# 2-cycle Lawnboy Mowers - Opinions



## OntarioMan (Feb 11, 2007)

I do not have very good luck with push lawnmowers. Pull-cords appear to be the largest problem - next would be carburators. My most recent 4-cycle mower lasted about 6 years : 3 or 4 broken pull-cords, a few floats, and a few trips to someone more experience than myself to actually get it running. I don't remember having this many mower problems years ago - perhaps they're more cheaply made today.

The most recent pull-cord failure was the last straw, and I sold the mower on a local kijiji board for $25 as is. In its place, I bought a cheap but functional 1984 Lawnboy 2-cycle. Its light weight, no gadgets, no cables and the pull-cord pulls straight up. Hopefully, I'll have better luck with this mower.

Anyone ever own a 2-cycle lawn mower, and if so, what are your thoughts?


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

I believe that you made a wise purchase. I love 2-stroke engines They have less parts than a 4-stroke and more power per RPM. And personally, I'd rather mix oil and gasoline than change oil. 

I have two identical Lawnboy 2-cycle push mowers (21" cut, aluminum decks). These are easier to use than self-propelled 4-stroke mowers, IMHO. My Lawnboys are both 1979 models. I am the original owner of one and my folks were the original owner of the other one. They consitently start on the 2nd or 3rd pull. Both mowers are going strong...not bad for 29 year old mowers!


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

I dont like yuppie lawn mowers. They are made cheap, even the expensive ones, since they know people dont maintain them and treat them as throw away and are happy enough if they last 2 or 3 years. Even the $100 Walmart wonder mower with just old 3hp B/S flathead engine will last a decade if you change oil regularly. Course by that time the pull cord and plastic carburetor will have quit. The last Lawnboy 2cycle mowers I worked on had lot plastic also and I wasnt impressed. You really want a long lasting mower find one that uses a horizontal shaft engine such as an old Kee mower and then use a genuine Honda OHV (not OHC) engine or industrial Robin engine. Then change oil at least once a month during mowing season and in fall put fuel stabilizer in fuel then run engine until it runs out of gas. Store it in dry garage when not in use, not just parked out on lawn wherever you got through mowing at.


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## blufford (Nov 23, 2004)

In the mid 70s when I worked for a lawn service they used lawnboys. They also had a Toro but it was our last choice because of its weight and sharp edges.The plastic on the lawnboys made them light to push and they held up well. They smoked a little bit more than others but were easy to start.


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## OntarioMan (Feb 11, 2007)

What really sold me on the old Lawnboy was the pull-cord design and how easily the engine turns over and starts. A few short tugs of the cord and up it starts. My 4-cycle was a monster and required much more pulling effort - and I'd assume put much more stress on the cord. 



Cabin Fever said:


> I believe that you made a wise purchase. I love 2-stroke engines They have less parts than a 4-stroke and more power per RPM. And personally, I'd rather mix oil and gasoline than change oil.
> 
> I have two identical Lawnboy 2-cycle push mowers (21" cut, aluminum decks). These are easier to use than self-propelled 4-stroke mowers, IMHO. My Lawnboys are both 1979 models. I am the original owner of one and my folks were the original owner of the other one. They consitently start on the 2nd or 3rd pull. Both mowers are going strong...not bad for 29 year old mowers!


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## Jim S. (Apr 22, 2004)

I was a factory-authorized LawnBoy mechanic. They are good little mowers, and you can often find them used really cheap...even free! The one major drawback is that the 2-stroke design means air and fuel are fed directly from the carb into the crankcase. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you keep the air filter clean, or else dirt gets sucked into your needle bearing connecting rod and crank, destroying the engine. Also, be sure the filter fits the box snugly and does not allow air passage around it. If it is loose, replace it. I have seen a lot of damage from dirty air filters.

The mowers are light and work better on hills than a 4-stroke. Because they are light, parts can wear more quickly in heavy use. For homeowner use, they are fine.

My Dad fished one out of somebody's trash a few years ago, and has used it for trim work ever since.

As far as pull cord troubles, I found as a pro mechanic that most folks who have trouble with them breaking either: 1.) pull it all the way out, every time; or 2.) pull it at a sharp angle from the housing.

By trying to avoid pulling it all the way out to the end, and by angling your body so it will come through the housing hole as staright as possible, you will tremendously increase rope life. A shorter, sharper pull is usually all that is needed to start a tuned engine.


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## OntarioMan (Feb 11, 2007)

Hello Jim - thanks for the tip re. the filter - I'll be sure its snug and clean. 

I've cut the lawn 3 times and the LawnBoy hasn't broken yet - I'm on a role!



Jim S. said:


> I was a factory-authorized LawnBoy mechanic. They are good little mowers, and you can often find them used really cheap...even free! The one major drawback is that the 2-stroke design means air and fuel are fed directly from the carb into the crankcase. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you keep the air filter clean, or else dirt gets sucked into your needle bearing connecting rod and crank, destroying the engine. Also, be sure the filter fits the box snugly and does not allow air passage around it. If it is loose, replace it. I have seen a lot of damage from dirty air filters.
> 
> The mowers are light and work better on hills than a 4-stroke. Because they are light, parts can wear more quickly in heavy use. For homeowner use, they are fine.
> 
> ...


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

OntarioMan said:


> Hello Jim - thanks for the tip re. the filter - I'll be sure its snug and clean.
> 
> I've cut the lawn 3 times and the LawnBoy hasn't broken yet - I'm on a role!


Make sure you "oil" the foam filter after you wash it in hot, soapy water.


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## WisJim (Jan 14, 2004)

I have had LawnBoys in the past, and finally gave up on them due to the cheesy recoil start mechanism, with it's plastic gears and funny little spring. Otherwise the mowers worked well, but we replaced them with some used Snappers with B&S engines, one bought used and one from the dump. We have been using them for 12 years or more, change the oil, use gas stabilizer in the fall, keep the air cleaner clean and blade sharp. They started on the first pull this spring after sitting since last October.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

WisJim, I wouldn't be surprized if the problems you've had with Lawnboys were with more recent models. Did they have a 2-cycle engine? I believe that Lawnboy was bought out by Toro a decade or two ago. The buyout was the end of the famous LawnBoy 2-cycle engine. I've never had my engine apart, but I'd be surprized if there were any plastic gears in it. The entire engine has only 60-some parts. And like I said, I have two of them and after 29 years of use, they are still running strong.


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## OntarioMan (Feb 11, 2007)

While looking for a mower, I was at a mower shop who did have a few used LawnBoy 2-cycles - the guy referred to them as "Commercial" Lawnboys - and said the one he had was only a few years old. Similar to below with seperate large red fuel tank.












Cabin Fever said:


> WisJim, I wouldn't be surprized if the problems you've had with Lawnboys were with more recent models. Did they have a 2-cycle engine? I believe that Lawnboy was bought out by Toro a decade or two ago. The buyout was the end of the famous LawnBoy 2-cycle engine. I've never had my engine apart, but I'd be surprized if there were any plastic gears in it. The entire engine has only 60-some parts. And like I said, I have two of them and after 29 years of use, they are still running strong.


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## WisJim (Jan 14, 2004)

The newest Lawnboy that I had was purchased around 1989 or 1990, and the first new one that we had was purchased in the early 1980s. We had purchased others, used, before that, back to around 1973, I think. They all had plastic gears in the rewind mechanism, and depended on a simple spring to keep the plastic gear engaged. If the spring bent, broke, or came dislodged, it let the plastic gear move and get broken. I am working from memory on this, but I clearly recall many hours spent fixing the rewind and pull cord. They all were 2-strokes.


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## clovis (May 13, 2002)

I bought a new Lawnboy in 96 or 97.
Knock on wood, it has been a stellar mower with no problems to date.
I did replace the speed/choke throttle cable because I caught it on a fence and kinked the cable.
This week I am going to replace the primer bulb. It is dry rotten and has cracked, making it a bit hard to start when the engine is cold.
This is a Silver Series Lawnboy, and I love it! It has a 6.5 HP 2 cycle engine, and it is a gas miser.
Clove


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## clovis (May 13, 2002)

I forgot to add that I wish I had more storage space. I would buy a second, very nice used replacement 2 cycle Lawnboy for when my loved mower eventually dies.
Clove


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## Rocky Fields (Jan 24, 2007)

Hey.

I agree with WIJim about the cheesy lawnboy recoil mechanism. I had a 70's Lawnboy and an International made by Lawnboy...both identical. The recoil mechanism was the Achille's Heel.

RF


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

I just turned my two Lawnboy push mowers into a 42" rider using duct tape.


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## Sparkey (Oct 23, 2004)

Cabin, your LB's have nylon gears on the starter mechanism. These were great machines & I sold several hundred of them in the '70's - early '90's when I was in the business. Yours look to be model 7229 ( guess). With the Toro buyout (&$%#^&*@)*) the end was in site for Lawn Boy. When I got the letter notifying me of this I ordered a lot of parts to have in stock for many years, knowing Toro would either eliminate them or jack up prices, which they did some of each. I do have quite an inventory of parts from LB's of the '50's-'90's. I would say how many older LB's I now have but am not sure, other than my collection really irritates my wife. I would tell you to hang onto those mowers forever but I think you've already made that decision.

Charlie


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## Rolm (Jul 8, 2008)

I repair lawnmowers as a hobby and I am having problems repairing 2- lawnboys

)ne Lawnbow has a vertical pull cord and it will not engage the fly wheel, everything seems to be there the nylon gears seem to be ok and the spring recoils the cord and there is another retainer on the nylon gear that seems to be ok, I don't know why it's there. Can some one direct me to a picture so I can make sure the set-up.

2nd Lawnboy is much newer still has the 2 cycle engine and it also has the blake cable the deck is steel problem with this is that it runs for abought 5-8 minutes when started from cold and once it warms-up it starts dying out and then stops it will not start again until the engine is cold again.


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