Bought top of the residential line Honda HRX with 200 cc Engine (NOT electric start) Bought it to mow 8,000 Sq Ft of horrible "lawn" at rental house. Seattle so there's maybe 3 mows a year where the grass is even "semi-dry". Usually 6-7" Soaking wet grass on really rough dirt. Area was never smoothed out or planted for an "actual lawn". Anyhow - Mower seems pretty powerfull and will even mulch it up under tuff conditions. I noticed immediatly the engine is quieter than any other I have owned. When I put the engine into idle B4 turning it off it doesn't seem like it runs very smoothly. Kinda shakes the whole machine. Now after about a year and maybe mowing this area of crap grass 8 -10 times? Engine is harder to start (6-8 pulls) and I plan to shoot it with starting fluid every time. Main reason I bought it was to be able to start engine ONCE and not be pulling cord multiple times. I gave my super old honda with GVC160 engine to my sister and it still starts on 1-2 pulls? Could be over 20 years old! Same for my old craftsman with a Honda engine 1-2 pulls every time.
Also bought a used similar HRX mower with GVC160 and it has to be shot with starter fluid every time also. So I don't know? Kinda thought I was avoiding all kinda problems buying these two mowers and now I'm not as impressed as I was 6-8 months ago. Noticing that first post I come across here is about Honda "auto choke problems" so that's disapointing! Once they are running WAY better than anything I have owned. Should have invested in blade clutch engine on all time system 10 years earlier. Game changer! Just wish they would start easily. The two older mowers start easily using the same crapy water infused "car gas" so I don't know why the new ones would have trouble with 10% Ethenol Car Gas.
Also bought a used similar HRX mower with GVC160 and it has to be shot with starter fluid every time also. So I don't know? Kinda thought I was avoiding all kinda problems buying these two mowers and now I'm not as impressed as I was 6-8 months ago. Noticing that first post I come across here is about Honda "auto choke problems" so that's disapointing! Once they are running WAY better than anything I have owned. Should have invested in blade clutch engine on all time system 10 years earlier. Game changer! Just wish they would start easily. The two older mowers start easily using the same crapy water infused "car gas" so I don't know why the new ones would have trouble with 10% Ethenol Car Gas.