The brand-new Honda HRX promised premium performance at a premium price. The Toro was just supposed to be a stopgap. Here’s what a tough first mow of the season revealed.
📺 Watch the full test on YouTube
I’ve long been a Honda guy. The HRX series set the bar for mulching performance — the micro-cut dual-blade system produces clippings so fine they practically disappear into the lawn. So when Honda launched the HRX 217B, their all-new battery-powered successor, I was cautiously optimistic. At $1,299, it had a lot to live up to.
The Toro 60V Flex Force Recycler was never supposed to be in this conversation. I picked it up last year as a stopgap after my old HRX finally gave out. But a punishing first mow of the season — overgrown grass, morning dew, a battery that wasn’t fully charged — turned into an unexpected head-to-head test that forced me to reconsider everything.
Two very different machines
On paper, these mowers reflect two different philosophies. The Honda leads with its e-select drive system and blade stop feature — press the button, then pull the bail, which means the blades only spin when you intend them to. The Toro keeps things simpler with a personal pace auto-drive and a single start button. Neither is wrong, just different.
Where they diverge most meaningfully is under the hood. The Honda runs its motor at a fixed output, leaning on the micro-cut system to compensate. The Toro employs what it calls a Dynamic Power System — essentially a variable throttle that ramps up motor RPM when it senses increased resistance. Think of it like how a gas mower naturally bogs and recovers through thick patches. The Toro does that electronically.
| Feature | Honda HRX 217B | Toro 60V Flex Force |
|---|---|---|
| Drive system | e-Select | Personal Pace |
| Blade stop | Yes | No |
| Blades | Dual micro-cut | Single |
| Dynamic power | No | Yes |
| Battery sharing | Honda ecosystem only | Full Flex Force lineup |
| Price | $1,299 | — |
The test conditions (not exactly fair)
Full disclosure: this wasn’t a controlled test. It was the first mow of the season in my backyard — which meant grass that had outpaced the ⅓ rule, a slight morning dew still sitting on the blades, and both mowers starting at roughly 40–50% battery. Cutting height was set to 2½ inches on both.
None of that is ideal, but it is real. Most of us aren’t mowing on perfectly dry, perfectly trimmed lawn under laboratory conditions. We mow when we can, with whatever charge we have left. So while this test has caveats, it’s arguably more useful than a controlled one.
“At $1,299, you would expect it to perform fairly well. Not to mention — it is a Honda.”
Where the Honda fell short
In the thicker, taller patches of the backyard, the Honda simply wasn’t up to it. With no dynamic power delivery, it hit resistance and struggled rather than adapted. The battery — already partial — drained significantly faster than the Toro’s. At a certain point, the self-propelled drive seemed to give up before the cutting did.
Here’s the thing, though: the Honda’s mulching output is genuinely extraordinary. Where the Toro left behind visible, chunky clippings, the Honda reduced cuttings to near-invisible specks. The micro-cut dual blade system isn’t marketing fluff — it is legitimately the best mulching result I’ve seen from any mower. The problem is that same aggressive mulching seems to create added load. When you’re cutting more than you should — taller, thicker, wetter — the system that makes it great also seems to be what bogs it down.
Where the Toro surprised me
I’ve always been skeptical of the Toro’s single blade. It’s the thing I’ve held against it since day one. And sure enough, the clipping quality reflects that — larger, more visible pieces left on the surface. In normal conditions, that’s a real drawback.
But in thick grass? The Dynamic Power System is a genuine advantage. Watch it hit a dense patch and you can almost hear it think — a brief hesitation, then the motor spins up and it powers through. No stalling, no stopping. Just done.
The battery ecosystem is another underrated win. I have a Toro string trimmer, chainsaw, leaf blower, and hedge trimmer, each with their own Flex Force battery ranging from 1.5Ah up to the 6Ah that came with the mower. Every one of them works in the mower. When the main battery ran low mid-session, I cycled through the others and finished the whole backyard without issue. The power was consistent across all of them — only the duration varied.
The verdict
If your lawn is well-maintained and you’re a ⅓-rule disciplinarian, the Honda HRX 217B produces cut quality nothing else can match. But if your lawn is anything like mine — uneven, occasionally overgrown, mowed when life allows — the Toro’s Dynamic Power System, longer runtime, and flexible battery ecosystem make it the more practical machine. I came in a Honda loyalist. I’m leaving a convert, at least for now.
I’m still holding out hope for a firmware update on the Honda that squeezes out more power in demanding conditions. It’s a battery mower with onboard electronics — theoretically possible. Realistically? Probably not happening. But a guy can dream.
Have you run either of these mowers? I’d genuinely like to know how the Honda performs on a well-kept lawn earlier in the season. Drop a comment below, or watch the full video on YouTube and let me know there.
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