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4

Add Engine Oil

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 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.
If you don’t use the supplied oil, add enough SAE 10W-30 API service 

category SJ or later oil to bring the oil level between the upper and 

lower limit marks on the dipstick—without screwing the dipstick in. 

See “Oil Change” on 

page 13

.

Do not overfill the engine with oil

. If the engine is overfilled, the 

excess oil may get transferred to the air cleaner housing and air filter. 

An indication of overfilling is white or blue smoke coming from the 

muffler when the engine is running.
After filling the engine with oil, screw the filler/cap dipstick in and 

remove the hang tag near the recoil starter grip that says “

The engine 

has no oil.

Assemble the Grass Bag

1. Turn the grass bag right-side out.
2. Pull the frame support legs outward and slide them into the eyelets 

as shown.

3. Install the assembled frame into the fabric grass bag, keeping the 

grass bag handle exposed.

Please Register Your Mower

Please take a few minutes and register your purchase with Honda. 

You can register:
 • By completing and mailing the registration card 

on the back cover of this manual

 • Scanning the QR code to the right and completing 

the online form

 • Going online to 

powerequipment.honda.com/reg

Before Using Your Lawn Mower

All Mower operators must read the following sections:
 •

FOR YOUR SAFETY

 (

page 2

)

 •

BEFORE EACH OPERATION

 (

page 4

)

 •

OPERATION

 (

page 7

)

 •

MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

 (

page 11

)

BEFORE EACH OPERATION

Your safety is your responsibility. A little time spent in preparation will 

significantly reduce your risk of injury.
Read and understand this manual. Know what the controls do and 

how to operate them.
Familiarize yourself with the lawn mower and its operation before you 

begin using it. Know how to quickly shut off the lawn mower in case of 

an emergency.

Check Your Mower

For your safety, and to maximize the service life of your lawn mower, it 

is very important to take a few moments before you operate the lawn 

mower to check its condition. Be sure to take care of any problem you 

find, or have your servicing dealer correct it, before you operate the 

lawn mower.

 • Make sure the lawn mower is on a level surface
 • Look around and underneath the lawn mower for signs of oil or 

gasoline leaks

 • Look for signs of damage
 • Check each control for proper operation
 • Check the blades for wear. Replace as necessary (

page 12

)

 • Check that the blade bolts are tight (

page 12

)

 • Check that all nuts, bolts, and screws are tightened
 • Check the air filter (

page 13

) and oil level (

page 6

)

 • Check the fuel level (

page 7

). Starting with a full tank will help to 

eliminate or reduce operating interruptions for refueling.

Check Your Mowing Area

For your safety and the safety of others, always inspect the area 

before operating the lawn mower.
Anything that can be picked up by the blades and thrown is a potential 

hazard to you and others. Look for things like stones, sticks, nails, and 

wire, and remove them from the lawn area.
People and animals near the lawn area can move into your lawn 

mower’s path or into a position where they could be struck by thrown 

objects. Clear the area of pets and people, especially children. Their 

safety is your responsibility.
Check the condition of the grass. Adjust your lawn mower ground 

speed and mowing swath accordingly.

GRASS BAG 
HANDLE

EYELETS

FABRIC 
GRASS BAG

SUPPORT LEGS

TOP PLASTIC CLIP 
(Route under the 
handle and frame)

PLASTIC CLIP

 WARNING

Improperly maintaining this lawn mower, or failing to 

correct a problem before operation, could cause a 

significant malfunction.
Some malfunctions can seriously hurt or kill you.
Always perform a pre-operation inspection before each 

operation, and correct any problem.

Summary of Contents for HRX217VLAA

Page 1: ...k Your Mowing Area 4 Charging the Battery 15 AVOIDING FUEL RELATED PROBLEMS 20 Clip Director 5 Optional Battery Charger 15 CUSTOMER INFORMATION 21 Rear Shield 5 Replacing the Battery 15 Parts Accessories and Service Items 21 Grass Bag 6 TRANSPORTING 16 Dealer Locator Information 21 Cutting Height Adjustment 6 STORAGE 16 How to Contact Honda 21 Check the Oil Level 6 Fuel 16 Honda Publications 21 Ad...

Page 2: ...bad judgments can result in serious injuries Your child must be big enough strong enough and have the coordination necessary to comfortably reach and operate the controls Anyone who takes unnecessary risks and doesn t obey rules should not operate this lawn mower Safety Label Locations These labels warn you of potential hazards that can cause serious injury Read them carefully If a label comes off...

Page 3: ...adjust knobs in the lowest holes raises the handlebar to its highest position 3 Turn the handlebar adjust knobs 90 degrees into the lock position making sure both sides are positioned at the same height 4 Remove all the cardboard from around the handlebar BLADE CONTROL LEVER P 8 REAR DISCHARGE GUARD P 5 FUEL TANK CAP P 7 MUFFLER P 14 STARTER MOTOR HANDLEBAR ADJUST KNOB 2 P 3 RECOIL STARTER GRIP P ...

Page 4: ...derstand this manual Know what the controls do and how to operate them Familiarize yourself with the lawn mower and its operation before you begin using it Know how to quickly shut off the lawn mower in case of an emergency Check Your Mower For your safety and to maximize the service life of your lawn mower it is very important to take a few moments before you operate the lawn mower to check its c...

Page 5: ... of the lawn As the knob is moved towards the MULCH position more grass will be recycled back into the lawn Adjust the Clip Director knob until the desired result is achieved Rear Discharge To discharge clippings to the rear remove the grass bag and position the Clip Director knob in the BAG range Maximum rear discharge will occur when the Clip Director knob is all the way to the left BAG position...

Page 6: ...djusting the cutting height To adjust cutting height pull each adjustment lever toward the wheel and move it into another notch Move all four adjustment levers to the same position forward for tall grass and rearward for short grass If you are not sure what cutting height to select start with a high setting and check the appearance of the lawn after mowing a small area Then readjust the cutting he...

Page 7: ...s Most injuries and property damage with walk behind mowers can be prevented if you follow all instructions in this manual and on the mower The most common hazards are discussed below along with the best way to protect yourself and others Avoid Rotating Blades Rotating blades can cause serious cuts and even amputate fingers hands toes or feet Keep away from the mower deck whenever the engine is ru...

Page 8: ...aged by accidental impact collision Operating the Controls Blade Control Lever The blade control lever must be pulled back against the handlebar to start and run the engine The blades start to rotate when the lever is pulled back against the handlebar and the recoil starter grip is pulled Continue to hold the lever fully against the handlebar This will keep the engine and blades rotating smoothly ...

Page 9: ...ce about specific types of grasses and growing conditions in your area Most grass has stems and leaves If you cut off the leaves you ll scalp the lawn Let the grass recover between mowings Your mower will work better and your lawn will look better Cutting grass that is too tall or mowing the lawn too quickly can clog the mower deck with grass and may cause the engine to stall If your grass gets to...

Page 10: ... your mower best and is fully equipped to maintain and repair it To ensure the best quality and reliability use only new Honda Genuine parts or their equivalents for repair and replacement Maintenance replacement or repair of the emission control devices and systems may be performed by any engine repair establishment or individual using parts that are certified to EPA standards Maintenance Safety ...

Page 11: ...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 Change O O 2 O O 13 Air filter Check O 13 Clean O 1 O 1 O 1 Replace O Grass bag Check O 6 Blade control operation Check O O 14 Spark...

Page 12: ... wrench Use a wooden block to prevent the blades from turning when removing the bolts Remove the blades 5 Clean dirt and grass from around the blade mounting area 6 Install the sharpened or replacement blades using the two blade bolts and special washers as shown below Be sure to install the washers in the direction shown Always install both blades as a set The blade bolts and washers are speciall...

Page 13: ... in accordance with the Maintenance Schedule page 11 Recommended oil for general use SAE 10W 30 Other viscosities shown in the chart may be used when the average temperature in your area is within the recommended range The SAE oil viscosity and service category are in the API label on the oil container Honda recommends API service category SJ or later oil Air Filter Clean the air filter after the ...

Page 14: ...plug tighten 1 2 turn after the spark plug seats Spark plug torque 14 ft lb 20 N m NOTICE 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 Spark Arrester optional part The spark arrester must be serviced every 100 hours to keep it functioning as designed Your lawn mower eng...

Page 15: ...port connector that is closest to the battery 3 Insert the connector on the Honda battery charger into the other end of the adapter harness 4 Plug the charger into a standard 120 volt AC power outlet and let the battery charge The charger may become slightly warm during charging this is normal The float charger can be left connected continuously when the lawn mower is not in use After charging the...

Page 16: ...ICE Using a garden hose or pressure washing equipment can force water into the air filter Water in the air cleaner will soak the paper element and can enter the carburetor or engine cylinder causing damage Water contacting a hot engine can cause damage If the engine has been running allow it to cool before washing Grass Bag Remove the bag from the mower and wash it with a garden hose or pressure w...

Page 17: ...tc Take the mower to an authorized Honda servicing dealer for repair UNLOCKED Possible Cause Correction Grass is too tall Raise the cutting height Cut a narrower swath Use a slower ground speed Cut more frequently 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...

Page 18: ...Acts and Environment and Climate Change Canada ECCC U S EPA California and Canadian regulations require all manufacturers to furnish written instructions describing the operation and maintenance of emissions control systems The following instructions and procedures must be followed in order to keep the emissions from your Honda engine within the emissions standards Tampering and Altering NOTICE Ta...

Page 19: ...hours 225 cc and greater HRX217K6VLAA HRX217K6VLPA Honda rotary mower 21 inch mower deck Clip Director Select Drive variable speed transmission Auto Choke System self charging electric start Length 63 4 in 1 610 mm Width 23 1 in 588 mm Overall height 42 2 in 1 073 mm Dry mass 95 0 lb 43 1 kg Cutting width 20 9 in 530 mm Cutting heights 7 3 4 4 in 19 101 mm 1 1 4 inch 32 mm cutting height and handl...

Page 20: ...t before each use A properly maintained air filter will help prevent dirt from entering the carburetor The small passages inside the carburetor can become blocked 3 to 4 Weeks Before Next Use Reason Keep your lawn mower s fuel tank full of fresh fuel when not in use Turn the fuel valve OFF If the fuel tank is only partially filled air in the tank will promote fuel deterioration Turn the fuel valve...

Page 21: ...g American Honda Motor Co Inc reserves the right however to discontinue or change specifications or design at any time without notice and without incurring any obligation whatever No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission Shop Manual This manual covers complete maintenance and overhaul procedures It is intended to be used by a skilled technician Available for purchas...

Page 22: ...cial loss or any other incidental or consequential damage Any implied warranties are limited to the duration of this written limited warranty Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts and or do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages so the above exclusions and limitations may not apply to you This warranty gives you specific le...

Page 23: ...warranty repairs and must be provided without charge to the owner A list of warranted parts is shown in the table below All emission related parts are under warranty for the remainder of the warranty period Normal maintenance items such as spark plugs and filters that are on the warranted parts list are warranted up to their required replacement interval only Honda will also replace other engine c...

Page 24: ...24 NOTES ...

Page 25: ...25 NOTES ...

Page 26: ...26 NOTES ...

Page 27: ...d to any other company or organization Failure to register your lawn mower does not diminish your warranty rights Please complete and mail the postage paid card scan the QR code or register online at powerequipment honda com reg as shown on the next page Print your 7 digit serial number here example Scan this QR code to register your lawn mower commercial rental users check one private homeowner u...

Page 28: ... American Honda Motor Co Inc 4900 Marconi Dr Alpharetta GA 30005 9956 NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES Product Registration BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST CLASS MAIL ALPHARETTA GA PERMIT NO 117 POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE 2 Enter your serial number and then click Submit Register Your Product Online HPE 2022 01 PRINTED IN U S A EM5 K6 ...

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