# Mower Recommendations



## TheZMan (9 mo ago)

I have a 2 season old Honda HRX 217. It's the first mower I purchased and I'm not too sure it's cutting well anymore.

New blade installed this morning. The blade was sharpened for me by a trusted mechanic. Still tears the grass. I can see a cast of white tips all over.

Any ideas what's going on?


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## Amoo316 (Jul 8, 2021)

Even if he's a good honest mechanic and sharpened the blade to the level most "reasonable" people would find acceptable, lawn care enthusiast acceptable tends to be a notch above what most people feel or think is necessary.

Learning to sharpen your own blades is well worth the time, money and you avoid things like this.


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## Skiney12 (7 mo ago)

Actually, I am using a Webb WEER33 mower which is simple to use. But my cousin uses this type of push mower. In his opinion, it can provide smooth and clean cutting.


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## rockwalltxguy (Oct 1, 2021)

Are you wanting recommendations to replace your Honda hrx? If so there isn't anything else much better rotarywise other than going to a commercial series and that's mostly build quality not necessarily a superior cut always. Next step up would be a reel. That would mostly solve your shredded tip issue you mentioned. The best way I can describe a rotary versus a reel is this. A rotary is like cutting your grass with a bread knife. Ya it will do the job but the end product won't be clean. A reel mower is like slicing your grass with a razor blade. The cleaner the slice the less yellow tips. The cutting design of a rotary is what's causing your issue not solely the sharpness of the blades.


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## TheZMan (9 mo ago)

@rockwalltxguy

Yes sir. I think I've hit the point quickly where I'm saying - hey, it's time for the perfect cut.

Thank you for explaining things the way you did so simply!!!


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## TheZMan (9 mo ago)

Amoo316 said:


> Even if he's a good honest mechanic and sharpened the blade to the level most "reasonable" people would find acceptable, lawn care enthusiast acceptable tends to be a notch above what most people feel or think is necessary.
> 
> Learning to sharpen your own blades is well worth the time, money and you avoid things like this.


You're right. I started from 0 knowledge a season ago to now spraying to the exact foot all my chemicals. It's been a ton of fun learning from everyone on here.

I watched a lot of videos on the American Sharpener. They even have an adapter for the HRX blades. This thing blew me away. The most intimidating thing for me is maintaining that angle of the blade. I will search on here if there's any good information on sharpening properly.


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## Amoo316 (Jul 8, 2021)

TheZMan said:


> Amoo316 said:
> 
> 
> > Even if he's a good honest mechanic and sharpened the blade to the level most "reasonable" people would find acceptable, lawn care enthusiast acceptable tends to be a notch above what most people feel or think is necessary.
> ...


This forum specifically has at least 3 different threads that I can think of specifically devoted to blade sharpeners. "Ideally" you want to maintain as close to factory angle as possible. At the end of the day, even if you end up a degree or two out, as long as the blades still balance properly, you're going to get what "we" would consider an acceptable cut.

I sharpen my blades when they start to look like your grass does now. I'm going to claim I get no tearing, that a reality of a rotary, but you can significantly minimize it with constant upkeep.

I keep two sets of blades in "active rotation" at a time. That way I don't have to sharpen before I need to mow. I just swap in my fresh set and get to the resharpening sometimes in the 3-6 weeks until I need to re-swap again.


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## The Grand Nagus (8 mo ago)

Once i got used to doing my blades for my honda things looked up for me. I agree also to keep as close to factory edge as you can. Angle grinder with a flap wheel works best. Less aggressive than a grinding wheel. It will also remove less metal and is easier to work. Also cutting in dead heat of the day will stress it out alot too and if its dry enough from no rain, sometimes it will yellow too. Remember 1/3 rule too!!


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## TheZMan (9 mo ago)

Fresh sharpened blade....... horrific tearing. I picked up a tachometer and will report back.





Update:
2880 RPM


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## Easyluck (Feb 5, 2019)

Any pictures of the mower blade?


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## T76turbo (9 mo ago)

rockwalltxguy said:


> Are you wanting recommendations to replace your Honda hrx? If so there isn't anything else much better rotarywise other than going to a commercial series and that's mostly build quality not necessarily a superior cut always. Next step up would be a reel. That would mostly solve your shredded tip issue you mentioned. The best way I can describe a rotary versus a reel is this. A rotary is like cutting your grass with a bread knife. Ya it will do the job but the end product won't be clean. A reel mower is like slicing your grass with a razor blade. The cleaner the slice the less yellow tips. The cutting design of a rotary is what's causing your issue not solely the sharpness of the blades.


Hope the OP doesnt mind me asking a question in his thread. But it could apply to his situation as well.

I am looking for a new mower. I have St Augustine and cut at 4-4.5 inches. IS a reel mower appropriate at that height? (and that type of turf if that even matters?) Going to read the rest of the thread to see of the OP states height of cut and turf type. But it looks like his may be similar to my setup.


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## T76turbo (9 mo ago)

TheZMan said:


> Amoo316 said:
> 
> 
> > Even if he's a good honest mechanic and sharpened the blade to the level most "reasonable" people would find acceptable, lawn care enthusiast acceptable tends to be a notch above what most people feel or think is necessary.
> ...


I bought the American Sharpener. I got the highest level one that has adjustable angles just in case I ever need it in the future. It is great. I use a 80grit hard disk now but might switch back to around that grit flap wheel as I liked it a little better.

I did splurge on the balancer. I got a Magna-Matic Mag-1000. It is expensive and probably overkill for sure. BUT it has a arm that you can angle and point close to the blade and as you spin the blade on the hub, you can watch to see that the gap is the same on both sides of the blade to make sure the blade isnt warped. It is so precise a single human hair (admittedly my wifes hair which is much longer than mine) will throw the blade off balance. Again, overkill BUT for enthusiasts it is worth it IMHO.

If you keep the mower and start sharpening blades yourself, do pay attention to the blade type. You already mentioned needing the adapter for the sharpener. I am not sure what you do regarding the balancer.


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## rockwalltxguy (Oct 1, 2021)

T76turbo said:


> rockwalltxguy said:
> 
> 
> > Are you wanting recommendations to replace your Honda hrx? If so there isn't anything else much better rotarywise other than going to a commercial series and that's mostly build quality not necessarily a superior cut always. Next step up would be a reel. That would mostly solve your shredded tip issue you mentioned. The best way I can describe a rotary versus a reel is this. A rotary is like cutting your grass with a bread knife. Ya it will do the job but the end product won't be clean. A reel mower is like slicing your grass with a razor blade. The cleaner the slice the less yellow tips. The cutting design of a rotary is what's causing your issue not solely the sharpness of the blades.
> ...


I'm not aware of any reel mower that would allow you to cut at that height. Most only go up to 1 3/4" at the most.


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## RentalLawn (Jan 4, 2022)

T76turbo said:


> I am looking for a new mower. I have St Augustine and cut at 4-4.5 inches. IS a reel mower appropriate at that height? (and that type of turf if that even matters?) Going to read the rest of the thread to see of the OP states height of cut and turf type. But it looks like his may be similar to my setup.


@813king is killing it at 0.5" on his St. Auggie. Amazing thread (see link below) with a nice progression of practices and mowers. Just about anything with turf is possible over time. Cultural practices are often the key to a spectacular lawn.

https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=32614


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## Lawn Noob (Jul 26, 2020)

Is the blade on upside down?


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

T76turbo said:


> rockwalltxguy said:
> 
> 
> > Are you wanting recommendations to replace your Honda hrx? If so there isn't anything else much better rotarywise other than going to a commercial series and that's mostly build quality not necessarily a superior cut always. Next step up would be a reel. That would mostly solve your shredded tip issue you mentioned. The best way I can describe a rotary versus a reel is this. A rotary is like cutting your grass with a bread knife. Ya it will do the job but the end product won't be clean. A reel mower is like slicing your grass with a razor blade. The cleaner the slice the less yellow tips. The cutting design of a rotary is what's causing your issue not solely the sharpness of the blades.
> ...


There are a few running reels on St. Aug. The highest I've seen a powered reel go is around 2.25". You'd be mowing several times a week with St. Aug at that height, I'd think. The Fiskars goes up higher but it's a manual push unit and not sure how that would work slogging through tall, thick St Aug.


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## TheZMan (9 mo ago)

Lawn Noob said:


> Is the blade on upside down?


I thought about this. To confirm I watched several YouTube videos to triple check myself the blades are oriented properly.

I'm headed to a machine shop today to see if they have any ideas 
.


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## Clamman (Sep 25, 2020)

Does it matter how slow or fast you're moving the mower on the cut performance?


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## TheZMan (9 mo ago)

@T76turbo

It is with great humility and listening to the advice of everyone on here, I have sharpened my blades personally using the AllAmericanSharpener 5005.

The HRX blade was troubling for me how it has a curve before I purchased this beautiful piece of equipment. I got their adapter to go with this blade when mounting to their device. My blades came out perfect.

Most important! I mowed yesterday and the cut has improved 99%. I also felt less work on the mower.

I'll grab a follow up picture today.


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## Amoo316 (Jul 8, 2021)

TheZMan said:


> It is with great humility and listening to the advice of everyone on here, I have sharpened my blades personally using the AllAmericanSharpener 5005.
> 
> The HRX blade was troubling for me how it has a curve before I purchased this beautiful piece of equipment. I got their adapter to go with this blade when mounting to their device. My blades came out perfect.
> 
> Most important! I mowed yesterday and the cut has improved 99%. I also felt less work on the mower.


I don't think there should be any humility or embarrassment or anything other than a sense of accomplishment here. You had a problem and worked your way through suggestions to solve the problem. You achieved results you're happy with and that's a win.

I can't sharpen a knife by hand because of my hand tremors, but I can sharpen a mower blade with a flap disk. I can't tig weld because dip and drag at the same time is an issue, but I can mig weld. It's all about having the ability to support my hands/arms.

I sharpen my mower blades with a $15 flap disk and my knife blades with a $700 Wicked Edge. No shame in doing either for me, as it's what's required to get the results I'm looking for.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Amoo316 said:


> TheZMan said:
> 
> 
> > It is with great humility and listening to the advice of everyone on here, I have sharpened my blades personally using the AllAmericanSharpener 5005.
> ...


So many ways to setup and prop for TIG. You may not be free-hand pipe-welding (in a mirror!, :lol but I'm sure something exists to make it work for you. Especially if it's just to get a bit of fab work done in the shop. That said, I like MIG, especially for fabrication work. Lot's of nay-sayers saying it's inferior, :roll: they just don't know how.

Man I miss welding.


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## Amoo316 (Jul 8, 2021)

MasterMech said:


> So many ways to setup and prop for TIG. You may not be free-hand pipe-welding (in a mirror!, :lol but I'm sure something exists to make it work for you. Especially if it's just to get a bit of fab work done in the shop. That said, I like MIG, especially for fabrication work. Lot's of nay-sayers saying it's inferior, :roll: they just don't know how.
> 
> Man I miss welding.


I can still solder, but it's a bit of an adventure sometimes. Tigging is simply out of the question unfortunately and I'm okay with that. The drag part I'm fine, it's the dip and "gentle push" part that gets me. I've even tried magnifying it...etc. Something about getting both hands to move in the same direction at the same time induces the shakes. Is what it is.


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## Tmank87 (Feb 13, 2019)

TheZMan said:


> @T76turbo
> 
> It is with great humility and listening to the advice of everyone on here, I have sharpened my blades personally using the AllAmericanSharpener 5005.
> 
> ...


I just started looking at these based on your post.

What angle did you use? Also, do you have the HRX?

Can you attach any grinder? What disk/grit do you go with?


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## TheZMan (9 mo ago)

@Tmank87 
HRX217VKA

I got the Honda adapter. Bottom blade 45 degrees. Upper blade 35 degrees. Flap wheel or pad as they call it, 40 grit. Awesome results.

I am going to pick up a grinding wheel to see if it does anything different from the flap wheel.

I don't own a work bench yet but was able to clamp this to the side of a cheap table I had in the garage.

As you can see the blade is set on the Honda adapter they sell.

They give you 4 pins of various sizes to fit any angle grinder. I can confirm the Warrior $9.95 one I got from harbor freight was hard to get the pin in. In the future I will get a better angle grinder.

In conclusion - sharp blades solved my issue. I could justify the purchase for the sharpener since this is all for the love of the hobby and passion we all share.


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## Tmank87 (Feb 13, 2019)

TheZMan said:


> @Tmank87
> HRX217VKA
> 
> I got the Honda adapter. Bottom blade 45 degrees. Upper blade 35 degrees. Flap wheel or pad as they call it, 40 grit. Awesome results.
> ...


This is exactly what I was after. Thank you!

Is the adapter used for both the top and bottom blade? I watched a YouTube video that seemed to suggest yes for one "configuration" and no for the other.

Also, mind showing more of your install setup? Is if affixed with a Vice? I'd likely do something similar. I don't have a dedicated work bench.


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## TheZMan (9 mo ago)

@Tmank87 I used the adapter for the bottom blade only. I saw a guy on YouTube use it with the top blade as well. The official video I watched said to only use it with the bottom blade. Great results, straight as an arrow. I will grab a couple photos and make a "poor man's" setup thread. I literally clamped it with a $2.50 harbor freight clamp to a $25 target table my wife gave me. $9.50 harbor freight angle grinder and done.


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## Amoo316 (Jul 8, 2021)

@TheZMan the difference between the flap disc and the grinding wheel is going to be how much material you take off at a time. The flap disk is more forgiving, but the wheel will cut faster.

Probably won't make much of a difference with the jig, but it might save ya $10 on a pack of wheels if you feel you don't need em.


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## TheZMan (9 mo ago)

Thanks @Amoo316 !!! I'm real happy with my results with the flap disc so I'll just stick with it.

I would imagine then people who hit more rocks and tree stumps might be interested in taking off more material.


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## T76turbo (9 mo ago)

Amoo316 said:


> TheZMan said:
> 
> 
> > It is with great humility and listening to the advice of everyone on here, I have sharpened my blades personally using the AllAmericanSharpener 5005.
> ...


Not for the same reasons as you, but I use the Wicked Edge as well.... I love it. I dont use it as much as I should probably but when I do I get a great edge.


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