# Honda HRX Leaking clippings on full mulch setting



## crunk (Jul 30, 2017)

I recently upgraded from a Greenworks battery mower to a Honda HRX217VKA. I've only mowed with the Honda twice, but It leaves a lot of clippings behind. I tried this clip director adjustment procedure that I found on a different forum. It didn't work for me and I didn't want to bring it to a dealer to have it fixed. I ended up deflating a kid's rubber ball, sticking it into the discharge chute, and inflating it again. I will have to wait a few days, for the grass to grow, to test it out.


----------



## Colonel K0rn (Jul 4, 2017)

I don't own an HRX, but I have to question your judgement on putting a rubber ball near the bottom of a lawnmower blade, inflated or not. That's just asking for trouble.

Mulching doesn't make the clippings completely disappear, it just makes them much smaller because they're cut repeatedly after being removed off of the blade. Judging by the size of the clippings that are in the chute, those look completely acceptable in size, and would have no problem falling into the canopy. Remove the ball, let the kids play with it, and increase your mowing frequency to see if that takes care of the problem.


----------



## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

I have mine on full mulch with no issues; the grass is mulched with tiny clippings left behind. If you want the clippings gone, use the bag. In the most polite sense, are your expectations matching how you're setting the machine to perform?


----------



## crunk (Jul 30, 2017)

Colonel K0rn said:


> I don't own an HRX, but I have to question your judgement on putting a rubber ball near the bottom of a lawnmower blade, inflated or not. That's just asking for trouble.


I totally understand your questioning my judgment on this. It looks like I'm using a ball in place of a mulch plug, but the HRX doesn't use a plug, it has a shutter. 
I'm pretty sure it's impossible for the blade to come in contact with the blade with the shutter closed. I included a pic with out the ball. The clippings would build up in the discharge chute, then drop out in big clumps. I thought this would keep the clippings that get past the shutter from falling out the back. The electric mower ,I was using before, didn't leave clumps behind. I wish I would have taken pics of the lawn, so you could see how bad it was. Thanks for the advice. If I find the proper way to fix it, the ball is coming out.


----------



## crunk (Jul 30, 2017)

Movingshrub said:


> In the most polite sense, are your expectations matching how you're setting the machine to perform?


I hope not. I was expecting it to perform at least as well ,at mulching, as my battery mower that cost half as much and didn't leave clipping piles behind(without bag on). I had to go behind it and rake piles up because I was concerned that they would be fungus breeding ground. I totally understand that *some* clippings are meant to be left behind.


----------



## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

Total makes sense. Both blades are sharp, and you've got the green knob moved all the way to full mulch, right? How much are you cutting off at once?


----------



## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

I'll check how my HRX looks in the morning, with the shutter closed all the way as well. I have noticed any issue with clumps coming of the back, but that doesn't mean it isn't occurring; I could just be missing it.


----------



## FATC1TY (Jul 12, 2017)

Sounds like a frequency issue based on cutting height and not a mower issue.

Does it leave a trail when bag isn't even half full?? I ask because I'm interested. I can't think of last time I cared to bag/collect a reel or rotary other than a spring scalp.


----------



## crunk (Jul 30, 2017)

Movingshrub said:


> Total makes sense. Both blades are sharp, and you've got the green knob moved all the way to full mulch, right? How much are you cutting off at once?
> 
> I'll check how my HRX looks in the morning, with the shutter closed all the way as well. I have noticed any issue with clumps coming of the back, but that doesn't mean it isn't occurring; I could just be missing it.


Thanks. Yep, my knob is all the way to full mulch and there is still a small gap. The blades are how they came from the factory(not real sharp) I bought an extra set when I got the mower, and could sharpen + put them on. I would estimate I cut off 3/4". I have the HOC set to 3". Here are some more pics. I'm curious to know if the gap on your mower is vertical + horizontal.















Edit: Here's view from the bottom of the vertical gap. Note: the mower is on it's right side. the blade is on the far left + the underside of the deck is on the right


----------



## crunk (Jul 30, 2017)

FATC1TY said:


> Sounds like a frequency issue based on cutting height and not a mower issue.
> 
> Does it leave a trail when bag isn't even half full?? I ask because I'm interested. I can't think of last time I cared to bag/collect a reel or rotary other than a spring scalp.


I haven't tried it with the bag yet. This is in mulch mode, but the the clippings a fall out over the guard flap. I think if I had the bag on, it wouldn't leak at all. I'm not sure though. I'm with you on not bagging.


----------



## Colonel K0rn (Jul 4, 2017)

crunk said:


> The clippings would build up in the discharge chute, then drop out in big clumps.


OK, I was a little concerned. The pictures helped clarify it a bit more about the problem that you're getting, and you're just using the ball to hold the door more firmly closed. I'm thinking that if you mowed a bit later in the day, the grass blades wouldn't stick together since they're less damp and clump up, then fall on your lawn. So the clumping is an issue, and I would agree with you that isn't desirable. I know when I had a mulching blade on most of my mowers, I would get some clumps, ~ half dollar-bill sized, but that's about it. It almost seems by design there's a pocket there that is catching the clippings, and once it builds up, they're falling out.

What about adding some type of weatherstripping there to seal off the gaps? Similar to what you'd use for an A/C unit, or a door? They sell that in the big-box stores. Have you contacted Honda customer service to find out if this is operating as designed?

I do think that increasing your mowing frequency is going to aid in reduction of this, without any modifications.


----------



## crunk (Jul 30, 2017)

Colonel K0rn said:


> What about adding some type of weatherstripping there to seal off the gaps? Similar to what you'd use for an A/C unit, or a door? They sell that in the big-box stores.


That's a good idea. I think I might try something like that, thanks. In the post where I found the shutter adjustment procedure, there is a guy that glued vinyl tubing to the edges + that worked for him. 


Colonel K0rn said:


> Have you contacted Honda customer service to find out if this is operating as designed?


I haven't. Only because I don't have a truck to bring it in if they'll fix it. I was hoping I could avoid that.


----------



## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

Are you leaving the discharge cover down?


----------



## crunk (Jul 30, 2017)

Ridgerunner said:


> Are you leaving the discharge cover down?


Yes, it was down


----------



## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

I have an older model, the HRR216 with a plug instead the shutter system, but other than that, pretty much the same design (compared to my neighbor's new HRR217). Clippings have always passed around the plug and built up (a lot-a quart or more of clippings) in the discharge chute between the plug and the discharge chute cover/guard, but never gotten past the guard and fallen out until I've raised the cover/guard.. Is it possible that the problem is that the discharge cover/guard is not properly closing and allows the clippings to fall out? As the Honda decks do not have venting, I wonder if totally blocking the escape of air through the chute wouldn't adversely affect performance. That air needs to go somewhere for air-flow. Hondas have enough issues with windrowing already.


----------



## crunk (Jul 30, 2017)

Those are some interesting thoughts that I will be sure to investigate on my next mow. I hadn't considered the possible necessity of air flow out the chute. I have rain in the forecast almost everyday this week, but will get out there as soon as there is a dry afternoon. I'll update after my next cut. Thanks


----------



## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

Just to clarify , I'm not saying that the passage of air around the shutter/plug is by design. What I can say is that it has been my experience when I haven't cleaned out the chute and the plug between mowings (i.e. the chute becomes totally blocked with clippings), the windrowing has gotten worse. Whether that is due to the reduction in air flow through the chute, or not, is just a guess. The only certainty I can attest to is that I don't have issues with the clippings getting passed the chute cover and falling on the lawn in clumps.


----------



## crunk (Jul 30, 2017)

Ok, that makes sense. I understand what you mean.
Edit: fixed typo


----------



## crunk (Jul 30, 2017)

Just did a quick mow. I didn't notice any clippings clumps. That was with the ball blocking the discharge chute. I will look into a more permanent fix, probably something like @Colonel K0rn suggested, when I get some free time. @Ridgerunner I Didn't notice any windrowing. Just to make sure I'm clear on what that is, windrowing would be a line of clippings along the edges, where changes in mowing direction take place?


----------



## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

Yes. It's a term borrowed from agriculture describing a harvest collection technique. For us, it refers to a line of clippings left on either side of the mower deck.


----------



## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

I checked my Honda mower. When used on full mulch mode, the mower does have clippings get past the shroud. The area slowly fills with clippings and, once at a certain point, the clipping drop out of the rear, but not in clumps. Very small amounts essentially slowly fall out the back. It such a small amount at a time that I've never noticed, and even today when cutting the grass, I didn't have clumps.


----------



## crunk (Jul 30, 2017)

Movingshrub said:


> I checked my Honda mower. When used on full mulch mode, the mower does have clippings get past the shroud. The area slowly fills with clippings and, once at a certain point, the clipping drop out of the rear, but not in clumps. Very small amounts essentially slowly fall out the back. It such a small amount at a time that I've never noticed, and even today when cutting the grass, I didn't have clumps.


Thanks for checking. I think mine just doesn't close as tightly as most do.


----------



## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

The chute area fills with clippings. Once that area fills up, left to right and maybe 1.5-2" high, it kind of stops accumulating and small clippings fall out as I walk along. The key aspect though is no clumps.


----------



## windycityrider (Mar 9, 2018)

Not to throw salt, but at that price point, you shouldn't have to modify anything on that mower. Perhaps it is a slight defect of the deck and how it is molded? I'd try contacting Honda and see if they rectify it somehow. Sometimes things happen and it could just be a flaw from the factory on your particular mower. I'd have them repair/replace it. It's worth a shot.

I have actually been looking to buy this model mower and have it narrowed down to this or the Toro Timemaster


----------



## crunk (Jul 30, 2017)

@windycityrider I think you're right, Honda probably would fix/replace it if I brought it to a dealer. The main reason I haven't done that yet, is I don't have have a truck and it would be a hassle. I also very rarely want to bag. I still have the ball in and have had no problems. I like the mower besides this issue, but I wouldn't recommend it to someone buying a new mower. I would look for one with a standard mulching plug. Thanks for your suggestions


----------



## LYKUNO (Jul 11, 2018)

I was searching on line today for information on what could be causing this problem with my Honda HRX. After seeing this thread, I decided to register here and get involved. So this is my inaugural post! I've been having the very same issue with my Honda HRX leaking clippings into the bag chute when the director is set to full mulch. This mower is about 4 years old, and is the 3rd HRX that I've owned. Unless I've got a specific reason to bag the clippings (e.g., grass is taller than usual or want to pick up a light amount of fallen leaves), I always have the clip director set to the full mulch position.

I've never experienced what I'd call an excessive amount of clippings in the bag discharge chute until this year. The easy fix is to simply move the clip director to full bagging briefly to blow the clippings out of the chute, then move the director back to full mulching mode and mow through the pile of clippings that blew out to scatter them.

I have tipped the mower over to clean out the bottom side of the deck and have scraped out all of the visible compacted clippings. I have cleaned the bag chute and the underside of the deck with the clip director in both fully bagged and fully mulching positions, to ensure there were no remaining clippings. I do clean out the bottom of the mower after every use, and periodically remove and separate the blades to remove every bit of accumulated grass buildup on both blades, to ensure clean cutting, maximum mulching lift, and balanced blade assembly. I'm not one to skip basic maintenance of this kind (unlike many of my neighbors who never clean out their mowers).

All that said, I'm still observing the accumulation of clippings in the bag chute. Since I never cut the grass when it's wet, these clippings blow right out when I reset the clip director to the fully bagged position. There are never "clumps" of clippings and it's not a huge problem for me; however, I am at a loss to determine why this is happening now, when I've never experienced it before in probably close to 10 years of HRX ownership. My guess is that the cable that adjusts the clip director door has stretched or otherwise is out of adjustment. Or perhaps the door is worn to some degree. I don't want to jury rig a fix to my mower -- I want to fix it correctly, and permanently.

I'll talk with the dealer I purchased it from and get their opinion first, and then see if there's an adjustment I can make to the clip director door closure. I'll certainly report back here if/when I can determine a proper fix. Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to exploring this forum and learning about what others are doing to achieve lawn perfection!


----------



## crunk (Jul 30, 2017)

@LYKUNO did you see the adjustment procedure I linked to in the first post of this thread?


http://imgur.com/A8XwGcG


I don't know if this is from Honda or not, but it didn't work for me. I found it on another forum. I can't remember exactly where. I'm interested in hearing what the dealership tells you. Please do follow up.


----------



## LYKUNO (Jul 11, 2018)

I completely overlooked the hyperlink to that document in your original post! I did find a reference to the procedure on a different forum but because I wasn't a registered member there, I was unable to download the PDF version of the document. So I registered and then downloaded it and of course it's the same document you had linked.

Anyway, I was going to check with the dealer I purchased my mower from, as well as a dealer I purchased my previous HRX from to see what information I can get from them. I'll update when I've had those conversations.


----------



## Lawn_newbie (Jun 19, 2018)

I have the same issue. Here is my Honda cutting Bermuda at 1.5"


----------



## LYKUNO (Jul 11, 2018)

I had planned to contact two of the Honda dealers I've purchased HRX 217 mowers from to ask them about the shutter door adjustment. Looks easy enough for a DIYer to tackle, but before I do, I want to verify that the dealers are using the procedure to solve the leaky clipping issue.

In the meantime, since I've not really experienced the problem to the degree I'm having before this mowing season(the leaky clipping quantities look similar to the picture in the previous post), I thought that I'd try one other thing first. I've noticed that the bag chute on my mower has some degree of sticky grass buildup on it, I've never really bothered to thoroughly clean out the bag chute and shutter door, so I decided I'd do a good job of cleaning it, and then put a coat of wax on the chute.

In this first pic, you can see what the chute looks like just after I've blown the clippings out of the chute and under the deck, using my electric leaf blower.



I scraped off all the grass buildup I could using putty knives, followed by using rags with automotive bug and tar remover. I initially tried using mineral spirits but that just wasn't effective. I was surprised by how tenaciously that dirt and debris had attached itself to the Nexite deck surface. Once I got the chute as clean as possible, I applied a coating of Collinite 845 insulator wax. It's a carnauba wax product that I've used on my cars - easy to apply and long-lasting.



Not sure how well the wax will work in this application, but will find out the next time I mow the lawn (Monday or Tuesday weather permitting). My hope is that any grass clippings the leak past the shutter door will simply slide out the end of the chute (due to the clean and waxed surface), instead of building up in the chute until I manually blow them out.

There's apparently enough air flow to blow the clippings into the bag chute with the mulch door closed, so I'm thinking there should be enough air to blow them out the end of the chute. We'll see if that happens. If this doesn't work, I'll try the door adjustment process. Either way, I'll report on my findings here.


----------



## Suburban Jungle Life (Mar 1, 2018)

Holy moly! It's new!!


----------



## scenery163 (Jun 25, 2018)

Same issue here. I fully mulch mow my St Augustine every time but with the bag on. I didn't notice that after some day I checked my clipping bag - it was full!


----------



## LYKUNO (Jul 11, 2018)

Hi All! Here's an update following my cleaning and waxing of the bag chute. I mowed the lawn this morning. The weather was dry (haven't had any substantial rainfall in weeks, though I've been watering frequently), and fairly humid. One thing I did that since cleaning and waxing the chute was to clean the rubber skirt at the rear of the mower, and apply an automotive plastic/rubber trim/tire preservative on it (Adam's Super VRT).

As I was walking behind the mower (cutting at my usual 3.5" height of cut), I noticed that clippings were appearing on the top of the skirt, then falling off as I made turns in direction. I also observed a noticeable decrease in the quantity of clippings that remained in the chute. Previously, there would be a layer of clippings in the bottom of the chute, similar to Lawn Newbie's photo a few posts up.

I also tested opening the clip director just a single notch from the full mulch position. This resulted in addition airflow to the chute which would blow out most of any minor accumulations of clippings out the rear of the chute as I was mowing. While this worked to essentially empty the chute of almost all random clippings, it was also slightly messier when I made turns of direction at my driveway or street (i.e., minor amounts of clippings were exiting the chute where I didn't want to see them).

So I completed mowing the lawn with the clip director at the full mulch position. Here's are a couple of pics of the chute when I shut the mower down:





Getting those few remaining clippings simply required a quick blowing with my little Makita battery-powered blower. Bottom line is that I observed considerable reduction of "leaky clippings" in the bag chute, simply by thoroughly cleaning and then waxing the bag chute. Whether I'll get the same results cutting a damp or dewy lawn remains to be seen. I may try the clip director adjustment linked above if the quantity of clippings starts to increase beyond what I'm currently seeing.

On a side note, I just had a car detailer clean, polish and apply 2 coats of a hydrophobic ceramic coating to our car this past weekend. After seeing how water just blows completely off of the ceramic treated surface, I'd be very tempted to try applying it to the mower's under deck and particularly to bag chute.

Wednesday 7-18 edit! I stopped at a Stihl dealer near me and picked up a spray can of their "Hedge Trimmer Blade Cleaner / Resion Remover". I intend to use it on my Okatsune hedge shears that I trim my boxwoods with. But I thought it might also be useful for cleaning the HRX's bag chute as well. I'll test it out next time I see grass resin in the chute. Here's a pic I found on a forum (not my fingers holding the can!)



Another thing I decided to do was a to order a mower deck scraper to help remove clipping buildup under the Nexite deck. I've typically used paint scrapers and putty knives to do this job, but this is a tool specifically shaped to deal with the curved under deck surfaces of typical lawn mowers. It's made by "Hyde" but I couldn't find it listed on the company's website. I ended up ordering one from Zoro and it arrived via UPS in just 2 days. Looks like it should be a useful addition to my lawn equipment toolbox.


----------



## LYKUNO (Jul 11, 2018)

Another update! I used the Stihl Hedge Trimmer Blade Cleaner / Resion Remover to clean and lubricate my Okatsune shears while trimming 13 boxwoods yesterday. The spray worked great for that application. It does put out a considerable amount of a graphite infused lubricant, and therefore, it's almost too messy of a product to use to clean and lubricate the HRX's bag chute. I'll likely stick (no pun intended) with cleaning the chute with the Turtle Wax Bug and Tar remover, and then apply a coat of wax to the chute.

Lastly, I forgot to mention that I talked with the counter man at the power equipment company where i purchased the Stihl spray, which is also where I purchased our HRX a couple of years ago. I mentioned the issue with the leaky clip director door and he wasn't aware of any Honda service bulletins to adjust the clip director's seal. I also looked at new HRX mowers on the showroom floor and the two that I looked at had a small gap around the clip director door (when in the full mulch position), similar to how my mower's door appears. I might still try doing that door adjustment at some point, if I start seeing an excessive buildup of clippings again.


----------



## Kmacon (Jul 29, 2018)

I found this thread via a google search and have signed up so that I could add my experience. My HRX217 has "leaked clippings" since day one. My previous two mowers were Toro Recyclers and I never had a problem like this. When on the full mulch setting I have the same thing happen as in Lawn_newbies picture. It's totally annoying that anytime I make a turn or hit a bump there will be a loose bunch of clippings that fall off the back side of the mower.

Today I tried sticking some 1/2" foam in the openings around the shutter door shown in previous posts but to no avail. I just end up mulching the grass with the grass catcher bag in place. By the time I'm done with my 100 x 150 ft lawn the bag will be half full of clippings.

Surely Honda must be aware of this problem! Is there anything we can do to get a fix for these mowers? Maybe I need to go out and buy a cheap ball that I can inflate in the chute. I sure as hell am not going to start cleaning and waxing it (&#128521; Sorry LYKUNO, no offense meant, just could not deal with the idea of doing that.)


----------



## Lawn_newbie (Jun 19, 2018)

@Kmacon I have started going out to ever vendor that sells the mower and leaving my review of the mower. I am going to go back and link this url in the comments.

One day when I am bored I will work on my Instagram and Twitter and constantly start hash tagging Honda about this. Sooner or later they should notice and make some statement about it.


----------



## deeevo (Jun 18, 2018)

Just picked up my HRX last weekend and have the same issue. I had to mulch with the bag in so I didn't get clumping. Frustrating


----------



## thin_concrete (Sep 11, 2020)

Anyone experiencing the mulching/bagging lever stuck on their HRX? I've now had my mower for a couple/few years, and the first couple mows of this year I had on "mulch" so I could lay down some layers to suppress crabgrass growth. This past weekend, I tried to get the lever back to "bagging" and I can't get the lever more than halfway over. I flipped the mower over and cleaned out as much as I could, but it still will not budge. Any thoughts?


----------



## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Take it back to the store, it's under warranty.


----------



## thin_concrete (Sep 11, 2020)

Thanks, @SCGrassMan - I'll consider that. Any other ideas for home diagnostics before I take it back?


----------



## PodScot (Mar 18, 2021)

Most likely some caked on grass clippings getting in the way. I always move my lever from mulch to bag when I'm done with mulching. Keeps it moving and easily blows out any clippings that get stuck in the chute.


----------



## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

thin_concrete said:


> Thanks, @SCGrassMan - I'll consider that. Any other ideas for home diagnostics before I take it back?


A really bright light underneath the mower in a dark garage with the lights out. Then you'll see where it isn't sealing.


----------



## thin_concrete (Sep 11, 2020)

SCGrassMan said:


> thin_concrete said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks, @SCGrassMan - I'll consider that. Any other ideas for home diagnostics before I take it back?
> ...


It's not the sealing I'm having a problem with - it's that the lever is stuck. After cleaning the underside of the mower, the directional door is closed (to the extent of the complaints in this thread) and directs the mulching to the side. It's the lever that switches between bagging and mulching that's won't go past halfway from mulch to bag.

In lieu of starting another Honda mower thread, I thought to consolidate it with this one.


----------

