I have a 20-year-old HRX217HXA that’s operated flawlessly until the drive cable snapped today.

Mine is 1 year old- I abused it in August during a lawn rip out and bagging- cleaned up just like new. It did have surging after afterwards, but once I cleaned the micro idle circuits (thanks EPA!) it immediately stopped with the surging during idle. This did not affect the ability or quality of cutting, as once more fuel is demanded for turning the blades, there simply is no surging. It did have cold start issues during late October in lower 50s weather, but just took it out last week and it started on halfway through the first pull. May take a look at that wax autochoke cartridge to see if any dust gummed it up. Outstanding cut quality and vacuuming ability.

I have a 6-year old HRX217HYA at this posting. Mine was great for the first 4 years but since has become a service headache. Note I live two blocks from the ocean where there's salt in the air and on the grass; all outdoor gear has a notably short lifespan here. For that reason, I really like the plastic deck which won't rust and makes the mower lighter. Some complain their plastic deck has cracked, though it has a long warranty against that. OTOH, and a sign of what it's like here, my wheel adjustment levers are rusting badly and barely operate at all. You're right about the bottom sides of the plastic deck being prone to scratches with use (but that's also an issue with paint on steel-deck mowers); consider it battle wounds, just an appearance issue, and not a big deal. My biggest problem, and this is a common beef with this mower model, is the auto choke which is prone to starting and running problems after a few years. I hope they've improved the design of it on your newer HRX217HYA. I wish they'd left it as a more reliable manual choke. My other main gripe is your cleaning issue. Compared to my previous Honda mower, this model takes twice as long and is a royal pain to clean after mowing, and I use a water hose on high. I'm also not a fan of that air filter cover. As the clips and hinges loosen, or if you don't reattach it **just right** (always check by trying to pull it off after you think you've clipped it shut), it's prone to popping off without you noticing. And being black, it can be hard to find especially near/under shrubs where branches can pull it off. Often the air filter itself falls off somewhere else, and then you're running without proper air filtration you need for the engine. The filter is easy to locate, but I put pieces of red duct tape on both sides of the cover to make it easier to locate (being careful not to block airflow) and use twist ties near the clips to keep it better attached. What I still like about this mower: the quality of the cut, the mulching performance in forward and reverse, the power it has cutting through tall, dense grass or reasonable amounts of leaves and shrub material, and the dependable self-propelled transmission. Always releasing the self-propel lever to back up while mowing, I've had no wheel lock-up problems on mine. The blade engagement lever you don't like is actually another feature I really like. It means your mower has a blade-brake clutch, so you can safely walk away, leaving the engine running with the blade off, to move objects etc., without having to restart the mower. You can also self-propel without running the blade. Few mowers have a blade-brake clutch and people pay extra to get that feature. Maybe it'll grow on you, though maybe not as fast as your lawn! Good luck.

Mine is 12 years old and it has been flawless. At the end of each season, I run it out of gas, change oil, and clean/replace the air filter. Replace the spark plug and blades maybe every 3 years. I also got the optional low dust bag which makes a world of difference when collecting leaves or the grass is dry. I would buy another in a heartbeat if mine ever failed but it sounds like Honda is discontinuing mower product in 2023.

The holes for the side strips are only 5/16 in diameter and go into the extra plastic, beyond the deck. I have them on mine. The reason is I don't want a crack to start at the edge and then travel to damage a larger area. I do use it near or rubbing on raised sidewalk though. If the auto choke ever give you trouble in the winter, cover the whole air filter housing with a large "Ziplock" freezer bag and that will become your manual choke! Remove it promptly on state up. Nice machine!!!

Mine is three years old now. I shut the gas valve to the carb right before my last two or three strips to finish and let the carb run dry. I also use ethanol treatment in my gas. I bought mine for $750 at Northern Tool and it has been a great mower, probably the last one I'll ever need. I mulch also, using the bag only at the end of the season to vaccum up leaves, works great.

Mine is 5 years old it gets dirty but is is a k5 hrx 217 hya, and it also smokes when you pull it. price was 709 but I got it from home depot in 2018 where did you get your hrx 217 hya? cut quality is exclelent we want a mower do a good job mulching.

I bought my HRB216TDA in Sep 2003 for about $400. It still runs LIKE A CHAMPION. I just changed the spark plug for the first time last year. This year I changed the clutch cable and replaced the carburetor. The old carb was o'kay but after cleaning it I still had a surging problem. I figured she deserved a new carb after 20 flawless years of dependable service. I also changed all of the wheels a couple years ago....the tread was worn away. So after 20 years, she ready for another 20 years. Oh yeah.....I also replaced the recoil starter mechanism after it hung up and broke....only cost $10 on Amazon. So barely spent a dime on it except gas and changing the oil every year for 20 years. Still a superior machine and better than almost anything on the market today.....except another Honda.

Hello thanks for review. Is this front or rear wheel drive? If you want to go backwards to cut how do you do it?

I don't think it is pricey at all I bought the HRX217VYA which is the Mid Model in the line up it was $799 plus tax delivered to my Door was $860 and some change, It has the blade stop with the butterfly thumb control for the drive and a rotary knob with adjustable cruise control. If that doesn't fit your bill you can always look at the HRN line it has a steel deck 170cc engine and is a great mower I have a HRN216VKA and it is 3 seasons old and I use it for my small lawn care service I provide for elderly people in my town. If I remember correctly it cost my approximately $540 dollars from Home Depot

I have a 536 HRD HX from 1996 and still starts at first pull, I got it for free 9 years ago from a proffesional gardener, so it had already run for millions of hours :-) In those 9 years I used 3 spark plugs and 3 times new oil, that's it. Don't think there is a better machine out there you can buy, maybe the same one :-) greetings from Belgium. (next spring I will buy a new blade ;-)

I wonder if the cruise control is for everyone. If you have a long lawn where your mowing is pretty much going in lines then yeah its great. But if you have to constantly make a lot of turns then it might be a pain to constantly have to adjust that lever. Unless, there was a way to also manually control the forward movement.

Just mine delivered today. When I push it forward (engine off), the rear wheels make a clicking sound as they rotate. Is this normal?

I just bought this for $500 brand new in the box. It took 4 pulls to start, and now the pull rope keeps getting stuck and won't pull all the way.

The shroud is the sexiest part of the mower.😛

Pricey! But looks nice! I just can’t see dropping a G on a lawnmower unless my but can be in a seat. 😂

I certainly like not having to clean the carb after every use like my last Toro. This one starts immediately and runs nonstop.

What kind of gas can do u use?

the Honda lawnmower should keep you happy until our next snow buddy. I blow mine out. Do you use non ethanol gasoline?

So, was it worth it?

That model isn't a $1000, the one that's $1k has Electric Start with a self charging battery. And yes it's worth it.

Those hand levers look like a pain in the ass.

omg, you are too picky lol