Customer Reviews for Honda GCV190 21 in. Variable Speed Walk Behind Gas Self Propelled Mower

I’ve owned 2 honda mower and HR 215 and HRX217. The HR 215 lasted over 20 years and was still going strong when I bought the HRX 217 in 2012. It finally gave up after about 25 years and I junked it. The HRX 217 is still running great and I am using it once a week for about an hour. Regular maintenance and cleaning and I expect it will be going another ten years. Hearing Honda is discontinuing gas mowers, I was lucky and found a new HRX 217 HYA at my local dealer and bought it. Best mowers I have ever used, great at mulching and vacuuming leaves during fall. I’ll alternate them going forward and expect I am good with mowers for the next 20+ years. Disappointed they are being discontinued. Tried a couple of electric mowers including my father in laws Stihl. Decent mower but for my yard and an hour plus each week, prefer sticking with gas. The HRX cuts even damp grass well and suction is awesome. All had blade brake, roto stop, and never had an issue in over 30 years. Keep making the tune up kits and blades, please. Sort of sad this will be my last new Honda.

I have owned a Honda Lawn Mower for over 35 years. Very happy with the old product. Just bought a new Honda Mower HRX217HYA (10-31-22). Works well, but on my second use yesterday, the Recoil Starter Grip broke (see attached picture). Poor, brittle polymer with very thin walls. The starter grip on my old mower lasted 35 years without a problem. I expect Honda will provide me with a new handle under warranty (since the product is only 12 days old).

I bought this same mower 15 years ago. It is still running great. My son just bought his first house, so I handed down the 2007 model year to him and I bought this new 2022 model year mower for myself.

Bought to replace 15 year old HRX217 that lost its ability to pull itself. The cut was perfect it’s whole life. Once you buy a Honda mower, you are sold for life.

I'm 63 and this is the best lawnmower I've ever owned. The fluid hydrostatic transmission is amazing. So smooth and consistent variable speeds. The roto-stop blade clutch and engine staying running is great. I've never had rear wheel drive and didn't realize how nice it is cutting this widow maker hill. The double ball bearing wheels ride so smooth and no hollowing out the wheel hub and going katiwampus. I don't use the bag because the mulcher and double blade makes the grass clippings disappear. Starting without the blade engaged is so easy and starts on second easy pull every time. The controls are so easy to get used to and work so well. I really have great control with ease when cutting the lawn. It's well worth the extra money and so glad I bought it.

This mower exceeded my expectations. It comes highly rated and it performed flawlessly out of the box. It has the power to cut through the thick spring grass without leaving a trail of clippings. Very smooth and can easily cruise faster than I wanted to walk. I’m glad I purchased this mower even though it is a bit more expensive than the rest of the field.

I use my Honda mower for yard cleanups most of the year. This machine is the most powerful and best mulching mower I have ever used. My customers love it!

I was really excited to purchase this mower. We had been limited to a 15 year old Honda that, although extremely reliable, was as slow as a turtle. When I started this puppy up, she was quick! All I had to do was add oil, which came in the box, and some 93 octane gas. (87 works as well) Depending on the usage, I will add some gas stabilizer as well. After mowing a few times, however, I ran into some problems. The mower would stutter… it would rev up and down at idle. When I would engage the blades, there were no issues. When the blades would stop, it would stutter again. I was baffled as this was an almost new mower. The mowing season was ending and I didn’t think much of the issues. When I pulled it out this year, of course, the problem persisted. Ugh! I called up my local shop and told them the issues. They said it might have been bad gas. Well, I didn’t think that would be the problem since I run the fuel in other equipment as well. Also, I don't let gas sit and make sure to use fresh all the time. Either way, I didn’t want to bring it to the shop for them to tell me it was bad fuel. If that's the case, the warranty would not cover the labor or parts! So, I decided to do a little homework myself. Watching videos and looking online, I got some ideas. The first was to inspect my gaskets. I took the air filter off (cleaned that), removed the carb, and finally took all the gaskets off. I replaced three of them that looked a little defective. (Buy these at a local shop - they're MUCH cheaper than online) Once she started up, it sounded great again! No issues… until I turned off the line and ran the gas out. Once I put more gas in, the issue happened again. Oh man! Last hope was working on the carb. I took it completely apart and cleaned everything. I found that on the pilot jet, there was a blockage! I used an extremely small bristle from a masonry brush and stuck that into the hole to clean out the jet. I put everything back together and she’s as good as new! I’ve run it several times since and haven’t had an issue. Moral of the story is that if you have a stutter, revving up and down, check the jets (pilot and main) inside your carb. It can be removed, cleaned and put back together within two hours if you have some knowledge on mowers. If not, add another hour or two. All in all, I spent a good 8-10 hours trying to figure this out! Glad I had though because I learned a lot. Overall, this is a nice, fast, great cutting mower that feels well made. I like to take real good care of my things, while keeping things clean, so I’m not sure how the dirt got into the carb. Stuff happens though! I removed one star because of the warranty process and issue with the carb. Let me know if you have any questions that are similar to mine. I'll try and walk you through it and can show you what videos, tools and cleaners I used.

Love it!! Variable speed fantastic!! It allows for slowing when need be or flying like a rocket to get the chore done! 1 pull start makes for ease on the shoulder and adjustable push bar allows various height and comfort. Can’t go wrong with a Honda motor!! Very happy and highly recommended!!

Easy set up, runs greay, if it had from castor wheels it would be fantastic

The mower itself is easy to use for my yard. Love the option to walk away without shutting engine off. It mulches everything to very fine clippings. Honda makes good mowers and small engines for them. I put a Honda 13hp GXV390 engine on my 30 year old Snapper 7 years ago and still amazed how easy it is to crank. Hope it will last a long time without issues. I always use non-ethanol gas for all my yard equipment and put fuel extender in the can after filling. This helps from ever having carburetor problems. Note: I do recommend on picking one up at the store. Honda does not use boxes made for UPS shipping. I went through 2 tries at home delivery from Home Depot. The 1st one was evident UPS stood the box on the end which punched holes where the handle mechanism folds over. The handle arms were all bent up. The 2nd try the box was beat up and I could see they stood it up on the end just like the first time but no damage to handle. The entire deck was covered with a oil like substance that didn't appear to be engine oil. My guess it was a damaged gear box that was leaking oil. Don't know if happened during shipping or came from factory. After this one I decided to get online and find the nearest Home Depot store who had them in stock since my local stores didn't. I drove 20 miles where they had 4 in stock. They were kind enough to take it out of the box to prove no damage, put the bag kit together in less than 5 minutes and I rolled it up to checkout without the box. One of the best experiences I've had at a Home Depot.

This is my 3rd Honda mower. First one lasted 14 years. Second one had issues with drive wheels after 6 years. I've had this third model for 3 years. It started smoking and burning oil excessively this season. I took it to a Honda authorized dealer for service. This mower has a 5 year warranty, so the initial repair was no charge. They replaced a few parts, but it still smokes and consumes oil. I took the mower back to them for further examination. They contacted Honda Technical Service who told them this problem shouldn't happen after 3 years - it should happen in the first year. I perform all of the recommended maintenance annually and only run the mower around 25 hours per year. Honda Tech Service told the dealer to disassemble the engine completely, take photos, send the photos to them for review. This cost me $133. If Honda Tech Service thinks it is not due to their equipment, then I'm out the $133. The estimate to rebuild is $400 which would also be at my expense. To repeat: I do all required maintenance, it is 3 years old, it operates 25 hours per year - and it is under warranty. If Honda doesn't honor the warranty I'll scrap this mower and be out the $133. I'll use the $400 to purchase a different brand.

Great mower. Variable speed is nice. I also like the ability to turn the blades off without it turning off the mower. Nice upgrade over a 7 year old Snapper.

The mower starts up beautifully on one pull. The issue I have is that I normally cut the grass once a week with the height setting in the middle for the mower. I have tried cutting the grass with mulch turned all the way off, in the middle, and all the way on. And most of the time the mower gets clogged of grass where I have to clean it after 100' of cutting. The mower also leaves a heavy grass trail. I'm still on my first season with it and definitionally would not purchase again. I'm guessing once a week grass cutters in Kansas need side discharge mowers.

It does such a great job mulching that I've never used the bag. No more bagging and then emptying into a can and dragging the cans out to the curb. Clippings are extremely fine, just slow down a little bit. Mower has an awesome look to it, like a little sports car.

This Honda mower is one of the best I have ever purchased. I have owned over 10 walk behind mowers over the course of the past 30 years and many different brands. I have now used this mower 6 times since I purchased it the beginning of February. First of all it is not an expensive mower. There are plenty of less expensive mowers but I wanted one that did stop every time I needed to move something in yard without having to restart the mower. This mower is great for hills. My front yard is on about a 30% incline and I have to slow down the auto engage to keep up with the mower. I can disengage both the auto engage and the blades at the same time which enables me to easily pull the mower backwards and make sharp turns. Other mowers are next to impossible to pull backwards that are self propelled. The mower has a 5 year warranty. I like that I can raise the cutting height to 4 inches. The taller grass makes it more difficult for the weeds to grow. I have not bagged any clippings because I love to mulch my grass; however, it is just the push of a lever to adjust from mulch to bag. I have not found anything yet that I did not like about this mower. I do take my garden hose and clean the clipping out from under the mower and the bagging area. I also like that the deck will never rust. Overall I have no issue recommending this mower.

This is a very nice mower but it is not perfect for the money. This was $729 with a lot of features but is still missing some. My two complaints are this: 1. It does not have a single level height adjustment which my cheap Sears did have. The 4 levers are cumbersome and hard to adjust with a tight space to work. 2. With 3 levers for holding, blade engagement, and cruise control, it is simply too much. The cruise makes you disengage when you make turns in the yard which makes it a pain compared to my old mower which was easier to disengage and re-engage. I am sorry but it just isnt worth the price unless they tidy it up a bit. The engine is powerful and it leaves no mess which I am impressed with. So alas, I will be returning and hoping for a better model next year.

The mower does an excellent cut and has plenty of power. Easy to start and enjoy the fact if I need to move an object or something that the engine will remain to run. The self propell feature is meant for a slow person up to a sprinter. Do wish it was front wheel drive not rear.

This mower replaced the Honda lawnmower that I purchased 29 years ago. The transmission on the old Honda lawnmower finally failed.. The GCV190 variable speed transmission enables me to cut my lawn at a comfortable speed and makes the mower very maneuverable. The handle design allows for quick and easy storage. The large capacity clipping bag holds a lot and is easy to remove, empty, and reattach. It is easy to pull start the engine. The blade clutch allows the engine to continue to run if I need to step away to pick up debris in the lawn. The mowing height settings are clearly marked. Moderate effort is required to set each wheel. My yard has many obstacles close to one another so a riding mower is not practiclle. Due to arthritis and back issues a self-propelled mower is a necessity for me. I love ny Honda! The only negative comment is that the mower is expensive -- but so was the previous Honda that lasted me 29 years.

Very well designed mower! Good strong engine and well balanced.

I purchased this mower to replace a honda mower purchased in 1992. The new model is impressive. Noticeably lighter, more powerful engine, larger cutting height range, faster hydrostic top speed, and on the fly mulching adjustment and with the larger wheels, very easy to Maneuver. Mine started on the second pull and ran without issue right out of the box. The plastic deck is very easy to clean and appears very strong. I am very pleased with my purchase.

Had an earlier version of this mower for years, and when it was time to replace it, this was an easy decision. One-pull starting and easy to use. Perfect for a 1/2 acre lot.

Recently replaced a 4 year old Toro recycler with this model (carb blew out and self propel mechanism was long since gone, didn't want to repair). I've been mowing lawns for years, and used to work as an assistant greenskeeper at a local golf course in college. So, I like to think I know my way around landscaping equipment. Much of this review is based on comparison to what was a relatively good quality Toro mower. First impressions Out of the box, set up was a breeze. Less than 10 minutes all in. The "how to" videos Honda has available online are excellent and really helped with the process. Added the included oil and gassed it up, literally fired up on first crank. Amazing. Cycled for about 30 seconds like a good engine should, then purred away. The mower is very sturdy, but not overly heavy. Ergonomics are excellent--the adjustable handle comes in very handy for me. At 6'1", I'm not overly tall, but the Toro did not have an adjustable handle, and it was set up for someone probably 5'9"-5'10". That makes a big differenence in terms of fatigue during use. The angled handles also help a lot in this respect. First Mow An overall excellent experience. Due to rain, had to mow some soggy, six inch-high grass. This thing didn't break a sweat. Ample, and I mean ample, power. Didn't stall, strain or bog down even once, cut through the heavy, wet turf like warm butter. Had to stop a couple of times to clean out the underside of the deck, but that was expected given the moisture. Self propelled feature works great, and the rear wheel drive makes a positive difference when compared to front drive models. Lots of torque but smooth as can be. Discharge chute is huge and never clogged, not even once. I really think the dual blade is a game changer in this respect. Clippings are MUCH smaller, therefore don't take up as much space and compact better in the catcher. I filled up only 2 lawn bags on my 11,000 sq ft. lawn on "full bag" setting--would have been a 4-5 bag job with the prior mower, marked by stopping each time after a couple of passes to emptly a clogged discharge chute and catcher. The extra time saved allowed me to double cut in the time it used to take me for a single pass. And, thanks to the blade stop clutch, I never had to restart the mower between baggings. Later in the season when I decide to mulch, I'm confident I'll get good results. The cut is pristine. This was the first cut on a freshly overseeded lawn with perennial ryegrass, so I was concerned about damaging the new seedlings. Not an issue at all. The cut was clean, no pulling of grass or gouging. Even got some decent striping. See picture attached. The deck design helped out a lot as well--the suction effect is the most powerful I've encountered with a non-commercial product and lifted all areas of wet, matted down grass to mow height, ensuring an even cut. Having two clutches takes a bit of getting used to, but once I got my grip position correct (hands on the sides, use thumbs to control self-propel clutch), it quickly became second nature. Due to the sturdiness (weight), it was a little less maneuverable than my Toro in tight areas, but this didn't cause any issues. Time will tell the story on durability, but if early experience is any indication, I expect to be with this mower a very long time.

The deck of my 2003 Honda HRB216HXA cracked, and I decided it was time to buy a new mower. The HRX217HYA model has a lifetime warranty on the deck, so that issue was addressed. There have been several improvements in this model. First, it has an automatic choke, and it starts with a single pull, regardless of the temperature of the engine. Second, with the Clip Director feature, Honda has provided a way to vary how much mulching you want to do when you mow. Third, the mower does a better job than my previous model of picking up leaves off a hard surface like a driveway. And, as I already indicated, the deck is good enough to merit a lifetime warranty. So why only four stars? First, one of the handlebar adjust knobs was broken when I received the mower (see photo). Since the broken piece was in the box, I assume it happened in shipment. Honda needs to provide some extra packaging around these knobs. I called Honda to get a replacement but ended up lost in the phone menu . So I called Home Depot, and the representative sent me all of the parts for both knobs (kudos to Home Depot). My second issue is with the cutting height. My old mower was set at 2 inches, but that setting on this mower scalped roots that my old machine did not. So I set the height to 2.5 inches. Since both mowers are Hondas, and the new model is the closest to the old one in features, one of these mowers is calibrated wrong. A setting of 2.5 inches is probably better for my St. Augustine, but that is beside the point. My last complaint is on the paint job. I had to touch up some of the paint on the frame. If Honda can deliver a car that is not dinged, why can it not do that for a lawnmower? Overall, I would still recommend this mower.

I bought my Honda HR- 215 brand new in 1988 & it' still going, I did have to replace some control cables, blades, recoil starter, & i just put a new carb on it & the carb only cost $15 from Amazon. I'm looking at the new Honda's & debating on weather to keep mine ??? I paid closet to $ 1,000 for mine in 1988 I have owned Craftsman mowers & Montgomery Ward mowers, But this HONDA mower is by far the BEST mower i've ever owned.

This mower was very easy to figure out how to use. I a new home owner and needed a mower that would be easy to use as I have a corner property and was not sure if I'd be able to manage my yard on my own. I figured If I spent money on a good mower, that is super easy to use, I'm less likely to feel defeated by this task of maintaining my own yard. This mower was exactly what I needed. The self propeller allows me to whip through the grass with ease. The only issue i'm having is for some reason i'm not turning properly and I have bruises all on my left thigh. My sister gave it a try and the same thing happened to her. I believe we are running into the cruise control/starter lever. This may have been better placed elsewhere or maybe we're just clumsy. :) Fantastic mower! I'm thrilled with my purchase, it was worth the money.

I love this Honda mower. It is my 3rd I have purchased from Home Depot. My first lasted 16 years. My second lasted about 8 years. I went looking for something different. I looked at a lot of different makes and models but could not find one that did what this model does with blade stop aand how well it bags the grass. So I bought another one and love it.

good quality, easy and effective to use. the only thing is that is very expensive

I purchased my first honda mower (HRR216) about 10 years ago and was very impressed but she was getting long in the tooth and was looking to upgrade. IMO the extra cost is worth it in the engine and deck alone. Buy the mower you will not be dissapointed

My first Honda self-propelled, blade-break clutch (BBC) mower lasted 14 years before the transmission went out. My second, a Honda "Masters" with steel deck and BBC, lasted 17 years before its transmission failed. Replacing transmission on each of those mowers would cost 65%, or thereabouts, the cost of a new, similar mower. So, that's why I bought a new one instead of replacing the transmissions. Neither of those mowers were ever in the repair shop until close to the end of their transmissions' lives. So, this new Honda mower, which is a super performer, may outlive me!!! It has the run, feel, and exhaust sound of the former two Hondas I've owned. I like that! It also has a 6-year limited warranty. The extra year was given by Honda when I registered the new one with them.