Honda Walk Behind Mowers being discontinued Sept 2023

[Steve Demuth]

I've got a 4 or 5 year hold Honda walk-behind, self-propelled. Easily the best small mower I've every owned or used, although I do wish it had an option to side discharge, rather than being a mandatory bag or mulch.

But all mowers are going electric - which is a good thing overall. I just wish I could find a battery electric replacement for my 13HP Honda GX390 to bolt on to the walking tractor that drives the mower I use most (a 42" twin blade), my garden tiller, my snow blower, and my orchard sprayer. It's the biggest gas hog on the place, and every one of the uses would easily be better served with an electric engine, if I could get at least 60 minutes per charge, and swappable batteries.

[Bill Dufour]

No if about it. During the current years-long drought, water conservation regs have effectively banned lawns in much of the state.

There are companies that will come out and spray paint your lawn green so it looks good during the dry season. They will also paint gravel in different colors with more permanent paint
Bill D

[Edward Weber]

I like Honda for small engine reliability, but I don't like the mower portion.
I prefer a high wheel mower, all lawns are not flat as a table-top.
I just recently replaced my 20-year-old B&S engine for a third the cost of their cheapest self-propelled model.

As Taryl would say, "It ain't the space shuttle, it's a lawnmower".
https://www.youtube.com/c/TarylFixesAll

[Brian Elfert]

I've got a 4 or 5 year hold Honda walk-behind, self-propelled. Easily the best small mower I've every owned or used, although I do wish it had an option to side discharge, rather than being a mandatory bag or mulch.

I believe Honda makes an attachment to blow grass out to the side. I can't recall if my father had one for his Honda or his Toro.

[Alex Zeller]

I like Honda for small engine reliability, but I don't like the mower portion.
I prefer a high wheel mower, all lawns are not flat as a table-top.
I just recently replaced my 20-year-old B&S engine for a third the cost of their cheapest self-propelled model.

As Taryl would say, "It ain't the space shuttle, it's a lawnmower".
https://www.youtube.com/c/TarylFixesAll

B&S has gone down hill. A few years ago I bought a tow behind leaf sucker with a 5hp B&S engine. The second year I left it outside for about 2 weeks (I suck leaves up twice each in the fall) and somehow rain got down the exhaust and into the cylinder. While repairing it I found out that hey don't even make the engine and some parts they don't even sell to repair them (I needed a head gasket yet you had to buy a short block from Briggs so I bought it from Honda). It turns out that the engine is made in one of the Chinese factories making Honda clones for Harbor Freight. B&S decided to focus on selling riding mower engines. In the end it was cheaper to just buy the HF engine that was always on sale for under $100 than to repair it.

Sad because as a kid I had several 5hp Briggs engines (with the pulsa jet carb) and they ran great as long as you didn't try running them underwater or without oil. They always started and ran great. I don't think small engines will go away all together for some time but they will be replaced in part by batteries. But living off of past accomplishments and buying low quality Chinese clones of your competition to pass off to an unsuspecting consumer isn't a good business decision.

[Brian Elfert]

B&S has gone down hill. A few years ago I bought a tow behind leaf sucker with a 5hp B&S engine. The second year I left it outside for about 2 weeks (I suck leaves up twice each in the fall) and somehow rain got down the exhaust and into the cylinder. While repairing it I found out that hey don't even make the engine and some parts they don't even sell to repair them (I needed a head gasket yet you had to buy a short block from Briggs so I bought it from Honda). It turns out that the engine is made in one of the Chinese factories making Honda clones for Harbor Freight. B&S decided to focus on selling riding mower engines. In the end it was cheaper to just buy the HF engine that was always on sale for under $100 than to repair it.

B&S shows on their website which engines are made in the USA. If the webpage for a particular engine model doesn't have Made in the USA on it then it is an import. It appears only push mower and riding mower engines are made in the USA these days.

Unfortunately, the small engine world is going to Chinese engines. It only makes sense for B&S to sell Chinese engines in order to compete on price with manufacturers. Manufacturers are unlikely to buy a made in the USA engine if it would cost them an extra $25 over a Chinese engine. I have no idea how B&S can make push mower engines in the USA that go on $300 mowers.

[Edward Weber]

Not that it matters, but the engine I bought was a B&S Professional Series, it was made in U.S.A. with global parts.
Pretty much everything these days has an amalgam of parts from all over.

Even if B&S are making their engines in China, it's not the Chinese' fault that they're low quality, it's B&S quality control, they set the parameters of what's acceptable.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

I had a honda walk behind. After about 5 years the cast deck started cracking around two of the wheel bolts. eventually a wheel fell off. Currently have a Black Max brand mower with a Honda engine. It has a stamped sheet metal deck but made from fairly heavy sheet. On it's 5th years now. I have an old Central Tractor brand rototiller with a honda engine. 17 yrs old and works fine. Except the cords for the recoil start keep breaking. Tempted to put a thin stainless steel cable instead.

[Ted Calver]

My Honda professional SP walk behind is 12 years old and has been neglected and abused. The missus didn't appreciate the price at the time, but I told her it would last a long time...and it has. Now the stamped metal deck is rusting out, engine won't start without fluid help, and even then won't run very long. It's comforting to know my mower and I have so much in common.

[Steve Demuth]

Even if B&S are making their engines in China, it's not the Chinese' fault that they're low quality, it's B&S quality control, they set the parameters of what's acceptable.

The thing with Chinese manufacturing quality for relatively inexpensive items, is that the only way they come out cheaper than domestic, is if you skimp on the QC. Chinese manufacturers are capable, as you point out, of quality work, but if you pay for that, and the shipping, you won't save enough to pay your leveraged buy-out masters the cut they expect. B & S was going downhill for years, but I expect that now it's privately owned and leveraged, it will go to hell in a handbasket.

[Jerome Stanek]

I replaced my old lawn boy last year it was only 22 years old and my wife had trouble starting it but I could start it on the first pull. still use it once in a while just to mow around the field fence.

[Edward Weber]

The thing with Chinese manufacturing quality for relatively inexpensive items, is that the only way they come out cheaper than domestic, is if you skimp on the QC. Chinese manufacturers are capable, as you point out, of quality work, but if you pay for that, and the shipping, you won't save enough to pay your leveraged buy-out masters the cut they expect. B & S was going downhill for years, but I expect that now it's privately owned and leveraged, it will go to hell in a handbasket.

As is the case with far too many companies.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Honda is moving "four wheeler" manufacturing from a plant in SC to Graham. The South Carolina plant will focus on "side by side" production.

[William Fretwell]

Bought a Honda self propelled over 18 years ago, used it once as the lot was so big a neibour with a ride on tractor took over. It’s been sitting in my workshop ever since. Looks new. Love to sell it!

[Kev Williams]

Honda makes a dependable machine for sure, but give me a Toro Super Recycler any day.
The Toro is way more maneuverable, mulches leaves far better, and Personal Pace is head and shoulders above Honda's self-propelled function.
(And Toro offers a Honda engine option, at least currently.)

I've always liked and had Toro's. My dad bought a "Wind Tunnel" Toro when I was about 7 years old, had a new-fangled wind-up crank starter. The one I have now is 4-wheel drive 'Personal-Pace' Recycler, front-back wheel 'drive bias' is adjustable, just push 'n go, and it'll go fast enough you have to jog to keep up, also has a grab-handle so you can 'squeeze and go' with one hand, great for 180 turns; has a side discharge, back chute 'n bag, or all closed up for mulching, always starts very easy-- Mowed the back lawn last weekend, first time in 6 weeks so the lawn was about 8" tall and wet, not a hint of lugging thru the deep stuff. I know Honda makes good stuff, but I have no reason to even look at one since my Toro does virtually anything I could ask of a mower aside from mowing the lawn by itself!