Got 2 Honda's now...

ken brydson

Funny story on how I ended up with the Honda. I've always been a Craftsman mower guy. My last one worked great for close to 10 years until I hit a big rock last week and bent the shaft. So I go to Sears to pick up a new one. The salesman was pushing hard for a maintenance agreement. When I told him I wasn't interested since all my other ones were pretty much trouble free for well past the warranty his response was "yeah, these new ones won't go as long as your older ones. They've cut back on the quality of parts to keep prices down ". Can you say "buh bye now? No wonder Sears is circling the drain...

boston1450

Nice looking mower. Ive owned Craftsman too & theyve taking a beating. Never tried a Honda but i hope its good to ya

ken brydson

boston1450 wrote: »

Nice looking mower. Ive owned Craftsman too & theyve taking a beating. Never tried a Honda but i hope its good to ya

Pretty badass so far but the rear wheel drive takes some getting used to. All my others have been FWD...

txcoastal1

I've owned Troy Built w/briggs and straton, Craftsmen, Toro and bought my mom a Honda

That Honda with quad cutting cuts the grass beautifully and better than all of the above. The only issue is it is built for shorter people.

polkfarmboy

I wonder if that mower would beat the van off a red light.

PolkieMan

Yea that's the good Honda
I bought the cheaper model with the thumb drive on the handle it has never been, even new, what the old HRX Hydrostatic was.
They all push the maint did you know he makes a lot more on the maint than the item besides keeping his job.

ken brydson

txcoastal1 wrote: »

I've owned Troy Built w/briggs and straton, Craftsmen, Toro and bought my mom a Honda

That Honda with quad cutting cuts the grass beautifully and better than all of the above. The only issue is it is built for shorter people.

Funny you say that. I was looking at the model $100 cheaper and my biggest complaint (being 6'3) was that the handle was too low. The one I got is much more comfortable...Worth the extra coin IMO.

ken brydson

polkfarmboy wrote: »

I wonder if that mower would beat the van off a red light.

Probably beat your Porsche :cheesygrin:. I tried it in the highest speed for giggles and my old **** could hardly hold on....

PolkieMan

this is the good one http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200585491_200585491
this is the wannabe http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200585491_200585491

ken brydson

PolkieMan wrote: »

this is the good one http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200585491_200585491
this is the wannabe http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200585491_200585491

I got the 1st one... Never thought I'd spend that much on a mower but with the apparent quality of the mainstream offerings it seemed like it was worth it. 6 year warranty and all.

PolkieMan

the wannabe

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Honda-21-in-3-in-1-Variable-Speed-Self-Propelled-Gas-Mower-with-Blade-Stop-HRR216K9VYA/203709697

PolkieMan

That's the one I got, years ago, drive went out after 20 years, so got the cheaper one 2nd time around, big mistake :-(

Nightfall

The real good one - http://m.powerequipment.honda.com/lawn-mowers/models/hrc216hxa

The landscaping company I worked for had hundreds upon hundreds of hours on this mower and it still started first pull every time. Extremely reliable, Craftsman is like Emotiva compared to the Honda.

Keep the blades sharpened and balanced (a dull blade makes it harder on the engine), change the oil, and if it is available in your area put gas in it that doesn't have ethanol and it will last you forever.

This site will let you know if there is any non ethanol gas in your area.
http://pure-gas.org/

charley95

ken brydson wrote: »

Funny you say that. I was looking at the model $100 cheaper and my biggest complaint (being 6'3) was that the handle was too low. The one I got is much more comfortable...Worth the extra coin IMO.

Funny you mention this, I bought the next model down from yours on thursday. Both models have 3 position height adjusters on the handlebars. So far it's the best mower I've owned.

Dabutcher

I like the Lawnboys two strokes. EPA banned them all in 2004. Less moving parts and more than enough power. They are loud though. Only drawback. Only weak link in the Hondas are the transmissions going out. $300.00 dollar repair. Good luck. Enjoy! D

ViperZ

Dabutcher wrote: »

I like the Lawnboys two strokes. EPA banned them all in 2004. Less moving parts and more than enough power. They are loud though. Only drawback. Only weak link in the Hondas are the transmissions going out. $300.00 dollar repair. Good luck. Enjoy! D

I didn't know they were banned lol. I have a 'gold' Lawnboy 6.5hp self-propelled 2-stroker. Oh boy, does that thing smoke when you open the choke to warm it up. Maybe if it will ever die, I'll get a Honda to match my bike...

Rivrrat

When I lived up there, all I cared about was a 5hp motor and it need to mulch, so I could mow damp grass without it clumping up.

Toolfan66

I have the same Honda mower, and I love it. My old one was a craftsman as well, and I don't miss it at all. As a matter of fact I just sold it for $40 to a guy at work, he said he could fix it, and guess what it still don't run..

Honda for the win!!! You can go for a nice jog mowing the lawn with the way these pull you.. LOL!!!

PolkieMan

Nobody cares about your stick figure stereo system..

LOL Priceless!

ken brydson

PolkieMan wrote: »

Nobody cares about your stick figure stereo system..

LOL Priceless!

Huh?

tonyb

Have the exact same mower as the OP and love the darn thing. Simply no comparison to your normal big box store brands.

charley95

I like the fact that the twin blades cut the grass into finer mulch. It's nice not having to empty the bag as often as all my previous mowers.

Mine replaced a commercial model Toro that only made it 8 years, I hated that mower. The Honda is a much better engineered unit.

smglbrth

Another tick for Lawnboy two strokes. Absolutely love mine, power to spare and they last forever, pretty much. My rototiller wears a Honda motor though. I think the EPA would ban breathing if they could get away with it...

PolkieMan

yea I was, I'm still laughing about that one :-)

nbrowser wrote: »

I think he's referring to Toolfan's sig line

Sherardp

Add the striping kit and you will have amazing results.

ken brydson

Sherardp wrote: »

Add the striping kit and you will have amazing results.

I'd never heard of them until you posted on FB. Watched a couple videos. Pretty cool...

nguyendot

I have a 216 model Honda too. Was given to me by a friend after he gifted me a used Craftsman that was 20 years old. I love it, starts on the first pull EVERY time unless it's out of gas or I forgot to turn the gas on.

Recently got a Snapper 42" ZTR to complement it. I think the Honda will last forever, and even if it dies I will pay the $500 to replace it with an equivalent model.

charley95

Mowed my yard and the neighbors yard today with my HRX217VKA. My 8 yr. old Toro feels like a cheap Chevy compared to my Cadillac Honda! Best mower I've ever owned!

Danny Tse

ken brydson wrote: »

Probably beat your Porsche :cheesygrin:. I tried it in the highest speed for giggles and my old **** could hardly hold on....

You need one of these....

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?159989-Honda-sets-new-world-record-for-the-fastest....lawnmower!!&highlight=honda+lawn+mower

scottyboy76

Honda makes awesome push mowers, to pay 700 bucks to cut your grass has to sting a bit, but you get what you pay for.

tonyb

scottyboy76 wrote: »

Honda makes awesome push mowers, to pay 700 bucks to cut your grass has to sting a bit, but you get what you pay for.

Bought mine off Craigslist from a guy being transferred out of state. Used one season and looked brand new. Claimed he only used it 4 times before having a service do his lawn. Paid 300.....about the same as a decent craftsman.