Customer Reviews for Honda 21 in. Single Speed Gas Walk Behind Self Propelled Lawn Mower

I bought this mower for 2 main reasons; It's a Honda (Hondas always start easy and require minimum maintenance ) and it's the lightest self propelled mower I could find. Only used once for cutting....did fine considering my slope and obstacles. The rear flap was a hindrance in backing up, so I removed it. We'll see how that works when I cut next. (new grass not growing very fast) Being a lighter weight self propelled mower it pushes manually quite nice. Would love to slow down self propelled pace slightly. I have started unit 3 or 4 times and each time required excessive pulling. Not sure how the auto choke works but I would prefer a manual choke. It would also be beneficial to stamp cutting height on wheel adjustment plate. I may have further info as I use the mower more and I will be open to changing my rating and recommendation.

I was looking to upgrade from my Toro Recycler [manufactured in 1992] that was a hand me down. I didn't like the "self-pace" drive controls of many of the new mowers [Toro, Honda, Lawn Boy etc.] in this price range. I also have a preference to rear wheel drive, Honda mowers, and no need for the bagging feature, so I was very happy to find this version that ticked all the boxes I wanted. It shipped to my house within 3 days of ordering; it was well packaged and protected and arrived without any damage or delay. You literally only have to remove some protection from the blades, fold up the push bar and put in gas and oil and you're ready to mow. It started on the first pull out of the box and has continued to do so since. I have mowed 3 times since I got it and so far everything has been great. I had to try a few different height adjustments to find one that closest matched the height of the Toro I was replacing, I finally settle on the 2 1/2" height that was closest to what I had. The single speed transmission is great, I would say it's a medium pace...equal to a the "2" gear setting on my old Toro. The only negative about this mower right now is the engagement of the self-drive. It is a little abrupt right now and there is no "play" in the clutch bar, it is either on or off. I believe it will loosen up over time and allow me to use the bar like a clutch so when I'm turning I can use the self-drive to slowly assist in turning. Right now that's not really possible as it goes from no assist to full speed. But this is a minor gripe that I believe will resolve itself as I use it more. I would definitely recommend this mower if you don't bag your lawn and want a simple, easy to use mower from a great manufacture.

A fixed speed mower is the only mower that works well on steep slopes and the Honda HRS216 mower works extremely well. After replacing the low lift blade that came on it with a twin blade it also cuts extremely well. The engine starts first pull and doesn’t stall in high wet grass. This mower replaced a Toro self propelled fixed speed mower that lasted 40 years until the drive was so worn it would shear the drive shaft pins. Any mower made today isn’t likely to last 40 years as those days are gone. Most small engines on mowers today have an aluminum bore cylinder and doesn’t have an oil pump which my last the Toro did. That is one reason it lasted so long and it still runs to this day. This same mower also came with plastic wheels that never broke so plastic wheels are not a problem.

I like the height of the handlebars. Would prefer it to be a front wheel drive. Cuts well but does not discharge clippings when the lawn is wet.

Bought this self-propelled mower from Home Depot back in 2006,thing still runs strong to this day. Have changed the oil a couple times and the plug once,other than that,have done no other maintenance and still runs great. Only bad part is it is difficult to pull backwards,having a little issue with the self-propel function(always on). But I am in the market for a newer one anyway here soon.Overall,great buy,can't go wrong with this mower.

I have used this mover 5 times on my .75 acre lot. The mower runs well and only gets bogged down when mulching very thick and damp grass. Has a good speed on the self propelled motor but can be cumbersome to push manually. My only con is when working in tight spaces it does not move backwards well. The rear flap is very ridged and actually pops the back tires off the ground when it is going backwards. Then when pushing forward it brings them off the ground again and can not propel it self forward. I guess this is a safety feature but seems very annoying to me when using.

Excellent motor, so reliable that it could power a hang glider, but the deck is another story. The deck is rust prone. After six years of use there are holes through in strategic areas that I had to patch up with heavy gage aluminum strips, flatten out tin cans and pop rivets. One would think that Honda could use a better grade steel and better assembly method to minimize the rust problem.

Perfect for our needs

This is a truly an amazing machine. The rear self-propelled traction makes it easy to mow the lawn. It's not a light machine, but it's not a heavy one either. I have 5,000 sq.ft of lawn to cut every 3 weeks. This machine cuts it in 2 hours. I would definitely give this Honda mower 5 stars.

This was a very easy transaction it was sent to s local store, I picked it up the box was in perfect condition. I took it home the Honda lawnmower was already assembled took it out of the box read the instructions and it started on the first pull. In conclusion this Honda is great to use.

Easy assembly, easy starting, well built, basic mower.

Rating provided by a verified purchaser

I have had the mower a month now and the self propelled drive will not work properly...and yes it is beyond the 30 Home Depot return policy. Not likely I will ever purchase a similar product, or use Home Depot again.

This Honda lawnmower is great.

easy to start and is user friendly

Your basic lawnmower. Lots of metal and very little plastic. Best of all it has a Honda engine. Well worth the money.

Easy to start and operate.

This mower, although somewhat pricey as it only has one self propelled speed, no grass catcher, only a single mulching blade unlike it's slightly more expensive Honda "companion", has met my expectations.. It is relatively light weight for a self propelled Honda mower, fairly easy to maneuver, quite quiet, and produces a nicely cut lawn.. I've rated this mower with four rather than five stars because the single speed is set too fast and thus in order to reduce the speed when mowing I must at all times be careful to always gently push back on the clutch handle or otherwise I find myself at age 76 literally running with the mower. Overall, this is the best mower I have found for my needs and I would highly recommend it. I also like the Honda engine design which makes it so easy to drain the oil by just tilting the mower and not having to lift it to turn it upside down..

Very good machine, lightweight and does the job I needed for. I give 5 stars

Arrived with damage, had to return to store and order another one. Works Great!

Rating provided by a verified purchaser

My last B&S lasted only 3 years. I really like this Honda. Starts on first pull, perfect walking speed, absolutely no complaints here. Do yourself a favor & go Honda.

Front wheels out of alignment & transmission noisy, front wheels hard to turn, oiling did not help.

I like it. Easy to start, now my wife has no excuse.

THE MOWER STARTS REAL EASY BUT IS TO HARD TO MOW WITH IT HAVING ONLY ONE SPEED AND NO HAND THROTTLE. I BOUGHT A HR 21 IN 80S WHICH I LIKED VERY MUCH ,JUST REPLACED IT WITH THIS MOWER BECAUSE IT HAD A SIDE DISCHARGE.

Excellent lawn mower - I have both the mulch and regular self propelled and would never again buy any other brand

I have used this mower 3 times now. It is perfect for my use. I use the side discharge and the grass is mulched very nicely so the grass clippings do not pile up in rows like my old mower (different make). I have good experience with the Honda brand and after consulting a consumer magazine selected this model. It was very easy to get it ready for use right out of the box.

This is a simple, basic, and durable mower with a heavy gauge steel deck and a single speed self-propelled function. All critical components are made of metal. The only con that I would give this mower is that the fuel tank is made of black plastic and the fill neck is tall and narrow. This means that it is very easy to overflow the tank when filling with fuel because it is hard to see the level in the tank. A switch to a white tank would fix this, but the earlier version of this mower HRS2164 SDA which I also own has the same issue. I have several hundred troublefree hours on my old mower and expect this one to do just as well. This mower also starts very easily and runs and cuts well. I would recommend.

This mower is fantastic. With optional high lift dual blade setup and side discharging it shreds and blows grass away from mower. This mower does not leave grass lines mulching or side discharging. I believe the low lift blade it comes with is best for mulching (no side discharging). 2" cut in early spring and 2-1/2 when thicker (late spring/summer). Have owned for 5 mowings. Always starts. Engine has strong power, does not bogg down. Replacing a 15 year old Lawn-Boy (can never be replaced).

Not overly flashy, but cuts great, and handles everything you need it to do. Pretty light weight as well. I wanted to stick with a good small engine with a honda, and I am confident after the 4 cuts that I have already used this, that this is a sign of things to come.