[BigFish]

Look, ya gotta bump the RPM up quite a bit. Them small push mowers are set to operate within a B.S. cpsc blade tip speed based on blade length. Fine if ya wanna cover yer a$$. But useless fer a commercial cutter.
Bump the RPMs up as close to the rated engine rpm as possible. ( usually around 3600 or so) I always bump my commercial customers up to about 3400 ~ 3500 or so. Ya cain't be skeered.
May be a problem with self propelled units... cut the belt, right?

 

[BigFish]

I'm assuming they do it for sound level.

Well, blainey, ya assumed wrong.
As I mentioned, it all has to do with keeping the blade tip speed within certain parameters.
Fer instance, check out bulletin 107 here: http://www.mymowerparts.com/pdf/Tecumseh-Service-Bulletins/
Blade speed has been covered on this forum a bunch of times. Pretty much dictated by the CPSC.

The OPs best bet is to buy a push mower so he can bump the speed up and not have to worry about the drive setup on a self propelled unit.
Not to mention they're lighter.

 

[BigFish]

. I know you fix mowers , but do you actually use them?

Nope.
I just jump on whatever rider/ztr i repair and do a few test laps around my yard is about all.Gets the grass cut, right?
As fer the SP mowers, most of 'em move way too fast fer me, so I just give 'em a quick test cut.

I would think slipping them drive belts at high rpms can't be good fer 'em. That and/or spinnin' the drive wheels.

 

[BigFish]

Toro prolines slipped drive belt by design, hxa217 runs at a crawl , if it slips belt to do it no harm no foul, 21's are light and gs is slow.

Yep, I know that, as do a whole slew of other mower mfgs. The point being, they also set the engine RPMs way lower than what I was talkin' about, right? Bump the engine RPMs up and...

 

[BigFish]

Like I said , it is obvious you have not any real experience running these machines. Your position lacks merit. Honda hrc216 no matter what you do to this machine it's too slow on the high side and still crawls at slow.

I don't think so. Please explain, bunky. The OP and myself, was talkin about simple belt drive/ tilt or idler clutch mech. transmission mowers. Not hydrostatic trans. Hondas. They be a whole different aminal. Sorta like comparin' apples to oranges.

Not all that familiar with Honda mowers, don't work on many at all, since most owners would rather take them to a dealer I suppose. Not to mention all the different models.

Mayhaps robert@honda will chime in...

 

[BigFish]

Think I'm just gonna get a TB360 and call it good. 8.75 ft-lb torque Briggs engine should be plenty strong for what I need. $369 at Lowes. At that price and I could buy a new one each year if I had to.

I see a lot of them mowers with the plastic noses messed up. I wouldn't get one fer commercial use. Them and those Husqvarna units with the plastic nose. Couple of guys complained it drags the ground 'cause it's basically like a big flat plate in the front.

 

[BigFish]

Most of the lawns I mow it will never be set low enough to drag the ground.LOL

Obviously.
But they were complaining about bumps, uneven ground etc.
Hey, it's yer money.