Most Americans enjoy the lower prices typically associated with products made overseas, but they also want to support American industry and protect American jobs. As a result, when it comes time to purchase a new lawnmower many wind up asking the question: “What lawn mowers are made in the USA?”
The outsourcing of production and the outright relocation of factories to other countries has created a situation where it is difficult to determine exactly which lawn mowers are made in the US, which are made overseas, and which are assembled in the US from parts that are manufactured overseas.
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Lawn Mowers Made in the USA
In an attempt to bring some clarity to the situation I have compiled the following list of companies that are known to build their lawnmowers here in the states, using a majority of parts that are also produced in the USA. Let’s get started.
American Lawn Mower Company
It would be a shame if a company called “The American Lawn Mower Company” manufactured their mowers in some sweatshop overseas. Fortunately, that is not the case. The ALMC is actually the largest manufacturer of manually operated push mowers in the US. To add a bit of icing on the cake they’re also a family-owned American business, not a subsidiary of an offshoot of a faceless global corporation.
A lot of folks are actually surprised to hear that American Lawn Mower is a true all-American company, if only because their prices are so reasonable. But the good people at ALMC have an ace up their sleeve that enables them to keep costs down: they also own the iron foundry where most of the parts for their mowers are made. So kudos to American Lawn Mower. Also, a lot of people have noticed similarities between ALMC mowers and Great States mowers. That’s no coincidence. Great States and American Lawn Mower are one and the same.
Cub Cadet
Cub Cadet started life in 1960 as a line of garden tractors built by International Harvester. In the early 1980s, International Harvester sold the brand to MTD, a privately-owned American corporation that specialized in outdoor equipment. In 2018 Stanley Black & Decker bought a 20% stake in MTD as well as the option to purchase the entire company in 2021.
There is much speculation that SB&D might shift production of Cub Cadet lawn mowers overseas. But as of this writing, they have not done that. Cub Cadet mowers are currently made in Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio and Mississippi. They state their mowers are “Built in the USA” which, in accordance with FTC guidelines, means they are produced in the US using parts that are either all or mostly made in the US as well.
John Deere
John Deere recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. Over the past century, the company has sold millions of mowers, tractors and other pieces of outdoor equipment. Today, they maintain manufacturing facilities in 7 countries (including 3 in China), which raises eyebrows among those who suspect their mowers may be made overseas. However, I’m happy to report all John Deere riding mowers are manufactured in Horicon, Wisconsin USA from parts made mostly in the USA.
What I’m not so happy to report is that Deere no longer makes or sells walk-behind mowers, either manual or powered. They discontinued those in 2012. Instead, in an effort to reduce overhead, they entered into an agreement with Honda to sell Honda walk-behind mowers in all Deere showrooms, alongside the US-made Deere riding mowers. Perhaps ironically, the Honda mowers sold in the USA are almost all made in the USA too. However, because the parent company is foreign, I can’t include Honda mowers on our list.
How Can You be Sure if Lawn Mowers are Made in the USA?
Some companies will state categorically that their mowers are “Made in the USA”. Others will state that their mowers are “Assembled in the USA”. But that is not the same thing. The FTC requires that if a majority of the parts that go into a mower are sourced from overseas, the company that makes it cannot claim it is “Made in the USA”. Instead, they can only say it was assembled here. Something “Made in the USA” must be assembled on American soil with a majority, or all, of its parts also made here.
Is “Made in the USA” the Same as “Built in the USA”?
In 2017 the FTC ruled that “Built in the USA” and “Made in the USA” were, in its eyes, the same thing. This issue came up because consumers were complaining that some companies were claiming their products were “Built in the USA” when in fact they were simply assembled here from parts made overseas. As a result of the 2017 ruling, a company can no longer claim their mowers are “Built in the USA” unless they meet the FTC’s standards for “Made in the USA” (see above).
What Popular Lawn Mowers Are Not Made in the USA?
Snapper – Snapper assembles some (not all) of their gas-powered mowers in the US, but most of the parts for those mowers come from foreign sources. Also, all of their electric mowers are manufactured overseas.
Toro – Toro is another popular lawn mower brand that many assume is American-made but is actually just American-assembled in Wisconsin, Florida and elsewhere. While some of the parts for Toro mowers are sourced in the USA, most, including the motors for their powered mowers, are produced in Japan.
Craftsman – For decades Craftsman was considered about as red, white, and blue a brand as you could find. Today, Craftsman’s original parent company, Sears, is on its last legs and the Craftsman brand has been sold off to Stanley, Black & Decker. Like Toro mowers, Craftsman mowers are mostly assembled in the USA from parts made elsewhere.
The Bottom Line
The answer to the question “What lawn mowers are made in the USA?” is; “not many”. There are only 3 brands that produce mowers that meet the FTC’s standards for “Made in the USA”. There are, however, several companies, including some big names many assume are all-American products, that either manufacture their mowers overseas, or simply assemble them in the US from foreign-made parts.
FAQs
The Toro Company is an American company based in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota that designs, manufactures, and markets lawn mowers, snow blowers, and irrigation system supplies for commercial and residential, agricultural, and public sector uses. Bloomington, Minnesota, U.S.
Are Toro lawn mowers made in USA? ›
The Toro Company is an American company based in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota that designs, manufactures, and markets lawn mowers, snow blowers, and irrigation system supplies for commercial and residential, agricultural, and public sector uses. Bloomington, Minnesota, U.S.
Are Honda lawn mowers made in USA? ›
The division's products, including engines, generators, lawn mowers, pumps, snow blowers, tillers, trimmers, and marine engines, are assembled in Honda plants in the United States and around the world.
Are Troy Bilt lawn mowers made in the USA? ›
Troy-Bilt® is headquartered in Valley City, Ohio, and our reliable equipment includes select products that are designed, built and tested right here in the U.S. – from Ohio and Mississippi to Tennessee and Arizona.
Is Cub Cadet USA made? ›
Since 1961, Cub Cadet lawn and garden equipment has been proudly Built in America at our world-class manufacturing facilities in Ohio, Mississippi and Tennessee. Cub Cadet's innovative products are designed and engineered in Valley City, Ohio — the headquarters of its global operation.
Are Ryobi lawn mowers made in USA? ›
Ryobi operates 12 manufacturing facilities across six countries. In 1985, Ryobi launched production in Shelbyville, Indiana, its only manufacturing location in the United States.
Are Bad Boy mowers built in the USA? ›
“Made in the USA”
“We do purchase a little bit from overseas suppliers, but very small amounts. Most of our parts on the mower are bought or made here in the US.” Indeed, Bad Boy fabricates its own mower decks in house; they also build their own frames and most of the smaller associated parts.
Is Briggs and Stratton made in USA? ›
Briggs & Stratton builds over 9,000,000 engines in the USA each year. The company employs over 3,000 employees in six states. Wauwatosa, WI, is home to the company's headquarters and R&D center. Manufacturing plants are located in Poplar Bluff, MO; Auburn, AL; Statesboro, GA; and Sherrill, NY.
Where are John Deere lawn mowers made? ›
Horicon, Wisconsin, United States: Lawn and garden tractors.
Are Husqvarna lawn mowers made in the USA? ›
Where Lawn Mowers are Born. Husqvarna lawn mowers are manufactured in the United States at Husqvarna Consumer Outdoor Products N.A., Inc. factories in Orangeburg, South Carolina and McRae, Georgia.
In CR's survey, they make up 52 percent of the riding mowers purchased in 2022. It turns out an old marketing tagline is true: Nothing runs like a Deere. Among the nine lawn tractor brands in our survey results, John Deere is the only brand that's rated excellent for both predicted reliability and owner satisfaction.
Are Ariens mowers made in USA? ›
Designed and manufactured in Brillion, Wisconsin and Oxford in the United Kingdom, Ariens outdoor power equipment has been serving commercial operators and homeowners for over 80 years.
Where are Craftsman mowers made? ›
WILLARD, OHIO WITH GLOBAL MATERIALS
Proudly manufacturing select CRAFTSMAN Riding Mowers and Snow Blowers using global materials.
Who makes Craftsman mowers? ›
All Craftsman mowers are made by MTD. Craftsman lawn tractors run the price spectrum from rear-drive models priced around $1,300 to full-featured, hydrostatic drive units that cost more than $2,000. Most Craftsman lawn tractors feature Briggs & Stratton engines, and the 42-inch-deck models are among the most popular.
Who bought out Cub Cadet mowers? ›
The IH Cub Cadet was a new line of heavy-duty small tractors using components from the previous Cub series tractors. In 1981, due to financial hardships, IH sold the Cub Cadet division to the MTD corporation, which took over production and use of the Cub Cadet brand name (without the IH symbol).
Who owns Craftsman mowers? ›
Yes, Craftsman and DeWalt are Owned by Stanley Black & Decker. Stanley Black & Decker (SBD) turned heads when it bought Craftsman Tools in 2017 after Sears closed 235 stores in 2015. The company owns many brands, however. Dating back to 1843 with a man named Frederick Stanley, the company quickly formed its roots.
Is John Deere mowers made in the USA? ›
John Deere – Based in the USA
John Deere is a USA homegrown veteran in the lawn mower manufacturing business. Most John Deere tractor mowers are American made. They're assembled in the United States, mostly using American-made parts.
Are MTD mowers made in USA? ›
MTD Products is an American manufacturer of outdoor power equipment for the mass market.
Are John Deere mowers made by MTD? ›
MTD makes all of the store brands (i.e., a mower that might have the Home Depot name on it), along with MTD, Dynamark, YardPro, Weed Eater, Noma, and Sears Craftsman. Murray makes MTD. MTD makes the low end (non-commercial) John Deere tractors. John Deere makes all John Deere.
Where are Kawasaki lawn mowers made? ›
The production of general purpose engines at the Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., Maryville, Missouri plant in the United States (KMM Maryville) started in June 1989.
Experience Country Clipper Zero-Turn Mowers Built For You
of Corydon, Iowa, who since 1968 has led the world in innovation of counter flow grain drying equipment used in farming.
Are Kohler engines still made in the USA? ›
Kohler Co., founded in 1873 by John Michael Kohler, is an American manufacturing company based in Kohler, Wisconsin. Kohler is best known for its plumbing products, but the company also manufactures furniture, cabinetry, tile, engines, and generators.
Are Briggs engines made in China? ›
Briggs and Stratton is a huge company and has a notable presence overseas. Apart from cheap labor costs in China, the Asian market is quite significant for the American manufacturer. However, that's nothing to worry about — most of its engines sold in the US are actually made in the US.
Who owns Briggs and Stratton now? ›
MILWAUKEE, WI (September 23, 2020) – Briggs & Stratton, a recognized global leader in providing power to get work done, announced today that KPS Capital Partners, LP (“KPS”), through a newly formed affiliate, has acquired substantially all of the assets of Briggs & Stratton Corporation and certain of its wholly-owned ...
Where are MTD lawn mowers made? ›
MTD is headquartered in Valley City, Ohio, and has engineering, manufacturing, distribution, and sales offices in more than 20 countries.
Why is John Deere moving to Mexico? ›
"The decision to move cab production ensures the company can balance workforce needs within the tight labor market, while also ensuring Waterloo can open up floor space to manufacture new products," the company said in a statement.
Is John Deere made in China? ›
Currently John Deere makes agricultural tractors, combines and engines in China. CNH Industrial produces agricultural tractors, combines, cotton pickers and sugar cane harvesters. And AGCO manufactures agricultural tractors, harvesting machinery, diesel engines and grain storage equipment.
Which mower is better John Deere or Husqvarna? ›
In comparison more than 30% of Husqvarna lawn tractors will need repair. For zero turn mowers, John Deere wins again. John Deere ZTRs come in at a 30% chance of necessary repairs in 4 years, and Husqvarna proved the least reliable ZTR on the list, with 55% of mowers requiring repair by the fourth year.
Who bought out Husqvarna? ›
1978 – Electrolux acquired Husqvarna.
What company bought out Husqvarna? ›
A group of the company's managers and engineers were not willing to move to Italy and therefore founded Husaberg – which was acquired by KTM in 1995. Husqvarna motorcycles were then produced in Varese, Italy. In July 2007, Husqvarna motorcycles was purchased by BMW Motorrad for a reported €93 million.
Gas mowers are more durable; they simply last longer. In terms of engine life, a gas mower will run for 10 years or more, while a battery-powered mower will need to be replaced after about five years, on average.
What is the life expectancy of a lawn mower? ›
Knowing you can expect your residential lawn mower to last you around 450-500 hours is helpful in the decision-making process. The closer you are to the end of the expected lifespan, the more you should consider replacing it if a large issue occurs.
What lawnmowers do the professionals use? ›
Best Commercial Gas Lawn Mower: Craftsman M105 Push Mower. Best Commercial Robotic Lawn Mower: Worx Landroid Power Share Robotic Mower. Best Commercial Self-Propelled Lawn Mower: Snapper Self-Propelled Lawn Mower. Best Commercial Walk-Behind Lawn Mower: Honda Versamow Lawn Mower.
What happened to Ariens? ›
Ariens Co. announces that it will exit the direct marketing business in an effort to focus on its core power equipment business. The company has signed agreements for the sale of two of the three brands that make up the division and continues to explore options to divest the third and final brand.
Is Toro made in the United States? ›
Although Toro touts itself as an “American-made” company, their engines and parts are manufactured in Japan and China.
Are Gravely and Ariens the same? ›
The path to purchase took months, and Ariens Co. purchased Gravely in 1982.
When did Craftsman stop being made in USA? ›
Beginning in 2010, hand tools manufactured for Craftsman by Apex Tool Group (formerly known as Danaher) such as ratchets, sockets, and wrenches began to be sourced overseas (mainly in China, although some are produced in Taiwan), while tools produced for Craftsman by Western Forge such as adjustable wrenches, ...
Who bought the Craftsman brand? ›
Five years ago, when Stanley Black & Decker acquired the Craftsman tool brand from Sears, they pledged to focus on USA production.
Who makes Yard Pro lawn mowers? ›
Yard Pro lawnmower by Husqvarna | Newry Northern Ireland.
Who makes Sears lawnmowers? ›
MTD is a family-owned private company. The company began in 1932 and has its headquarters in Valley City, Ohio, US. MTD also owns other brands such as Yard-Man, Troy-Bilt, Cub Cadet, and Bolens brands and companies. MTD labels privately under the “247” model prefix for other brands such as Craftsman and Sears.
Craftsman label produced in China and Taiwan. And all of the domestically produced products are labeled “Made in the USA from globally sourced materials”. But it is rare to see a sector or company increasing its American manufacturing so we are thrilled to give credit where it is due.
Is Toro made in China? ›
Although Toro touts itself as an “American-made” company, their engines and parts are manufactured in Japan and China.
Is Toro made in Japan? ›
Toro (灯籠, 灯篭, 灯楼) are traditional Japanese lanterns made of metal, stone, or wood. Their forebears came originally from China, where lanterns can still be admired in Chinese gardens and Buddhist temples. They can also be found, less common, in Korea and Vietnam.
Where are Toro Briggs and Stratton engines made? ›
Briggs & Stratton builds over 9,000,000 engines in the USA each year. The company employs over 3,000 employees in six states. Wauwatosa, WI, is home to the company's headquarters and R&D center. Manufacturing plants are located in Poplar Bluff, MO; Auburn, AL; Statesboro, GA; and Sherrill, NY.
Does Kohler make Toro engines? ›
We often get asked if the TORO V-Twin is a re-branded Kohler, Kawasaki or Brigggs. It is not. Toro developed and tested this engine's design for their own use.
