How long will a 21" Honda HRC last under commercial mowing conditions? Two of us mowed around 110 accounts last season and the 2 Honda's seem to have lost some power since they were new. I change oil weekly and blades daily- new plugs and air filters. Does an engine lose power(compression) with use and it it just part of doing business to replace the smaller mowers every season or is there something I need to do to prolong them. I am sure that I'm like everyone- we need to be able to mow at high speed and bogging down in thick grass won't work.
use mobil 1 syth oil. my 91 hr215 is still running with mega hrs on it . i only change the oil once a season too. it hasnt lost any power and dosnt even use oil yet!
Check your RPMs, they tend to need adjusting annually as they seem to drift down. We had the same trouble a couple of seasons ago and the dealer checked it and it was only running 3000 rpms and I believe he set it back up to 3500 rpms and it made a new mower out of it.
I run an entire fleet of Honda HRC 21's. Do this test: With the engine turned off, push the throttle lever all the way forward to the choke position. Pull the rope. If it doesn't start on one pull, even in freezing temperatures, it is time to replace the carb control assembly. I have a new over-haul procedure for my Honda's and I intend to replace the carb control assembly every year. As for the engines, that is the strongest part of the mower. I replace just about everything else on these mowers each year, and even have to occassionally replace the entire transmission assembly. But if you change the oil once a week, these little engines will last forever. We have never used synthetic oil on the Hondas. The viscosity doesn't break down in a week, the enemy is dust in the oil. That's why we change it weekly. Not because the oil is breaking down but because dust gets in, even changing the foam pre-filters (air filter) daily. I WISH Honda would put an hour meter on these machines, but they won't do it. If you haven't encountered self propulsion issues yet, you still have a LONG way to go on your engine if you are changing oil weekly. The self-propulsion is the first thing to fail on these machines. Later, Can I Mow Your Lawn?
Just put an hour meter on it, they only cost $15. Just do what Can I Mow Your Lawn? said and you will be fine. They may also need valve adjustment.
We use only 21" HRX honda's. It is easlily possible for 2 of us to cut 120 lawns a week. That is why I wont buy a walkbehind. I wont save anytime at the end of the day. Most of our property's are 50'x100'. I have not noticed a loss in power yet, but I have noticed the drive belt needs to be replaced mid season. I used to engage the drive and the wheels would spin, now you have to give it a nudge before they start driving.
How will it not save time? If I cut more grass with one swipe then that means there is a time savings!
