Bryan,
Welcome to the forum. I just sold my HRM215SXA. They are very easy to keep running. If you're going to clean the carburetor, you should also remove the fuel tank and clean it as well.
Make sure that you clean the engine thoroughly before your remove the carb from the motor. That way you won't get dirt in the carb when you begin to clean it.
If you don't feel comfortable taking the carburetor apart, sometimes just giving the engine a good cleaning then dropping the bowl and cleaning it will doo the trick.
If you do decide to clean the motor, just be careful with your water spray don't let any go down the intake or wet the filter.
I use simple green to clean my lawn mowers. It's biodegradeable and not greasy. It will clean all the gunk off your mower.
The Hondas are very forgiving. Add a little Seafoam to the fuel to stabilize and clean the carb. You won't have problems in the future.
My fellow members will correct me if I'm wrong. I not the best mechanic, but I am continuing to learn from some of the best here at MTF.
Good luck and again, welcome. We don't see many from the West Coast around here!
Here's my 1994 HR195SXA. Exactly the same as the HR215, but with the 19" deck. I have both the mulch plug and the high lift mulching blade. I also have the bag. the HR195 cannot take a dual blade like the HR215.
