The earlier ratings were misleading to an extent but still useful. The old HP ratings were max output. Unfortunately, it's not safe to use a mower at 4300 RPM, and most are set to run around 3200 RPM for blade safety (max blade tip speed). So, if you had a 3.5 HP mower that was not up the job, you got a 5.0 HP. Any way you cut it, you were getting about 1.5 more HP, because all the engines were rated by the same formula. Now they are rated at max torque at the normal operating speed, which technically is a more useable value. The actual HP ratings are not even normally on the engine or in the literature. Your engine probably is rated at 6.5 lbs/ft of torque, and probably would have been rated at 6.5 HP some years ago. Whatever, you have about 1 or 1.5 more HP than a GVC 160. You will find similar ratings for other engines of similar displacement. To just cut and bag a well-kept lawn, 3.0 to 3.5 HP was adequate for many years. Then, the HP wars started with the growing popularity of mulching, or 'recycling' and self-propelled mowers. Somewhere along the line, the issue of actual HP came up, and manufacturers eventually adapted the torque rating system to basically shut everybody up. It didn't make any difference and never did, but that's what we have.

I just purchased a 2013 Honda HRX217HZA a couple of weeks ago. It supplants a 2003 Toro 20033 SR push mower here, which still is in mint condition. After recent spine surgery, I decided to finally purchase a self-propelled mower! Here are my thoughts on the HRX217HZA which cost me $849, plus tax (high here in IL (9%) - at a local mower shop. - Versamow System... So far, I exclusively use it in the mulch position, as I always mulch here. This fall I will try it out in the partial mulch and partial discharge when the leaves begin to fall. I never bag, as I have no way to get rid of the clippings. The mower mulches very well on par with the Toro SR. - The 190cc engine starts immediately with either the recoil or electric start. NOTE: With the 2013 HRX217HZA, Honda eliminated the "wall wart" charger for the battery. The battery is now charged from the engine's electrical system when the mower is running. No engine surging is noted, either at partial or full throttle. However, I am using non-Ethanol gasoline provided by the selling dealer. I will see if any surging begins when I start using the 10% Ethanol gas sold at all gas stations in this area. I do use an additive called Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment - I find it superior to Sta-Bil. - Blade Brake... the blade brake feature is very nice, especially when you need to pick up something from the yard which was overlooked prior to mowing. I know this adds to the complexity of the mower, but it's a big plus for me. When the blade brake bail is pushed in which engages the blade, or more specifically, the blades, the mower's dBA noise level increases significantly. The HRX217 is definitely a louder mower than my Toro SR 20033 with the flat-head B&S 6.5HP Quantum engine. - Nexite Deck... The Nexite deck is very nice, and rugged, but it may be more sensitive to spilled gas, fluids, etc. than a cast aluminum or steel deck. This is not confirmed, but it is noted in the HXA's owner's manual. - Ball Bearing Wheels... This mower is heavy (102 lbs.), but I honestly can't tell much of a difference between this mower with the ball bearing wheels and the Toro with sleeve bearing wheels. Granted, the Toro is only 69 lbs., but when I drop the Clutch Bail on the Honda to either trim or go back and forth around obstacles, the Honda is not necessarily easy to maneuver - ball bearing wheels or not. Not that it's hard to maneuver per se, but simply more so than my Toro push mower. - Hydrostatic Drive... The Hydrostatic drive is wonderful in operation. I can set it to its lowest setting, and it will simply crawl at a snail's pace. I will never use it at its highest speed setting, as I don't enjoy jogging when I mow the lawn! It's very nice to be able to change the speed on the go, and when you want to disengage the drive, you simply drop the Clutch Bail. You can also "feather" the drive system by partially dropping the Clutch Bail similar to a single drive or variable drive system. As to potential cost-of-repair, yes, I expect the Hydrostatic drive to be most costly to maintain, and certainly to repair than other systems. I've heard stories here on this site of high repair bills on the Hydrostatic drive, so I am a bit concerned about this myself. I understand the Toro's Personal Pace (originally designed by Lawn-Boy), and the Snapper Disc design is more simple, and thus, less-costly to repair. - Honda Warranty... The HRX comes with a 5 year warranty, but since I purchased the mower on or before May 31, Honda added a Bonus 1 year, so it has a 6 year warranty. I've also read on this site where Honda can be quite picky about some warranty claims, thus this also concerns me a bit. I never had the need to test the Toro 5 year warranty on my 20033 SR, as it never had one single problem in the 10 years I've owned it. The only negatives I've discovered so far are as follows: - When mowing laterally across a slight rise or hill, the mower wants to slide sideways down the incline a bit. This is due to its weight. It's not a significant problem, but it does occur. - The HRX217 is a complex walk-behind mower... from its OHC 190cc engine with a belt-driven cam drive to its Hydrostatic drive, it's likely the most complex walk-behind mower available for residential use. Unlike the Toro 20033 SR with the "old" B&S flat head engine which has only required annual oil changes, annual air filter replacements, and annual spark plug replacements, plus a thorough cleaning after each use, the Honda's maintenance schedule "reads more like an automobile maintenance schedule." The dealer strongly urged me to consider annual check-ups at $69+ per service, and the owner's manual directly addresses this, such as checking the valve clearance on the OHC system, as well as checking the Hydrostatic drive. Thus, this mower will certainly be more costly to maintain than the Toro I own. During the 6 year warranty period, the dealer will pick up the mower and deliver it back to my house for no charge - other than the service fee of course. Just a thought to consider, as I doubt HD would do this for you. One of the benefits of buying from a locally-owned dealer is that they generally provide excellent service. redballoon - I hope this answers some of your questions. I know this is not the exact model you are considering, but I have tried to cover most questions on the mower's features.

I went through all of these steps, even replaced the carburetor. I had to order two packages of the gasket kits to get all of the different I needed. I also replaced the two long bolts with threaded rods that were approximately 4" long (I added lock tight on the engine side) then I could check each part as I put it on. It is maddening to know you did everything and it starts up and mows then it won't start at all. It also seems to lose power as you mow. The solution (for me): The last thing I did was replace the fuel line. No gas coming out of the tank. What!?. I opened the gas cap and the gas shot out. I left the cap a little loose and mowed the yard. Staring and stopping with no issues and lots of power! Lawn is mowed. Now I'm gong to find out how the tank is vented so I can fix that issue.

No one is responding so I'll throw in my 2 cents. A couple of years ago I put a Honda GCV160 on an old (1986) Snapper. It's a bit awkward checking the oil (tight fit there) but it's do-able. It's important to get the correct shaft for a Snapper. This has to do with how the cut in the shaft is to accept Snapper keys (biscuits, inserts, whatever the thing is called that allows the shaft to grasp the pulley or other attchment). I had several very helpful email exchanges with the vendor (purchased online, don't recall where) to ensure I go exactly what I needed. I also purchased a larger pulley for the self-propel so it moves a bit faster. Long story short, it works great and I'm very happy.