Honda HRX Series Mower, Honda even Mows Well!
Written: May 12 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Mows great, easy startup, excellent overall
Cons: somewhat expensive
The Bottom Line: Very solid mower that is easy to start and works well for novices and the experienced user alike.
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| elmoebeesn's Full Review: Honda Hrx Series Self Propelled Lawn Mower |
As an experienced grass mower, I had often thought the only real difference in mowing equipment came when differentiating from the pushed type to the riding type. I mowed my parents grass as a youth for many years and used many mowers in the process, including self-propelled types. I generally found them to be a lot alike the regular push-mower and really only noticed a major difference in the select few that I was lucky enough to ride on top of rather than push (propelled or otherwise). Of course the weight of the mower came into play from time to time on a large hill or something, but generally the work was always hard, I got a solid workout, and at the end of the day (with little exception) the grass was mowed somewhat successfully.
Anyway, I was recently amazed to notice that Honda has entered into the truly wild world of mowing equipment. I am a Honda fan in general as I also own a Civic from this Japanese company and have been impressed by my performance therein thus far. All told, Honda has a reputation for building a quality product at a solid price and thus, I assumed a mower should be no different. Still, even with my appreciation for the company as a whole, I figured that this mower would simply be like all the others. No frills, and no big deal as they all just cut grass, don’t they?
Happily I have found my experience with this mower to be a notch above the usual fare when it comes to my forays into modern day grass cutting. I unfortunately found the mower to be expensive at 699 dollars and thus was apprehensive of my local home-depot salesman who swore by its’ skill and grace. I figured I could pay much less and still retain a quality product because, after all, this WAS just a lawn-mower and they all did the same thing. Anyway, after some coercion and appeals to my prior positive experience with Honda products I decided to take my new friends’ advice and give this mower a spin. I am happy I did.
On first actual grasp, I found this mower to be slightly heavy when lifting it out of the box. Indeed, it took two people (myself and a friend) to get it out successfully. I have later found that the mower is not terribly heavy per se, but moreso that this first grasp was just more awkward which is why I may have required assistance. I soon noticed that the necessary oil was provided for me in the packaging and that the manual described everything I needed to know for easy and successful set-up. Further, the mower comes adjustable in 3 settings according to the users’ height and preference. Basically, this unit wasn’t difficult in the least to set up, I simply wanted to learn about the settings and what it was capable of before giving it a spin. I’d say about an hour is all most users’ will need in order to get a solid grasp on what the equipment will do and to get the mower ready for action. All that is brutally necessary is the addition of oil and gas, the tightening of a few knobs and the selection of a setting. Not too bad I must say. The gas tank seems to handle about 50 cents worth at a time (approx 1/6 gallon)
After setup, I now figured it was time to venture out to an actual lawn and begin to mow. One amazing thing about this mower, and something every user is sure to notice, is the ease with which it starts. I have used this device maybe 8 times and noticed that each time it has started with a single pull. Not even a hard pull I say, just a normal pull. I’d estimate that if you are over the age of 8 you will be able to start this mower with relative ease. I have often noticed many mowers need primed, some need several pulls, and some require much patience to even start at all. Luckily, this unit from Honda starts with ease. Anyway, after startup, the user will find that this mower is self propelled (probably if you bought it you knew this already) and has a clutch which can be used to adjust the speed with which it will run. This takes some getting used to, but I suppose if you use a clutch for your vehicle, it will come quite easy. The mower boasts a 6.5HP engine which I have found to be more than adequate. The device has 10 speeds and I recommend a setting of about 6 (out of the 10) for most users who want a steady pace, but not a sprint throughout the yard. Further, the blade can be engaged or disengaged by pushing a lever. I suppose this is a safety feature and overall this is not hard to remember to do. Overall, as far as ease of use goes, I find that this mower truly glides through the yard and will give the user an easy and safe experience. Braking and turning the mower can both be done easily and I have personally found no drawbacks to this. In fact, the turning radius is sharp and navigation around trees has been a breeze. Small hills are easily cut as well, although for larger ones I, and the manual for that matter, recommend you use a weed whacker or something of the sort.
As far as the quality of the cut is concerned, I would rate this mower as the best I have tried. It is accurate and uniform. Further, the mower dispenses the grass evenly throughout the yard if you aren’t bagging. I notice that my clippings do not clump and thus possibly cease to allow my grass to receive the necessary nutrients. The mower cuts low to the ground and the cut is uniform. The blades all seem to be cleared at the same level and no blades appear to be uncut after a mow. Of course, the user can bag if he/she wishes, but I almost see no need as the clippings seem to be distributed so well. All told I am happy with performance.
The construction of the unit seems sturdy as I have yet to have a problem and the materials seem adequate unless you will be dropping it from a rooftop or bashing it into trees on regular occasion. Seemingly, with regular use, this machine should last quite a while. Further, Honda includes its standard warranty for non-user caused difficulties.
All in all, I am very happy. This strikes me as the best mower I have used in terms of cut quality and ease of use and thus it comes highly recommended. Below please find some specifications from Honda and enjoy your new mower!
Hydrostatic transmission (which allows you to control the mower speed to match whatever walking speed you choose)
Shaft Drive which eliminates all belts
Honda's Roto-Stop® Blade Brake Clutch system for convenience and safety
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
elmoebeesn
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Member: Magic M
Location: near Pittsburgh
Reviews written: 146
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JD, MBA grad. The real world has cometh....
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