Honda HR 215

[robert@honda]

I sure hope Honda makes sure that their product is well represented by this partnership with John Deere.

It's been a challenge.

When Honda and Deere agreed to get "married," they both recognized it was going to be a big effort on both part to make the deal work. It will be two years this fall since the first date, and a lot of progress has been made, but there's a lot more still to go. While the Deere dealers are really sharp on "big iron" only a few of them had much experience with smaller lawn and garden stuff, and very little knew much about Honda, much less Honda as a company. On the Honda side, Honda field staff were already quite thin, and overnight, the number of dealers they had to support doubled and in some cases tripled. Usually, when a Honda field sales or service rep picks up a new dealer, the new dealer is at least in the lawn and garden business, but many of these new Deere dealers had never even touched an engine that wasn't at least a 50 hp diesel with 36" ag tires and green/yellow paint. Needless to say, it continues to be challenging for everyone and of course frustrating for customers. It will take some time for things to ramp up. The good news is it is still a great fit. Deere has an incredible dealer network, loyal brand and retail customer base. They are excited to be able to offer quality small gas engine products and full line-up from Honda. Honda if totally pumped about expanding into all of the Deere network of retail stores and there is virtually no overlap with current Honda dealers. The Honda brand "fits" in Deere dealers and Deere dealer know it too. So do Deere customers. If anybody is nervous about this, it's other lawn and garden manufacturer's who also sell to Deere dealers, such as the St*hl Co.

While far from perfect, it will surely prove to be a good decision in the end. Stick with it guys. I know most of the guys at Deere dealerships sincerely want to earn your business, and Honda is working hard to get them trained to know the products to do just that.

 

[scott47429]

i think the Deere dealers will get to where they need to be but right now its just not a good thing when the customer knows more then the dealer about the product they sell and i dont know about all over but there is alot of over lap around here with the Honda dealers we have a Honda motorcycle shop selling them the John Deere dealer Home Depot and i know of at least 2 other small engine places that deal in Honda all within a 15-30 mile radius but the John Deere dealer is the only one that has them for 399.00 everyone else wants 459.00-499.00 for the same mower

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

i think the Deere dealers will get to where they need to be but right now its just not a good thing when the customer knows more then the dealer about the product they sell and i dont know about all over but there is alot of over lap around here with the Honda dealers we have a Honda motorcycle shop selling them the John Deere dealer Home Depot and i know of at least 2 other small engine places that deal in Honda all within a 15-30 mile radius but the John Deere dealer is the only one that has them for 399.00 everyone else wants 459.00-499.00 for the same mower

That shows that either prices of Honda equipment can be lowered and still make a profit OR that everyone else's prices are higher because they have more knowledge about the product.

 

[scott47429]

i dont know what it is but i have talked to a few people ( dealers ) and they all say thats the price pretty much take it or leave it nothing they can do one dealer told me that he had like 20 bucks to play with and he would do that for me but thats all he can do so he told me to go to John Deere and buy it if i can get it for that price another guy said he would sell it at his cost but if he sold it for what John Deere has it for he would loose money so im not sure whats going on maybe Honda has different pricing plans for there dealers like the more yiu buy the cheaper you can get them for one guy told me for him to buy them at that price he had to buy 10,000 dollars worth

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

i dont know what it is but i have talked to a few people ( dealers ) and they all say thats the price pretty much take it or leave it nothing they can do one dealer told me that he had like 20 bucks to play with and he would do that for me but thats all he can do so he told me to go to John Deere and buy it if i can get it for that price another guy said he would sell it at his cost but if he sold it for what John Deere has it for he would loose money so im not sure whats going on maybe Honda has different pricing plans for there dealers like the more yiu buy the cheaper you can get them for one guy told me for him to buy them at that price he had to buy 10,000 dollars worth

I guess they figure it's worth it to lose a customer but keep the prices higher. :confused3:

 

[scott47429]

i guess so thats not the way i look at it but its not my business so ill buy one a JD if i can get over the fact they dont even know what there selling but with everyones help ill get it there and take it to another dealer for work if it needs any while its under warranty i want the HRX217VKA but the HRR216VKA is all i can afford

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

i guess so thats not the way i look at it but its not my business so ill buy one a JD if i can get over the fact they dont even know what there selling but with everyones help ill get it there and take it to another dealer for work if it needs any while its under warranty i want the HRX217VKA but the HRR216VKA is all i can afford

You will still be happy with the HRR.

 

[scott47429]

i hope so but i really want that 190 cc engine rather then the 160 i guess if i dont like it i can take it back or sell it lol

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

i hope so but i really want that 190 cc engine rather then the 160 i guess if i dont like it i can take it back or sell it lol

Yeah....the HRX mowers have great features!

 

[robert@honda]

but the John Deere dealer is the only one that has them for 399.00 everyone else wants 459.00-499.00 for the same mower

I'd double-check that. +$100 for the exact same model is probably a mistake somewhere, or it is not really the exact same model. I don't ever remember any dealer selling a mower for full retail pop, except when quoting a government bid :tongue:

I would guess the $399 is the one with flywheel brake and the $499 is the one the the blade clutch. Or, one is pull-start and the other is electric start. Really doesn't make sense they are the exact same one and priced a full $100 apart.

That said, once Honda invoices the dealer for the mower, the dealer is completely free to set the retail selling price at whatever they want. That is a federal law my friends. Any wholesaler who tries to force a dealer to set a selling price is guilty of price fixing and is in violation of FTC (Federal Trade Commission) Regulations.