Honda Lawnmowers
You’re passionate about your yard. We feel the same way about our lawn mowers. There’s more to an exceptional mowing machine than a great engine, or a great deck, or a great cutting system. Luckily, Honda offers all of these things on our mowers. And together they add up to something exceptional: Terrific Value. Which is one more thing to be passionate about.
Honda’s world-renowned easy-starting engines deliver smooth, quiet and reliable four-stroke power and ultra low emissions levels. The compact, light-weight OHC/OHV GCV Series of engines offer plenty of power for home use. And the legendary OHV GXV Series offers rugged commercial grade performance that’ll get you through anything in short order.
Both engines pass the toughest EPA and CARB emission standards. It’s no wonder why Honda makes more engines than anyone else on earth!
ALL Honda lawn mowers are pre-tested and ready to perform for you!
Honda offers three different lines of lawn mowers for you to choose from:
Honda HRX Series Mowers: The Ultimate Lawn Mower
Honda’s HRX series leads the way in advanced mower engineering:
HRC Commercial Walk-Behind Mowers
Even the largest operations need a walk-behind mower on hand to do work in confined spaces and around obstacles that block larger machines, but most small models are residential mowers that can’t handle commercial demands. Honda’s HRC professional mowers are built for this niche, offering professional-quality components in a small walk-behind package.
Deck
All versions of the HRC use a 21-inch deck stamped from 16 gauge steel with an integrated front bumper and edge guards. This deck is supported by 9-inch wheels made out of NeXite, the same super strong plastic Honda uses to make decks for some of their residential mowers. These wheels ride on sealed ball bearings, so they roll easy and require no maintenance.
The deck can be used for rear discharge, bagging or mulching. Honda’s MicroCut design uses a high lift blade and a flat blade stacked on top of each other. With each pass, these blades cut twice, leaving behind smaller clippings, reducing grass volume by up to 30% and preventing clumping on wet grass. The onboard bag holds up to 2.5 bushels of clippings, and the deck has 8 cutting heights ranging from ¾ inch to 4 inches.
Engines
There are two engines available in these mowers: the GSV160 and the GXV160.
The GSV160 is an overhead cam design based on Honda’s residential GCV engines, but it uses upgraded components to handle commercial duty. This includes a cast iron cylinder liner, stronger crankshaft bearings, and a two-stage air cleaner. It still retains the low noise, low vibrations and easy starting of the GCV. This engine is only available with the HRX216PDA.
The HDA and HXA are both powered by the GXV160. The GX line of overhead valve commercial engines are renowned for their reliability and have become the de facto standard for professional small engine equipment. Like the GSV, it has a dual element air filter. Both engines are fitted with a manual fuel shutoff to prevent carburetor flooding during transit.
Control
The fold-down handle is made from one-inch tubing, giving it strength and providing a wide grip area that reduces hand fatigue. The grip area is angled to limit wrist tension, and the hand controls use sealed, adjustable cables that require no maintenance and won’t turn rusty while in storage.
The PDA is a push mower, while the HDA and HXA use a hydrostatic transmission. This unit is as small as a conventional geared transmission, but it delivers the same infinite speed adjustment of its larger counterparts. The cruise control function lets you set a speed, then return to it by squeezing the bail, even if you’ve had to shut off the engine. The transmission connects to the crankshaft using a shaft drive, so there are no belts to change.
The HRC216HXA also comes with Roto-Stop. Instead of mounting the blades directly onto the crankshaft, they’re engaged using a clutch. The blades can be stopped for safety when moving away from the mower without stopping the engine. That means you won’t need to restart the engine after moving debris or branches.
Honda Lawnmowers Background Information
Honda Power Equipment produces and markets a complete line of lawnmowers for commercial, premium residential, and consumer applications. The product line consists of 10 models in four different series, including Honda HRS, Honda HRR, Honda HRX and Honda HRC Commercial.
Each product family incorporates a number of features and accessories for versatility and convenience. They include a variable height adjustment system; an ErgoActive handle; a large capacity standard rear easy on/easy off grass bag; the exclusive, twin-blade Honda MicroCut or QuadraCut System discharge chute and leaf shredder options; and a choice of mowing decks. Honda mowers are the only of their kind to offer advanced and durable maintenance-free Cruise Control hydrostatic transmissions that allow for infinite drive speed variation while maintaining maximum engine speed.
In keeping with Honda‘s tradition of technological and environmental leadership, all Honda lawnmower models feature Honda’s easy-starting engines that deliver smooth, quiet, reliable four-stroke power. The compact, lightweight OHC (overhead cam) GC Series offers maximum power and high-efficiency combustion for home use, and the OHV (overhead valve) GX Series delivers rugged, commercial grade performance.
The Honda HRR and HRS Series
The Honda HRR Series consists of three different models, each containing a number of standard features and benefits, including:
- An easy-starting 4-stroke, single cylinder GCV160 OHC engine designed to reduce weight and increase mower maneuverability;
- The world’s first internal timing belt on a mower with reserve power for the most demanding mowing conditions;
- The exclusive twin-blade QuadraCut System that uses four cutting surfaces for superior mulching and bagging;
- The Honda HRR steel mowing deck;
- An easy on/easy off grass bag for low-effort emptying;
- An ErgoActive handle incorporating easily accessible controls, designed to maximize safety, comfort and convenience;
- A height adjustment system, offering seven mowing height adjustments ranging from 3/4″ to 4″ (depending on the model) for different mowing needs;
- Variable and three-speed transmissions (depending on the model).
Introduced in 2006, the all-new HRR Series lawnmower line is designed to deliver exceptionally easy operation, high performance and superior fuel efficiency. The HRR216K5VXA model is equipped with the revolutionary, variable speed Smart Drive transmission system and new ErgoActive easy-folding handlebars. delivering an infinitely easier lawnmowing experience at an affordable price. HRR Series models. the HRR216K5VXA and HRR216K5TDA. are available nationwide through Honda Power Equipment dealers and The Home Depot retail stores.
The HRR216K5VXA incorporates Honda’s newest technological innovation, the Smart Drive transmission system. Developed and tested by Honda RD, in conjunction with a professional ergonomic specialist for the most comfortable operation, this unique Variable Speed Transmission (VST) allows the user to easily control the mower’s speed simply by resting his or her hands on the handlebars. By placing either one or both thumbs on the lever, the operator can easily control the mower’s speed and even mow with one hand.
The HRR Series, powered by Honda’s GCV160 OHC engine, incorporates a number of ergonomic design elements that make easy work of mowing.
Honda offers the following three mowers in the HRR Series:
The HRS Series includes two models that feature the exclusive twin-blade advantage of the QuadraCut System as well as OHC/OHV Honda lightweight engines that are easy to start and deliver efficient power. The compact design of these engines also makes the mowers easy to maneuver. The extremely efficient combustion of the OHC/OHV configuration means one engine certifies to emissions standards in all 50 states. Both HRS mowers are covered by a three-year warranty.
| Model | Propulsion | Standard Design Features |
| HRS216K2PDA | Push type | Side discharge/mulcher, optional side bag |
| HRS216K2SDA | Self-propelled | Side discharge/mulcher, optional side bag |
Introduced in 2004, the Honda HRX Series pioneers the unique Versamow System that, for the first time on any mower, easily enables simultaneous distribution of clippings to both the bag and the ground. New for 2008 is the premium HRX217VKA. Equipped with the Smart Drive Transmission, the newest HRX model allows the user to easily control the mower’s speed simply by resting his or her hands on the handlebars. adding still more convenience and ease of use to what already is the most user-friendly 21-inch mower on the market today. All HRX models are available nationally through Honda Power Equipment dealers.
The HRX models use the 4-stroke, single-cylinder GCV190 OHC engine. The HRX electric start model, introduced in 2005, also features advanced Cyclon sealed lead-acid battery technology. The battery is mounted on the mower’s handlebar and integrated with a convenient automotive-style key switch. Depending on use, the battery should only require charging twice a year, delivering up to 300 starts on a single charge. Electricity is fed to a small starter motor incorporated in the GCV190 engine.
Are Gas-Powered Mowers Harmful?
Besides being audibly annoying, gas-powered mowers generate between 90 to 105 decibels, which can cause permanent hearing damage to humans, as well as disrupt wildlife communication and nesting birds. One hour of running a gas mower emits as much carbon dioxide as driving a car 300 miles, and together all of that adds up to 5% of our country’s air pollution. Garden and lawn equipment burn up around 3 billion gallons of gasoline annually in the U.S., roughly equivalent to the energy use of 3 million homes.
A freelance writer and indie film producer, Karuna Eberl covers the outdoors and nature side of DIY, exploring wildlife, green living, travel and gardening for Family Handyman. She also writes FH’s Eleven Percent column, about dynamic women in the construction workforce. Some of her other credits include the March cover of Readers Digest, National Parks, National Geographic Channel and Atlas Obscura. Karuna and her husband are also on the final stretch of renovating an abandoned house in a near-ghost town in rural Colorado. When they’re not working, you can find them hiking and traveling the backroads, camping in their self-converted van.