[NEW CITY LAWN CARE LLC]

Have you replaced the engine since owning it? How many tranny swaps ?
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No engine, but 2 trannys....

 

[Petr51488]

Did you place the tranny because it was one of the defective ones or because of age and normal wear and tear ?
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I'm not sure exactly. If it was changed it was under warranty. I have had a good deal of transmission type work done that included bearings and gears and such.
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[JimsLocalLawn]

Why? because its much faster than a 21'' mower, not nearly expensive as a 36'' mower and its easy enough to use for everyone. I wish Honda would make a 30'' mower. It just seems like the parts on this mower are so incredibly cheap.

I wonder how long we have to beg Honda for them to make one. You pretty much nailed the selling points of this mower.

In 9 months of ownership we've had 18 breakdowns or somewhere around there. That excludes maintenance issue's like "belt wear" or any user error issue's, like how we accidentially broke 2 side discharge chutes backing up.

I own the residential and commercial version - for the money the residential unit is a much better buy... but I guess that depends on the price you pay for the commercial unit. I paid twice the price of the homeowner unit.

We've had so many issue's with the 30's that next year I'm selling mine and switching back to Honda 21's. Even though the 30's save a ton of time...they are a constant headache.

My advice if your considering buying one, buy two units for when one is down! Or hold your breath a little while longer till Honda makes one!

 

[grassmonkey0311]

We've had so many issue's with the 30's that next year I'm selling mine and switching back to Honda 21's. Even though the 30's save a ton of time...they are a constant headache.

Last year I had 2 guys running 2 Honda 21's. It was a toss up between a 30" and a 21". After reading threads on here and talking to a fellow LS member on the phone, it seemed like there are just entirely too many breakdowns.

I think the 21's are just more reliable.

 

[lawnsaspire]

I wonder how long we have to beg Honda for them to make one. You pretty much nailed the selling points of this mower.

In 9 months of ownership we've had 18 breakdowns or somewhere around there. That excludes maintenance issue's like "belt wear" or any user error issue's, like how we accidentially broke 2 side discharge chutes backing up.

I own the residential and commercial version - for the money the residential unit is a much better buy... but I guess that depends on the price you pay for the commercial unit. I paid twice the price of the homeowner unit.

We've had so many issue's with the 30's that next year I'm selling mine and switching back to Honda 21's. Even though the 30's save a ton of time...they are a constant headache.

My advice if your considering buying one, buy two units for when one is down! Or hold your breath a little while longer till Honda makes one!

What Hondas do you run? Hrc or Hrx? Thanks.
The thing abou the 30s is not that the breakdowns are hard to fix...
By no means am I a great wrench, but i can change everything out myself on the t-30 without dealer help and have even learned to do a little engine repair. But it's the time and cost of parts involved in doing this. I need another small mower for next year to balance out my two problematic timemasters, and I'm thinking of going with a ybravo 25 or even 21, if I can find one nearby. The dealer in St. Louis stopped carrying them.
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[TPendagast]

I wonder how long we have to beg Honda for them to make one. You pretty much nailed the selling points of this mower.

In 9 months of ownership we've had 18 breakdowns or somewhere around there. That excludes maintenance issue's like "belt wear" or any user error issue's, like how we accidentially broke 2 side discharge chutes backing up.

I own the residential and commercial version - for the money the residential unit is a much better buy... but I guess that depends on the price you pay for the commercial unit. I paid twice the price of the homeowner unit.

We've had so many issue's with the 30's that next year I'm selling mine and switching back to Honda 21's. Even though the 30's save a ton of time...they are a constant headache.

My advice if your considering buying one, buy two units for when one is down! Or hold your breath a little while longer till Honda makes one!

Exmark doesnt make a resi version.
the exmakr 30" is substantially different from the toro.

 

[TPendagast]

does anyone run fleets of honda commercial 21s like we do?
More than 10 units?
We always have broken mowers, some that dont make it through even a day.
It is the single most efficiency depleting issue we have, next to trimmers... and I fixed that issue this year by going with amsoil 2 cycle.

I can show pics of the honda grave yard, and we arent the only ones. Almost every company Im aware of has a similar pile of parts scavanged husks.

The only thing that lasts on these machines is the deck and handle bars, of which we have an abundance of.

The transmissions are crap, wheels and adjustment/suspension is crap.

I too have been heavily considering Ybravo 25s or even 21s...something with a simipler, easier to service and more durable/less expensive to replace transmission; and a better adjustment/wheel/suspension system.

whats the big reason to keep the hondas? PARTS...we have all the same parts, so we can keep the things runnning!

Thats the same reason to get rid of them! why should they need that many parts that often???

Of all the people Ive heard complain about the 30" mower, theyve all been toro users.

Can we hear more from ACTUAL exmark users, without the Toro guys assuming their the same machine? Because from what ive seen, they decidedly are NOT.

 

[lawnsaspire]

does anyone run fleets of honda commercial 21s like we do?
More than 10 units?
We always have broken mowers, some that dont make it through even a day.
It is the single most efficiency depleting issue we have, next to trimmers... and I fixed that issue this year by going with amsoil 2 cycle.

I can show pics of the honda grave yard, and we arent the only ones. Almost every company Im aware of has a similar pile of parts scavanged husks.

The only thing that lasts on these machines is the deck and handle bars, of which we have an abundance of.

The transmissions are crap, wheels and adjustment/suspension is crap.

I too have been heavily considering Ybravo 25s or even 21s...something with a simipler, easier to service and more durable/less expensive to replace transmission; and a better adjustment/wheel/suspension system.

whats the big reason to keep the hondas? PARTS...we have all the same parts, so we can keep the things runnning!

Thats the same reason to get rid of them! why should they need that many parts that often???

Of all the people Ive heard complain about the 30" mower, theyve all been toro users.

Can we hear more from ACTUAL exmark users, without the Toro guys assuming their the same machine? Because from what ive seen, they decidedly are NOT.

Ted, Almost everyone posting in the last several posts is referring to The Exmark 30. I own two timemasters and have owned the commercial toro version as well. I sold it for a good price because I found the bail system mixed with the weight incredibly cumbersome and uncomfortable. I have used my friends Exmark 30 for a couple days and while it is still heavy, it is a more well balanced machine due to the beefier wheels, and the slight differences in the deck, along with the different bail system. Other than that, the toro residential, toro commercial, and Exmark 30 are exactly the same mechanically other than the fact that the commercial versions have a larger pulley on the transmission with a thicker cogged belt for heat dissipation. The pulleys, spindles, springs, and other belts are the same. People are buying a heavier duty frame, and a much better engine and wheels when they buy the Exmark 30, and that's where it ends. At the end of the day all 3 mowers will have short life spans on the tranny and pulleys loaded with plastic. I get what you're saying about the Hondas, I don't see how Honda is a better company or makes things sturdier than toro. But I would like to see their nexite deck on a 30 inch mower, along with their top engine for small machines. If they put a better engine on the timemaster, along with a transmission you could at least get 1000 hrs out of, that would be the perfect 30 because of its weight.
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[lawnsaspire]

What is sad is that with this much controversy on this subject and we know how Exmark monitors these threads, that there hasn't been a substantial upgrade and change in design by now. My guess is that they need to sell their current inventory of problematic mowers first before making a much superior design available. ?😜
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[dishboy]

does anyone run fleets of honda commercial 21s like we do?
More than 10 units?
We always have broken mowers, some that dont make it through even a day.
It is the single most efficiency depleting issue we have, next to trimmers... and I fixed that issue this year by going with amsoil 2 cycle.

I can show pics of the honda grave yard, and we arent the only ones. Almost every company Im aware of has a similar pile of parts scavanged husks.

The only thing that lasts on these machines is the deck and handle bars, of which we have an abundance of.

The transmissions are crap, wheels and adjustment/suspension is crap.

I too have been heavily considering Ybravo 25s or even 21s...something with a simipler, easier to service and more durable/less expensive to replace transmission; and a better adjustment/wheel/suspension system.

whats the big reason to keep the hondas? PARTS...we have all the same parts, so we can keep the things runnning!

Thats the same reason to get rid of them! why should they need that many parts that often???

Of all the people Ive heard complain about the 30" mower, theyve all been toro users.

Can we hear more from ACTUAL exmark users, without the Toro guys assuming their the same machine? Because from what ive seen, they decidedly are NOT.

I guess that proves you can't train a monkey not to break sh!t I have zero issues with Honda commercials.

 

[lawnsaspire]

I guess that proves you can't train a monkey not to break sh!t I have zero issues with Honda commercials.

How many hrs. Are you using them? It often seems that the guy who says he has zero issues with a mower that another guy has issues with is using it a lot less.
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[dishboy]

How many hrs. Are you using them? It often seems that the guy who says he has zero issues with a mower that another guy has issues with is using it a lot less.
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Perhaps. It is also a known fact that generally employees will destroy stuff where a experienced operator who has a economic interest in the same machinery will not, and even then some people don't know how to make things last. Compared to all the local guys I know , my annual repair costs consistently are 40-50% lower. I have ran Honda Commercials ever since they came out with them . I don't have problems with them. Toro prolines have given me good service also.

 

[Utah Lawn Care]

I have owned 3 Exmark 30's. We mow 84 lawns with them. I hate using 21's after using the 30's. They save so much time and they mulch really well in most conditions. If I am forced to bag they bag really well too. I have had some reliability issues, but the pro's very much outweigh the cons for me.

 

[lawnsaspire]

I have owned 3 Exmark 30's. We mow 84 lawns with them. I hate using 21's after using the 30's. They save so much time and they mulch really well in most conditions. If I am forced to bag they bag really well too. I have had some reliability issues, but the pro's very much outweigh the cons for me.

One thing I will say is nothing will beat the leaf mulching ability on any of the 30s. I've used all 3 and I can reduce huge piles of leaves down to nothingness because of the twin gator blades and lack of blowout.
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[TPendagast]

I guess that proves you can't train a monkey not to break sh!t I have zero issues with Honda commercials.

and how many do you own/have used?

If your answer is one or two, youre opinion/experience doesnt really apply.
Thats why I asked if anyone is running 10 or more?

The companies I see (all of them) are having all the same issues.

I could literally open a honda mower specialty shop, fixing them and refurbishing them and have huge business instantly, there's literally that many broken ones, just in my own city.

 

[TPendagast]

Perhaps. It is also a known fact that generally employees will destroy stuff where a experienced operator who has a economic interest in the same machinery will not, and even then some people don't know how to make things last. Compared to all the local guys I know , my annual repair costs consistently are 40-50% lower. I have ran Honda Commercials ever since they came out with them . I don't have problems with them. Toro prolines have given me good service also.

Older honda commercial are DECIDEDLY different and better machines, especially the transmissions and wheels.

The measure of a commercial machine IS how well does it tolerate employee use.
NOT how well it performs when babied... you could easily use the top end honda residential unit and baby it and have better results for half the price, as a honda commercial.
the honda Resi has alot of eniovable features that just arent on the commercial because they would bust in an instant under employee use.

 

[TPendagast]

I have owned 3 Exmark 30's. We mow 84 lawns with them. I hate using 21's after using the 30's. They save so much time and they mulch really well in most conditions. If I am forced to bag they bag really well too. I have had some reliability issues, but the pro's very much outweigh the cons for me.

are they being used by unsupervised employees?
any comments on the height adjustment system?

could you elaborate on the reliability issues?
how often was one out of the field in a given season?

 

[lawnsaspire]

Older honda commercial are DECIDEDLY different and better machines, especially the transmissions and wheels.

The measure of a commercial machine IS how well does it tolerate employee use.
NOT how well it performs when babied... you could easily use the top end honda residential unit and baby it and have better results for half the price, as a honda commercial.
the honda Resi has alot of eniovable features that just arent on the commercial because they would bust in an instant under employee use.

So you would recommend the Hrx instead?
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[dishboy]

Older honda commercial are DECIDEDLY different and better machines, especially the transmissions and wheels.

The measure of a commercial machine IS how well does it tolerate employee use.
NOT how well it performs when babied... you could easily use the top end honda residential unit and baby it and have better results for half the price, as a honda commercial.
the honda Resi has alot of eniovable features that just arent on the commercial because they would bust in an instant under employee use.

I don't ' baby squat , but if abuse is the definition of employee use , perhaps training and employee selection is the problem. Did your guys break prolines also?

 

[Petr51488]

does anyone run fleets of honda commercial 21s like we do?
More than 10 units?
We always have broken mowers, some that dont make it through even a day.
It is the single most efficiency depleting issue we have, next to trimmers... and I fixed that issue this year by going with amsoil 2 cycle.

I can show pics of the honda grave yard, and we arent the only ones. Almost every company Im aware of has a similar pile of parts scavanged husks.

The only thing that lasts on these machines is the deck and handle bars, of which we have an abundance of.

The transmissions are crap, wheels and adjustment/suspension is crap.

I too have been heavily considering Ybravo 25s or even 21s...something with a simipler, easier to service and more durable/less expensive to replace transmission; and a better adjustment/wheel/suspension system.

whats the big reason to keep the hondas? PARTS...we have all the same parts, so we can keep the things runnning!

Thats the same reason to get rid of them! why should they need that many parts that often???

Of all the people Ive heard complain about the 30" mower, theyve all been toro users.

Can we hear more from ACTUAL exmark users, without the Toro guys assuming their the same machine? Because from what ive seen, they decidedly are NOT.

I'm very surprised to hear this. Before I bought my 30, I too used the Honda hrc all day every day. Talking about at least 100 lawns per week. Transmissions suck? Are you kidding me? I never ever had an issue with mine. Ever. Clutches? Never. Only problem I ever had was the handle bar cracked on one spot. Never ever had a single issue. I hope you're talking about the hrc commercial unit and not the stuff they sell in Home Depot because there is a difference.
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