Husqvarna vs Honda Mowers (2021): Push vs Self-Propelled Lawnmowers

Husqvarna and Honda are both well-recognized lawnmower brands, offering some of the best gas-powered cutters in the market today. We compare two of their most popular and highly-reviewed mowers, Husqvarna 7021P and the Honda HRR216K9VKA, to help you choose the best tool to keep your grass trimmed nice and fresh. Here’s a side-by-side review of top Husqvarna vs Honda mowers.

Husqvarna 7021P vs Honda HRR216K9VKA Comparison Chart

Engine

Both the Husqvarna 7021P and Honda HRR216K9VKA use the same engine.

It’s probably a testament to Honda’s superior engineering that both of the gas-powered lawn mowers use a Honda GCV-160 engine. Honda’s small engines are among the best in the industry. The GCV-160 has plenty of power to ensure that the cutting deck delivers a consistent trim across your lawn. Both mowers run smoothly, and though the noise they generate is a bit on the loud side, it shouldn’t bother the neighbors and should remain comfortable for your own ears as well.

Starting the engine is very easy, thanks to its automatic choke system. No more multiple pulls just to get the engine started — expect to get either mower up and running on the first try. If you’re not used to the auto choke, it might take a while to get the hang of it, but plenty of satisfied owners continue to include the Honda GCV’s auto-start feature as one of its best highlights. Imagine always being able to start your mower on the first pull a couple of years down the line.

Speed and Maneuverability

The Honda HRR216K9VKA is slightly faster, but the Husqvarna 7021P feels easier to maneuver.

Here’s where each mower starts to offer different capabilities. The Honda HRR216K9VKA is a self-propelled mower capable of reaching up to 4 miles per hour, making it up to 33% faster than the Husqvarna 7021P. It features a Variable Position Smart Drive that lets you set the pace you like via the thumb controls located on the handle. Whether you like to take it slow or hurry it up a bit, you can walk behind the Honda mower at the speed you’re comfortable with, and let the engine do all the work.

In contrast, the Husqvarna 7021P is a push lawn mower that requires your own force to move it around the yard. Considering that it’s heavier than the Honda mower by roughly 20 pounds, there’s a bit more work involved in mowing with the Husqvarna, though it’s by no means difficult. The bigger rear wheels, which have double ball bearings, actually make it easy to push the 7021P and keep it moving. And since you’re in totally in charge of how fast you’re going, you’re more able to maneuver it smoothly across difficult terrain and irregularly shaped patches of lawn.

Choosing whether to go for a push vs self-propelled lawn mower is totally up to your preference. Self-propelled mowers definitely make your weekly yard work less tiring, especially if your lawn is a bit on the larger side. However, you’ll have to keep a constant eye on your current speed and the ground you’re covering, since it may require more dexterity to be able to quickly adjust where the mower is headed. Push lawn mowers won’t have that problem since it won’t move forward without you keeping its momentum, but it can make hilly terrain more challenging.

Cutting Efficiency

The Honda HRR216K9VKA cuts finer with its twin blades.

Though both mowers feature a 21-inch cutting deck, the Honda HRR216K9VKA sports twin blades with the MicroCut System, which results in finer clippings and more consistent grass cuts. It has a much wider range in cutting height as well, from 1.125″ to 4″ compared to the Husqvarna 7021P’s 1.5″ to 3.5″, so you enjoy a bit more flexibility in choosing how you want your freshly trimmed grass to look. This also has a slight impact on overall efficiency when cutting taller grass, such as those that have been left to grow a couple of feet high. The Honda mower will much through these noticeably faster than the Husqvarna, though their powerful engines will ensure that you won’t have to do any backtracking.

They’re both 3-in-1 mowers, so you can choose whether to discharge the trimmed leaves by the side, leave them in the collection bag, or mulch them to return nutrients back into your lawn. Given that the Honda HRR has a bigger rear bag capacity at 2.4 bushels (the Husqvarna model only has 2 bushels worth of space) and that its MicroCut system is able to chop leaves and grass more finely, you’ll need to empty its bag less often, which is a nice bit of convenience.

You should also note that adjusting the cutting height of the Husqvarna 7021P is a bit more tedious since you’ll have to manually change the settings of each individual wheel. Other mowers in this price range only require adjusting a single lever to switch the height of all four wheels.

Safety, Comfort, and Ease of Use

The self-propelled Honda HRR216K9VKA is easier to mow with than the Husqvarna 7021P.

As already mentioned, self-propelled lawn mowers are naturally easier to trim grass with compared to more traditional push-types. You’ll just need to be mindful when mowing in high speed, since sudden dips, root protrusions, or steep inclines can cause you to lose control of the Honda HRR216K9VKA. Thankfully, it has a Zone Start Safety System that will automatically stop the engine if you let go of the flywheel lever on the handle. The tradeoff is that it can get tiring having to hold down the speed control, and you can get numb thumbs from the vibrating motor if you’ve been at it for a long while.

If you’ve been trimming grass with push mowers all your life and aren’t about to switch, then you’ll find the Husqvarna 7021P to be quite lightweight and easy to operate. The 12-inch rear wheels add a great deal of mobility to the entire mower, and it lessens the amount of energy you need to dole out to keep moving forward.

Both lawn mowers have an adjustable handle height, which is a godsend in making mowing comfortable. You’ll be able to find the optimal height and position for your arms, so you won’t have to suffer through awkward garden work every time. Afterwards, you can also fold their handles down to minimize the space they need while in storage.

Verdict

The Husqvarna 7021P offers better value, but the Honda HRR216K9VKA is worth the additional cost.

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Once you factor in their price tags, it’s actually easy to recommend the Husqvarna 7021P as the better value lawnmower, simply because you can get the same fantastic results at a much more affordable cost. This goes double if your yard isn’t too big, so pushing a lightweight mower isn’t too much of a chore. It uses the same engine as its more expensive counterpart, so its cutting power is on par. You also don’t have to worry about build quality, as the Husqvarna 7021P has a long list of happy owners who can expound on how well their mowers have kept up over the years.

For maximum convenience, the Honda HRR216K9KVA is very much worth its price. You can stroll behind it at a leisurely pace and make this “chore” almost relaxing. It requires less maintenance and promises a superior cut to leave your lawn looking sharp and fresh. If you have a rather large lawn that needs regular trimming, getting a self-propelled lawnmower like the Honda HRR216K9VKA will making cutting grass easier and faster.