Use and Care Guide

ManualsBrandsHonda ManualsGas Push Lawn MowersHonda Honda HRX21K6VLA 21in. Nexite Deck Electric Start Select Drive Lawn Mower

PP1 DRAFT

Do Not Distribute

HRX217HYA

HRX217VLA

QUICK FIND

CONTENTS

Add Fuel............................................. 7 Check the Oil Level ............................. 6 Maintenance Schedule.............................. 11

Air Filter............................................ 13 Cleaning ............................................ 16 Oil Change ................................................ 13

Blade Inspection............................... 12 Dealer Locator Information................ 21 Operating the Controls ................................ 8

Charging the Battery ........................ 15 How to Contact Honda ...................... 21 Spark Plug................................................. 14

FOR YOUR SAFETY ......................... 2 SERVICING YOUR MOWER ............ 10 TROUBLESHOOTING .............................. 17

PARTS AND CONTROLS.................. 3 Maintenance Safety .................... 10 Engine Will Not Start ........................... 17

INITIAL MOWER SETUP................... 3 Maintenance Schedule................ 11 Loss of Power ..................................... 17

List of Parts.................................. 3 Blade Inspection.......................... 12 Vibration .............................................. 17

Adjust the Handlebar ................... 3 Blade Mounting Bolt Inspection... 12 Mowing and Bagging Problems .......... 17

Add Engine Oil............................. 4 Blade Replacement ..................... 12 TECHNICAL INFORMATION .................... 18

Assemble the Grass Bag ............. 4 Oil Change .................................. 13 Serial Number Locations..................... 18

BEFORE EACH OPERATION ........... 4 Air Filter....................................... 13 High Altitude Operation ....................... 18

Check Your Mower....................... 4 Spark Plug................................... 14 Emission Control System .................... 18

Check Your Mowing Area ............ 4 Spark Arrester (optional part) ...... 14 Air Index .............................................. 19

Clip Director® .............................. 5 Select Drive Cable Adjustment.... 15 Specifications ...................................... 19

Rear Shield .................................. 5 Charging the Battery ................... 15 AVOIDING FUEL-RELATED PROBLEMS 20

Grass Bag.................................... 6 Optional Battery Charger............. 15 CUSTOMER INFORMATION .................... 21

Cutting Height Adjustment ........... 6 Replacing the Battery .................. 15 Parts, Accessories, and Service Items 21

Check the Oil Level...................... 6 TRANSPORTING .............................. 16 Dealer Locator Information.................. 21

Add Fuel....................................... 7 STORAGE .........................................

16 How to Contact Honda ........................ 21

OPERATION ...................................... 7 Fuel ............................................. 16 Honda Publications ............................. 21

Safe Mowing Practices ................ 7 Cleaning ...................................... 16 DISTRIBUTOR’S LIMITED WARRANTY .. 22

Operating the Controls................. 8 Oil................................................ 16 EMISSION SYSTEM WARRANTY............ 23

Starting the Engine....................... 9 Storage Location ......................... 16 PRODUCT REGISTRATION..................... 27

Stopping the Engine..................... 9 Handlebar.................................... 17

Mowing Tips................................. 9 Removing From Storage ............. 17

OWNER’S MANUAL

HRX217VLA

LAWN MOWER

Before operating the mower for the first time, please read this

Owner’s Manual. Even if you have operated other mowers,

take time to become familiar with how this mower works and

practice in a safe area until you build up your skills.

QUESTIONS?

Contact your Honda dealer.

There is a dealer locator at

powerequipment.honda.com

00X31VH7 A092

Summary of content (28 pages)

PAGE 1
OWNER’S MANUAL HRX217VLA HRX217HYA HRX217VLA LAWN MOWER PP1 DRAFT Do Not Distribute Before operating the mower for the first time, please read this Owner’s Manual. Even if you have operated other mowers, take time to become familiar with how this mower works and practice in a safe area until you build up your skills. QUICK FIND Add Fuel............................................. 7 Air Filter............................................ 13 Blade Inspection...............................
PAGE 2
WELCOME WARNING:  The engine exhaust from this product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. Congratulations on your selection of a Honda lawn mower! We are certain you will be pleased with your purchase of one of the finest lawn mowers on the market. We want to help you get the best results from your new mower and to operate it safely. This manual contains information on how to do that; please read it carefully.
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PARTS AND CONTROLS INITIAL MOWER SETUP List of Parts BLADE CONTROL LEVER (P. 8) With help from an assistant, carefully remove the mower and loose parts from the carton and compare the loose parts against the following list. Contact the authorized Honda dealer from whom you purchased the mower if any of the loose parts shown are not included with your mower. REAR DISCHARGE GUARD (P. 5) FUEL TANK CAP (P. 7) Ref. No. Description Qty.
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Add Engine Oil Before Using Your Lawn Mower The mower is shipped WITHOUT OIL in the engine. Remove the oil filler cap/dipstick and add the entire contents of the included bottle of oil into the oil filler opening. All Mower operators must read the following sections: All Honda engines are run at the factory prior to packaging. Most of the oil is removed prior to shipment; however, some oil remains in the engine. The amount of oil left in the engine varies.
PAGE 5
Clip Director® The Clip Director can be adjusted to any one of the ten positions to achieve the desired mowing results (bag, bag and mulch, or mulch). FULL BAGGING OR REAR DISCHARGE FULL MULCHING To adjust the Clip Director knob, pull the knob downward and towards the rear of the mower. The knob adjusts a sliding door from the fully open BAG position to the fully closed MULCH position.
PAGE 6
Grass Bag A lawn mower works like a vacuum cleaner; it blows air through the bag fabric, which traps the grass clippings. Always empty the grass bag before it becomes filled to the limit of its capacity. Bagging performance will diminish after the bag becomes about 90% filled. Also, the bag is easier to empty when it is not packed full. You can leave the grass bag on the mower during mowing, even when full mulching is selected.
PAGE 7
Add Fuel This engine is certified to operate on regular gasoline with a pump octane rating of 86 or higher. Never use stale or contaminated gasoline or an oil/gasoline mixture. Avoid getting dirt or water in the fuel tank. You may use regular unleaded gasoline containing no more than 10% ethanol (E10) or 5% methanol by volume. In addition, methanol must contain cosolvents and corrosion inhibitors.
PAGE 8
Refuel With Care Operating the Controls Gasoline is extremely flammable and gasoline vapor can explode. Refuel only outdoors, in a well-ventilated area, with the engine OFF. Never smoke near gasoline, and keep other flames and sparks away. Always store gasoline in an approved container. Blade Control Lever Wear Protective Clothing Wearing protective clothing will reduce your risk of injury. Long pants and eye protection reduce the risk of injuries from thrown objects.
PAGE 9
Starting the Engine Mowing Tips The blades turn when you start the engine. Start the engine in a clear or mowed area where the blades can turn freely. When to Mow 1. Turn the fuel valve to the ON position (page 3). 2. Pull back on the blade control lever and hold it against the handlebar. 3. Start the engine using the electric starter or the recoil (manual) starter. RUN START Electric start: Turn the starter key switch to the START position.
PAGE 10
Clogged Mower Deck Before clearing a clogged mower deck, stop the engine and turn the fuel valve to the OFF position. With the spark plug cap disconnected, tilt the mower so the carburetor side is up. Clear a clogged deck with a stick, not your hands. Mowing Patterns Your Honda mower will work most efficiently if you use the following mowing patterns as much as possible. Mower deck and equipment design, and the direction in which the blade rotates, cause these mowing patterns to provide the best results.
PAGE 11
Maintenance Schedule Item Action Before each use 5 hours of use or first month First 25 hours of use 50 hours of use or every 6 months 100 hours of use or every year 150 hours of use or every two years See page Rear shield Check O 5 Blades Inspect O 12 Blade mounting bolts Inspect O 12 Engine oil Check O 6 O Change Air filter Check O (2) O O (1) O (1) O 13 O O (1) Clean 13 O Replace Grass bag Check O Blade control operation Check O Spark plug Check 6 O 14 O O
PAGE 12
Blade Inspection Blade Replacement 1. Turn the fuel valve OFF (page 3). 1. Turn the fuel valve OFF (page 3). 2. Disconnect the spark plug cap from the spark plug (page 14). 2. Disconnect the spark plug cap from the spark plug (page 14). 3. Tilt the mower to the right side so that the fuel cap side is up. This will help to prevent fuel leakage and hard starting due to carburetor flooding. 3. Tilt the mower to the right side so that the fuel cap side is up.
PAGE 13
 WARNING If the blade bolts are not torqued properly, the blades could loosen and be thrown from the mower. Blades thrown from the mower could seriously hurt or kill someone. Ensure the blade bolts are torqued properly. 4. Fill with the recommended oil. Do not overfill. Allow a couple of minutes for the oil to settle in the engine, and then measure the oil level (page 4). Refill amount: 12.0 ~ 13.5 oz (0.35 ~ 0.
PAGE 14
2. Remove the filter from the air cleaner housing. If installing a new spark plug, tighten 1/2 turn after the spark plug seats. AIR CLEANER HOUSING Spark plug torque: 14 ft-lb (20 N·m) NOTICE COVER TABS FILTER A loose spark plug can overheat and damage the engine. Overtightening the spark plug can damage the threads in the cylinder head. 7. Install the spark plug cap on the spark plug. COVER 3. Inspect the filter; replace if damaged. 4.
PAGE 15
Select Drive Cable Adjustment With the engine off, loosen the jam nut one revolution. JAM NUT TIGHTEN With the Select Drive control released, TIGHTEN the adjuster by turning clockwise 1 revolution by hand, and then pull the lawn mower rearward to check resistance. If no wheel resistance exists, repeat the above procedure until the wheels lock when pulling rearward. It will usually take more than 8 turns for the wheels to lock up. during charging, this is normal.
PAGE 16
If a frequent fuse failure occurs, it usually indicates a short circuit or an overload in the electrical system. Take the mower to an authorized Honda servicing dealer for repair. Grass Bag TRANSPORTING Drying If the engine has been running, allow it to cool before loading the mower on the transport vehicle. A hot engine and exhaust system can burn you and can ignite some materials. Place the mower with its wheels on a level surface.
PAGE 17
Loss of Power Handlebar Remove the grass bag if installed. You can place it on top of the engine with the bag opening to the front.  Possible Cause Grass is too tall • • • • Grass is too wet Allow the grass to dry Mower deck is clogged Clean out the mower deck (page 16). Air filter is clogged Clean or replace the air filter (page 13). Bad fuel; mower stored without treating gasoline, or refueled with bad gasoline Refuel with fresh gasoline (page 7).
PAGE 18
TECHNICAL INFORMATION Serial Number Locations ENGINE SERIAL NUMBER Emission Control System Source of Emissions The combustion process produces carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, and hydrocarbons. Control of hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen is very important because, under certain conditions, they react to form photochemical smog when subjected to sunlight. Carbon monoxide does not react in the same way, but it is toxic.
PAGE 19
Follow the Maintenance Schedule on page 11. Remember this schedule is based on the assumption that your machine will be used for its designed purpose. Sustained high-load or high-temperature operation, or use in unusually wet or dusty conditions, will require more frequent service. Transmission Design and Performance Transmission type Variable speed Ground speed 0 ~ 4.0 mph (0 ~ 1.
PAGE 20
AVOIDING FUEL-RELATED PROBLEMS When properly maintained, your Honda lawn mower should provide years of trouble-free operation. This includes the fuel system. However, gasoline can quickly deteriorate (in as little as 30 days) causing starting or running problems and, in some cases, damage to the fuel system. Most fuel-related problems can be avoided by following the precautions listed below.
PAGE 21
Dealer Locator Information CUSTOMER INFORMATION To find an Authorized Honda Servicing Dealer anywhere in the United States: Parts, Accessories, and Service Items Visit powerequipment.honda.com and click on Find a Dealer. Contact an authorized Honda servicing dealer to purchase any of these (or other) Honda Genuine items for your lawn mower. How to Contact Honda Replacement Parts Honda Power Equipment dealership personnel are trained professionals.
PAGE 22
DISTRIBUTOR’S LIMITED WARRANTY Honda Power Equipment This warranty is limited to the following Honda Power Equipment products when distributed by American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Power Equipment Division, 4900 Marconi Drive, Alpharetta, Georgia 30005-8847, purchased at retail or placed in rental service on or after January 1, 2010.
PAGE 23
EMISSION SYSTEM WARRANTY Your new Honda Power Equipment engine complies with the U.S. EPA and State of California (models certified for sale in California only) emission regulations. American Honda Motor Co., Inc. provides the emission warranty coverage for engines in the United States and its territories. In the remainder of this Emission Control System Warranty, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., will be referred to as Honda.
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NOTES 24
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NOTES 25
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PRODUCT REGISTRATION Thank you for choosing Honda! Please register your lawn mower within 30 days of purchase to ensure you receive important service information in the event of a product update or recall and for added coverage during certain sales promotions. Your information will remain confidential. It will not be released to any other company or organization.
PAGE 28
1. Go to: powerequipment.honda.com to register your unit. 2. Click on Product Registration. 3. Complete the required information and click Submit. It’s that simple! NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES Product Registration BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST-CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 117 ALPHARETTA GA POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE Power Equipment Division American Honda Motor Co., Inc. 4900 Marconi Dr Alpharetta GA 30005-9956 EM5 28 K6 HPE.2019.01 PRINTED IN U.S.A.