30 Million Hondas

[djdicetn]

My guess is that they were just too expensive compared to other brands of mowers. But the reason they were so expensive is because they were built like tanks. I mean...just take a look at these Honda products (that are no longer made):

View attachment 17502 View attachment 17503
Second picture belongs to dfbrown.

More expensive than a Junk Deere lawn tractor, I mean John Deere at a dealership?.........:0)

P.S.
That is indeed a beast of a lawn tractor(the Honda you posted)!!

 

[robert@honda]

Question....exactly why did Honda quit making lawn tractors????

I would say it was a clear business decision. Looking back at the situation, here's my take on it:

Back in the 80s, Honda was on a roll. Accords and GoldWings were flying out of the showrooms. There was plenty of opportunity to develop some great projects, like tractors, for the North American market. All this started in Japan, where, at that time, the dollar was VERY strong, about 200 Yen or so. It made perfect sense to develop and manufacture tractors in Japan for the US market. As a lot of the engineers got their start working on Honda racing teams, some of that tech found its way onto tractor projects, like the 4-wheel steer models. How about the "mid-engine" H3011 rider? Pretty awesome, trick stuff, and while it was spendy, it was profitable.

As the dollar started to cool, and more and more production shifted to the USA, Honda elected to develop some riding products in the USA. The first was the H1011. It was offered in three versions (gear/recoil, gear/e.start, hydro/e.start) and about the same time, Honda elected to start selling products to Home Depot. While many of the independent dealers were unhappy, it proved to be a good choice, simply because that's where customers wanted to shop. However, the H1011 was a bit lonesome out there on the showroom floor, up against those large front-engine tractors with bigger decks, metalflake paint, bigger motors, and lower prices. Along come the retro-styled H2013 13hp Honda lawn tractor, and the situation only got worse, along with a dramatic shift in Yen-to-Dollar values.

Keep in mind, Honda has always been an engine company first. So when the new V-twin 18 and 20 hp engines showed up, Honda needed a showcase product for them. Capacity at the domestic plant was full, and Honda had already had a reasonably success with the Bunton and Auburn companies to manufacture the H7013 and H7113 large walk-behind commercial mowers. So, Honda was able to hook up with Deere to make the H4118/20 and get them to market.

Meanwhile, on the commercial side, the ZTR marketplace was heating up fast. I suspect Honda wanted to compete here, but elected not to for whatever reason. The increased demand for ZTR units took away some commercial sales of Honda riders too.

As the currency exchange rates worsened, riding equipment sales at Home Depot never really took off, and the growth of ZTRs by commercial users increased, Honda had little choice but to exit the market. By regrouping, they have been able to focus better on walk-behinds, generators, and have done quite well. That's not to say there will never be any more Honda riding equipment in the USA, of course. Just nothing right now.

FYI, the last riding equipment Honda offered in the USA were the HA4118 and HA4120 lawn tractors, a co-op project where they were built by John Deere at their Horicon, Wisconsin plant. They started off with a John Deere LX173, then Honda designed a re-styled hood, updated anti-scalp rollers, different steering wheel, then dropped in a 18 or 20 hp Honda V-Twin engine. And of course, they changed the paint from Deere green/yellow to Honda red/silver.

Pics:

H3011: 11hp 30" mid-engine rider, hydrostatic drive, made in Japan

H1011: 11 hp 30" rear-engine rider, hydrostatic and 5-speed gear, made in USA

H2013: 13 hp, 36" twin-blade, front-engine, made in USA

H2113: 13hp 36" twin-blade, front-engine, hydrostatic, made in USA

HRC7020: 20 hp, v-twin, 60" deck, twin hydrostatic drive, optional brush and snowblower, made by Bunton, Co, in Louisville, KY

HA4120: 20 hp v-twin, 48" twin-blade, hydrostatic drive, optional snowblower, based on Deere LX173, made by Deere in USA

 

[reynoldston]

Don't know that much about Honda mowers. I have never had one in my shop for repairs. I have had Honda motorcycles, generators and ATVs in my shop. The motorcycles seem like a nice bike, but I find they have a lot of plastic parts and when the bike get older this plastic gets brittle and beaks. Now as far the ATV's go's they can have too many electronic problems. The generators I have worked needed new fuel lines and I have had to clean the generator carbon brushes. Just maybe the mowers made so will they never need repairs?

 

[cashman]

In addition to all that, in the mid 1980's, several of the US manufacturers like Snapper and Yazoo had placed orders for Honda Engines. We all thought that was promising to have Honda power available! Then Honda lauched their own line of equipment. The US manufacturers decided they didn't want to compete for maket share with their engine supplier. About one to two years was all that the Honda's were available on the Yazoo Red Rider and Snapper RER's.

 

[djdicetn]

I would say it was a clear business decision. Looking back at the situation, here's my take on it:

Back in the 80s, Honda was on a roll. Accords and GoldWings were flying out of the showrooms. There was plenty of opportunity to develop some great projects, like tractors, for the North American market. All this started in Japan, where, at that time, the dollar was VERY strong, about 200 Yen or so. It made perfect sense to develop and manufacture tractors in Japan for the US market. As a lot of the engineers got their start working on Honda racing teams, some of that tech found its way onto tractor projects, like the 4-wheel steer models. How about the "mid-engine" H3011 rider? Pretty awesome, trick stuff, and while it was spendy, it was profitable.

As the dollar started to cool, and more and more production shifted to the USA, Honda elected to develop some riding products in the USA. The first was the H1011. It was offered in three versions (gear/recoil, gear/e.start, hydro/e.start) and about the same time, Honda elected to start selling products to Home Depot. While many of the independent dealers were unhappy, it proved to be a good choice, simply because that's where customers wanted to shop. However, the H1011 was a bit lonesome out there on the showroom floor, up against those large front-engine tractors with bigger decks, metalflake paint, bigger motors, and lower prices. Along come the retro-styled H2013 13hp Honda lawn tractor, and the situation only got worse, along with a dramatic shift in Yen-to-Dollar values.

Keep in mind, Honda has always been an engine company first. So when the new V-twin 18 and 20 hp engines showed up, Honda needed a showcase product for them. Capacity at the domestic plant was full, and Honda had already had a reasonably success with the Bunton and Auburn companies to manufacture the H7013 and H7113 large walk-behind commercial mowers. So, Honda was able to hook up with Deere to make the H4118/20 and get them to market.

Meanwhile, on the commercial side, the ZTR marketplace was heating up fast. I suspect Honda wanted to compete here, but elected not to for whatever reason. The increased demand for ZTR units took away some commercial sales of Honda riders too.

As the currency exchange rates worsened, riding equipment sales at Home Depot never really took off, and the growth of ZTRs by commercial users increased, Honda had little choice but to exit the market. By regrouping, they have been able to focus better on walk-behinds, generators, and have done quite well. That's not to say there will never be any more Honda riding equipment in the USA, of course. Just nothing right now.

FYI, the last riding equipment Honda offered in the USA were the HA4118 and HA4120 lawn tractors, a co-op project where they were built by John Deere at their Horicon, Wisconsin plant. They started off with a John Deere LX173, then Honda designed a re-styled hood, updated anti-scalp rollers, different steering wheel, then dropped in a 18 or 20 hp Honda V-Twin engine. And of course, they changed the paint from Deere green/yellow to Honda red/silver.

Pics:

H3011: 11hp 30" mid-engine rider, hydrostatic drive, made in Japan

H1011: 11 hp 30" rear-engine rider, hydrostatic and 5-speed gear, made in USA

H2013: 13 hp, 36" twin-blade, front-engine, made in USA

H2113: 13hp 36" twin-blade, front-engine, hydrostatic, made in USA

HRC7020: 20 hp, v-twin, 60" deck, twin hydrostatic drive, optional brush and snowblower, made by Bunton, Co, in Louisville, KY

HA4120: 20 hp v-twin, 48" twin-blade, hydrostatic drive, optional snowblower, based on Deere LX173, made by Deere in USA

Thanks for that detailed explanation and evolution of Honda riders!!!! That H2113 looks like the lawn tractor my next door neighbor had and it sure was a good one according to him(and his dad). It's a shame that Honda didn't make the decision to manufacture ZTR's and continue the lawn tractors....with their engines they would have given Kawasaki-powered ZTR's and lawn tractors some major competition!!! And I've never seen many reviews of Honda products that remotely indicated poor engineering or quality.

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

Thanks, Robert! I would have loved to see a Honda zero-turn!