using even the Lowest self-propelled setting. Of course this can be dangerous if you are not expecting it to happen.  (Possible solution: Increase the angle of the handle one or two more settings to allow a little more stability and ergonomic comfort when mowing.)

2. The Mower Bag often seems impossible to completely empty. (Always grass clippings in the corners of the bag which get caught under the metal structure framework. And, once the bag is filled the weight of the clippings tend to pull the front wheels off the ground.) Also not safe for one and all...

3. A plastic wedge would have been nice to place in the rear discharge area to keep out the unexpected pile of grass clippings that fill this cavity when the mower is in Mulch Mode. (Cleaning this is a turnoff and time consuming.)

4. Maneuverability could be better in tight areas. (Perhaps the above mentioned "Increase in the angle of the mower handle" could limit this problem as well as some of the "wheel-hop" when engaging the rear wheel drive.)

5. So far, the Electric Start Feature Does Work as it should. (I saw many complaints on this from other reviews.)

6. After only 6 or 7 mowings, I noticed the edges of the Nexite Mower Housing is already starting to scratch on both sides. (Perhaps the affected area could have been vinyl coated.)

7. There is an open area under the mower that leaves the drive belt exposed and this fills up with grass clippings.  We faithfully cut every week here so this is not from extra long grass pile-ups. (I would have preferred this area to be less exposed.)

8. The 190cc engine seems to be powerful enough to handle the cutting tasks.

9. The Honda Mulching Blade Stacked Configuration may be the cause of the "uneven cuts" many are complaining about. (I would prefer a different configuration in the placement of the blades to get a more even cut and better follow-up with the second blade making a better second cut after the initial cut.)

10. If anyone in the Honda R&D or Engineering Department reads this I would appreciate the expertise of your response.

I was relieved to receive my new mower on May 24, 2017.  I waited eight days for delivery.  The box enclosure was beaten and the handle bars were sticking out the end of the shipping box.  But there was no damage to the mower itself.  I do believe the mower should have been better supported inside of the shipping box.

Set up was easy, I did install the optional mower deck guard kit, P/N: 06761-VHT0000AH.  Used four 6" wood clamps to secure a tight fit before drilling the second hole.  This is a must accessory, and should be standard.  The electric start worked first turn of the key after adding oil and gasoline.  The select drive control took a little trial and error to figure out how it was suppose to work.  I am 6'2" and do wish the handles would or could be adjusted a bit higher.

I set the blade height at #3 and full mulch.  The HRX217 is easy to control, I have a lot of shrubs to mow around the unit is much easier to maneuver with back & forth motion.  I have about a ¼ acre with half on a hillside it goes up hill with little or no effort, nice.  Can this mower be washed when hot or will the bearings suck water and destroy them?

So far, this mower is nothing less than FANTASTIC!!!

Have now mowed three times and it runs beautifully.  That second blade really cuts well through thicker patches.  Easy to start and easy to maneuver.  I LOVE it!!

Excellent mower, the features are very simple and easy to use.  The mulch blades are phenomenal they make the lawn look great.  The engine is quite and clean.  The clip director knob for bagging, mulching or a combination of both are a great design.  The select drive control is very impressive makes mowing easy and fun.

The electric start is a great asset with a backup of the manual start if there is ever a problem.  You can't loose with this mower.  I would highly recommend this to anyone.

I've had a Toro Personal Pace Recycler for almost 10 years now. It wasn't dead but was dying. I decided it was time for a new Toro but decided to do some research first. Glad I did. All signs pointed to Honda and when I really broke the price down I couldn't find a reason not to order. Wow best decision ever.

Right out of the box it took me a little more than 2 minutes to set up and crank. Started immediately. I decided to torture test it right out of the box. I have lemon grass all over the yard and hate cutting and bagging it. I decided to see if this mower could handle it. Boy did I have no clue. In a little over 2 minutes this thing chewed through what would have taken me at least 10-15 minutes to bag. And used half the space in a trash bag. It then made quick and easy work of the yard in record time. The self propelled mechanism on the Honda is far and beyond the personal pace system on a Toro. Cutting my lawn was effortless.

Could not even imagine a way to be happier with this purchase.

I use to have a small lawn business after I retired, about 30 lawns. I was a believer in Toro lawn mowers until the last 7-8 years. I felt their quality had declined terribly. I purchased a generic mower to get through last season, it was too heavy and once again I was not pleased with this product. I knew I was going to purchase a Honda mower this Spring, 2017, and I kept returning to The Home Depot to see if they had their lawn mowers out yet. Last year the higher end Honda mowers that The Home Depot carried were the electric start and the NeXite deck. This year their Honda selection was not as good, the higher end were either made of heavy duty steel or they were not electric start.

While checking the mower selection the end of March the saleman stated they had 3 of last years models left. I was so happy because it was exactly what i wanted, electric start and NeXite deck. I have used the mower 3 times since I bought it and I love it. I would recommend this mower to everyone. Easy to operate, light weight, electric start, no clumping of grass, and the drive control is great. 

i do not like the way it moves in reverse when trying to back up

the front seems too light - the wheels do not stay on the ground

i don't likle the fact that i had to purchase a battery charger the first weekend

i cannot get the battery charged while using the mower

hope this mower was worth the investment

I CUT FOR OVER AN HOUR AND A HALF;;;;;STARTER DID NOT SO MUCH AS TICK

VERY DISAPPOINTED

This is my second Honda lawn mower, and they keep getting better and better. The new drive system took a little getting used to but once I adjusted to it, it worked to perfection. Also the electric start is awesome and much appreciated when you have a bad back. That's why you buy Honda products, pure quality!

P.S. The other Honda mower still runs like a champ, but I bought the new one for the electric starter 

Purchased this mower in March of 2014, it has seen two mowing seasons, since owning I have had to bring it in for service twice because the autochoke would fail and I could not get the mower to restart when the engine had warmed up. The autochoke was replaced both times, but after the second replacement it seemed to be fine. In addition to that problem the electric start is randomly none existent, also this mower has always left random blades of uncut grass.

I have tried every suggestion  from Honda and searching on the net, service dealer tells me there is nothing wrong, I have documented pictures of the random blades sticking up about a hour after I cut and I have to re mow the lawn, I have also read other people having this problem so it's just not me or something I am doing wrong. This will be the start of my third cutting season and after two mows I can't deal with it anymore. I just placed an order for a new Cub Cadet, I owned a Cub Cadet prior to this Honda and never had a single problem in the several years I owned it. This Honda will be going on Craigslist.

This is a nice lawnmower except it will not keep enough of a charge to start it each time. I like the variable bagging system and the blade.

We have run it several times for 45 min to an hour each time and it still won't start when cold. The local dealer said to get the expensive charger. If this mower needs a charger most of the time, why doesn't Honda ship it with one.

Another feature would be nice would be a maximum speed setting. Several times when we hit a high grass area that slows the mower down, we accidentally push forward and it takes off - fast.

I'm on my second one of these after repeated issues with the first one I purchased from a local dealer. Apparently the type of fuel required for these delicate mowers does not exist because no matter how new, stabilized or premium the fuel is, it apparently is still the cause for the catastrophic engine damage I caused according to Honda.  The letter I received from Honda regarding my issues was quite condescending to say the least. 

At least the manager who sold me the first mower felt this to be extraordinary and offered to exchange the old one for another new one of the same model, the HRX2174VLA.  Not even five times around the yard and I already have a "dirty carburator" due to "bad ethanol fuel." Nevermind that it's completely new fuel and I put stabilizer in it. I don't leave fuel in the gas tank and run it dry.  

Now I have to pay for yet another repair on a mower that's not even 6 months old.  I will never buy another Honda and certainly not anything with the Honda name on it. This is robbery pure and simple. These mowers are complete garbage with a Cadillac price. Whatever you spent to purchase one of these, plan on doubling that value  because it'll cost you hundreds to repair.

I plan on selling this mower as soon as I get it back, taking my losses and buying a different brand. I can't do this anymore.

A badly designed product. It gave me a lot of headaches.

Has a major design flaws with handler and engine.

On first season (a brand new) I lost all the bolts, screws that holds handler.

I had a difficult time to find  replacement. I decided not to use factory screws , because of a design flaws that problem will persist after replacement.  Naturally mower vibrates and if you have uneven surface, many turns, bumps then handler will come off. 

Another problem is with its engine. It burns oil very badly. You have to check oil every time you start the engine (it is fine printed in the manual). If engine stops working because of it is oil dry then Honda warranty will not cover it. I think this is show stopper. In my view this is a crime. Engine should not burn oil. It emits toxic substances into air that you breeze during the operation of mower and it is  bad for environment in general.  It reminds me engine of early 20th century that you need to keep adding oil to it in order to operate.   Apparently, Honda engineers stock with that area of thinking.

My neighbor for example has Toro mower for 10 years now and according to him he even did not change the oil for that many years and never adds any drop of oil and it is working fine.

I purchased it mainly because of advertisement about it is noise reduction features. But, it is still loud.

I have contacted to Honda and tried to get rid of this piece of garbage that they call a lawn mower. But, Honda refuses to do anything about it. I think, this product should be recalled.

Thanks for the Home Depot. They listened my problem and agreed to take it back even though a return period has passed for a long period of time.

From now on will not trust Honda. Will not consider even their cars, trucks.

WORST LAWN MOWER I'VE EVER BOUGHT. MOWED MY LAWN 6 TIMES, CLEANED IT 6 TIMES, CHANGED OIL 1 TIME, AND AFTER ALL THAT, I HAD TO HAVE IT REPAIRED, BECAUSE WATER GOT ON THE COLD START LINKAGE AND CORRODED IT SO IT WOULDN'T WORK AND WATER GOT ON THE ELECTRIC WIRING AND ELECTRIC PARTS SO THE KEY START WOULD NOT WORK. 

SO FOR $650.00, IF I MOW MY LAWN APPOX. 6 TIMES OR SO, I GET TO SPEND AN ADDITIONAL $53.00

TO GET IT FIXED. WHAT A BARGAIN! AT $53.00 FOR REPAIRS EVERY 6-8 WEEKS, I CAN TRUTHFULLY TELL YOU I CAN'T AFFORD TO EVER BY ANOTHER ONE!!!!!!!! IT'S A PIECE OF JUNK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Opened and as per instruction Manuel filled with gas and supplied bottle of engine oil. Self-start did not work.  The instruction stated that "start the engine with pulling the string and use it for about couple of hours to recharge the battery that may drain and loose power due to shelf life. The self-start again did not work and it looked that there was no charge. On the morning of July 15 I contacted the supplier Movers Direct. The lady there told that since the item has been gassed, they can’t accept it back and that I need to talk to Honda technical support at their phone #770-497-6400 and she transferred me to that number. They told me to contact the Honda dealer and gave me telephone # 7329680778 in Bond Brook area in New Jersey or asked to talk to Honda dealer in Belmead.  I spoke to Honda dealer in Bond Brook.  They told me that since the time is brand new received only a few days back, I need to talk to the supplier.  I again called the supplier Movers Direct and spoke to Katty and her supervisor Sherry but they told me the same thing again and said they accept no responsibility for this defective item and that since Honda has five years warranty, I need to talk to them for this. Again I was transferred to Honda tech support at 770-497-6400.  Spoke to Mike.  He again wanted to pass the buck back to the Dealer and asked me to take this item to them.  But when asked to speak to the Manager for purpose of my record and that of my attorney, he took the details of the Lawn Mover, its model and serial # and the supplier and the date of purchase and my contact phone number and said that I will be getting a call from them soon. Mike called in the in the evening a left a voice mail stating that the case manager has asked him to send a new battery for the Lawn Mover and that it is being sent.  It is still awaited.

I am an old person and the seventies. I went for electric start for ease of use and the name of HONDA even though the item was expensive in comparison to what is available in the market. I can not move this item myself and have no means of moving around with this item. I fail to understand as to why Honda or the supplier does not accept their responsibility for supplying a defective item?  Why I am being bounced from here to there and nobody is ready to take any responsibility for this defective item? The did not pay to buy a machine that is defective from the very beginning. I am quite frustrated and want this item either to be replaced or refunded immediately.

This if my 4th Honda mower in 21 years.  I just bought it the morning and went  to mow my lawn.  The electric start did not work.  It seemed to not be engaging the clutch.  So I went and started it manually. It ran fine and I mowed my half acre of lawn.  When I finished, the electric start battery seemed to be pretty dead.

Really does a nice job cutting the lawn ( I mulch) but I am not looking forward to lifting that into the trunk to take it for repair.  These days that is a 3 to 4 week proposition.

I Like the throttle control.  Easy to use when mowing around trees, burms and other landscaping features.   The maintenance features are easy to get at.

this is my second honda lawn mower , if the first one is as good as the this one I will name my next grand child after honda.when I received my new honda it was missing the manual , oil , and key one call from customer service they quickly sent out my missing items . Being a ex MARINE we have and old saying

SEMPER FI. Which means all ways faithfull

Just purchased a new HRR model and a new HRX model.  These are the third and fourth Honda mowers I have

bought in the last 15 years.  The two cost me $1400.00.  My neighbors think I have lost my grip on the limb for

spending that much on two lawn mowers.  I tell them I spend that much to get the best product on the market

and enable me to have a better looking lawn than them. 

These mowers start on the first pull each and every time, even after sitting all frigid winter in my garage.  They

cut 8" high grass like it was half that height and they never "bog down."  The lawn looks "manicured" after it is

cut.  Their convenience and safety features are so many that it is inconceivable to me that there could be any

more!  If these lawn mowers were cars, you could say they're "loaded."  Considering a new mower?  Do yourself

a big favor and go to your Honda dealer first.  You will buy one if you try one!

Since  time has taken it's toll on my shoulders, I looked into a mowers that could be started with a key.

I looked at most, and went with the Honda and really like the ease of the electric start now.

Neighbor has one and loves it, had it for years. So it was a no-brainer.

Have not mulched with it yet, will wait till grass  is dry, but so far so good!

In this price range, you expect design features to be light years ahead of mowers of half the price, but such is not the case.

Maybe it’s because I’m tall, but I could not find a comfortable position for the Smart Drive control paddles. The flat paddles are designed to be held with your palms, but are positioned to be operated with your thumbs. All of the pictures show the operator using their thumbs to press the paddles. You cannot hold a steady speed with your thumbs, and holding the flat paddles with your palms is awkward.

• Removing the grass bag requires several steps, when simply designing a different handle would make for a smooth, one step removal and installation process.
• Grass clippings collect in cavities at the rear of the mower and spill when the bag is removed. Requires extra time for cleaning. Unique to the NeXite^® deck?
• Smart Drive controller with infinite positions and a locking ring instead of 5 positions would allow anyone to find a comfortable position for the paddles.
• Make up your mind: design the drive paddles for thumb use, or position them for palms.
• Rear wheel drive makes it difficult to turn and control. The mower tends to lift the front wheels off the ground as the grass catcher bag fills. Front wheel drive is a better design.
• The bottom lip of the NeXite^® deck is wider than a steel deck, preventing close trimming around trees.
• I expected the engine to be quieter. It’s nearly as loud as the 16-year-old Briggs & Stratton it replaced.
• Once it was warmed up, it would not restart with the electric start (cranked, no start). Used the pull start with no problem.

The cut is smooth and even, the engine is powerful and did not bog down at all when mowing my heavy grass at 3½ inches. The grass was longer than normal due to the demise of my old mower and subsequent search for a replacement. I did not test its mulching ability due to the length of the grass, but I suspect it would do an excellent job based on the size of the clippings in the bag.

I had an incredibly quiet Honda HT3813 that performed very well for nearly 20 years. It was still running and working well when I sold it for nearly half the original purchase price. The very positive experience with that lawn tractor was the driving force behind another Honda. However, I am returning this HRX217VLA to the dealer today and getting the HRX217HZA (buying from a dealer has many advantages over the box stores or online). I’m hoping the drive system on the HZA is smoother than the VLA. Look for an un-biased review of the HZA in the coming weeks.

I love the overall quality of this lawn mower with the exception of the electric start.  After following the owners manual and after (3) attempts of charging the battery while running for at least 1 hour the electric start still does not work properly.  Simply put the battery does not appear to be robust enough to turn the engine and get it to start.  After about 6 seconds of very slow cranking the battery charge gives out; the pull start will start the engine on the first try.

After calling the local Home Depot they told me I'm the 7th or 8th person this summer with the same problem on the electric start Honda lawn mowers.

Honda engineering needs to revisit the design of this electric start and come up with a better solution.   

Have mowed my yard twice so far (~ 5-6 hours total) and my only complaint is with the drive system. It has a delay if attempting to move slowly but once it gets moving it is very, very hard to maintain speed control.

With the design of the throttle, every time the mower hits a bump or a dip, that of course makes the handle jump up or down  immediately, and by having to maintain a steady pressure on the throttle, when that pressure is altered by the handle movement, so is the speed.

I have had occasions where I would suddenly either ram my body into the handle or the mower would literally jump out of my control.

This system is ideal for a golf green, but not, IMHO, a residence of any size unless it is a smooth as a green

If I would not lose so much on a trade, I would get another brand with a different drive system immediately.

My old mower had the “push harder, go faster” system, and it took a little getting used to, but by the time I had used it as much as I have this Honda, it was a part of me.

I’m hoping, but doubtful, that I’ll find some key adjustment in me and/or the mower to make this one work.

i bought an expensive honda because i thought that they were reliable.   It is very hard to start.  Have to spray ether in order to get it to start.   I have to start the mower every month in the winter or it wont start in the spring.    I have taken it to the dealer and they said that these mowers were just hard to start.  After it starts, it runs just fine.   Also the carb plugs up easily and has to be taken apart quite regularly.

Would i buy another one?  NO NO NO

After the performance of my Honda 3000iu generator, when the time came for a new mower I knew Honda was what I would buy. I wasn't sure I needed all the bells and whistles of the HRX line - I just needed something that would mow grass. After shopping the available models at my local Honda dealer, I chose the HRX217VLA. After I got it home I worried I had over purchased according to my needs. After a month's use, however, I could not be more pleased. The 190cc engine is powerful and efficient; the adjustable handle allows me to easily load the mower in the truck, the shed, or anywhere space is an issue; the mulch/bag feature allows for infinite ability to adjust to mowing conditions - also important, the discharge opening into the bag is large enough that clogs are no longer an issue, even with damp or tall grass; and the twin blade cutting system eliminates those rows of clippings that have to be raked after the moving is finished; and the electric start and self propel features are a luxury after a long hot day of mowing and there's still more to do - they will save the back and shoulders, that's for sure. The Nexite deck I was unsure of; turns out it it as durable as a metal deck without the worry of rust or paint peeling, and it is impervious to gasoline spills - just don't ask how I know. The only knock I can think of is the rear discharge - gives me a couple shoes full of debris, but that's easily cured by just moving the handle to mulch and leaving it there when you're not using the bag. I cannot speak to the Roto-Stop feature, as this model does not have it. This mower may seem expensive initially(it did for me) for a "push mower", but it is worth every penny. With care this will be the last mower you buy. After a month of use at home, however, I couldn't be more happy with my choice. 190cc engine is powerful and efficient; the easily adjustable positioning of the handle makes it a snap to load into the truck, the shed, or anywhere that space is tight; the bag/mulch settings are so varied I can match any condition in my yard to either pick up debris or grind it in; and, importantly, the discharge opening on the mower is large enough that grass does not compact there and cause a blockage - even damp grass discharges into the bag easily. The double blade system totally eliminates rows of clippings in the yard, even with 6" tall grass, and the electric start and self propel features are a luxury when you've been mowing all day and you still have more yard to go.