Best Honda Lawn Equipment for Late Summer Lawn Care

Honda Lawn EquipmentThe high temperatures and low rainfall of midsummer are hard on your lawn, which makes it important to do what you can during this stressful period and before winter hibernation. While you may need to rent some specialty devices, the Honda equipment you already own can aid and sometimes replace these devices when preparing your lawn for fall.

Aeration

Foot traffic and construction can compact the soil over time, which can keep oxygen and water from reaching the root system. A coring aerator gets the best results since it removes compacted soil instead of pushing it to break it up. The cores left behind can be chopped up by your mower, but this is hard on the blade, so it will need to be sharpened before you next mow.

Dethatching

If the thatch layer, the dead material on the surface of the soil, is over a half inch thick, it should be removed using a dethatching rake or power dethatcher. This loosened thatch can then be mowed and bagged for disposal. Mulching the grass can reduce thatch buildup by keeping the microorganisms in the top layer of the soil well fed so they be able to tackle woodier plant material.

Fertilizing

Fertilizing starts with your mower: mulching breaks down the grass into small pieces that are easy for microorganisms to digest, returning nutrients to the soil. By using a mower with Honda’s Twin Blade system, you can even mulch when the grass is wet for maximum nutrient recovery.

There are plenty of specially blended fall fertilizers on the market, but before you start the application, you need to have the soil tested to make sure you’re feeding your lawn what it needs. After application, the lawn can be mowed after granular fertilizers have been applied after watering, while liquid fertilizers should be allowed to dry for 24 hours.

Applying Herbicides and Insecticides

In the late summer and early fall, broadleaf plants like dandelions are preparing for winter by transferring carbohydrates to their roots. By applying herbicides during this period, these poisons will be drawn into the roots, killing the entire plant. Have a grub problem? Now is the time to apply an insecticide to stop their growth.

Seeding

Once the soil preparation is finished, it’s time to overseed any bald spots so they can take root and get ready for the winter. Mowing the grass at your mower’s lowest height and bagging the clippings will help the seeds get maximum contact with the soil, and it will help the new grass grow along with the old, evening out your lawn.

Pruning and Trimming

Late summer is the perfect time to trim shrubs and bushes, and with Honda’s VersAttach pruner and hedge trimmer, you can have all the tools you need to get the job done quickly.

If you’re dealing with an old or overgrown shrub, cutting back a third of the oldest, thickest branches will encourage the growth of new stems from the root of the plant. Once the shrub is at the right height, cut the top off after it’s had a chance to grow another 6-8 inches. Shaping the plant so that the base is wider than the bottom will increase sunlight exposure.

Mowing

Tall grass helps retain moisture at the peak of summer temperatures, but it’s also a good idea to keep the turf layer thick into early fall to push out weeds, make it harder for grubs to hatch and more easily identify areas that need to be seeded. Most grass varieties should be kept at a height of two to three inches for optimum coverage. Unless you’re overseeding, never remove more than 1/3 of the grass at one time: this helps the grass recover faster. After mowing, check the grass for tearing at the tips, which indicates a dull mower blade.

Edging

Using your string trimmer or brush cutter, you can create narrow trenches around landscaping features and between the lawn and paved areas. The resulting borders help features stand out, and they can halt the ingress of plant roots into your sidewalks and driveway. Doing this in the fall will help these borders survive the winter, making it easy to re-establish gardens and thick mulched areas underneath trees next spring.

Keep Your Equipment Ready with Parts from Honda Lawn Parts

Hondalawnparts.com is a certified Honda Power Equipment and Small Engines dealer, so we carry everything you need to keep your lawn care equipment working. Our site has built-in parts diagrams to make it easy to find what you need, and we can ship those parts anywhere in the U.S. and Canada.

What Type of Pump Do I Need?

What Type of Pump Do I Need?From powering fountains to cleaning construction sites, Honda makes a pump that will do the job. Which pump is right for your needs? Knowing how each design functions can help you narrow down your choices from Honda’s 16 model lineup.

Flow Rates in the Real World

The flow rates below are in ideal conditions, but there are two factors that can reduce the actual flow rate once put in use:

The head, which is the difference in height between the end of the intake hose, the pump and the end of the outlet hose, will affect pumping performance. If all three points are at about the same height, the pump should work at the rated gallons per minute. If the height difference is high, say, when pumping water out of a well, the pump has to overcome gravity, reducing the flow rate.

When it comes to trash and chemical pumps, the fluid being moved may be heavier than water, which further decreases pumping speeds.

Before you buy a pump, check the detailed specifications to make sure the pump will be able to support the total head you’ll need the pump to handle. If you need to maintain a specific flow rate, download Honda’s free “Pump Select software“. It can do the flow calculations for you and make model recommendations.

The gallon per minute rating may get the most attention, but the main factor when selecting a pump is its intended use:

Portable De-Watering

The WX Series is built for high portability with the WX10 weighing just 13 lbs. These models are great for occasional use for gardening, boat maintenance, and general household usage, moving between 32 and 74 gallons of water per minute.

General De-Watering

The WB series trades the WX’s low weight for more pumping power. Commercial grade components including silicone carbide seals and anti-vibration mounts help with long term reliability. They can move between 164 and 290 gallons per minute.

Nozzles, Sprinklers and Long Distance Applications

The WH series is built for high-pressure applications while still being portable, making them a great choice for irrigation and fire suppression. These models can pump up to 119 GPM under pressures as high as 64 psi.

Chemicals

The WMP20 is designed with materials that resist corrosion and damage from a wide range of industrial and agricultural chemicals as well as salt water. Keep in mind that while it can handle both base and acidic fluids, it can’t pump just anything: Honda keeps an updated list of approved chemicals on their site. This pump has a maximum flow rate of 220 GPM.

Trash, Debris, and Big Jobs

The WT Series is built for moving massive amounts of water that is mixed with solids up to 1 1/16 inches in diameter. A quick clean out port and design features for easy maintenance make these pumps more than up to the task of handling the demands of contractors and rental businesses. These pumps can move between 185 and 433 gallons of water per minute, although high trash content will reduce performance.

Severe Duty and Slow Seepage

The WDP30 uses a positive displacement diaphragm pump that can move water that contains up to 25% solids including mud and trash. This design can also run dry without harming the seals, while a rock channel in the volute case and spring-loaded connecting rod protect the components from impacts. That capability comes at a cost of pumping speed, limiting it to 80 GPM.

Fixed Locations

Honda’s WSP electric pumps are powered by 120 AC current, making them a great choice in areas that have frequent need of pumping and have ready power access. These units have switches to pump automatically once the water reaches a certain level, and they’re also set up so they can be put in continuous use. Electric pumps are great for draining water from tanks and containers including pools and hot tubs as well as removing seepage in basements and powering fountains and garden irrigation systems.

Most models are designed for plain water, but the WSP 50 and 100 models are both trash pumps, able to handle solids up to two inches in diameter. Pumping speed ranges from 40 to 150 gallons per minute.

Servicing and Accessories

Need to fix your current Honda pump or replace the hoses? Hondalawnparts.com has everything you need. As a certified Honda Power Equipment dealer, we carry parts and accessories for all of Honda’s small engines and equipment. Our site makes it easy to find the parts you’re looking for by integrating factory parts diagrams into our search engine so you can see where the part fits on your pump. We ship across both the U.S. and Canada.

Modifying Your Honda Engine for High Altitude Use

High Altitude Honda EngineIn most Honda engine manuals, there’s a section called “Carburetor Modification for High Altitude Operation.” This simply states that “specific modifications” need to be made for the motor to run correctly at higher elevations. What are these modifications, and why do they need to be made?

What Does Altitude Have to Do With My Honda’s Carburetor?

The higher you are, the less dense the air is. Local air density can vary depending on temperature and humidity, but, all things being equal, the air at an elevation of 10,000 feet is one-third as dense as the air at sea level. During the intake stroke, the piston moves down, filling the cylinder with air. If the air is less dense outside the motor, there will be less air inside the cylinder, even if the volume stays the same.

If there’s less air in the engine, there needs to be less fuel to get the right air/fuel ratio. The main jet and pilot jet determine how much fuel is added with each intake stroke, and it doesn’t vary even when the amount of air does. Honda sets up their carburetors from the factory for use at low altitudes, which makes the mixture much too rich at higher elevations.

How Do I Get My Engine to Work at High Altitudes?

The pilot jet, which provides fuel when the engine is idling, can be adjusted by screwing it into or out of the carburetor body. The main jet, which provides fuel when the engine is running at speed, needs to be replaced with a smaller jet.

What size of main jet do you need? Fortunately, Honda has already figured that out for you and offers carburetor jet kits designed for specific altitude ranges. For most engines, there are three jet options: one for sea level, one for elevations starting at 5,000 to 6,000 feet and one for elevations above 7,500 to 10,000 feet.

How Do I Change Jets?

If you’ve changed jets on a car or motorcycle carburetor, this process should be familiar. First, remove any gas from the carburetor. Depending on the model, this may be as simple as closing the fuel line and running the engine until the fuel in the carburetor is used up, or it may require draining the fuel system through a port on the bottom of the carburetor float bowl; consult your engine manual for instructions.

Once the carburetor is empty, unbolt it from the engine. The screws on top of the carburetor can be removed and the unit can be separated into two halves. On one-half, you’ll see the main jet, located in the center of the body, and the pilot jet, located near the side. Both jets are brass with a wide slot designed for a flathead screwdriver. Unscrew the main jet and screw in the jet included in the kit. Turn the pilot screw to the position specified in the service manual to match the jet kit you are using. Reassemble the carburetor and reinstall it on the engine.

Why Does My Engine Make Less Power at High Altitudes?

Internal combustion engines make power by detonating a mixture of fuel and air. Even with the correct jetting, there is less fuel and air in the engine at higher altitudes, which means less power can be made. On average, the motor will lose 1.5% of its output for every 1,000 feet above sea level.

I Use My Honda Engine Near One of the Altitude Limits. Which Jets Should I Use?

Using jets that are too small will cause the engine to run lean, leading to high combustion temperatures that will cause the engine to overheat. It’s safer for the engine to run rich using the larger (lower altitude) jet, although Honda designs these kits with some wiggle room: a 5,000 ft. kit should work at altitudes as low as 3,000 feet.

How Do I Tell if I Have the Wrong Jets?

Honda recommends that installers place a tag on or near the carburetor that notes the change in jet size. If you’ve bought a used engine that is running lean or rich and you suspect the jet has been changed, open up the carburetor and remove the jet. There should be a small number on the side that specifies the jet size; if it doesn’t match up with the jet kit for the altitude you operate at, it should be replaced.

Where Can I Get an Altitude Kit for My Honda Engine?

www.hondalawnparts.com is a certified Honda Small Engine Equipment dealer, so we carry everything you need for your engine from jets to complete carburetors. Our site uses factory parts descriptions, making it easy to determine which jet kit is right for your engine’s carburetor. We can ship what you need to any address in the U.S. and Canada.

The EB2800i and EG2800i: Honda’s New Open Frame Inverter Generators

Honda OFI Generators_EB2800i and EG2800i copy

This year, Honda has added two new fully framed inverter generators to their lineup: the EB2800i and the EG2800i. These units are small enough to be portable while still delivering reliable performance for both industrial and home users, helping to bridge the gap between Honda’s small portable generators and their large, rolling full frame units.

EB2800i

This industry-focused model is powered by a GC190LA engine. This prosumer power plant balances reliability with ease of use by including features like automatic decompression, electronic ignition and an automatic choke make this motor easy to start. The choke, engine switch and performance indicators are built into the control panel for easy access.

As the name suggests, this generator produces a peak of 2,800 watts for load spikes with a constant maximum output of 2,500 watts. This electricity runs through an inverter, creating a clean waveform that’s safe to use with electronics. Honda’s Eco-Throttle system adjusts engine speed automatically to match the load for up to 12 hours of runtime from the 2.1 gallons fuel tank. Even if you manage to keep it at 100% load, the engine will run a little over 5 hours before refueling. While operating, this generator produces between 61 and 69 dBa, which is about as loud as a conversation or being inside a busy office.

A pair of 120-volt duplex outlets provide four places to plug in devices. These outlets have independent GFCI protection, shutting off one outlet when there’s a short while the other outlet will keep functioning. This generator is both OSHA and ETL compliant and it comes with a USDA-qualified spark arrester/muffler, so it’s safe to use in almost any work environment.

The generator’s components are built into a full frame to protect them from damage while providing plenty of areas to lift it for transport. Total weight is just 67 lbs, making it easy for two people to carry the unit or lift it into the back of a truck. Want to make it easier to move around? Honda offers a kit to add wheels so it can be rolled to the work site.

EG2800i

While this may be the residential version of the EB2800i, that doesn’t mean it skimps on features. Everything from the engine to the inverter carries over with the only difference showing up at the control panel. Instead of two duplex plugs, there are two individual 20 amp 120-volt outlets and a 30 amp 125v outlet for a locking plug. This third outlet makes it easy to hook this generator up to a home electrical system using a transfer switch. Want more flexibility? The locking plug outlet can be used with an extension cord to provide an indoor power point with multiple standard outlets while leaving the generator outside where its exhaust fumes won’t get trapped. As for the 120-volt outlets, each one has its own circuit protection so a short won’t shut off the other outlet.

Warranty

Honda covers both models for three years of residential use and one year of commercial use.

Getting Parts for the EB2800i and EG2800i

Whether you have the newest generator or an old mower, you can get parts for it from www.hondalawnparts.com. We’re not just an official Honda Small Engine Equipment dealer, we’ve built Honda’s own parts diagrams into our site, making it easy to find what you need to keep your equipment running. We can ship anything you need to any address in the U.S. and Canada.