what he said +1
what he said +1
http://curraronggardening.com/
"All sin is washed away in the Holy goodness of Beer"
Book of Redeye, Psalm 69
I didnt like the range of Honda mowers these last two years - I bought a great Honda 'look alike' from TPE - same look, feel, heck, even same chassis, motor and handles at the 196.
Was recommended to me by a dealer who was abandoning their Honda dealership arrangement. I have appreciated saving a couple hundred bucks, plus same performance and reliability as I had with the 196. Same filters, Same blades, Same replacement parts....... Sweeeeeet
David
Mr Sparkle Car Spa
Dylan, I commend you for taking up the offer to work with us on the forum especially in the knowledge that all the comments were not going to be positive.
I imagine that most forum users here are happy that you are taking up and passing on their suggestions for improvement but what is really required is some real world evidence they have been acted on and put into production.
Now I know that change takes time but many suggestions here are not about new issues but long standing issues that have not been addressed by Honda at all...a reflection of this is the number of former Honda users that now use other brand product.
Honda promotes itself as the "Contractors Mower" but it is clearly shown here that it's not.
I personally run a 3 year old HRU216 and a 3 year old 196 Mulch & Catch other brand copy...both have served me well but I guess the biggest issue I have is the small discharge chute on the 216.
So can I make a suggestion to Honda...dont just take our word for the issues at hand, get your engineers to come out into the world and spend some time one on one with a number of contractors and experience first hand the problems that we encounter, this will surely assist in helping Honda to develop a more contractor friendly unit, then we would be happy to trial any new units you develop and provide honest real world feedback before they go into production.
If you went down this path I'm sure you would gain the respect back from many contractors and perhaps reclaim a lot of market share.
Just a thought....
Cheers
Kevin
I doubt it. Mine is on the scrap heap after 18 months of light use. Got sick of broken cables, side flaps, broken gearbox housing, seized idler bearing and pulley and problematic drive from the rear wheels. The grass catcher didn't catch well, it was too slow, difficult to drag up steps backwards (axle not far enough to the rear) and the engine brake was annoying (switch can be repositioned by the way) The motor was ok.
For about the same money ($750) I replaced it with a chonda 216 from a local mower shop who does a lot of ebay selling. I love the chonda, heavy, but sweet controls and a good range of speed from the 3 speed gearbox. I notice that Master hardware are selling what appears to be an identical unit for $1200 branded "TPE". regards Rod.
Hi Dylan, you have pages and pages of feedback here. Are you able to advise if there is a new model Honda coming out any time soon? Would be nice to know with spring approaching.
A bit of wishful thinking there GQdude. As much as I commend Dylan for coming on here I don't think Honda will change anytime soon. I definitely won't be buying another Honda mower in this country. Will probably buy the HRX that Arfa imported. Seems to be a much better mower at a cheaper price.
Hi GQdude, I can tell you that there are no new Honda models coming out in the short term. We will, however, be releasing the Blower and Edger attachments for the VersaTool in the coming months, so if you haven't had the chance to check these items out, drop by your local dealership and (s)he should have them in stock soon.
Our new range of savings will be updated on our website - http://powerequipment.honda.com.au - this Thursday, 1 August, with brochures available in dealerships well in time for spring.
Cheers,
Dylan
Honda - The Power of Dreams
powerequipment.honda.com.au
Hi Dylan,
Two Questions.......
1. When you say savings, is that savings on current prices like a promotional special....or like other competitors do ie buy a versa tool and get one attachment half price etc
2. Upon checking out one of the versa tools at my local dealer they told me that when using it I had to keep making the engine level as the engine would starve it self of oil if being kept at an angle for a long period....ie when using the hedge trimmer the angle would be approx. 45degrees etc They told me it would cease the piston and void warranty.
Thanks
Independent and i know it
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for your feedback. I agree with you 100% when you say that contractors should play a part in the development of new products. You will see throughout the 25-odd year history of Honda Power Equipment in Australia that contractors have actually contributed a lot of ideas and direction for our range. Things like wheel weight and stability, the use of bolts & screws where previously there were clips, and the design of our catcher bags have all stemmed from close cooperation between Honda and contractors like you.
At three stages of the R&D process for our most recent range of mowers - before manufacture, initial feedback during the manufacturing process, and once the finished product had been completed - contractors were canvassed for their opinions and feedback. In Melbourne alone, 15 contractors took part in this process so that Honda could get a realistic, end-user view of the developments that were being made.
Future developments will continue this process, so that contractors will be involved in all product design. Obviously it's in our interest to have the end customer - you - happy with the product that we're selling, so it makes sense to involve you in the decision-making process.
Please be aware that your comments are extremely useful, and feedback such as yours play a valuable role in the development of new products. I don't say that purely as lip service; since I have started monitoring this forum, I have been documenting constructive (and polite) criticism, which is aired at formal meetings within Honda Australia and on a global level.
So don't be shy - but please be polite - about letting Honda know of contractor concerns. Although I might not be able to respond to every comment on this forum, you can rest assured that your feedback is not falling on deaf ears.
Cheers,
Dylan
Honda - The Power of Dreams
powerequipment.honda.com.au
Hi SM Mowing;
Answer 1: The savings will be off the regular retail price. For example (and just as an example! This is not necessarily a real-life situation!), a mower might cost $1000 now, but will cost $800 for a limited time throughout spring.
Answer 2: I've spoken with our Senior Engineer and also our Service Technician and both of them agree that keeping the Mini-4 Stroke engine in the VersaTool on an angle, even to the point of totally upside-down, shouldn't be a problem for the engine. Apparently there used to be an issue similar to this with an older version of the engine, but you should be fine with the VersaTool. Obviously you should take care when storing the engine and if you were working upside-down consistently then you might want to give the VersaTool (and your back!) a rest after a few hours, but according to both our resident experts it should be fine. Would you mind telling me what dealer told you that? Feel free to send it to me in a private message if you'd prefer.
Cheers,
Dylan
Honda - The Power of Dreams
powerequipment.honda.com.au
Dylan, do you know what modifications Honda are doing for the new Hondas when they come out?
Everything looks good with a haircut.... ɐuıɥɔ ɯoɹɟ pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐl ǝɥʇ sʇɐɥʇ
So we can blame the Melbourne guys for all the faults. Id like to have a talk to some of these guys that were canvassed, they must be backyarders cause no one on here knows any of them. Im not having a go at Honda just saying, I don't think it would take much to make a good mower the best on the market, but you would need some input from real contractors from all over Australia. The conditions in Melbourne are very different from here and we are different from Queensland so I feel national input would be worthwhile
I understand from a senior Honda person (name withheld for obvious reasons), that the half size chute was developed for the US market, and it was forced onto honda Australia, so dont know how you can say that the current mower was developed in conjunction with local contractors from Melbourne,
Honda - The Power of Dreams
powerequipment.honda.com.au