[jwsia]

I saw this in the new harbor freight add. 22 HP Honda clone engine for 600$. Might be an interesting repower for a 318 400 etc. I know its china junk but I have no complaints on my 6.5 that I have on my tiller.

[URL="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee473/skpyle/imagejpg2.jpg[/IMG]http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee473/skpyle/imagejpg2.jpg[/URL]

 

[goodine]

Tks for posting Jared, it's about time somebody did a twin clone for a fair price, I'm interested

 

[mikeduwe]

How you going to get the air filter off??

 

[900thun]

We'll see, but this has the potential to save a lot of 318 tractors. I'll keep my Onan running as long as possible and see how these work for people. Always nice to have options.

 

[900thun]

This is likely one of many threads to review if somebody decides to go this path.
http://www.wfmachines.com/discus/messages/335/142638.html?1204256806

 

[jcronk69]

I saw those in the ad papers and thought the same thing. I think they jumped the gun with the ad, my local store doesn't have them last I checked.
If I hadn't just built a Briggs Vanguard v twin for my 317, I would be considering it for sure!

 

[trav1s]

Idea for my outta commission 312.

 

[cubby]

This might actually be a slightly more sane idea than building a "new" K for the 140, but Id rather hide it behind the sheet metal on the 300.

 

[akaothermick]

When does the complete JD tractor clone get released at HF?

 

[jwsia]

I bet they already make it in China. Have you seen the F150 clone that is made over there?

 

[wmgeorge]

Same thought, I bet the "real" Honda is made in China.

 

[trapperjohn]

China is without a doubt the world leader in copying everyone else's product. They sometimes look the same, but never preform the same. I can't help it, but I am very skeptical of anything (reproduced) in China. If you do this, please post the repower.

 

[rustyknuckles]

Has anyone actually SEEN one of these engines?

 

[wmgeorge]

Ron, what happens is US (and Japan) manufactures decide to move production to either Mexico or China. As John Deere, Honda and others have done. You might already know this.
They send US engineers in some cases and equipment to help set up the production lines.
Mexico is close enough they can keep tabs on what is going on, even supervise.
China... as soon as they get done with producing Honda or whatever they make (almost) the same product on the same line and call it Great Engine or another creative name. . A clone of the Honda or their own design copy.
I am going to bet nearly all small engines today are Made in China. Sad state of affairs. The quality of the product depends directly on the supervision of the production line and final inspection.

 

[ab318]

When I bought my Honda GX670 few years ago I found only 2 factory for those engines.
One in US and one in Japan.
Andre

 

[dr_evil]

Biggest problem I've seen with China produced goods is their wrought metal producing technology STINKS. I've heard and experienced several situations where their material, steel, copper, etc... has slag or oxide inclusions in it and cracks or fails in use... normally before assembly if welding or heating is part of the processing. Hard to make quality when your raw material is garbage.

To Ron H's point, last company I worked for found an exact duplicate of our product for sale on Evil-Bay... so we bought some... was a China knock-off... even right down to the shoddy rendering of our company logo.

One of the vital features of our product was the spec's on the rubber used to make the sealing washers... if the spec's were right, our product would last THIRTY years. Well, China couldn't make rubber compounds either.... their imitation parts failed after SIX WEEKS.

Chances of ME buying a knock-off of ANYTHING made in China... ZERO.

 

[knottyrope]

I remember seeing a coke can label on a tranny before. they didn't melt down the metal but pressed it together.

 

[900thun]

LIFAN has a 22HP V-Twin, but costs considerably more than the H-Freight version. Would I put one of these in my 318? No, but I'd sure like to see somebody else do it and report back.

BTW, I put a H-Freight 420cc on my Troy chipper shredder and made mountains of chips last year after a big storm. The original foam air filter was China pathetic, so I replaced it with an air cleaner that used a real pleated filter. I started it up this spring and it starts and runs great. I have no idea how long it will last, but I see they use these in kart racing applications.

 

[akaothermick]

Yup, it just a matter of time before JD rebadges some cheap Chinese knockoff tractor as a cost leader model and it will be downhill from there, looked up the LIFAN engines Rich, so much "LIFAN USA" splattered all over the website trying to give the impression its a USA product, same thing as the HF motor,

 

[volvo4fun]

Eventually they will get it right.