Entering the Giant LawnMower Market
In the mid-1970s, the global market for power products was about 20 million units per year, of which the lawnmower market accounted for around 8.5 million units, or more than 40%.
At the time, Honda’s power products business was selling complete products only in Japan and France, and its scale of operations was less than 300,000 units. By entering the huge lawnmower market, Honda decided to build a worldwide Honda network, including untapped areas in Europe and the United States, and to aim for a significant sales expansion of its power products.
In developing lawnmowers, Honda conducted market research mainly in North America and Europe, and found that the mainstream lawnmower at this time was “modest performance, but low-priced.” These mowers had starting problems, frequent breakdowns, and safety issues. In contrast, Honda found that in areas of the U.S. where lawns grew well, there was a market for “high-performance, safe, and durable” lawnmowers. Honda realized that there was indeed a market where it could take advantage of its strengths.
Honda then began development of its first lawnmower, the HR21, aiming for “the world's number one lawnmower with superior performance, safety, and durability.”
Knowing Lawn First
As lawnmowers were not widely used in Japan at that time, development posed a big challenge for Honda, leading it to start with a survey of how lawnmowers were used in the U.S. and Europe.
Samples of lawn were collected from around the world to finalize requirements for Honda’s original lawnmower.Both samples, from private residences in Normandy (left) and suburban Paris (right), are both from the same region in France, but differ greatly in length and thickness.
The prototype was tested in various locations in Europe, and improvements were made.
Beginning in February 1976, Honda associates visited most of the countries in the lawnmower market, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Switzerland, and the United States, to find out what other manufacturers and dealers were doing and how they maintained their products. At the same time, Honda collected information on existing products at local exhibitions, and conducted market research on annual usage, and lawn size and usage conditions. In the suburbs of Paris and Los Angeles, Honda collected samples of lawn from users’ gardens and cottages introduced by dealers, as well as from roadside lawns, and focused on studying the characteristics of lawn from each region. Through this approach, requirements for a Honda-original lawnmower became apparent.
After returning to Japan, the development team immediately began prototyping. They searched for places to test the prototype and accumulated know-how, including methods for performance evaluation, for almost a year. In June 1977, the team, including testers, went back to Europe to see if the completed prototype could be adapted to local conditions and how it would be evaluated. Partial modifications were made to adapt the prototype to the different lawn conditions in each region.
The Gravity of the Honda Brand Built
By Motorcycles and Automobiles
As the team traveled around Europe and the United States, they witnessed the power of the Honda brand. When local Honda associates took the team to dealers, they were welcomed everywhere and were able to conduct useful research. A Honda motorcycle dealer even introduced the team to a lawnmower user who had no business relationship.
These experiences made the team keenly aware that it must not tarnish the Honda brand, built up by motorcycles and automobiles, and that they needed to develop lawnmowers that would be used for 10 or 20 years by happy customers.
Unlike motorcycles and automobiles, which were sold through Honda dealers, lawnmowers were sold as home-use lawn and garden products, with stores selling products from several manufacturers, which was the common style in the U.S. and Europe. As a result, after-sales service was inadequate.
In order for Honda to provide the same level of satisfaction as its motorcycles and automobiles, Honda dealerships were more suited as they could offer full service. By selling higher quality lawnmowers, not quite cheap but durable and can be used for a longer span of time with parts replacement, at high-quality dealerships, Honda could maintain its high-grade image.
World-leading LawnMowers that
Combine Ease of Use and Safety
HR21, Honda’s first walk-behind lawnmower .Introduced in 1978 in the U.S. and other overseas markets, the HR21 was highly acclaimed.
Once the basic structure was finalized, the team narrowed its focus to class-leading performance and areas where other manufacturers were not meeting user needs. Specifically, it was a high-quality lawnmower that was both quiet enough to be used without concern for the neighbors, easy to operate for everyone, and safe, based on a Honda’s proactive safety philosophy.
The HR21 was equipped with the GV150 engine, which realized quiet operation and superior ease of starting. It adopted a vacuum action mechanism that generates strong airflow by rotating the blades to collect mowed grass and suck grass strands up for efficient lawn mowing. In addition, the operating controls were centrally located in the handle to improve operability.
The HR21 employs a vacuum action mechanism,and controls are centrally located in the handle.
BBC mechanism stops the cutter blades within 3seconds of releasing the handle.
The world’s first safety device for lawnmowers
In terms of safety, a proprietary Blade Brake Clutch (BBC) mechanism was developed based on a proactive safety concept. Mowers with blades that rotate at high speed can cause accidents if mishandled. However, ordinary lawnmowers at that time were rarely equipped with safety devices. As a result, there were many accidents caused by trying to remove grass stuck in the cutter housing without stopping the engine. Naturally, legislation of safety devices had been considered, but many technical issues had been postponed, and the demand for both safety and ease of use was gradually increasing.
The BBC mechanism was a safety-conscious technology in which the cutter blade rotates when the clutch lever is held, but when the clutch lever is released, the cutter blade brakes and stops within 3 seconds. In addition to safety, this new mechanism took convenience into consideration. As the world’s first safety device for lawnmowers, the BBC mechanism was a factor in promoting the establishment of safety standards in the United States. At the same time, it was a catalyst for a dramatic improvement in the safety of walk-behind lawnmowers as a whole, giving it a significant lead over its competitors.
A Huge Hit, with Annual Sales of 330 Thousand Units
The HR21, Honda’s first walk-behind lawnmower, was launched in the U.S. and other overseas markets in August 1978. Accurately encompassing local needs, Honda’s technological capabilities, and attention to detail, the HR21 highly acclaimed and sales grew strongly, and by 1985, when Honda’s lawnmower series was launched, the business had grown to sell 330,000 units annually.
The basic structure and functions of the HR21 were later improved and matured into its successor model, the HRS21, a lighter and easier-to-handle lawnmower with high performance and quality, a concept inherited from the HR21. To achieve lighter weight and easier handling, a new lightweight, high-performance GXV110 engine with a specially developed OHV cantilevered crankshaft was chosen. A new structure, such as the side discharge/rear storage compatible housing, which allows the mowed lawn to be processed in different ways depending on the application, and the maintenance-free shaft drive self-propelled mechanism was adopted, and the reputation of the mower among users steadily spread.
Riding LawnMower with Superior Operability and
Comfort Achieved Through Unique Design
In order for Honda to establish itself as a global manufacturer of power products, entering the U.S. riding lawnmower market, which reached 800,000 units per year, was inevitable. The HR21 walk-behind lawnmower was highly acclaimed, and local dealers had growing expectations for riding lawnmowers, prompting Honda to begin development in 1982.
At that time, most riding lawnmowers were made up of off-the-shelf components such as engines and transmissions, and most of them had only a seat and handle attached on top of the lawnmower. Operation was complicated, riding space was confined, and the mower was in no way a pleasure to ride all day.
Honda was committed to a different concept from other companies’ products, and began development with its own, original design. First, Honda worked on a Mechanical Automatic Transmission (MAT) mechanism that would enable smooth starting. At the time, other manufacturers’ offerings combined hydraulic pumps and motors to enable smooth starting and shifting of gears in their high-end models, but the MAT mechanism would only cost the same as a standard clutch and gear transmission. In 1985, Honda began marketing the HT3810 riding lawnmower, featuring a single lever action for starting and shifting gears, and safety features such as automatic engine shutdown when the operator leaves their seat. In addition to the MAT mechanism, a shaft drive was adopted for the power transmission mechanism for movement, whereas other companies used a belt drive, in consideration of durability. The engine, which was fixed directly to the frame with other companies’ models, was rubber-mounted to achieve low vibration.
Since then, the HT3813, HT4213, HT-R3009, and HT-R3811 equipped with water-cooled engines were released, and Honda’s riding lawnmower series steadily increased its sales volume, supported by its high performance and high quality.
In addition to the MAT mechanism, the HT3810 employed a shaft drive for the power transmission, rubber mounts for the engine, and other mechanisms not found in other companies’ mowers.
Developing and Manufacturing Where the Demand Is
In response to the rapid appreciation of the yen following the Plaza Accord in September 1985 and the entry of other companies into the high-end lawnmower market that Honda had established, a project to promote local production, called NAD (North America Development), was launched in 1989.
The project, however, faced difficulties in finding manufacturers for local procurement. Japanese companies in the U.S. were so occupied with automobile parts that they had no time to cater for power products, so the team had to negotiate mainly with local manufacturers. It was also difficult to get American manufacturers, who were accustomed to measuring in inches, to understand Honda’s drawings, and even if the Honda Philosophy was explained to them, they could not understand. Through many frustrating experiences, the team gradually built relationships of trust with manufacturers, and over a longer period of time, established the foundation on which discussions could be held on an equal footing.
The foundation for local development and procurement of parts was laid by the HRB215, a walk-behind lawnmower released in 1991, which was developed based on Japanese drawings, adjusted so it could be understood by local manufacturers who were selected for their balance of cost and quality. The result was the integration of component functions and the adoption of a plastic cutter housing for the first time in the U.S. market, in response to local methods.
HRB215, which laid the foundation for local development and local procurement of parts under the NAD Project.
H1011, the first riding lawnmower produced locally in the U.S.
HRS216, which was locally developed and launched by HRA and later imported to Japan.
Honda also worked on the localization of its riding lawnmowers, which had been highly acclaimed, and developed the H1011 / H2013, which were launched in 1992. Honda took on the challenge of using various methods, such as sharing and integrating parts to accommodate the methods of local manufacturers, weldless frames, and a rethinking of the painting process. Associates visited local manufacturers with drawings and optimized them to the specifications matching the manufacturer’s equipment. In this way, a competitive riding lawnmower with a good balance of performance and quality at an affordable price was realized.
The HRS216 walk-behind lawnmower, launched in 1997, was completed as a joint Japan-US project based on a basic layout proposal by Honda R&D North America (HRA). The localization of the project, which began with development in Japan and local procurement in the U.S., was realized by HRA, which took responsibility for the local development as its own lawnmower business.
Based on its philosophy of developing and producing where there is demand, Honda has since expanded its production bases globally to meet demand in each region.
Robotic LawnMower Unique to the Top Manufacturer
In Europe’s urban areas, many houses have long backyards due to the high density of housing, and it was customary to keep lawns neat and clean. Mowing the lawn is one of the highlights of a homeowner’s skill, and there was a culture in which homeowners would work hard to keep their yards beautifully mowed and trimmed on their days off, and then show off their work to each other. In the 2000s, however, there was an emerging need, especially among the younger generation, to spend their time with family and relaxing on the lawn rather than working on it.
In 1995, robotic lawnmower that automatically mowed the yard first appeared, and in around 2009, major lawnmower manufacturers entered the market. In 2013, Honda launched Miimo, a fully automatic robotic lawn mower, after establishing a comprehensive service system with its dealers. Miimo was a latecomer to the robotic lawnmower market. Honda developed the Miimo Robotic LawnMower to be dependable, easy to use, and effortless. Although Miimo was a late entrant into the robotic lawnmower market, its advanced technological capabilities exceeded the appeal of existing manufacturers.
Miimo operates by receiving signals from boundary wires laid along the perimeter of the mowing area. Honda’s proprietary high-quality signal ensured that it could continue to operate even when there was radio noise in the surrounding area. Setup, which used to require skill and knowledge, is also easy. Miimo employs a setup wizard that automatically sets the work program by replying to questions on the control panel. The program patrols the area, mowing the lawn and dropping the cut grass at the roots of the lawn, eliminating the need to collect the grass later. In addition, Miimo automatically charges itself by returning to its docking station, and once charged, continues its program. By lifting Miimo up, the lift sensor activates the emergency blade stop function. Furthermore, in the event of a collision with an obstacle, Miimo will avoid the obstacle by itself and resume its program. All of the sensors that detect its surroundings overlap, so that if one sensor malfunctions, another sensor will detect the malfunction and safely stop Miimo.
Miimo design aims to go beyond work machines, to become a member of the family and their lifestyle, styled with gentle curves reminiscent of a pet running on the lawn. Miimo’s presence is one of its major features.
Miimo earned a strong reputation in Europe for its safety features and high quality and performance. In 2017, Miimo was launched in Japan and North America.
Honda’s Power Products philosophy of using technology to bring happiness to people, which has remained unchanged since the H-Type engine in 1953, aims to reduce people’s labor and work time. Miimo, which achieves full automation in lawn mowing, is one form of achieving this goal. However, this is not the end of the road, but rather a new start toward a lawnmower that can achieve higher quality work, more efficiently.
The walk-behind lawnmower, which is not only practical but also popular as a hobby. The robotic lawnmower, which always keeps the lawn clean. The riding lawnmower, which can work comfortably even on a large site. Honda will continue to respond to the needs of the world with a broad lineup of lawnmowers that make lawn mowing “fast, easy, and beautiful.”
Miimo receives signal from boundary wires to accurately detect work area.
Miimo’s setup wizard allows automatic operations to be set up smoothly, without skills and knowledge that were once needed.
Dual sensor types allow Miimo to automatically stop blades and move around obstacles.
