So, is Honda selling Chinese engines, or did Honda sell off an old
production line to China?





On Nov 22, 7:34 am, Larry wrote:
"Sir Thomas of Cannondale" wrote innews:R9h1j.18212$701.1027@trndny08:

Who knows.

I don't think those labels make any difference any more. Manufacturers
aren't really manufacturers any more, just brokers for obscure
manufacturer contractors noone ever heard of.

Case in point. I had a Honda EM5000X 5.5KW genset. It had a slant-
cylinder 11HP OHV 4-stroke engine on it that said HONDA all over it.
Honda made the whole thing, generator and all, painted Honda red......and
quite expensive because of it. It was a great generator, too!

But, roaming inside Pep Boys looking for something, I stumbled upon a
whole rack of Chinese generators from manufacturers I couldn't even
pronounce. I saw a familiar shaped engine on a 6KW Chinese model and
took a closer look. There sat my HONDA 11hp OHV 4-stroke
engine....EXACTLY what was on my Honda genset....at 1/4 the price! Where
the HONDA genset had HONDA stamped into the aluminum block....it was
blank on this engine. There were unused motor mounts on this block that
HONDA used to mount the motor to the frame. It had the same carb, same
valve cover without HONDA stamped into it, same everything except the
name.

Just like electronics, the company whos name is emblazoned on the cabinet
is only the broker for the manufacturer in Foo Man Chu you never will
hear of. Chuck Hung Lo Manufacturing and Storm Door, Foo Man Chu, PRC.

Larry
--
Xterm IS the ultimate video game...(c;

wrote:

So, is Honda selling Chinese engines, or did Honda sell off an old
production line to China?


Or did a Chinese company make castings from a Honda? Or is a company
that contracts with Honda running a "midnight production line" or are
they selling off the defects?

A few years ago I was seriously considering the Chinese Honda knockoff
(the one discussed here that's yellow instead of red) and wondering if
the potential repair hassle was worth saving a few hundred bucks. Then
a friend called asking if I wanted a good deal with a Honda dealer and
the choice became clear.

On a different but similar front, my sewing machine was made on the same
production line as the Sailrite, but not to their standards. Sailrite
shut down all the "zig-zag/walking foot" variants like mine. I've
talked to Matt Grant a few times, and while he's happy to sell me parts
and give a bit of advice, he won't do repairs.

On Thu, 22 Nov 2007 13:35:13 -0500, jeff wrote:

wrote:

So, is Honda selling Chinese engines, or did Honda sell off an old
production line to China?


Or did a Chinese company make castings from a Honda? Or is a company
that contracts with Honda running a "midnight production line" or are
they selling off the defects?

A few years ago I was seriously considering the Chinese Honda knockoff
(the one discussed here that's yellow instead of red) and wondering if
the potential repair hassle was worth saving a few hundred bucks. Then
a friend called asking if I wanted a good deal with a Honda dealer and
the choice became clear.

On a different but similar front, my sewing machine was made on the same
production line as the Sailrite, but not to their standards. Sailrite
shut down all the "zig-zag/walking foot" variants like mine. I've
talked to Matt Grant a few times, and while he's happy to sell me parts
and give a bit of advice, he won't do repairs.

Here in Thailand there is an engine named a "Robin" that is an exact
copy of a Honda and about 1/2 - 2/3 the cost. I talked to an engine
repair shop about whether to buy a Robin or a Honda and they
recommended the Robin.

Now, cost is a big issue with Thais so I don't know whether the
recommendation was based on service life or initial cost but as they
looked identical and these small air cooled engines are basically a
throw away item it probably doesn't matter.

The Robin and Honda engines appear to be exactly the same engine
except for the name decal..

On a different subject the "Sailrite" zig-zag machine was a standard
Brother machine that they re-labeled and sold in a "portable box"
rather then the standard commercial machine table. I bought the
identical model in Singapore for less then half Sailrite's price and
built my own cabinet. Good machine.




Bruce-in-Bangkok
(Note:remove underscores
from address for reply)

I talked to an engine
repair shop about whether to buy a Robin or a Honda and they
recommended the Robin.

Uh, sure they did. If it's a cheap knock-off and it breaks then that REPAIR
shop will get more business.

On Fri, 23 Nov 2007 17:44:03 -0500, "Bill Kearney"
wkearney-99@hot-mail-com wrote:

I talked to an engine
repair shop about whether to buy a Robin or a Honda and they
recommended the Robin.

Uh, sure they did. If it's a cheap knock-off and it breaks then that REPAIR
shop will get more business.

I sure wish you had quoted the whole of my message. It would make both
of us look less like fools. Please reread the portion of the original
message you neglected to quote, below.

quote
Here in Thailand there is an engine named a "Robin" that is an exact
copy of a Honda and about 1/2 - 2/3 the cost. I talked to an engine
repair shop about whether to buy a Robin or a Honda and they
recommended the Robin.

Now, cost is a big issue with Thais so I don't know whether the
recommendation was based on service life or initial cost but as they
looked identical and these small air cooled engines are basically a
throw away item it probably doesn't matter
unquote


Bruce-in-Bangkok
(Note:remove underscores
from address for reply)

On Fri, 23 Nov 2007 17:44:03 -0500, "Bill Kearney"
wkearney-99@hot-mail-com wrote:

I talked to an engine
repair shop about whether to buy a Robin or a Honda and they
recommended the Robin.

Uh, sure they did. If it's a cheap knock-off and it breaks then that REPAIR
shop will get more business.

The Robin is a Subaru brand. Subaru boxer engines out of cars power
some light homebuilt aircraft. Next to no Honda engines are used for
that purpose

Brian Whatcott Altus OK

On Sat, 24 Nov 2007 11:01:25 -0600, Brian Whatcott
wrote:

On Fri, 23 Nov 2007 17:44:03 -0500, "Bill Kearney"
wkearney-99@hot-mail-com wrote:

I talked to an engine
repair shop about whether to buy a Robin or a Honda and they
recommended the Robin.

Uh, sure they did. If it's a cheap knock-off and it breaks then that REPAIR
shop will get more business.

The Robin is a Subaru brand. Subaru boxer engines out of cars power
some light homebuilt aircraft. Next to no Honda engines are used for
that purpose

Brian Whatcott Altus OK

The robin may be a Subaru brand but as I stated they look exactly like
a Honda 5 HP air cooled single cylinder "lawn mower" engine. I doubt
that they are used in home built aircraft.


Bruce-in-Bangkok
(Note:remove underscores
from address for reply)

On Sun, 25 Nov 2007 09:09:17 +0700, Bruce in Bangkok
wrote:


The robin may be a Subaru brand but as I stated they look exactly like
a Honda 5 HP air cooled single cylinder "lawn mower" engine. I doubt
that they are used in home built aircraft.


Bruce-in-Bangkok

5 HP may be suitable for large models, but is low for man rated
aircraft. 1 c.c. model diesels could put out 1 HP at high revs.

Think 60 HP on up.... (Come to think of it though,
the VW was rated 28 HP at some build state...)

Brian W