New Engine for More Mowing Power; Improved Performance; Sleek Minimalist Look
- The newly redesigned Honda HRX lawn mower, the company’s premium residential model, delivers 10 percent more power and torque and premium performance.
- The Honda HRX lawn mower is the first Honda product to feature the all-new Honda GCV200 engine that delivers enhanced customer benefits in power output, maintenance, and usability through a larger fuel tank opening, easier oil changes, and reliable, dependable starting.
- The Honda GCV200 engine is lighter than the GCV190 model it replaces.
- The redesigned Honda HRX lawn mower provides an enhanced grass cutting experience for the user, with turf groomed to carpet-like perfection.
- Five newly redesigned Honda HRX models, with a starting U.S. manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $699, arrive at Honda dealers nationwide in January 2019.
ALPHARETTA, Ga., Oct. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Honda Power Equipment has introduced its newly redesigned HRX Series of lawn mowers. The HRX Series, Honda’s most premium residential lawn mower models, now feature the powerful new GCV200 engine that delivers 10 percent more power and torque than the GCV190 it replaces, along with design and technology features that produce a clean, smooth cut. The redesigned Honda HRX lawn mowers are the first Honda mowers to incorporate this all-new GCV200 engine.
First introduced in 2003, the Honda HRX Series pioneered the unique Versamow System with Clip Director®. For the first time on any lawn mower, the HRX Clip Director® could easily enable bagging, mulching or simultaneous bagging and mulching of grass clippings in varying degrees through 10 separate settings—all without separate tools. The Honda Versamow System with Clip Director® was designed to be a complete mowing system delivering the ultimate in flexibility. The past 15 years of Honda research and development, combined with feedback from HRX users, have driven new advancements for this innovative lawn mower line. Today’s HRX Series of lawn mowers is designed to deliver the ultimate in flexibility and the most satisfying lawn mowing experience.
The redesigned Honda HRX Series lawn mowers feature three significant areas of technological and operational enhancements:
- An all-new Honda GCV200 engine that delivers 10 percent more power and torque to the mower’s blades, to cut taller and thicker grass without stalling—saving time and wear on the engine. The newly redesigned Honda HRX Series is the company’s first lawn mower line to incorporate the new GCV200 engine.
- A streamlined, innovative engine layout that saves time by making it easier for the user to fill the fuel tank, monitor and change the oil, access the sparkplug and air cleaner, allowing for faster, easier and reduced routine maintenance.
- Innovative, modern styling—reflecting similar sleek, aerodynamic designs that can be seen across other Honda product lines, including automobiles, motorcycles and even jets.
Honda engineers incorporated changes into the HRX lawn mower line to provide a more powerful mowing experience for the user, while grooming grass to a carpet-like finish. Like the original Honda HRX Series, the newly enhanced HRX Series features the Honda Versamow System with Clip Director®. This system features a lever, located behind the engine cowling, that operates a sliding door between the lawn mower deck and the grass bag, allowing the operator to easily choose—or change—the preferred mowing option. The configuration also offers a setting for leaf shredding that recirculates leaves until they are small enough to pass into the rear-discharge grass bag. The operator can perform all of these functions smoothly and without the tools or attachments required on most conventional lawn mowers. Like all Honda lawn mowers, the Honda HRX offers reliable features designed to provide years of superior performance.
“The Honda Vision for 2030 is two-fold: growth through the pursuit of quality and serving people worldwide with the joy of expanding the potential of lives. The newly revamped HRX Series of lawn mowers aspires to achieve this Honda vision,” said Will Walton, vice president, Honda Power Equipment. “With the newly redesigned HRX, Honda Power Equipment is offering a premium product that fuses innovative technological advancements with operational improvements that help consumers achieve a wholly satisfying experience in the pursuit of maintaining healthy, beautiful green spaces.”
Technology
More Power: The Redesigned Honda HRX Lawn Mower Meets the All-New Honda GCV200
All five redesigned Honda HRX lawn mower models (see model descriptions in the below HRX lawn mowers section) are powered by the all-new GCV200 engine. A powerful addition to the Honda GC Series, and designed specifically for premium, residential power equipment applications, the new GCV200 delivers more power and more torque—10 percent more as compared to the GCV190 engine it replaces. The result? Improved durability and lifespan of Honda HRX mower models, superior cutting performance, and an enhanced HRX mowing experience for consumers.
So why more torque? In the case of a walk-behind lawnmower such as the HRX, the size of the engine and its torque capabilities relate directly to the ability of the machine to tackle tough jobs and produce a clean, even cut. Because the engine is responsible for generating the torque power on a lawn mower, more torque means more force is being delivered to the blades, which results in easier and faster cutting—especially in heavy, thick grass where stalling is more prevalent. In addition to delivering 10 percent more torque, the Honda GCV200 weighs, on average, six percent less than the GCV190. Overall, the new engine is sleek, user-friendly and the perfect power match for the infinite number of mowing combinations the Honda HRX mower offers for lawn care.
Innovative Honda design features, including an improved combustion chamber shape, advanced auto choke design, and easier fuel and oil filling, make the GCV200 engine convenient to use and operate. The new engine is more streamlined and more compact than other engines in the same class. The design of the Honda GCV200 also features the CycloFlow design, which strengthens turbulence in the cylinder and provides more stable combustion. The result is greater resistance to lower quality fuel and ease of starting, along with a smoother idle.
The design of the new Honda GCV200 is smart, simple and sophisticated, incorporating new features that serve to reduce maintenance time while improving serviceability for the redesigned Honda HRX mower models. GCV200 engine change points that enhance the HRX user experience include a larger fuel tank filler (a fuel spout with a 60 percent larger circumference than the GCV190 engine) for quicker and easier gas-ups with fewer spills; a longer, more extended oil fill tube for more convenient adding and draining of oil; a more easily-accessible, tool-less air filter that protects the engine from yard debris and dirty conditions; more direct access to spark plugs for quicker changes; and a carburetor with a simpler and more rugged stud bolt design. The Honda Auto Choke System (ACS) on the new GCV200 engine allows for dependable starts, regardless of hot or cold weather conditions. This automatic, user-friendly system eliminates the need for levers and cables, and once the engine is running, the ACS automatically adjusts to the optimal operating position.
Design
The Cut Above Takes on a Sleek, Minimalist Look
The first look at the redesigned HRX lawn mower reveals an arresting exterior design that perfectly depicts the mower’s high performance. The design is smooth and sleek with angles suggesting fluid, forward motion—and with its lustrous red engine cowling, unmistakably a Honda. The engine cover design suggests powerful aerodynamic movement, while the curves of the engine are replicated in the streamlined, gray NeXite® deck. Functional touchpoints, such as the fuel spout and oil dipstick, are visually prominent yet integrated into the overall design of the mower. The graphic design incorporates the familiar red Honda brand and the GCV200 engine logo. In total, Honda engineers have redesigned the HRX lawn mowers to visually reflect the same modern designs that can be seen across many Honda power product lines, including cars, motorcycles and even jets.
HRX Lawn Mowers
A Profile of Five Powerful Models
The Honda HRX217VKA, HRX217VYA and HRX217VLA models incorporate the Honda Select Drive® system, providing control, comfort and convenience to mowing customers. This unique system and innovative design allow the user to rotate the ergonomically located, speed-adjust dial—enabling the selection of a maximum speed while also engaging/releasing the Select Drive® control handle to match the mowing stride. Once the control handle is fully engaged, it sits flush with the lawn mower handlebar, adding more comfort to the mowing experience.
In addition to the integration of the Honda Select Drive® system, the updated HRX217VKA, HRX217VYA and HRX217VLA models include the Honda 4-in-1 Versamow System with Clip Director®, allowing mulching, bagging, leaf shredding or discharging without the need for tools or attachments, along with the proprietary Twin Blade MicroCut® System for superior cut quality. What’s more, the Honda HRX217VLA is a self-charging, automotive-style electric start model equipped with a small factory sealed absorbed glass mat (AGM) battery for effortless starting. The battery is mounted on the lawn mower’s handlebar and integrated with an automotive-style key switch—adding more convenience and ease to the operating experience. In HRX electric start models, electricity is fed to a small starter motor incorporated in the GCV200 engine.
Rounding out the HRX lawn mower lineup are the Honda HRX217HYA and HRX217HZA models, each equipped with a hydrostatic cruise control transmission. The HRX217HZA also features the automotive-style electric start system with a factory sealed battery with AGM technology for effortless, self-charging key starts. Targeting best-in-industry bagging performance, the Honda HRX Series lawn mowers integrate a 2.5-bushel capacity grass bag and MicroCut® blades that result in finer, more efficiently packed clippings. Additional HRX features and benefits include:
- The exclusive, easy-to-clean, rust-free NeXite® mowing deck, which allows clippings to circulate naturally for maximum mulching. This durable, impact resistant deck comes with a lifetime consumer warranty.
- A variable speed hydrostatic transmission (smaller and lighter than on previous models) that offers infinitely variable speed control and the ability to set and maintain a constant pace regardless of conditions. Speed is easily adjustable with the speed control lever. (HYA, HZA models)
- The Honda Roto-Stop® Blade Stop System that provides quick blade stopping without shutting off the lawn mower—allowing for bag emptying without restarting the engine and self-propulsion without the blade engaged. (VYA, HYA, HZA models)
- Seven individual cutting heights—¾” to 4”.
- 9” ball-bearing wheels.
- Sealed control cables.
- A five-year, full, transferable warranty.
Price and Availability
The newly redesigned Honda HRX Series of lawn mowers delivers customers more: more power, improved performance and grass groomed to carpet-like perfection. With a starting U.S. manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $699, the new HRX models carry a five-year residential and a 90-day commercial warranty. The newly redesigned Honda HRX lawn mower lineup will be available at Honda Power Equipment dealers nationwide in January 2019.
About Honda Power Equipment
Honda Power Equipment, a division of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., markets a complete range of outdoor power equipment, including generators, walk-behind and robotic lawn mowers, pumps, snow blowers, tillers, string trimmers, outboard marine engines and small, general-purpose engines for residential, commercial and rental applications.
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Media Contact / For more information:
Davis Adams
Communications Manager
Honda Power Equipment
770.712.3082 phone
davis_adams@ahm.honda.com