Little history.........no.
Ever wonder why John Deere got rid of using Echo?
Ever wonder why JD bought Homelite?
Ever wonder why the association with Home Depot?
JD knew Low Emission (LE) engine regs were coming like a freight train, engine technology both in the US, and Europe was lagging, and China was on the horizon.
JD didn't want to miss out on the future business with Big Box stores.
JD knew that as time went on, Big Boxes would either have their own service facilities like Sears & Lowes, or have service thru special franchised service centers like MTD is now setting up for MTD, Troy Bilt (not the same as the old Troy Bilt), White, and very limited Cub Cadet. In essence they're doing an end run around their current servicing dealers. Grab your ankles & grin.
JD is deliberatley trying to reduce the amount of dealers they have....some don't even have a sales-service rep that physically calls on them, and/or they're getting dealers to merge into a larger business.
Think stats were something like by 2010, they will have 50% less dealers.
Consolidation,.....and profits are the buzz words.
JD got a hold of an engine design called "Compression Wave" Theory & Design.
It has worked on only larger, heavier engines with much lower RPM's, but JD thought they could make it work, build they're own two cycle products, and could compete with Stihl, Echo, Husqvarna, etc using their own engine.
This engine was one of the "future potential working" (remember the words "future potential working") Low Emission engines that CARB & EPA looked at. Funny, production was never, never run. No engines were ever made for sale, but the emission regs were written around it, and others.
Think about that for a moment. Let's make laws, but we can't prove the engines will work. Must have be an evolution engine...not intelligent design.
But it ONLY came close IN THE LAB to working, and meeting lower emissions.
While all this was going on the big boys like Homelite, Stihl, Husqvarna, and many more were saying to CARB & the EPA, "It can't be done. You'll drive us out out of business. Prices will be too high".
Ok, while all this is going on....JD buys Homelite.
Why?
Simple.
Homelite already had manufacturing plants, and KNOWLEDGEBLE work force.
Homelite still had something of a service network left.
Homelite had figured out how to mass produce engines cheaply.
Homelite had a world known name.
Homelite was already in both dealers,....AND Big Box stores. More business.
Now because Homelite was already in Big Boxes, and with JD buying them, it gave JD a perfect excuse to tell their dealers.....we had to go Big Box, and hardware chain stores because Homelite was already there.
JD builds a modern, new manufacturing plant.....where............?
Mexico.
JD drops Echo, and starts coloring Homelite yellow & green.
JD drops Noma/Murray as their snow blower supplier, hooking up with Ariens.
Like a cross word puzzle, start putting all these pieces together in a plan.
Well, JD couldn't get the engine to both actually work in a LE format, and be cost effective.
Bye, bye plans of being a self manufacturing super power.
So much for "future potential working".
JD sells Homelite, all the plants even the new Mexico plant, and the marketing rights....taking a write off (losing) something like 110-117 million US dollars. Yes, One hundred ten to one hundred seventeen MILLION dollars.
JD basically shevles the engine, starts making the Scotts tractors, hooks up with Home Depot on the new 100 series tractors. Also sells them to JD dealers so they can compete with Big Boxes.
JD and Ariens seperate, and JD goes back to Noma/Murray for snow blowers.
JD starts using Mitsubishi stratified LE two cycles.
JD starts using Kawasaki two cycles. Kawasaki didn't have LE engines.
JD buys EFCO chains saws, and Fuji Robin blowers, hedge trimmers, etc.
Many people don't know JD buys alot of what they sell, like smaller diesel tractors, the zero turn mowers were built by Yazoo/Kees, and now Great Dane. JD bought Great Dane few years ago, so now they're in the commercial mower business by acquiring a company. Instant experts.
While all this is going on....in the two cycle world, the big boys are desperately trying to get emission regs stopped, or change them, or get them delayed. They actually though they could out do CARB AND the EPA.
Boy did they learn a lesson.
In the mean time, companies were actually developing new engine technologies that had promise. Someone hadn't told them it couldn't be done.
..........EARLY TWO CYCLES.......First Two.....ONLY TWO That Passed in 1995.
Tanaka with the Pure Fire.
Red Max with the Strato Charged (stratified).
..............LATER TWO CYCLES..................
Mitsubishi TLE stratified.
Maryauma with the CE engine.
Echo finally gets the Tornado to work. However has some lean problems.
Dolmar improves internals, improves combustion chamber design & flow.
Husqvarna eventually does CE having improved internals w/catalytic mufflers.
.............RECENT TWO CYCLES...........
RED MAX with second generation statified.
Mitsubishi (Dolmar associate) now has four stratified 19-43cc engines.
Husqvarna X Torq is their external stratified
Stihl's new stratified intro'd on the TS700.
.......EARLY FOUR STROKES..................
Ryobi has first available. Nuff said.
Fuji Robin AND Shindaiwa team up on four cylce. Eventually split up with Fuji-Robin (associated with Dolmar) goes straight gas/ four stroke.
Dolmar & Posche develop a Professional 57cc chain saw.
Honda does an early four cycle with straight gas.
.......LATER FOUR STROKES................
Briggs & Stratton new w/straight gas.
Red Max straight gas. Dropped it because their new two stroke pass ALL regs.
Stihl 4 Mix. Two cycle mix/four stroke
Shindaiwa produces new 25.4 cc two cycle mix/four stroke
..............TODAYS FOUR STROKES.....................
Honda's second generation. Lighter, quieter.
Stihl has larger 4 Mix, including two blowers.
Husqvarna intro's theirs....which is actually a Honda reskinned in orange.
Rumor of one new 4 stroker coming by XXXX.
Two cycle patents are now locking out many large companies from working, affordable LE engines.
Stihl being behind in the pure two stroke design availability makes a smart tactical move.
Buys develpoment rights to the JD engine, partners with guess who.............?
Mercedes Benz, and is trying to develop a working LE that's light weight, and cost effective. I think it's in Stuttgart, Germany.
Emission regs have been quite a boon to the technology companies, the enviroment, and consumers because they have forced scientific, technology,
fostered new designs, increased fuel ecomony, and helped hold down prices.
Sadly, the consumers....ALL of us, haven't been getting the straight skinny from many companies about what's going to happen, and who's doing what.
Alot of BS is going on.
There's an often times misrepresented Federally mandated emissions rating(s) that was worked out with, and APPROVED by engine makers to make us be smarter, and better buyers.
It's called the Emissions Durability Period or EDP.
Some companies-sales & marketing people have represented it as Engine Durability Peroid.
Some companies have said it has nothing, or very little to do with the actual life of an engine.
They suffer from Pinochiotis. Remember why his nose grew long.
Some companies have given their engines the highest rating,...BUTT they require extensive maintenance, and expensive parts replacement.
Like cylinder exhaust port cleanouts, and even carbureator replacements.
But that's all some other time.
