was looking around on the net the other day and noticed honda used to make riding mowers does anyone know why they stopped making them? or did they just stop selling them in the US for some reason?
why did honda stop making riding mowers
- Thread starter swirlparanoid
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The Honda riders were very expensive compared to the competition. The riding mower market is dog eat dog.
JHZR2
Staff member
And their push mowers are cheap??!? I can get the honda engine on a price leader from wal-mart if that's what Im looking for...
And as you say, it all depends on what you are looking for. I just bought a new Honda mower from an authorized Honda dealer (you know, service after the sale). Was exactly what I was looking for and am extremely pleased with the purchase and service.
By the way, to buy another named brand mower with the features I have on this Honda, would not have saved me anything, and in some cases more.
By the way, to buy another named brand mower with the features I have on this Honda, would not have saved me anything, and in some cases more.
JHZR2
Staff member
Thing is, I thought we buy hondas so there is no need for service after the sale??!!?
I bought an el cheapo B&S flathead unit years ago that was made in USA and runs on whatever slop I put in... Has done me well so far!
I bought an el cheapo B&S flathead unit years ago that was made in USA and runs on whatever slop I put in... Has done me well so far!
Well, I hope it never has to see the dealer again, but we never know. I just retired a 45 year old Lawn Boy, made in the USA, that ran just about any old 2-cycle oil I put in it. I also have an old 1975 John Deere edger with a Briggs 3HP engine on it that has been overhauled four times (cast iron engine) that has always been run on Pennzoil 30W. To bad they don't still make that little engine. Not that it makes any real difference, the Honda mowers are made in the USA.
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Thing is, I thought we buy hondas so there is no need for service after the sale??!!?
There are a lot of reasons why I prefer Hondas over other small engine brands. But if anyone thinks that one engine design is perfect and would never need any type of service or repair is fooling themselves.
Frankly, I see quotes similar to this a lot, typically coming from a "domestic" fan speaking to someone buying a "Japanese" product (even though Honda's engines are made about 100 miles from my house in North Carolina). People often assume that someone bought a Honda mower (or car, or whatever) because they think they'd never have to service it. There are often a handful of reasons why a particular purchase is made...
Thing is, I thought we buy hondas so there is no need for service after the sale??!!?
There are a lot of reasons why I prefer Hondas over other small engine brands. But if anyone thinks that one engine design is perfect and would never need any type of service or repair is fooling themselves.
Frankly, I see quotes similar to this a lot, typically coming from a "domestic" fan speaking to someone buying a "Japanese" product (even though Honda's engines are made about 100 miles from my house in North Carolina). People often assume that someone bought a Honda mower (or car, or whatever) because they think they'd never have to service it. There are often a handful of reasons why a particular purchase is made...
Originally Posted By: Johnny
...the Honda mowers are made in the USA.
Your Honda mower (and engine) were made about an hour and a half from me in Swepsonville, NC, where they make 1.5 million OPE engines annually:
http://corporate.honda.com/america/facilities.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swepsonville,_North_Carolina
...the Honda mowers are made in the USA.
Your Honda mower (and engine) were made about an hour and a half from me in Swepsonville, NC, where they make 1.5 million OPE engines annually:
http://corporate.honda.com/america/facilities.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swepsonville,_North_Carolina
I find it ironic that people buy Honda mowers from dealerships in order to have dealer support. That's the reason I don't buy from dealers. From my experience, anything you need after warranty will be robbery. That is why years ago, I bought my Echo mower from a little chainsaw shop.
The dealers in this town are outrageous. Fortunately, I do all of my own work, even if it's under warranty. The only time it goes to a dealer is if the piece has a catastrophic failure while under warranty, which has never occurred. I'm also the local "go to guy" when a neighbour has an OPE problem. Other than parts, the fix is free. Sometimes the parts are free too if I'm fixing for someone not too well off.
Nowadays, I buy used. Not because I can't afford new. I just don't like paying a premium to own new when I can buy an almost new product for 25% of the price and often less. Another reason for buying used, is not having to pay 13% tax.
I also enjoy getting a great bargain and also enjoy pulling it apart for inspection and repair in necessary. I will sometimes buy something just to fix it and give it to someone who needs it. Nothing like a good bargain and helping someone out.
The dealers in this town are outrageous. Fortunately, I do all of my own work, even if it's under warranty. The only time it goes to a dealer is if the piece has a catastrophic failure while under warranty, which has never occurred. I'm also the local "go to guy" when a neighbour has an OPE problem. Other than parts, the fix is free. Sometimes the parts are free too if I'm fixing for someone not too well off.
Nowadays, I buy used. Not because I can't afford new. I just don't like paying a premium to own new when I can buy an almost new product for 25% of the price and often less. Another reason for buying used, is not having to pay 13% tax.
I also enjoy getting a great bargain and also enjoy pulling it apart for inspection and repair in necessary. I will sometimes buy something just to fix it and give it to someone who needs it. Nothing like a good bargain and helping someone out.
Originally Posted By: boraticus
I find it ironic that people buy Honda mowers from dealerships in order to have dealer support. That's the reason I don't buy from dealers. From my experience, anything you need after warranty will be robbery. That is why years ago, I bought my Echo mower from a little chainsaw shop.
The dealers in this town are outrageous. Fortunately, I do all of my own work, even if it's under warranty. The only time it goes to a dealer is if the piece has a catastrophic failure while under warranty, which has never occurred. I'm also the local "go to guy" when a neighbour has an OPE problem. Other than parts, the fix is free. Sometimes the parts are free too if I'm fixing for someone not too well off.
Nowadays, I buy used. Not because I can't afford new. I just don't like paying a premium to own new when I can buy an almost new product for 25% of the price and often less. Another reason for buying used, is not having to pay 13% tax.
I also enjoy getting a great bargain and also enjoy pulling it apart for inspection and repair in necessary. I will sometimes buy something just to fix it and give it to someone who needs it. Nothing like a good bargain and helping someone out.
That is a great argument for the way you do things.
Allow me to show you the other side of the same coin:
I like to buy my OPE equipment from a local full service dealer because:
-They do a proper assembly and inspection.
-If I have a question about something...they provide a knowledgeable answer.
-I like to support local family businesses.
-When I buy a new "whatever" I expect it to perform as advertised right out of the box.
-I like to tinker with cars and bikes, not lawnmowers.
-My time is too valuable to fix something that should have been right in the first place.
The bottom line to my counterpoint is that I feel That I get a better value from a local OPE dealer than I get from a warehouse store.
YMMV
I find it ironic that people buy Honda mowers from dealerships in order to have dealer support. That's the reason I don't buy from dealers. From my experience, anything you need after warranty will be robbery. That is why years ago, I bought my Echo mower from a little chainsaw shop.
The dealers in this town are outrageous. Fortunately, I do all of my own work, even if it's under warranty. The only time it goes to a dealer is if the piece has a catastrophic failure while under warranty, which has never occurred. I'm also the local "go to guy" when a neighbour has an OPE problem. Other than parts, the fix is free. Sometimes the parts are free too if I'm fixing for someone not too well off.
Nowadays, I buy used. Not because I can't afford new. I just don't like paying a premium to own new when I can buy an almost new product for 25% of the price and often less. Another reason for buying used, is not having to pay 13% tax.
I also enjoy getting a great bargain and also enjoy pulling it apart for inspection and repair in necessary. I will sometimes buy something just to fix it and give it to someone who needs it. Nothing like a good bargain and helping someone out.
That is a great argument for the way you do things.
Allow me to show you the other side of the same coin:
I like to buy my OPE equipment from a local full service dealer because:
-They do a proper assembly and inspection.
-If I have a question about something...they provide a knowledgeable answer.
-I like to support local family businesses.
-When I buy a new "whatever" I expect it to perform as advertised right out of the box.
-I like to tinker with cars and bikes, not lawnmowers.
-My time is too valuable to fix something that should have been right in the first place.
The bottom line to my counterpoint is that I feel That I get a better value from a local OPE dealer than I get from a warehouse store.
YMMV
Originally Posted By: bigdreama
Originally Posted By: boraticus
I find it ironic that people buy Honda mowers from dealerships in order to have dealer support. That's the reason I don't buy from dealers. From my experience, anything you need after warranty will be robbery. That is why years ago, I bought my Echo mower from a little chainsaw shop.
The dealers in this town are outrageous. Fortunately, I do all of my own work, even if it's under warranty. The only time it goes to a dealer is if the piece has a catastrophic failure while under warranty, which has never occurred. I'm also the local "go to guy" when a neighbor has an OPE problem. Other than parts, the fix is free. Sometimes the parts are free too if I'm fixing for someone not too well off.
Nowadays, I buy used. Not because I can't afford new. I just don't like paying a premium to own new when I can buy an almost new product for 25% of the price and often less. Another reason for buying used, is not having to pay 13% tax.
I also enjoy getting a great bargain and also enjoy pulling it apart for inspection and repair in necessary. I will sometimes buy something just to fix it and give it to someone who needs it. Nothing like a good bargain and helping someone out.
That is a great argument for the way you do things.
Allow me to show you the other side of the same coin:
I like to buy my OPE equipment from a local full service dealer because:
-They do a proper assembly and inspection.
-If I have a question about something...they provide a knowledgeable answer.
-I like to support local family businesses.
-When I buy a new "whatever" I expect it to perform as advertised right out of the box.
-I like to tinker with cars and bikes, not lawnmowers.
-My time is too valuable to fix something that should have been right in the first place.
The bottom line to my counterpoint is that I feel That I get a better value from a local OPE dealer than I get from a warehouse store.
YMMV
These are both good comments. Bottom line, it is up to the individual which way they decide to go. When purchasing new, I also prefer to buy from an authorized sales/service dealer for all of the reasons given above. But, after the new has worn off and warranty is no longer a concern, I like to do my own service work, unless there is something that requires attention beyond my capabilities.
Originally Posted By: boraticus
I find it ironic that people buy Honda mowers from dealerships in order to have dealer support. That's the reason I don't buy from dealers. From my experience, anything you need after warranty will be robbery. That is why years ago, I bought my Echo mower from a little chainsaw shop.
The dealers in this town are outrageous. Fortunately, I do all of my own work, even if it's under warranty. The only time it goes to a dealer is if the piece has a catastrophic failure while under warranty, which has never occurred. I'm also the local "go to guy" when a neighbor has an OPE problem. Other than parts, the fix is free. Sometimes the parts are free too if I'm fixing for someone not too well off.
Nowadays, I buy used. Not because I can't afford new. I just don't like paying a premium to own new when I can buy an almost new product for 25% of the price and often less. Another reason for buying used, is not having to pay 13% tax.
I also enjoy getting a great bargain and also enjoy pulling it apart for inspection and repair in necessary. I will sometimes buy something just to fix it and give it to someone who needs it. Nothing like a good bargain and helping someone out.
That is a great argument for the way you do things.
Allow me to show you the other side of the same coin:
I like to buy my OPE equipment from a local full service dealer because:
-They do a proper assembly and inspection.
-If I have a question about something...they provide a knowledgeable answer.
-I like to support local family businesses.
-When I buy a new "whatever" I expect it to perform as advertised right out of the box.
-I like to tinker with cars and bikes, not lawnmowers.
-My time is too valuable to fix something that should have been right in the first place.
The bottom line to my counterpoint is that I feel That I get a better value from a local OPE dealer than I get from a warehouse store.
YMMV
These are both good comments. Bottom line, it is up to the individual which way they decide to go. When purchasing new, I also prefer to buy from an authorized sales/service dealer for all of the reasons given above. But, after the new has worn off and warranty is no longer a concern, I like to do my own service work, unless there is something that requires attention beyond my capabilities.
You still see the occasional Honda rider out there. I dunno if it was the sticker shock, lack of marketing or combination of the two, but from the ones I've seen, they were nice machines. The engine compartment of the HT3813 blew my mind. A little inline liquid cooled 2cyl that purrs like a kitten:
Joel
Joel
An inline twin runs front to back, a parallel twin can too,but it can also sit cross-wise.
Originally Posted By: bigdreama
Originally Posted By: JTK
A little inline liquid cooled 2cyl that purrs like a kitten
Joel
Technically, an inline twin would be called a parallel twin!
Huh? So is an inline-4 technically a parallel-4?
Originally Posted By: JTK
A little inline liquid cooled 2cyl that purrs like a kitten
Joel
Technically, an inline twin would be called a parallel twin!
Huh? So is an inline-4 technically a parallel-4?
Originally Posted By: Johnny
Well, I hope it never has to see the dealer again, but we never know. I just retired a 45 year old Lawn Boy, made in the USA, that ran just about any old 2-cycle oil I put in it. I also have an old 1975 John Deere edger with a Briggs 3HP engine on it that has been overhauled four times (cast iron engine) that has always been run on Pennzoil 30W. To bad they don't still make that little engine. Not that it makes any real difference, the Honda mowers are made in the USA.
Just out of curiosity Johnny, what finally gave up the ghost on the Lawn Boy? You got tremendous service out of that mower for sure.
Well, I hope it never has to see the dealer again, but we never know. I just retired a 45 year old Lawn Boy, made in the USA, that ran just about any old 2-cycle oil I put in it. I also have an old 1975 John Deere edger with a Briggs 3HP engine on it that has been overhauled four times (cast iron engine) that has always been run on Pennzoil 30W. To bad they don't still make that little engine. Not that it makes any real difference, the Honda mowers are made in the USA.
Just out of curiosity Johnny, what finally gave up the ghost on the Lawn Boy? You got tremendous service out of that mower for sure.
Just got tired. Loss of most of its compression. It would be easy enough to overhaul again, but parts are really getting hard to come by and I feel it's just time to join the 21st century.
Johnny, can I have the wheels off it ?? .....
(I think I've lost most of my compression too... but every once-in-a-while I manage to pass a lot of gas). Could it be blow-by ??
(I think I've lost most of my compression too... but every once-in-a-while I manage to pass a lot of gas). Could it be blow-by ??
Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
Johnny, can I have the wheels off it ?? .....
(I think I've lost most of my compression too... but every once-in-a-while I manage to pass a lot of gas). Could it be blow-by ??
You talking about me or the lawn mower.
Johnny, can I have the wheels off it ?? .....
(I think I've lost most of my compression too... but every once-in-a-while I manage to pass a lot of gas). Could it be blow-by ??
You talking about me or the lawn mower.
That LB I bought used last year for $75.00 had compression around 118 psi which is above the stock 90 to 105 psi. That was the reading I got on a cold test.
The guy I bought the mower off of has two other machines put away in a shed that I plan on buying from him. They both looked pretty decent although one was apart and the carb was off of it. Nonetheless, they will probably provide parts for as long as I'll need them and I can probably resurrect one just for the joy of keeping it alive.
The guy I bought the mower off of has two other machines put away in a shed that I plan on buying from him. They both looked pretty decent although one was apart and the carb was off of it. Nonetheless, they will probably provide parts for as long as I'll need them and I can probably resurrect one just for the joy of keeping it alive.
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