That’s a really good idea. You’ll probably still have that mower running good in 20 years with routine maintenance. All small engines should have one of those.
I installed that same meter on my old Deere push mower. The handle on my machine has a convenient (and wide) plastic crosspiece, so I attached the meter there. Of course, I have no idea how many hours were put on the mower by the previous two owners (over the last 12 or so years), but the hour meter is still very convenient for keeping track of maintenance intervals. This mower has a nice, commercial-duty B&S engine with pressure lube system, and a tiny, spin-on oil filter so it was obviously not built to be a throwaway machine and I intend to keep it going as long as I can.
I'm guessing because a car engine has much tighter tolerances and is controlled by a computer with much more precision, meaning the plugs get less wear and tear and aren't fouled as easily. 20,000 km actually is a very low figure for modern cars. Both my vehicles actually call for spark plug changes only after 100,000 miles / 160,000 km in the service manual.
If my rpm on my Honda hrn 216 is too low how can I adjust it? It is currently at 2,800 rpm’s I would like it to be at 3,180 rpm’s for a better cut quality. I’ve already sharpened the blades and clean the deck and I am currently not happy with the cut quality.
You have to bend slightly the Governor Spring Tab. Right will increase the governor spring tension and the engine speed. Left with decrease the governor spring tension and the engine speed. See figure 3-21 in the service manual.
Hi Paul, Dean here... I just bought a Honda HRN-216. Thank you for your videos on the Honda Lawn Mower. I bought a Hour Meter too and will be installing it today. I hope you're doing well these days. Are you still riding your Victory?
Link to the meter you used doesn't work for me. Looks like the Runleader RL-HM011F? Amazon AISN B07PMJH7QV. Do you happen to know if it retains the memory of hours run when you change the battery? Thanks, and good luck with your HRN-216!
Thanks for letting me know about the meter link. I changed it to the manufacturers website so it should be ok now. It is actually the RL-HM011G. The instructions say that it will retain memory when changing the battery. For winter storage I plan on removing the battery for about 6 months but I am not sure if it will keep the memory for that long.
so with this you will be doing the oil change following the manual instructions of maintenance, but how can you prove honda that you actually did the change, do you take a video of your self doing it? or what do you recommend just in case the ask for proof?
You don't need to. The engine will tell any good service technician if you have been changing the oil or not . You get distinctive wear patterns and sludge buildup with old oil, as well as engine parts get tell tale color changes if they have not been getting enough oil. Just like the dentist knows when you haven't been flossing :)
@mataflais I just bought the HRN 216 the other day & ran it for 1hr & changed the oil like garage gear suggested & now will change it again after 5hrs like recommended. I bought a ariens razor duel blade mower first & when I realized it had a plastic carburetor I took it Wright back & went & bought this HRN. You've had yours for 1yr & I'm curious how you like it & how it has been working out for you. One thing that totally bothers me about the mower is the drive belt is so exposed under the mower & lots of complaints about belt shreading cause of debri getting in belt cause theirs no cover. I guess I just wanna feal secere about my purchase & wanna avoid problems.
@@michaeldavis6550 Hi Michel, to be honest I have CERO!!! complaints about this mower, main reason i got it was because it's a honda (honda motor reliable!). I turn it on in the 1st or second pull for sure. very happy with it and ofcourse i will recommend it to anyone. you will not regret it, have agreat day!!
Helpful to learn about the time meter. But once someone knows how long it takes to cut your yard doing whatever you do, using a gas push mower, its easy peasy to determine time. Let's say i use my Honda mower gas push mower for 1 hour each time cutting. Obviously just multiply # of times cutting × how long it takes to cut and don't need a time meter. My Honda HRN215VKA. Instead of worrying about changing the oil at 50 hours, just change it at end of season - whether a lot or not. Just like rule for cars used to be. . Change oil lesser of x months or y miles x whichever is sooner.
But since many gas power mowers don't have an oil filter, it's important to keep clean by changing oil per hours recommended or sooner.... like with car oil changing.... for example lesser of 6000 miles or 3 or 3 mo or 6 mo.. whatever the model manual states. Honda announced over a year ago it won't be making any more gas push mowers. I'd bet it has something to do with the switch to battery operated everything. Why don't many gas push mowers have an oil filter? Most small lawnmower engines lubricate themselves by the splash method, where a small dipper on the end of the connecting rod cap splashes oil from the crankcase onto the cylinder wall, the bottom of the piston, onto the valve mechanism, and the crankshaft and cam bearings. This type of lube system has no oil pump and is not pressurized, therefore a filter would do no good. Contaminants in the oil are removed via 25 hour oil changes. Some larger mower engines such as the Kohler Command series do have oil pumps and a pressurized lube circuit, and do employ an oil filter.
Sure, if you cut your grass once a week and it takes you 1 hour, then it is easy. But what if it takes you 43 minutes and sometimes you cut once a week, sometimes 2-3 times depending on how much rain you get. Then in the fall you mulch the leaves and bag them, that will be maybe 25 minutes to do. Either way you are probably going to have to write it in a book to keep track. A low cost hour meter is just simpler. And it is not just for oil changes. There is also when to change the spark plug, sharpen the blade, lube the cables and wheel bushings, when to adjust your valves... ect. Anyway, thanks for watching and for the comments. Giving more examples is how everyone can make their own decisions. Many ways of doing things. Thanks again.
Maybe I'll look for a bed sheet hour or day meter to remind me hour many days/weeks has elapsed and time to wash my bed sheets. Just joshing. It's recommended to replace our toothbrushes every 3 months also... hopefully won't forget. The hour meter install for a push mower is simple and nice piece of technology to have per your video even though since push mowers are used for smaller partial acreage and riding mowers when you get over a 1/3 acre, people do mower fine up each season or end of season. How about going a step further.... there are "wireless hour meters for outdoor power equipment" to keep record on your smartphone etc which you can google and will see results.
That’s a really good idea. You’ll probably still have that mower running good in 20 years with routine maintenance. All small engines should have one of those.
I installed that same meter on my old Deere push mower. The handle on my machine has a convenient (and wide) plastic crosspiece, so I attached the meter there. Of course, I have no idea how many hours were put on the mower by the previous two owners (over the last 12 or so years), but the hour meter is still very convenient for keeping track of maintenance intervals. This mower has a nice, commercial-duty B&S engine with pressure lube system, and a tiny, spin-on oil filter so it was obviously not built to be a throwaway machine and I intend to keep it going as long as I can.
Great video and thanks for sharing the running rpm. I’ve got the same mower and will be doing the same thing.
Thanks Paul. I have always wondered why we need to replace spark plugs or oil at 10 hours when on a car it is 20,000km or something like that.
I'm guessing because a car engine has much tighter tolerances and is controlled by a computer with much more precision, meaning the plugs get less wear and tear and aren't fouled as easily. 20,000 km actually is a very low figure for modern cars. Both my vehicles actually call for spark plug changes only after 100,000 miles / 160,000 km in the service manual.
thank you sir, just installed it on my lawn mower and its great!
Thanks for the vid. I literally have the same exact mower and meter that I just bought. Great minds...
If my rpm on my Honda hrn 216 is too low how can I adjust it? It is currently at 2,800 rpm’s I would like it to be at 3,180 rpm’s for a better cut quality. I’ve already sharpened the blades and clean the deck and I am currently not happy with the cut quality.
You have to bend slightly the Governor Spring Tab. Right will increase the governor spring tension and the engine speed. Left with decrease the governor spring tension and the engine speed. See figure 3-21 in the service manual.
Hi Paul, Dean here... I just bought a Honda HRN-216. Thank you for your videos on the Honda Lawn Mower. I bought a Hour Meter too and will be installing it today. I hope you're doing well these days. Are you still riding your Victory?
Hi Dean, good to hear from you. Yes I still ride my bike, but doing less every year. So far only around 1,300 kms this year. Lowest amount so far.
How's the Victory doing Paul?
Still loving it.
Link to the meter you used doesn't work for me. Looks like the Runleader RL-HM011F? Amazon AISN B07PMJH7QV. Do you happen to know if it retains the memory of hours run when you change the battery? Thanks, and good luck with your HRN-216!
Thanks for letting me know about the meter link. I changed it to the manufacturers website so it should be ok now. It is actually the RL-HM011G. The instructions say that it will retain memory when changing the battery. For winter storage I plan on removing the battery for about 6 months but I am not sure if it will keep the memory for that long.
great idea for this ty. take a look at creating Amazon link to the meter so u can benefit from your effort.
Can you cut off the excess wire, or is the length part of the tachometer precision?
You can cut it off. I like to coil it up in case I use the meter somewhere else later on.
@@PaulPomerleau Not a bad idea, but I for the $12 I paid I think I'd just cut mine and buy a new one if it is ever needed. 😁
so with this you will be doing the oil change following the manual instructions of maintenance, but how can you prove honda that you actually did the change, do you take a video of your self doing it? or what do you recommend just in case the ask for proof?
You don't need to. The engine will tell any good service technician if you have been changing the oil or not .
You get distinctive wear patterns and sludge buildup with old oil, as well as engine parts get tell tale color changes if they have not been getting enough oil. Just like the dentist knows when you haven't been flossing :)
@@PaulPomerleau great explanation. Thank you for the information. Have a great weekend. BTW I got the same HRN Honda. Very nice machine.
@mataflais I just bought the HRN 216 the other day & ran it for 1hr & changed the oil like garage gear suggested & now will change it again after 5hrs like recommended. I bought a ariens razor duel blade mower first & when I realized it had a plastic carburetor I took it Wright back & went & bought this HRN. You've had yours for 1yr & I'm curious how you like it & how it has been working out for you. One thing that totally bothers me about the mower is the drive belt is so exposed under the mower & lots of complaints about belt shreading cause of debri getting in belt cause theirs no cover. I guess I just wanna feal secere about my purchase & wanna avoid problems.
@@michaeldavis6550 Hi Michel, to be honest I have CERO!!! complaints about this mower, main reason i got it was because it's a honda (honda motor reliable!). I turn it on in the 1st or second pull for sure. very happy with it and ofcourse i will recommend it to anyone. you will not regret it, have agreat day!!
Velcro is a good idea so you don’t cover your access to the meter’s battery compartment.
Helpful to learn about the time meter. But once someone knows how long it takes to cut your yard doing whatever you do, using a gas push mower, its easy peasy to determine time. Let's say i use my Honda mower gas push mower for 1 hour each time cutting. Obviously just multiply # of times cutting × how long it takes to cut and don't need a time meter.
My Honda HRN215VKA. Instead of worrying about changing the oil at 50 hours, just change it at end of season - whether a lot or not. Just like rule for cars used to be. . Change oil lesser of x months or y miles x whichever is sooner.
But since many gas power mowers don't have an oil filter, it's important to keep clean by changing oil per hours recommended or sooner.... like with car oil changing.... for example lesser of 6000 miles or 3 or 3 mo or 6 mo.. whatever the model manual states.
Honda announced over a year ago it won't be making any more gas push mowers. I'd bet it has something to do with the switch to battery operated everything.
Why don't many gas push mowers have an oil filter?
Most small lawnmower engines lubricate themselves by the splash method, where a small dipper on the end of the connecting rod cap splashes oil from the crankcase onto the cylinder wall, the bottom of the piston, onto the valve mechanism, and the crankshaft and cam bearings. This type of lube system has no oil pump and is not pressurized, therefore a filter would do no good. Contaminants in the oil are removed via 25 hour oil changes.
Some larger mower engines such as the Kohler Command series do have oil pumps and a pressurized lube circuit, and do employ an oil filter.
Sure, if you cut your grass once a week and it takes you 1 hour, then it is easy. But what if it takes you 43 minutes and sometimes you cut once a week, sometimes 2-3 times depending on how much rain you get. Then in the fall you mulch the leaves and bag them, that will be maybe 25 minutes to do. Either way you are probably going to have to write it in a book to keep track. A low cost hour meter is just simpler. And it is not just for oil changes. There is also when to change the spark plug, sharpen the blade, lube the cables and wheel bushings, when to adjust your valves... ect.
Anyway, thanks for watching and for the comments. Giving more examples is how everyone can make their own decisions. Many ways of doing things. Thanks again.
Maybe I'll look for a bed sheet hour or day meter to remind me hour many days/weeks has elapsed and time to wash my bed sheets. Just joshing. It's recommended to replace our toothbrushes every 3 months also... hopefully won't forget.
The hour meter install for a push mower is simple and nice piece of technology to have per your video even though since push mowers are used for smaller partial acreage and riding mowers when you get over a 1/3 acre, people do mower fine up each season or end of season.
How about going a step further.... there are "wireless hour meters for outdoor power equipment" to keep record on your smartphone etc which you can google and will see results.
Why not trim the wire? much cleaner
As I said in my video, if I decide to use this meter somewhere else I will need the wire. I don't mind coiling it up.