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All,

My HRX217HYA is only two months old and I noticed something strange: The clutch bar and blade bars don't snap back to their positions immediately like they used to. I called the dealer and they claim it's because I use the clutch bar excessively (at only two months it's worn out?). Can I lubricate the spring area where those bars are to get them to spring back quickly again?

Note: When I get to the end of a line, I let off the bar, turn the mower around, and engage the bar again. That doesn't seem excessive to me; heck I used my grandfather's mower the exact same way and it lasted 20 years and the bar always snapped back quickly.

Why would you release the blade brake except to pick something up? I release the tranny to turn around but never the blade brake.

alanwagen said:

Why would you release the blade brake except to pick something up? I release the tranny to turn around but never the blade brake.

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Same it's the tranny bar (labelled as clutch on my mower) that I release to turn around.

Manarius said:

Same it's the tranny bar (labelled as clutch on my mower) that I release to turn around.

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Mine has two bars one for the blade and one for the tranny. So is it your blade or tranny bar that is not snapping back as mine snap back independently if I choose.
So when I turn around, I release just the tranny but keep the blades spinning. You have two bars, correct? At least from the picture on Honda website it looks like two.

Bottom line, it does not matter, take it to a different Honda dealer and get it fixed under warranty. Don't mention anything about releasing the Blades. I think you have a 5 year warranty.

alanwagen said:

Mine has two bars one for the blade and one for the tranny. So is it your blade or tranny bar that is not snapping back as mine snap back independently if I choose.
So when I turn around, I release just the tranny but keep the blades spinning. You have two bars, correct? At least from the picture on Honda website it looks like two.

Bottom line, it does not matter, take it to a different Honda dealer and get it fixed under warranty. Don't mention anything about releasing the Blades. I think you have a 5 year warranty.

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Right. Mine has two bars. The blade brake bar (the yellow bar) and the clutch/tranny bar (the orange bar). I frequently have to navigate around obstacles so I have to release the orange bar frequently. However, it doesn't immediately snap back to off like it did before, so the mower keeps going an extra second even though I'm stopping to turn or avoid an obstacle. The blade brake bar doesn't snap back quickly either; it hangs in the middle. But really that's not bothersome because the blades are either on or off anyway.

Manarius said:

I have to release the orange bar frequently. However, it doesn't immediately snap back to off like it did before, so the mower keeps going an extra second even though I'm stopping to turn or avoid an obstacle. The blade brake bar doesn't snap back quickly either; it hangs in the middle.

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Both levers (bars) have return springs and should quickly snap in to the resting position when released. I doubt both springs have failed, disconnected, or missing, but it is possible. More likely something is bent, binding or sticking. For a mower like this one under warranty, for sure you'd want to have a Honda dealer inspect and evaluate the true root cause of the problem(s).

Find a Servicing Honda Dealer with this link: Find A Honda Dealer

Be sure to select LAWN MOWERS and click off the SERVICE box before searching.

robert@honda said:

Both levers (bars) have return springs and should quickly snap in to the resting position when released. I doubt both springs have failed, disconnected, or missing, but it is possible. More likely something is bent, binding or sticking. For a mower like this one under warranty, for sure you'd want to have a Honda dealer inspect and evaluate the true root cause of the problem(s).

Find a Servicing Honda Dealer with this link: Find A Honda Dealer

Be sure to select LAWN MOWERS and click off the SERVICE box before searching.

Click to expand...

Thanks Robert. When I called the dealer I purchased from, they said that the springs could have worn out already because of my "excessive use" of the clutch bar. I didn't think stopping the drive at the end of a line to turn around was considered "excessive use".

Maybe he thought I meant the blade brake? But, I definitely said clutch to him on the phone (as that is what the bar is labelled as on the lawn mower itself).

There is a fundamental flaw with the set up of the control levers .
Very quickly the pivot point wears and the spring then fouls.
The bend in th spring will cause it to snap.
I buy them in packs of 20 and sell about 10 a month in season.
This has been going on down here for the last two years So I would have though that Honda would have rectified this by now.
The caveat is that they are all being used commercially.
Interesting that they are a problem with the domestic customers as well.
I am looking at doing a work around in a few weeks when things slow down but we have had a really wet & warm autum so the shop is full to the brim at the moment with 2 weeks worth of work waiting to be collected plus regular off season servicing.
When I have worked out how to get past the shortcomming I will post the fix but at present it looks like swapping the bars with the old 2 speed will be the best bet customising the cables to suit and using the old shorter spring.
Good thing is the demand for the spring is so high the aftermarket suppliers have added them to their inventory .
Seem Hondas refusal to acknowledge this shortcomming will be a gold mine for Stens