Who Makes Kawasaki's Lawn Mower Engines & Where Are They Built?
When you mention Kawasaki, the first thing that comes to mind is the manufacturer's extensive lineup of perfectly crafted motorcycles, like the revered Kawasaki Ninja models. Aside from that, the company has ventured into different products, from jet and gas turbines, to helicopters, cargo and warships, and even submarines.
The company also has a line of lawnmower engines in its catalog, which might seem like a recent addition, but actually, Kawasaki has been making them for decades. What's even more interesting is that the company designs and manufactures these engines in the U.S., specifically in Maryville, Missouri.
The company offers a range of lawnmower engines for both commercial and residential use, all of them four-stroke V-twin engines, with some notable features like spherical combustion chambers for optimal efficiency and power, a high-performance lubrication system for prolonged reliability, and forged-quality cast iron cylinder liners and crankshafts for strength and durability. While the Maryville plant is indeed responsible for making these engines, it's not the only facility heavily involved with Kawasaki lawnmower engines.
The Maryville facility covers over 700,000 square feet
Kawasaki is not only an old company, but also a massive one with facilities all across the globe. While several of these manufacturing plants are where Kawasaki bikes are made, some also handle the company's other products.
One of the most notable here is, of course, the Maryville plant, which covers over 700,000 square feet on 113.7 acres of land. Kawasaki opened the plant in 1989, following the success of its first facility, a 1.3 million square foot location in Lincoln, Nebraska, which includes warehouses, manufacturing space, and even housing.
Kawasaki opened the Lincoln facility in 1974, and from its sheer size, it shouldn't be surprising that it has over 1,000 employees. However, the Maryville plant is no slouch in this department, as it still has over 600 workers under its banner. What's interesting about the Lincoln plant is that, while it doesn't manufacture any lawnmower engines for Kawasaki, it is heavily involved as a research and development center for the same.
Kawasaki offers several engine series, each defined by its purpose and features
As of now, Kawasaki offers several different lawnmower engines, including the compact and nimble FR series, the medium-duty FS series, and the heavy-duty FX and FT series. The company also builds the FD, FJ/FJ KAI, and FH KAI series engines. The applications of these engines highly dictate the features they come with. The FR, for starters, is more common in residential lawnmowers, and provides reliable performance for your everyday lawnmowing needs.
In contrast, the FS series targets lawn mowing professionals who want more power, but don't necessarily need a mower that features the sturdier FX series engine. A key difference between the FS and the FR engines is that, while the FR is perfect for the average homeowner, the FS is built for commercial use. As for the FX and FT, Kawasaki has designed them specifically for heavy-duty, demanding jobs.
On the other hand, the FD series is designed for lightweight builds, providing the same agile benefits of the FR series, but with more torque. Alongside the FD, there is the FJ/FJ KAI, which, similarly to the FD series, is more suited for smaller applications, where factors such as less weight offer an advantage. Last but not least is the FH KAI, which can be used in a variety of applications, from lawn tractors and zero-turn mowers to wide area walk-behind mowers.