The Best Honda Lawn Mower – Tested and Reviewed

The best Honda lawn mower for you depends on your budget and needs.

There are 4 tiers of Honda mowers to choose from:

• Entry level (HRS series) → $
• Homeowner (HRN series) → $$
• Prosumer (HRX series) → $$$
• Commercial (HRC series) → $$$$

As you move up to the commercial models you gain more features and pay more money.

There are 2 entry level, 4 homeowner, 5 prosumer and 3 commercial Honda lawn mower models to choose from.

We recommened the best Honda lawn mower in each category below. We also talk about Honda lawn mower features that matter and where the best place to buy one is: online, local mower shop or big box store.

Let’s get started.

The Best Honda Lawn Mower in Each Category

As you move up in price Honda mower features and benefits are added.

For example:

• The entry level ‘HRS’ series Honda lawn mowers have a GCV160 engine and no grass bagging option – only mulch and side discharge.
• When you move up to the homeowner ‘HRN’ mowers the engine is upgraded to a GCV170 and you get grass bagging.
• Moving up to prosumer ‘HRX’ mowers you get the GCV200 engine, leaf shredding, NeXite deck, more cutting height options and a longer warranty.
• Once you get to the commercial ‘HRC’ mowers you get the GXV engine, hydrostatic drive and everything else mentioned above.

Entry Level 

HRS Series – GCV160 Engine, Mulch/Discharge Only

There are 2 Honda mowers in the entry level category: The PKA (push) and VKA (velocity/self propelled) models.

We recommended the self propelled model (VKA) because it is more convenient and only $30 more.

Homeowner 

HRN Series – GCV170 Engine, Bagging

There are 4 mowers in the homeowner category: PKA (push), VKA (self propelled), VLA (electric start), VYA (Roto stop blade safety system).

We recommend the VKA because it is the best value for money. It is over $100 cheaper than the electric start and Roto stop blade safety system mowers and only $20 more than the push-only model.

Prosumer 

HRX Series – GCV200 Engine, Leaf Shredding, NeXite Deck, More Cutting Heights, Longer Warranty

There are 5 models within the prosumer HRX series.

Our pick – the HYA – is the 2nd most expensive within the prosumer category.

We believe the added cost is worth it long term.

See why:

Commercial 

HRC Series – GXV Engine

Now we’re talking commercial mowers.

These are overkill for homeowners costing another $500 over HRX and $900 over HRN mower models.

Let’s take a look:

Why Buy A Honda Lawn Mower 

Lawn mower rental companies and lawn care professionals depend on Honda lawn mowers to make their money.

Why?

Because they are the most reliable and durable:

• A Honda can be trusted to start right away – even if you haven’t changed the oil in  years
• A Honda will continue to mow your lawn with a high quality cut – even if you lend it to your neighbors and they treat it like dirt
• A Honda lawn mower is easy to service and repair – even if you’re not a mechanic.

This is why rental companies only buy Honda’s…

…Because the renters don’t care about what they are renting and beat it up day-in-day-out. The rental company doesn’t make money if the mower breaks down. They need the mower with the least breakdowns – Honda.

Landscape professionals can’t afford to have lawn mower downtime because they are depending on it to feed their family. When they purchase a push mower, they purchase Honda – every time.

Honda has proven over the years they know how to make the best lawn mower and so it’s up to you if you want to spend extra to buy it for life.

Honda Lawn Mower Features That Matter

Honda lawn mowers have a Honda small engine connected via vertical shaft to the mower blade. Turn the engine on and it spins the blade at a certain RPM. The blade is sharp and chops/cuts the grass as you move forward over your lawn.

That’s it.

Lawn mowers are pretty simple machines.

Here are the features to choose from to help decide if you want the entry level, prosumer or commercial model of Honda mower.

6 Most Important Features on a Honda Lawn Mower

1. Engine Design, Type and Size

Honda designs their small engines to be reliable, durable and most important – repairable.

How do they make their lawn mower small engine repairable?

Design:

1. From the top of the engine you have easy access to remove and replace the engine crankshaft
2. The carburetor is easy to access and remove as it is attached via 2 stud bolts on the side of the engine
3. The engine itself is designed to have less number of parts than previous models to make stocking replacement parts easier and less complicated.

What types and sizes of small engine do we see on Honda lawn mowers?

Type & Size:

• GCV – All Honda mowers have vertical shaft engines.
• GXV – The ‘x’ stands for commercial grade Honda engine. The ‘HRC’ mowers have this engine type.
• 160, 170, 200 – These are the cc (cubic centimetres) of the engine or the volume of the combustion chamber. Bigger combustion chamber equals more power at the mower blade.
• OHV vs. OHC – Overhead valve vs. overhead cam. The gist: For a portable machine like a lawn mower the more power you need the more compact you need the engine. OHV engines are more compact for the power you get so the larger more premium mowers use a OHV style to keep the engine size down without sacrificing power. The GCV160 with the OHC is the same size as the GCV200 with the OHV despite being less powerful.

Let’s look at some more specs of each engine.

• GCV160. Peak 4.4 Hp. Torque: 6.9 lb-ft (9.4 Nm) @ 2500 RPM. 0.93 liter fuel tank. 4-stroke OHC.
• GCV170. Peak 4.8 Hp. Torque: 8.2 lb-ft (11.1 Nm) @ 2500 RPM. 1 liter fuel tank. 4-stroke OHV.
• GCV200. Peak 5.6 Hp. Torque: 9.4 lb-ft (12.7 Nm) @ 2500 RPM. 1 liter fuel tank. 4-stroke OHV.

2. Mulch/Bag/Side Discharge/Leaf Shred

Most of you will want the option to bag your grass clippings. That means you need to get the prosumer or commercial mower. The entry level Honda mowers only side discharge and mulch the grass – no bagging. Commercial Honda mower have the added leaf shred feature.

• Entry level ‘HRS’ models. 2-in-1 Mulch/Side discharge of grass.
• Prosumer HRN models. 3-in-1 Mulch/Side discharge/Bagging of grass.
• Commercial HRX models. 4-in-1 Mulch/Side discharge/Bagging/Leaf shred of grass and leaves.

3. Transmission Control

Most Honda mowers are self propelled. Of the 11 models on offer, 2 are push only. At the entry level getting self propelled costs an extra $50.

• Push. You have to push the mower forward through thick grass and up hills.
• Self Propelled. The mower has an adjustable drive system (pulley and belt or gear components) you can engage to propel the mower forward and you walk behind it.
• Hydrostatic. A hydraulic system is used to propel the mower forward with infinite speed control and no external moving components.

4. Warranty

• 3 Years. Entry level HRS and prosumer HRN Honda mowers have a 3 year warranty. 3 months if you use in a commercial/rental setting.
• 5 Years. Only the commercial HRX mowers have a 5 year warranty on the mower and engine. A lifetime warranty on the deck material. Warranty goes to 3 months if used in commercial/rental setting.

5. Starter

Most people expect their mower to have a recoil pull starter and so this feature is down the bottom.

Some of the Honda mowers do have an electric starter for convenience.

• Recoil. Pull string starter like you’re used to.
• Electric Starter. On board battery helps you start the mower like a car. Some people dislike this because now you have to worry about replacing the battery down the line.

6. Deck Material

With proper care the 16 gauge steel deck Honda mowers use will last a lifetime. However, if you leave moist grass clippings stuck to the underside all winter long while in storage it will rust over time. The NeXite deck material will never rust.

• Steel. HRS and HRN mowers. Standard on most gas mowers. Tried and tested. Clean your mower decks before storing over winter and they will last a lifetime.
• NeXite. Comes standard on HRX mowers. Honda patented material will never rust. Lifetime warranty.

How Much Do Honda Lawn Mowers Cost and Where Should You Buy?

Cost

Here are the ranges of the manufacturer suggested retail prices (MSRPs) of the different Honda series lawn mowers:

• HRS series: $469 – $499
• HRN series: $579 – $709
• HRX series: $879 – $1,209
• HRC series: $949 – $1,649

Honda distributors sell Honda mowers in bulk to dealers, big box stores and e-commerce mower websites for a set amount per unit. The sellers decide how much above or below MSRP they want to sell based on how much profit they need to generate. Online mower stores can often offer lower prices because they have less overhead (no storefront).

Where To Buy a Honda Mower

The best Honda mower deals are usually online at speciality tool and mower e-commerce stores.

But sometimes it is more convenient for you to buy at your local big box store or small local mower dealer.

Returning it and claiming warranty will certainly be less hassle if you buy from your local mower dealer as they are authorized to do the repair and make the warranty claim for you.

Big Box Stores

• The Home Depot. There are 1,993 Home Depot locations in the USA. You should have no problem finding one close by to take a look at their Honda lawn mower selection. Home Depot has a great return policy should you need it.
• Lowe’s. There are 1,738 Lowe’s locations in the USA. Lowe’s has a selection of Honda mowers to choose from.

Local Mower Dealers

There are 1,000s of Honda dealers across the USA. Most towns over 5,000 people will have at least 1 local Honda dealer.

This is a great option to buy your Honda mower because they will act as your warranty holder and repair shop.

They will also be able to offer comprehensive buying help if you can’t decide which Honda is best for you.

Online

There are 100s of online e-commerce mower stores to choose from.

The best 3 are:

• Amazon.com
• AcmeTools.com
• MowersDirect.com

Warranty and Repair Considerations

If you buy online or from a big box store you will likely need to go to your local Honda dealer for warranty and repairs. They have all the parts and experts to do the repair and it will all be approved under the Honda warranty.

FAQs

What is the best oil to put in a Honda mower?

Honda takes normal engine oil depending on your local climate.

Synthetic oil is better than traditional oil but also more expensive.

• Check out our full guide to engine oil types for lawn mowers here.

What is the best type of gas to use in a Honda mower?

Your Honda user manual will tell you what type of unleaded gasoline to use in your mower. Honda advises not to use gasoline with more than 10% ethanol.

• Check out our full guide to gas types for lawn mowers here.

What brands use Honda small engines in their lawn mowers?

Many lawn mower brands choose to buy Honda engines for use in their push and riding mowers.

Toro, Swisher, Bad Boy Mowers, Snapper and Ferris all choose Honda.