When performance, durability, and reliability are in question, Honda lawnmowers can be considered one of the most renowned and well-reputed lawnmowers. Because of their excellent and efficiencies engines, they are also used by several other companies.
When you have a lot of garden work to do, a properly working lawnmower is a great tool to help you. Particular if you have a big lawn. Honda has several models of smaller self-propelled and walk-behind mowers, both gas and electric. Starting your Honda gas lawn mower is more than only pull the cord or push a button. Although the machine may vary, the starting procedure is roughly the same. That is, it could either be operated manually or automatically.
This blog gives you a detailed guide that explains the Honda lawnmower’s automatic and manual operating procedures and briefly explains all the necessary prerequisites you need to perform before starting a Honda lawnmower.
How to Start a Honda Lawnmower, step by step:
- Prestart checks: Check the oil level, inspect gas level, check the roto stop, check the choke, turn on the gas tap and check the mower blade
- Step 1: Set drive control
- Step 2: Set the throttle lever
- Step 3: Use the starter rope, or in the case of an electric starter, use the starter switch
- Step 4: Warm the engine
- Step 5: Start mowing
We will now describe in more detail both the method in starting a Honda Lawnmower with an electric starter and one that uses a rope.
Contents
Prestart checks:
Before starting your Honda lawnmower, you need to perform some prestart checks. Once these are done, starting your Honda lawnmower becomes much easier, and your mower will last longer.
● Step 1: Check the oil level
Before you start your Honda engine, inspect the engine oil. Make sure that it has an adequate level. For inspection, you can use the dipstick. The dipstick has an indication that shows the desired level. If the oil is above the dipstick line, that means you have enough engine oil in your machine.
● Step 2: Inspect gas level
Once you have checked the engine oil level, check if the gas tank has enough gas for the mowing job you want to perform. If possible, use fresh gas for your machine. When gas is stored some time it deteriorates, and after an extended time, it can even harm your engine.
● Step 3: Check the roto stop
One of the distinguishing features of a Honda lawnmower is a roto stop that controls the mower’s blade’s engagement. A yellow button usually identifies a Roto stop in the lawnmower’s handle. Thus, before you start your honda lawnmower, always press the yellow button (Roto Stop) to disengage the blade.
● Step 4: Check the choke
In most newer honda lawnmower models, you will find an auto choke. An auto choke’s main benefit is that there is no need to set the throttle level to start the lawnmower. For some older and less sophisticated models, you will still find a manual choke. For those checking, the choke position is necessary before starting the lawnmower.
● Step 5: Open the gas tap
A gas tap is necessary to prevent gas flow towards the carburetor once your Honda lawnmower is in the parking position. Thus, before starting the lawnmower, it is essential to check that the gas tap is on.
● Step 6: Check the mower blades
It is a good habit to check the mower blades before starting your machine. Check if they are sharp and in good condition. Rocks and other sharp objects can damage the blades and results in a less optimal result. Sharpen or replace if needed.
Once all the steps mentioned earlier have been followed, you are set to start the lawnmower.
Method 1: Manual Starting Process
● Step 1: Set drive control
If the prestart checks have been finished, the first step to start the Honda lawnmower is to set the drive control and the clutch in the release position. Once you have set the release position, the two levers get disengaged.
● Step 2: Set the throttle lever
After the drive control has been set, set the throttle lever in its choke position to start the machine.
● Step 3: Use the starter rope
The next step is related specifically to the manual starting of a Honda lawnmower. After the throttle lever is in the choke position, the next step is to hold and eventually pull the starter rope. It is necessary for you sturdy pull the cord two to three times. This will cause the motor lawnmower to start. As the throttle lever is in a choke position, this will cause the motor to run roughly.
● Step 4: Warm the engine
To ensure that the engine doesn’t shut off immediately, let the engine warm-up. Leave it running for three to four minutes to stabilize, and the oil becomes warm enough.
● Step 5: Start mowing
Once you have followed all the steps mentioned above, the next step is to bring the machine in a working position. You need to pull the engine in the start position, and the device would start to mow. To keep the machine idle, puling the throttle lever in a quiet place would do your job.
Method 2: Automatic Starting process
The first steps to start a Honda lawnmower with an electric starter are quite similar to a manual one. You only do not have to pull a starter rope as you only have to push a button.
● Step 1: Set drive control
Like manual starting procedure, the first step in automatic starting is to set the drive control and clutch in release position to disengage the spin’s blade.
● Step 2: Set the throttle lever
The next step is to push the throttle lever into a choke position. You can leave it there until the engine is warm enough.
● Step 3: Push the engine switch
Push the starter button to start the engine. Until the engine starts, it is essential to keep the button held. It can be fast, but it can also take up to 5 seconds to get the engine running.
In the case the engine doesn’t start, release the switch. Wait a few seconds. Then press it again. In some scenarios, it would take 10 seconds to make the engine responsive.
● Step 4: Warm the engine
Just like the manual starting procedure, wait for three to four minutes to warm the engine and oil. This step is necessary if the engine is not warm enough. Immediately using full power is asking a lot of the cold engine and increasing wear and tear.
● Step 5: Start mowing
Once you have followed all the steps mentioned above for the automatic starting of a Honda lawnmower, the next step is to make the machine mow by pushing the throttle in the closed position. Now your machine is ready and set to mow your yard. For keeping the lawnmower in the idle position, the throttle should be kept in the slow position accordingly.
Safety Measures And Tips:
- It is necessary to wear rubber gloves and goggles when checking the lawnmower as a safety precaution. This also helps protect from a back effect caused by faulty or earthed spark plugs.
- During the lawnmower operation, it is crucial to keep children away from the machine to avoid the calamity of any form.
- It is necessary that the patch of grass you are mowing is free from any stones and pebbles in place as a safety precaution and to save the machine from any potential wear and tear.
- It is recommended to use gasoline with less than 10% ethanol as the higher the ethanol level, and the more will be the corrosive reaction by enhanced attraction for water.
- Always make sure the spark plugs are removed when you are checking the engine oil level and the gas tank. These steps serve as a precaution to prevent any accidentals starts of your machine.
Related Questions:
1. How to start a lawnmower after sitting all winter?
The old gas present in a lawnmower could cause a gumming effect. It is recommended to empty the tank and carburetor or stabilize the fuel before storing it for the upcoming winter season. If you forget to do this, you should give your machine some good maintenance before the start of the season. This includes replacing or cleaning the air filters and the spark plugs, checking the engine and gear oil, draining and refreshing the gas tank and the carburetor bowl, and filling the tank with fresh gas.
2. Does the gas go bad in a lawnmower?
Yes. Gas can go bad if it is stored for an extended period. Due to ethanol’s presence in the gas of a lawnmower, the staling effect can already be seen within a month or two. Using a fuel stabilizer for the gas is necessary when you are set to store the machine for the winter.
Final Remarks:
Starting a honda lawnmower is not very difficult. The given steps help to follow the correct procedure, including the prestart checks and the best way to start both a manual mower and an electric starter. Do not forget that there is more maintenance that your mower needs to keep it in optimal condition and make it last many years.