Monthly Archives: June 2017

The HRC216HDA: Honda’s Latest Commercial Walk-Behind Mower

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While the commercial market is dominated by riding mowers with massive decks and engines, walk-behind mowers are still a necessity for trimming hard to reach areas. Honda’s HRC mowers are designed for these users, integrating professional level quality and riding mower features into a walk-behind. The latest model in this lineup is the HRC216HDA, which bridges the gap between the push PDA and hydrostatic drive HXA.

Engine

The HDA is powered by a GXV160 engine. It has a dual element air cleaner which has a reusable foam element that stops larger debris, providing a longer life for the inner paper filter, while the Oil Alert system prevents the engine from running if it doesn’t have enough oil, preventing damage to internal components. A fuel shutoff valve is included to keep the carburetor from flooding during transport, maintenance, and storage. On this model, it comes with a manual throttle, letting you bring the motor down to idle so you can keep it running while emptying the clipping bag.

Deck

The motor sits on a 21-inch deck made out of 16 gauge steel with rolled edges like you’d find on a stamped riding mower deck. A large front bumper protects the deck from scrapes and impacts and provides a tie-down point so the paint doesn’t get scraped up when loading the mower on a truck or trailer.

The deck uses Honda’s MicroCut twin blade system, slicing grass twice with each pass. This design creates an excellent finish and can handle mulching and bagging in conditions that would bog down other mowers; Honda is so confident of its performance that they make side discharge an option since most users won’t need it. The deck can be set to one of 8 mowing heights ranging from ¾ to 4 inches, while the onboard bag can carry up to 2.5 bushels of clippings before being emptied.

Drive System

The HDA has more in common with a riding mower than just the deck: it also uses a hydrostatic transmission. Using the handle-mounted lever, the forward speed can be set to anywhere between 2.1 to 4 mph. The cruise control function lets you keep the speed set when shutting off or idling the mower: once you close the bail, the mower will return to its original pace. If you need to make a short stop to pick up branches or empty the bag, the flywheel brake engages as you leave the handle, stopping the blades immediately for safe stops without shutting off the engine.

Maintenance

The transmission is connected to the engine by a shaft drive, so there are no belts to replace on this mower. Sealed, adjustable cables are used for the controls for years of smooth action. The wheels are made out of Honda’s super durable NeXite polymer and ride on sealed ball bearings. These features make servicing the HDA more like a push mower, eliminating everything aside from engine maintenance and blade sharpening.

Warranty

Honda warranties the mower for one year of commercial use, while the engine is guaranteed for two years. For residential owners, the mower and engine are both covered for two years.

Servicing and Parts

Getting parts for maintaining and repairing the HRC216HDA is easy: just visit www.hondalawnparts.com. We’re a certified Honda Small Engine Equipment dealer, which means we offer OEM replacements for everything Honda from portable generators to professional mowers. Our site makes finding the right part easy by showing factory parts diagrams and descriptions so you can quickly identify what you need, and we can ship those parts to any location in the U.S. and Canada.

The Honda Miimo: Automation Comes to the Lawn

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It’s been a long time coming: 5 years since it was first shown to the public and four years on the market in Europe, we’re finally going to get Honda’s robotic mower. While the Miimo has been compared to the Roomba, this tiny rechargeable mower takes a new approach to mowing that makes it unlike anything on the market. However, that doesn’t mean you should throw out your walk-behind mower just yet: it comes with some limitations that make it more of a niche product than a replacement for human-operated devices.

A New Way to Mow

The Miimo can handle slopes up to 25 degrees and can cut to a height ranging between 0.8 and 2.4 inches like most mowers, but it doesn’t cut grass like a traditional mower. It uses three tiny blades mounted to a fan designed to increase mowing chamber vacuum. This combination cuts off just 0.12 inches (three millimeters) of grass with each pass. These tiny clippings are absorbed into the top layer of the soil without requiring the multiple cuts of a mulching mower, and since it doesn’t need an operator, the Miimo can cut far more often to maintain grass height for an even finish through the season.

Navigation

The Miimo’s navigation is controlled primarily through a set of boundary wires that are installed by a certified technician when the mower is first purchased. This wire outlines the edges of the yard as well as obstacles including trees and landscaping features. Depending on the area, this wire can be under or on top of the ground surface, making for a clean installation.

When mowing, the unit uses sensors to both pick up the positions of the boundary wires and scan around its immediate location for obstacles. The fully floating cover has its own sensor system that tells the mower if a collision is detected.

Cutting Modes and Times

This mower uses two independent wheel motors, letting it maneuver like a ZTR; Honda says this lets the mower turn around obstacles without ever needing to back up, saving considerable time when mowing. The onboard computer can be set to approach mowing in 5 different ways:

– Random mode turns the mower at a wide angle when it detects a boundary wire.

– Directional turns the mower at a narrow-angle when it detects a wire, helping it maneuver in narrow areas near gardens and sheds.

– Mixed mode lets the mower switch between random and directional modes as needed.

– Spiral mode tells the mower to concentrate on areas that are likely to have the highest growth.

– Edge mode tells the mower to mow along the boundary lines first.

Why so many cutting modes? In most cases, the Miimo won’t be able to cut an entire lawn all at once, so it needs to make the most out of each charge. The Miimo HRM 310 can mow for up to 30 minutes between charges, while the HRM 520 comes with a bigger battery that can last up to 60 minutes. The cutting width is only 8.7 inches, which severely limits the coverage per charge. Once the battery is at 30%, the mower drives back to its docking station and will need to recharge for about a half hour before mowing again.

Security

What if someone decides to walk off with your fancy robot mower or it tips over? If the Miimo loses contact with the ground, it will shut off immediately and sound an alarm. The only way to reactivate the unit is by typing in a PIN.

Is This Mower a Good Choice for My Yard?

If you have a small lawn and you want to take out a significant chunk of the maintenance, the Miimo may be a good fit. However, it isn’t going to eliminate yard work. It can’t cut large amounts of growth at one time, and it can’t bag clippings that could spread weeds, so you may still need to pull out a walk-behind mower now and then. With the ability to cover ¾ of an acre at most, its use is limited to small suburban lawns.

No Matter What You Choose, We Have the Parts to Keep Your Honda Equipment Working

Whether you let an HRM 310 do the cutting or you use a walk-behind HRC for your landscaping business, you can get everything you need for your Honda small engine equipment at www.hondalawnparts.com. As a certified Honda dealer, we’re able to supply you with parts for all of their small engines and equipment from mowers to water pumps, and we can ship those parts to any address in the U.S. and Canada.

Using a Honda Generator During Storms

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Honda GeneratorA Honda generator can keep power going when a storm cuts your home’s connection to the grid so you can keep televisions, radios, and phones on to monitor the forecast while keeping a few appliances running for comfort. However, getting the generator up and running can be daunting during bad weather. With a little planning, you can make the switch from grid to generator power a lot easier.

Storage

Like any piece of small engine equipment, a generator needs to be kept in a cool, dry place. However, it also needs to be in a place that will be accessible during a storm, letting you position it where it can be used. That means carrying it or rolling it to a place that keeps it at least three feet away from buildings so that carbon monoxide from the exhaust won’t reach lethal concentrations. Make sure you can easily move the generator from its storage spot to its operating spot, taking care of any obstacles that may be in the way.

Cords

Since you can’t bring your generator into your home, you need a way to get power from it to the appliances you want to use. When shopping for extension cords, make sure to check the amperage: it needs to be at least as high as the maximum amp output of the socket it will be plugged into.

Larger generators include a twist lock outlet. This keeps the cord attached at the generator end when running long distances, but it also requires a special extension cord with the right end. The type of twist lock cord you’ll need will depend on the power mode and attached appliances: all Honda generators can produce 120-volt power, while some have the ability to make 240-volt power for high-demand appliances and can even switch some outlets between 120 and 240-volt output. Cords are available with ends including multiple 120-volt sockets that use power directly, converter cables that turn 240 volts into 120, and 240-volt sockets for high power demand devices like water pumps. 120-volt power is fed through an inverter to get a clean waveform that’s safe for sensitive electric devices, but 240-volt power comes directly from the generator and shouldn’t be used for these devices.

Fuel

The fuel used in your generator should be no more than 30 days old, or 90 days old if it’s been treated with a stabilizer. Instead of storing fuel just for the generator, keep some fuel on hand for the generator and other power equipment including mowers and lawn care tools so it’s used up quickly. Honda’s generators can run for several hours on a tank of gas, so one full tank should be enough to keep appliances going until the power is restored or it’s safe for you to leave your home and buy more fuel.

Oil

Honda’s Oil Alert system will shut down the engine to prevent it from being damaged if there isn’t enough oil, but that also means your generator won’t be able to make power. Keep some extra oil on hand and check the oil level before moving the generator out of storage.

Linking the Generator to Your Home Wiring

Your generator can feed into your home’s electrical system directly using a transfer switch. This device is required by law when linking a generator to home wiring because it isolates your home from the grid. Without this switch, power can enter the grid, shocking workers who are trying to repair the lines. This switch needs to be installed by a professional electrician to make sure it’s working correctly. Once installed, the generator can be moved to the switch and plugged in so it can supply electricity when the power fails.

Keep Your Generator Running with Genuine Honda Parts

As a certified Honda small engine equipment dealer, www.hondalawnparts.com carries everything you need for your Honda equipment. Along with replacement parts for your generator, we carry genuine Honda accessories including transfer switches and cable adapters so you can rest easy knowing you’ll be ready when storms strike. We ship across the U.S. and Canada.

Trimming Tips

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honda trimmersWith models ranging from the compact VersAttach to professional models powered by their own unique four stroke engine, Honda’s brushcutters and string trimmers are able to deliver impressive performance for homeowners and landscape professionals. However, there’s more to using this equipment than just firing up the engine and pointing the head at some tall grass. These tips will help you use your trimmer safely and effectively.

Safety

Unlike a mower, the head of a trimmer isn’t surrounded by a shroud, which means whatever is hit by the string or blade can be flung away at high speed, turning pebbles, plants and other objects into dangerous projectiles. When you use a trimmer, you should have full protection for your eyes, legs and feet, and you should always wear non-slip shoes or boots. People and animals should be kept away from where you’re working to keep them from being hit.

Ear protection is also a necessity due to the high level of noise generated by the cutting head and the engine. Even though Honda’s mini four strokes are far quieter than two-stroke engines, they can still cause hearing damage after prolonged use.

Always inspect the area for obstacles that could damage the trimmer or pose a safety hazard. Fence wire, chain, and electrical cables are particularly dangerous because they can wrap around the head. Once they tighten and jam the trimmer, it will kick back violently, causing serious injury.

Cutting Technique

The trimmer is designed to be used with the head parallel to the ground, floating just a couple inches from the surface. In some circumstances, the head may need to be used at an angle to get into crevices.

If you’re looking at the trimmer head from the top of the device, the head spins counter-clockwise. When trimming, the head should sweep right across the area being cut. This lets the string or blade slice into the plants and toss them against the debris shield, reducing the chance of turning these bits of growth or any objects hiding beneath them into projectiles. Once you’ve turned all the way to the right, swing back to the left before cutting again.

When cutting next to obstacles like walls and fences, tip the head slightly to the right. This will force ricocheting debris toward the ground.

Adjusting Harnesses and Handles

If you have a model that attaches to a shoulder harness, the proper adjustment will keep the trimmer in a comfortable position while maintaining the head position where you need it. The harness should be adjusted so that the quick release latch is resting on your hip. When the trimmer is attached, it should balance at an angle that places the head a few inched above the ground.

Whether or not your trimmer comes with a harness, the handle should be adjusted so that you can hold the trimmer in the correct position while your arms and shoulders are relaxed.

Getting More Line Out of the Head

To get more line out of a manual feed head, shut off the engine, then pull up on the head and twist it counter-clockwise.

Semi-matic and Pro-tap heads use a bump feed system. To get more line out, bump the head against the ground while the head is spinning. Always bump the head against soft ground: contact with pavement will grind off the surface of the head.

Using a Brushcutter Blade

String is great for cutting through young, green plants, but it will just slap the sides of woody plants. A brushcutter blade has the opposite problem: it goes through woody stems with ease, but it will just chew through young grass and weeds.

The basic technique for using a blade is the same as using the string head on your trimmer. However, it’s a good idea to check the area before cutting for unseen obstacles including rocks, branches, and other debris. While these will only wear down line, they can do serious damage to a blade.

On some models, Honda includes two debris shields. The shield with the cutoff knife should be used with trimmer line: this blade cuts off excess line as it passes by. The other shield is designed for use with the brushcutter blade. It’s shaped and supported to protect the operator from hardier grass.

When switching between the blade head and the line head, remember that everything on the shaft is reverse threaded so it won’t loosen during operation. Bolts and heads need to be turned left to tighten and right to loosen.

Keep Your Honda String Trimmer in Top Condition

Whether you need a brushcutter blade, a replacement harness or some engine parts, you can find everything you need for your Honda at www.hondalawnparts.com. We’re a certified dealer for Honda Small Engine equipment, and we can ship OEM parts to any address in the U.S. and Canada.