Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Which self propelled walk behind mower

So the old Husqvarna Honda motor walk behind rear wheel drive is about had it. I would buy another in a heart beat if they were still made. Alas, they are not. Looking at Honda HRN216VKA or possibly Toro Recycler 21386. Both these things are in the $550-$600 range. Uneven yard. Looking for any input or suggestions. Other brands/models for consideration?

I'm a big fan of Honda small engines and would look there.

Made the mistake of buying an Ariens about 12 years ago. Can't recommend them at all.

I own the Honda HRN216VKA and it has been a great mower. My issue with it is that when you release the safety bar at the handle the mower not only stops the blade but also stops the engine, meaning when you have to stop to pick up a rock or branch the engine shuts off and you have to restart each time.

My understanding is the HRN216VYA only stops the blade when the safety bar is released allowing you to leave the mower running while picking up debris. I wish I had purchase that model. I hope it is still available as I did not look before posting this message.

Be aware that some models will not allow you to pull the mower backwards in free wheel when the self-propelled handle is released. You will be pulling against the drive clutch assembly which makes it very hard to mower where you have a lot of obstacles to mow in an around.

Years ago I had a Toro. Started first pull every time. Great mower. Sold it when I moved

I've had my Toro Recycler for 15 years. Still starts on the first pull every time. I love it. I have no experience with Hondas though.

Have the Honda quadra cut its been a great mower!

Honda

Honda all the way. I love the honda engines.

I'm on the tale end of my second Toro walk behind mower in a 20 year period. The problem with them is that they eventually lose the self-propulsion, and then you're left with a needless heavy push mower. The one I have now is to the point where it hardly self-propels at all. When my last one got to this stage, the small engine repair guy I brought it to told me that, based on what he'd have to charge to fix it, I might as well just buy a new one.

This is the last year Honda will make push mowers. If you want one better get it now.

John Deer I have had my push mower 27 years

If the self propel is almost worn out but the mower otherwise works fine, I would look at stripping out the self propel unit. If you can remove that it will probably push easier.
I have a Toro that is about 12yrs old and has been a great machine.

Are the Hondas hydro static now?
I was gifted one several years back and didn't really care for it as it was always at full throttle if engaged.
My Lawn Boy[2 stroke as a plus] is hydro static so the speed can be controlled.

The old two stroke Lawn Boys were the best walk behind mowers ever made. I owned two in a 29 year period, each good for roughly fifteen years before the mower deck and drivetrains were shot. The engines still started first pull, every time. The engines were made by Honda.

Those two stroke days are long gone. As other have said, look for features you want, but always make sure it has a Honda engine. The brand name on the mower itself isn't all that important, it's the engine that matters.

I have a Honda-engined TroyBilt self-propelled that I like a lot. It's about five years old now. Starts right up, only needs 15 seconds, tops, to fully warm up and be ready for use.

I secure the kill-switch bar to the handle with a small dog collar when using it. It has a seperate lever to engage/disengage the propulsion, so I can leave it running while clearing debris or opening a gate.

Good mower.

Those older husqvarna with honda engines were wonderful, had one over 10 years. Went to a honda self propelled but killed it using it as a bush hog, bent deck all up but thats my fault, not the mowers. My buddys newer honda has self propel issues, it will just stop working, you can turn the rear tire some and something engages and it will start working again, doesnt happen a lot, but its done that ever since new.

I just went with a non self propelled honda knowing it would be a little lighter and I wouldnt have to worry about the self propel unit messing up when I'm going over small sweetgumbs and other trash I have to keep cut back. I'm not 20 anymore and its still a chore as light as it is.

I thought the engines were Tecumseh??
Mine needs a carb but I can't find one for it, maybe I've been going in the wrong direction?
Been 3 years and I cannot bring myself to dispose of it.

Kobalt 80v from Lowes. Once you go electric you won't go back to gasoline.

I have 2 Honda HRs from the mid 90s. Those things are tanks, mine are rear wheel drive IIRC which I'm not a fan of but it works well. No telling how many hours they have on them.
I replaced the wheels on them because they wore out.

I have a 10+ year old Craftsman with a Honda motor that runs like a champ.

I have a 6 or 7 year old 21" Troybilt. These days they're making them almost completely automatic, no adjustments at all. With this one, the only adjustment is blade height. To start it, you squeeze the lever and pull the rope. No switch, no squeeze bulb, no choke. The switch is the handle lever. When you release it, everything shuts off instantly. When it's running, there's another lever to engage the drive wheels. It's easy to start and has been very reliable.
Most of my mowing is with a garden tractor. I use this for trimming so it doesn't get a lot of use. It's been very good for what I use it for.
The only problem is the grass chute. It has a flapper door that closes for mulching. If you want it to eject the grass, you lift the door and attach the chute which takes all of 5 seconds. The chute is the problem. Any light bump and it falls off.