Husqvarna HU700H Rear Wheel Drive Gas Lawn Mower Review
The Husqvarna HU700H embodies the most satisfying side of getting exactly what you pay for from a gas-powered mower. Introduced in 2015, this self-propelled grass-grooming juggernaut may knock your wallet silly, but as with any Husqvarna land and garden tool, you can fully expect its double-tough workmanship and precision cutting to endure a decade or more without ever letting you and your greenery down. The first time I got behind it for an afternoon, this mower’s shocking maneuverability for a 102-pound machine took me aback without leaving me a bit disappointed in its sheer power.
Key Features
- Three-year warranty
- 22-inch steel deck
- Switchable disposal options to bag, mulch or side-discharge as you like
- Handle adjusts three positions for optimal comfort
- Nine deck height options to switch to and from using a single lever
- Weighs in at a sturdy, durable 102 pounds
Performance
I can’t remember a bad experience with a Honda engine and the HU700H’s four-stroke 160cc OHV powerhouse upholds that precedent. Like any respectable gas-powered mower, this model musters every iota of power needed to immaculately pare down even the thickest, toughest strains of grass time after time to a carpet-smooth finish. Thanks to large ball bearings paired with eight-inch wheels in front and 11-inch driving wheels in the back, its potent rear-wheel drive and superbly adaptable transmission go from roving across even ground to traversing inclines without missing a beat and turn gracefully around objects and corners with agility comparable to a mid-sized electric mower.
Ease of Use
Other than adding its included oil, the only assembly you’ll need to be bothered with right out of the box involves flipping the handle out and locking down a few bolts. From there, you’re good to go virtually immediately.
Go ahead and add “ergonomic three-position adjustable handle” to the list of features I believe should be a standard design consideration for any quality lawn mower. That goes double when buying a mower every member of a family may end up using at one point or another. Given its husky mass, the HU700H’s Auto Walk rear-wheel drive propulsion system is equally essential to allowing any user to instantly guide this behemoth at a personally comfortable pace, regardless of past experience handling it.
Even with a cold engine, expect the well-built automatic choke to bring this mower to life with a single pull of its cord nearly every time. By controlling the variable-speed transmission using two hand throttles, you can advance the HU700H forward at anything from a methodical crawling pace all the way up to its brisk 3 mph top speed. Pulling it backwards or manually pushing it forward as needed is as simple as letting the handles go. Be advised, the handles don’t depress easily, especially for users with smaller hands.
Cut Quality & Options
On level terrain, not a single patch required a second clean-up pass. Granted, you may need to double back when tending a wet lawn or taking down grass seven or eight inches high. Even then, that’s where anyone could so easily appreciate nine adjustable deck height settings that switch up or down with the push of a single lever on the HU700H’s left-hand side. I turned mine loose mowing after a mild overnight shower without the lone blade stalling or struggling once.
You can’t go wrong with any of its three disposal options. The HU700H can eject to the side with barely a single clump. Its mulch is nearly as fine as one would expect from a mower mincing with multiple sets of blades. Finally, the included bagging attachment clips on and detaches with absolutely no hassle for fast, easy removal of clippings at any time.
Maintenance
Given the signature long-lasting reliability of the Honda engine powering it and the unbreakable strength of its powder-coated 22-inch steel deck, I can’t imagine the regular abuse it would take to somehow break the HU700H down. Husqvarna does not make junk, period. The handy deck-wash port makes cleaning out the underside as simple as completely disconnecting its power supply, hooking a hose up to the port, turning on the water, and then reconnecting the spark plug and starting it up. Should something unfortunate befall your mower, however, it comes with a pretty thorough three-year limited warranty backing repair and replacement beyond regular maintenance.
Safety Features
As with almost any self-propelled mower, the HU700H is equipped with a bailing lever that kills the engine instantly when released.
Cost Effectiveness
Is the Husqvarna HU700H more expensive than your average mower? Yes. Oh, yes. Then again, you are getting a solid-steel heavyweight gas lawn mower built by an elite manufacturer of powered lawn and garden tools respected the world over. It cuts with undeniable power and precision, maneuvers as though it weighs around 25 pounds less than it does, and comes with three years of commendable limited manufacturer protection.
Worth every penny? Definitely.
