New Honda HRX217 - 5w30?

[RonRonnster]

Finally retired my 20+ year old Toro SuperRecycler and purchased a new Honda HRX217. So far, my favorite features on the mower are the hydrostatic transmission, and the clip director that allows me to adjust between bagging and mulching. I'm also impressed at how much grass this thing can push through without breaking a sweat.

Anyway - the owners manual says 10w30 is recommended, but lists 5w30 as an acceptable option in lower temperatures. I'll never use it in temps lower than 50 degrees F. I always have about 1 quart of leftover 5w30 Havoline ProDS from changing the oil in my vehicles, and I've just used that in my mower each season. Any reason not to use it in the Honda? Can't imagine it would be detrimental to the life of the engine, but I'm a by the book kind of person, so any deviation from the manual's "recommendation" has me asking other's for opinions. This mower has the GCV200 engine.

 

[Revving2Redline]

Sweet Honda mower.

 

[SZR48207]

You will be fine with the Havoline oil.

How is the quality of cut between your old Toro and the new Honda?

 

[WhyMe]

why did you stop using the toro? i have one and am curious.

 

[CharBaby]

I never use any grade but 5W30 in my Honda mower. However, either 5W30 or 10W30 is just fine.

 

[sparky123]

Fantastic mower! I own one along w/two other Honda mowers. I've used 5w-30 oil. The oil Honda sells @ our HD is a 5w-30 I believe. Very frugal on gas but still plenty of torque for cutting/mulching the grass w/those twin blades. Should give you many years of great service!

 

[joekingcorvette]

Good looking mower. I would think the 5W30 is fine. I think I remember reading something about Mobil 1 and they said anything lower on the winter end is ok in vehicles. In other works if the cap on your unit states 10W-30 then it's ok to use 0W-30.

 

[PantherFan88]

For a Honda OHV engine in 50+ degree operation, any 5w-30 or 10w-30 is adequate. With 5w-30 you won't have to feel bad if you have to start it to move it over the winter!

 

[benjy]

best mower i ever owned for 10 years or so!!! cut several yards years ago + i use real synthetic pao + or ester 10-30 changed yearly at end of pa's mowing season!! SOON!

 

[Astro_Guy]

I've been running synthetic 5w-30 in Honda GCV160 powered equipment for a decade now. Use it and sleep easy.

I am curious as to why you would never run it below 50 degrees. Here in my neck of the woods we keep mowing until we get a hard frost.

 

[RonRonnster]

Thanks, all - I figured I was probably overthinking it, but I'm glad to hear experiences from others. I've operated several Honda mowers, but this is the first one I've owned and maintained myself. I'm going to use the Havoline 5w30 and not worry about it!

The old Toro was still running but the deck and the handles were starting to fall apart. I couldn't adjust the handle bars to a comfortable height for me and it was starting to kill my back. This Honda sits up at a real comfortable height for me, and is much lighter than the stainless steel deck on my Toro. The Honda is much easier to move around flower beds, tight corners, etc. I didn't realize how worn out the Toro was getting until I powered the Honda through the thickest part of my lawn and it didn't flinch at all. The Toro will live on at my Dad's, who has a small fenced yard behind his twin-home.

The cut on this Honda is great - I'm able to get some really nice cross hatching. The twin blades do make a difference with mulching and bagging. The clippings are small and compact much easier in the trash can. I can't say that I've noticed any clumps while mulching either.

 

[NH73]

I would consider that using a 5w30 full synthetic is just as good, if not better than using a conventional 10w30.

 

[SteveG4]

Originally Posted by Reddy45
You will be fine with the Havoline oil.

How is the quality of cut between your old Toro and the new Honda?


+1
The Chevron Havoline synthetic oil will perform wonderfully.
Run it, Ron.

 

[glock19]

I have the exact same mower and I run 5w-30 synthetic in all of my equipment.

 

[Clayslayer]

Nice mower!! I have two HRX217s. Both belt driven. One is a (VKA - variable speed select drive) about 6 years old and works perfectly. I love the variable speed transmission. The other (HYA - belt driven 3 speed with a manual throttle) is a few years older and has been re-powered with a Predator 173. Don't worry: the GCV190 didn't die to "natural" causes. Had the "incident" not occurred it'd probably still be mowing the previous owners lawn for another few decades. Both are fantastic and do a heckuva job on my lawn. I run Amsoil DEO 5w-40 in everything in my garage except the Harley and the wife's Civic.

 

[bryceban]

I bought the exact same mower a month ago, the HRX217HYA with GCV200 engine after my 15 year old Craftsman with a B&S motor gave out in the middle of mowing. I was looking at them at my dealer two days prior since mine was making a bad knocking sound when starting and stopping and I wanted to know which model I wanted in case it went, and it did. I had to take mine back after the first few times because it would die when trying to low idle and at high idle without the blades engaged it would surge RPM's up and down. They said they soaked the carb over night and cleaned it. I hope it is trouble free from here on out as I do use fresh non-ethanol gas treated with Stabil. Love how it packs the bag full of grass and how quiet and smooth it is. Still getting used to having to hold the blade clutch lever down when letting off self propel lever and I don't love how it leaks grass clippings into the chute when in mulch position. Anyways, I plan on using 10w30 and will probably mow and mulch leaves in less than 50°F temps this fall and throughout the winter.

 

[meep]

In my personal experience, 5w-30 with M1 in high-load conditions resulted in silver sparklies and startup smoke. After 2 years of that I moved to 10-30 and the smoking continued but stopped worsening, and the silver sparklies stopped. In that mower, 5-30 was specified. For OPE based on that experience, I only run 10-30 or higher.

 

[ChrisD46]

I too believe a 10W30 synthetic oil is the way to go - I have used 10W30 M1 and 10W30 QSUD with good results .
Originally Posted by meep
In my personal experience, 5w-30 with M1 in high-load conditions resulted in silver sparklies and startup smoke. After 2 years of that I moved to 10-30 and the smoking continued but stopped worsening, and the silver sparklies stopped. In that mower, 5-30 was specified. For OPE based on that experience, I only run 10-30 or higher.

 

[Gebo]

I run AMSOIL small engine 10w-40 in all my mowers. I live at VA-NC line.

I can barely run 5W-? in my cars.

 

[PWMDMD]

I bought a Honda mower similar to this around 2004ish and I used it until 2014 when I purchased a ride on mower. That 10 year period was a dark time consumed by higher education and I never changed the oil...not a single time. After 2014 the mower sat in the garage unused until I put some raised garden beds in last year and the only thing that will fit between them is that mower. I went out, gave two pulls, it started up with what had to be 4 year old gas, two puffs of smoke and it ran like a champ. I use it for about 30 seconds twice per month and it just keeps running. I still haven't changed the oil even though I'm super anal about ride-on, snowblower and generator. It's kind of an experiment at this point but I was thinking I'd change the oil at the end of this season. I use 5W-30 in the ride-on, snow blower and generator so I figure that's what I'll use.