Honda HRX217AA, Owner'S Manual

5

Clip Director

®

The Clip Director can be adjusted to any one of the ten positions to 
achieve the desired mowing results (bag, bag and mulch, or mulch).
To adjust the Clip Director knob, pull the knob downward and towards 
the rear of the mower. The knob adjusts a sliding door from the fully 
open BAG position to the fully closed MULCH position. 
Some grass accumulation in the discharge opening is normal when 
the Clip Director is fully closed in the MULCH position. To remove this 
grass, close the discharge guard, fully open the Clip Director in the 
BAG position, engage the blade control lever, and start the engine.

If a high resistance is noticed when moving the Clip Director knob 
from side-to-side, excessive grass may have built up on top of the 
sliding door. 

Important Safety Precaution

Always release the blade control lever and disconnect the spark plug 
cap (

page 14

) before lifting the discharge guard to view or clean 

around the sliding door. This will prevent contact with the rotating 
blades and prevent objects from being thrown into the discharge area. 

Sliding Door Position

The sliding door can be positioned to produce different mowing 
results. If the preferred sliding door position is unknown, install the 
grass bag and begin mowing with the Clip Director knob all the way to 
the BAG position. Check the appearance of the lawn. As the knob is 
moved towards the MULCH position, more grass will be recycled back 
into the lawn. Adjust the Clip Director knob until the desired result is 
achieved. 

Rear Discharge

To discharge clippings to the rear, remove the grass bag and position 

the Clip Director knob in the BAG range. Maximum rear discharge will 

occur when the Clip Director knob is all the way to the left (BAG) 

position. As the Clip Director knob is moved toward the right (MULCH) 

position, less grass will be discharged through the rear discharge 

guard.

Fallen Leaves

Use the Clip Director to shred and collect fallen leaves for disposal. 
Set the front wheels so they are one or two settings higher than the 
rear. Set the Clip Director in position #9 (not quite full mulching), and 
adjust the setting from this point for best results. 

Collecting leaves while they are damp will help to control dust and 

result in more effective mulching of the leaves.

Rear Shield

During normal use the rear shield is subject to deterioration and wear. 
Remove the grass bag and raise the discharge guard to check the 
rear shield for cracks or tears. If the rear shield is excessively worn, 
have it replaced by your authorized Honda servicing dealer.

CLIP DIRECTOR KNOB

SLIDING DOOR
(fully closed)

DISCHARGE
GUARD

BAGGING OR REAR DISCHARGE AND SOME MULCHING

SLIDING DOOR
(50% open)

CLIP 
DIRECTOR 
KNOB

FULL BAGGING OR

REAR DISCHARGE

FULL MULCHING

KNOB (MULCH POSITION)

KNOB (BAG POSITION)

SLIDING DOOR 

(fully open)

SLIDING DOOR

(fully closed)

REAR SHIELD

DISCHARGE GUARD

GRASS BAG