Operating The Controls - Honda HRC216HXA Owner's Manual

Never smoke near gasoline, and keep other flames and sparks away.
Always store gasoline in an approved container.
Wear Protective Clothing
Wearing protective clothing will reduce your risk of injury. Long pants
and eye protection reduce the risk of injuries from thrown objects.
Sturdy shoes with aggressive soles will help protect your feet and give
you better traction on slopes or uneven ground.
Stop the Engine When Not Mowing
If you need to leave the mower for any reason, even just to inspect the
lawn ahead, stop the engine by releasing the blade control lever.
Avoid Slopes
Avoid steep slopes of more than 20
Mow across slopes, not up and down. Be
careful when changing direction. Mowing
on a slope when the grass is damp or wet
could cause you to slip, fall, and lose
control of the mower.
NOTICE
Mowing on steep slopes can starve the
engine of oil, causing engine damage that
is not covered by the Distributor's Limited
Warranty.
Keep all four wheels on the ground, and be careful to avoid losing
your footing and your control of the mower. Keep a firm grip on the
handlebar, and walk, never run, with the mower. Be very careful when
mowing uneven or rough ground.
If stuck, do not kick or shove the mower with your foot. Use the
handlebar to control the mower.
Avoid Obstacles
Gravel, loose stones, and landscaping material can be picked up by
the mower and thrown many feet with enough force to cause serious
personal injury and/or property damage. The best way to prevent
potential injury from thrown objects is to release the blade control
lever to stop the blades before reaching areas with gravel, loose
stones, or landscaping material.
Be careful when mowing over obstacles that stick up above the
surface of the lawn such as sprinkler heads, paving, edging, raised
tree roots, etc.
If the blade hits something, or if the mower starts to vibrate, stop the
engine immediately, disconnect the spark plug cap, and check for
damage (page 11). Striking objects may damage the blades, bend the
crankshaft, and/or break the mower deck or other components.
Vibration usually indicates serious trouble.

A worn, cracked, or damaged blade can break, and pieces of
the damaged blade can become dangerous projectiles.
Thrown objects can cause serious injury.
Inspect the blades regularly (see
the mower with a worn or damaged blade.
The DISTRIBUTOR'S LIMITED WARRANTY
cover parts damaged by accidental impact collision.
°
.
WARNING
page 11), and do not operate
(page 21) does not

Operating the Controls

Throttle Lever
For best cut quality, always mow
with the throttle lever in the
FAST position. When the blades
rotate at the preset fast speed, it
creates a strong fan action that
lifts and cuts grass more
efficiently.
Do not try to increase the preset
engine speed; the blades could
fracture and come apart.
Blade Control Lever
To start blade rotation, make
sure the throttle lever is in the
FAST position.
1. Press the button on top of the
blade control lever.
2. Push the blade control lever
forward quickly and hold it
against the handlebar.
Continue to hold the blade
control lever against the
handlebar to maintain blade
rotation.
Operate the blade control lever with a quick and complete motion, so
the blade control is always either fully engaged or stopped. This will
help prevent stalling the engine, and it will also extend the service life
of the blade control mechanism.
Always release the blade control lever before starting the engine to
prevent the blades from turning.
Drive Clutch Lever
With the engine running, push
the drive clutch lever forward to
propel the mower forward.
Release the drive clutch lever to
stop the mower's forward
movement.
You can control self-propelled
speed with the drive clutch lever.
The mower will move gradually faster as you push the drive clutch
lever forward. If you push the lever all the way forward to the
handlebar, the mower will move at the speed determined by the shift
lever setting.
When moving and using the drive clutch lever to change
self-propelled speed, continue to fully hold the blade control lever
against the handlebar. This will help prevent damage to the blade
control mechanism. Use the shift lever to change the maximum speed
so you can hold the drive clutch lever comfortably against the
handlebar.
For self-propelled mowing, press the button on top of the blade control
lever, push the blade control lever forward, then push the drive clutch
lever forward. The drive clutch lever can be used to hold the blade
control lever against the handlebar.
Always release the drive clutch lever before starting the engine. If the
drive clutch is engaged, the mower will move forward when you
operate the starter.
FAST
BLADE CONTROL LEVER
BUTTON
DRIVE CLUTCH LEV
9