Honda Automobiles HRA21 User Manual

The HRA-21 meets CPSC blade safety requirement for walkbehind rotary power mowers.

This manual covers operation and maintenance of the

All

information in this publication is based on the latest product information available at the time of approval for

HONDA ROTARY MOWER HRA2 1.

printing. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. reserves the right to make changes at any time without notice and without incur­ring any obligation.

Any powered product can be a potential source of danger if misused or improperly maintained.
Pay particular attention to statements preceded by the following words:

Indicates the possibility of personal injury or loss of life if instructions are not followed.

Indicates the possibility of equipment damage if instructions are not followed.

HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD 1982, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Thank you for purchasing a Honda Lawn Mower.
If any problems occur, or if there are any questions concerning the mower, consult an authorized HONDA dealer.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission.

The Honda rotary mower is designed to give safe and dependable service if operated according to instructions and

intended use: mowing (cutting) grass, and bagging cut grass when equipped with the grass bag. Any other use

could be dangerous.

Read and understand the Owner% Manual before operating the mower.

injury or equipment damage.

2

Failure to do so could result in personal

CONTENTS..

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3

GENERAL SAFETY
COMPONENT IDENTIFICATION

THECONTROLS.. ........................................................

OPERATION

............................................................. 9

TRANSPORTING/STORAGE
MAINTENANCE

TROUBLESHOOTING .....................................................

............................... : ....................... 4

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5
7

18

21
33

SPECIFICATIONS ......................................................... 34

3

GENERAL SAFETY

* Know how to stop the engine quickly and under-

stand operation
anyone to operate the mower without proper in­strut tion.

* The rear shield is for your protection; keep it

in place at all times.

* The blade is sharp and dangerous. Never put your

hands or feet under the mower. Never tilt the
mower to expose the blade while the engine is run-

Fing.

or mower, stop the engine and remove the spark
plug cap.

* Never stand

when the engine is running. Someone may accid­entally engage the drive clutch.

* Keep clear of the discharge opening when the bag

is not attached to avoid being hit by a flying ob­jet t.

mowing. Mow only in cleared areas in daylight or
good artificial light.

If

you find it necessary to work on the blade

Clear the lawn of sticks, stones, or debris before

of

aN rhe controls. Never permit

in

front of self-propelled mowers

* Protect yourself by wearing long .trousers and ap-

propriate shoes. Don’t wear loose fitting clothing
or sandals when mowing.

* Keep children and pets away from the mower at all

times.

*

If

the blade strikes a stone, sprinkler head, etc., be
sure the blade, blade holder, woodruffkey, fasten­ers, crankshaft, etc. are in good condition before
continuing to mow.
Replace any damaged parts.

COMPONENT IDENTIFICATION

GRASS BAG HANDLE
FUEL TANK CAP

RECOIL STARTER
AIR CLEANER

SPARK

CUTTING HEIGHT ADJUSTING

MUFFLER

PLUG CAP

LEYER

ROTO-STOP LEVER

1

THROTTLE LEVER

GRASS BAG

ENGINE OIL DRAIN PLUG

SDA Type

5

DRIVE CLUTCH LEVER

GRASS BAG GRIP

1 ~HANDLE

,,lSC..,ARGE G,,

REAR SHIELD

6

OIL FILLER CAP

THE CONTROLS

Throttle (All TYPES)

“CHOKE”
“HI”
“LO”
“IDLE”
“STOP”

ROTO-STOP (All TYPES)
To put the cutting blade into operation, press the
button on top of the ROTO-STOP lever and push the
lever forward, holding it against the handlebar.
The blade will stop when the ROTO-STOP lever is

released.

THROTTLE CONTROL LEVER

ROTO-STOP LEVER

I)rive Clutch (SDA and SDAW ,TYPES)
For self-propelled operation, push the drive clutch

lever forward and hold it against the handlebar.

The drive clutch lever holds the ROTO-STOP lever
forward during self-propelled operation. The button
on top of the ROTO-STOP lever must be pressed
before either of these levers can be moved forward ­the cutting blade must be put into operation when­ever the mower is to be self-propelled.

When the drive clutch lever is released, the drive
clutch is disengaged and the ROTO-STOP lever is
released.

TRACTION SPEED
The mower has three speed settings for the self-propelled operation and is delivered by the dealer in the

intermediate speed setting. Changing to a faster or slower speed should be accomplished by an authorized
Honda dealer.

OPERATION

The HRA21 may be used with the grass bag or dis­charge adapter.
The following suggestions and rules are intended

to help you operate your Honda HRA21 under the

safest conditions possible. Be alert and exercise the

same care using the mower as you would using any

other power tool.

* Be especially careful when mowing uneven or rough

ground. The mower may tilt, exposing the blade,
and hidden objects could be thrown by the blade.

Keep all four wheels on the ground.

1

I

* Use extra care when mowing around objects to

keep the blade from striking them. Never delibera-

tely mow over any object.

* Stop the engine immediately if the blade hits an

object or the mower starts to vibrate. Remove the
spark plug cap (keep the wire away from the plug)
and inspect for damage.

NOTE:

Mow across slopes.

Do not mow excessively steep
slopes.
Always push, never pull, a mower with the engine
running.

Control direction by the handle, not by
foot pressure on the mower housing.
Keep a firm hold on the handle and walk, never
run, with the mower. Don’t lag behind the ma­chine or let it pull you.

(SDA and SDAW TYPES) Do not use the drive

clutch when maneuvering around trees, etc. Release
the clutch and push the mower while using the
ROTO-STOP for better directional control.

BEFORE YOU START THE MObVER

1. Check the engine oil level.

pY5V-l

* Engine oil is a .major factor affecting engine per-

formance and service life. Non-detergent or veget-

able oils are not recommended.

* Running the engine with insufficient oil can cause

serious engine damage.

Use Honda-&troke, or an equivalent high deter-

gent, premium quality motor oil certified to meet or

exceed U.S. automobile manufacturers’ requirements

for service classification SE or SF. (Motor oils clas­sified SE or SF will show this designation on the

container.)
SAE low-40 is recommended for general, all tem­perature use. If single viscosity oil is used, select the
appropriate viscosity for the average temperature in

your area.
A. With the mower on a level ‘surface, remove the oil

filler cap/dipstick using a screwdriver as illustra­ted.

B. If the level is low, add the recommended oil to

the “Upper” mark on the dipstick. Do not over­fill; excess oil will result in power loss and smok-

ing.

UPPER OIL LEVEL
LOWER OIL LEVEL

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