If you're looking for a gas lawnmower and don't want to spend a ton of money, then the Husqvarna 7021P is a great option. The 7021P is an affordable mower but still offers a range of good features. Maybe you've had electric lawnmowers in the past and they've never really lived up to your expectations or haven't had enough power to get the job done. The Husqvarna 7021P features a Honda engine that offers enough power to cope with whatever conditions you throw at it. This model only features a 21 inch cutting deck, so is not really big enough for use on large gardens but is more than sufficient to cope with any small or medium-sized yard. What we want to do during this review is to run you through the key features of this mower and then provide you with an analysis of how it performed when we put it to the test.
Husqvarna 7021P Specifications |
|
---|---|
Manufacturer | Husqvarna |
Model Name | 7021P |
Engine | Honda GCV 160 Engine |
Cutting Width | 21 inches |
Cutting Modes | 3 in 1 - Mulching, Rear Bag Collection, Side Discharge |
Cutting Heights | 1.5 - 3.5 inches |
Self Propel | No |
Grass Box Capacity | 56 litres |
Weight | 66 lbs |
Key Features
- Honda GCV Engine – The engine you get on this model is a decent spec one and performs well. It’s not an exaggeration when I say, “it runs like a dream”. It uses an auto choke system which makes everything just real easy, there’s no need to prime it, you just pull the cord and off you go. And it only takes one pull of the cord too! Honda engines have a great reputation and we’re pretty sure that this one will continue to run smoothly through a number of seasons.
- 3 in 1 Cutting System – 3 in 1 mowers are great because they just give you options. Maybe you don’t even know what mulching is, but with this mower you can give it a try and if you don’t like it you can return to the more traditional bagging mode. Or maybe you just want to mulch leaves in the fall? You can do that too. Whatever conditions you face there is an option on this mower that will suit them.
- Impressive Wheels – Wheels might not seem that exciting, but the wheels on this mower are really impressive. They feature double ball bearings and this really makes a difference when you are pushing the mower. It also features larger rear wheels and the combination of these two things just makes it a pleasure to push the Husqvarna 7021P around your lawn.
- Versatile Handle – On many mowers you either get a handle which is too long or too short, which results in you mowing in a position which is not entirely comfortable for you. Why should you have to do that? Well with the Husqvarna 7021P you don’t have to. There are four different settings for the handle bar so you can find one which is comfortable for you. When it comes to storing the mower you can also fold the handle right over so it takes up minimal space in your garage or shed. The padding on the handle is pretty comfy but we are a little bit concerned about the quality of this padding.
- Build Quality – Whilst the majority of the mower is built to a reasonable standard, it is a little weak where the wheels connect to the deck. The brackets that connect the wheels are made out of pretty thin metal and if abused they could probably get damaged, so you’d need to take pretty good care when using this mower. Apart from this you can’t really complain about the quality of the build for the price you’re paying.
- Cutting Heights – The cutting height selection on this mower is pretty standard. The six different settings range from as low as 1.5 inches to 3.5 inches, which is nothing special really. Most of the better mowers these days have a one lever system which simultaneously changes the cutting height of all four wheels. The fact that you have to change the cutting height individually for each of the four wheels on the Husqvarna 7021P is a slight disappointment. It does work but it just takes slightly longer and other mowers feature better systems than this.
Assembly: How Easy Is It?
Setup requires almost no effort. It comes virtually assembled straight out of the box. All you have to do is add the oil (which is included by the way), get it fuelled up with some gas, extend the handle, tighten it up and then you’re ready to go. It’s really simple, it takes just a few minutes after you’ve cut open the box and anyone can do it.
Performance: Does This Push Mower Do The Business?
Obviously when you buy a lawn mower the most important thing is that it cuts the grass well. But there are also other things to take into account, such as how well it collects the grass or how easy it is to manoeuvre around the yard. Right now we’re going to explain to you how we feel this particular model performs in each of these areas.
- Cutting Ability – The engine really helps out here because it provides the mower with plenty of power. It’s how mowing really should be, you just push and it cuts whatever it comes across. There’s no need to keep going over the same area a thousand times just to get it cut, no backtracking and no need to adjust your pace so the mower has time to cut. As we just said the mower has plenty of power when cutting which is great if you have tall grass (everyone gets a bit lazy once in a while) or a particular variety of grass which is tough to cut through.
- Grass Collection – Sometimes manufacturers don’t always get it right with the rear bagging systems. Sometimes the bag doesn’t fill evenly or it doesn’t do a very good job at picking up the clippings. The grass bag on this model isn’t massive, but then this mower is only designed for small and medium sized gardens. Anything bigger would just be a pain to lug around. In terms of the actual collection, it misses very few of the clippings and fills the bag pretty well, so you don’t need to take more trips to the compost heap than is necessary.
- Mulching – It’s great that you have the option of mulching on a mower of this price. If you don’t know, mulching is where the mower produces ultrafine clippings which are then fed back onto your lawn and provide the grass with vital nutrients that helps it remain healthy. We are pleased to say that this one mulches really well. The clippings are very fine, in fact so fine that they aren’t really that noticeable unless you look. On some machines you get clumps of clippings when you mulch, but with the Husqvarna 7021P there are no such problems. It mulches both grass and leaves equally well, which is great in the fall if you have trees in your garden.
- Lawn Stripes – Whilst you’ll get a great quality of cut with this mower, you’re unlikely to get any lawn stripes. This is because the mower doesn’t actually feature a roller, which is obviously key in the production of lawn stripes and also the mower is actually pretty light so it doesn’t bend over the grass blades sufficiently. However the overall look of the grass after mowing is neat and tidy enough.
- Manoeuvrability – As we talked about earlier the wheels on this mower have ballbearings which definitely makes them roll a lot smoother along the lawn. This combined with the relatively light weight of the Husqvarna 7021P means you won’t have any problems manoeuvring it around your garden. The larger rear wheels also help when it comes to turning the mower in tight spaces such as around trees or flowerbeds.
The Bottom Line
If you want to cut right to the chase, here are what we found to be the main pros and cons for this mower.
Pros
Cons
Conclusion:
The Husqvarna 7021P has been an extremely popular mower in recent years and it's easy to see why. For a relatively modest investment you get a lot of options and features on the mower and it really doesn't have any major weaknesses. It's true that it probably could be constructed slightly better (referring to the wheel connection here) but as long as you take good care of it, it should last for a respectable amount of time. If you like gas mowers and your lawn is not overly big then we'd definitely recommend this one to you. It could potentially be the best money you ever spend.
Our Rating
Thanks for the great review. I was looking at a Honda at about $140 more and the same features. I’m going to go for this one at Amazon. I mow about an acre but have 27 oak trees on my property. I am looking forward to mulching and composting rather than throwing them over the hill this fall.