Lawnboy - No more 2 stroke ???

gobbler · Jan 20, 2006

I've was just looking at the Lawnboy website trying to research a new walk behind mower and noticed that they no longer make any 2 stroke lawnmowers. When did this happen? I was hoping to buy one this spring.

I may have just answered my own question. Looks like they still produce them, found the Gold Pro & Silver Pro series with the 2 cycle engines. Thy're just not front and center on the webpage when you click on walk-behind mowers. You can find them by linking through the engines page.

Casco1 · Jan 20, 2006

When I first bought my house 23 years ago I needed a mower. So I went to the local cemetary to see what they used, the foreman said he got 2 to 3years out of his 2 cycles and only about six mos out of 4 cycles running 8hrs a day five days a week. that sold me. I bought a lawn boy, expensive at the time, but i'm still mowing with it and have done nothing but clean the filter and sharpen the blade.

Bird · Jan 20, 2006

A fellow who worked for me told me his 2-stroke Lawnboy was 25 years old the last time I asked him about it. I bought a used one (supposedly only one or two years old) in '72. It was still good as new when I gave it away in '89 when we sold the house and took off full time RVing. Easiest starting machine I ever owned for a manual pull start. Every time I finished using it, I washed it top and bottom with a garden hose, then turned off the gas valve under the tank, restarted it, and let it run until it ran out of gas and died.

Kyle_in_Tex · Jan 20, 2006

Here's the link to the one that I'd recommend.

2 stroke lawnboy

Not sure how much longer you can buy one of these. Maybe not legal in California??? Someone will know for sure.

These are awesome machines. Just don't loan them out. Someone will ALWAYS put plain gas in and burn up the engine. I worked at a dealer that sold them and we had a pile of burned up units. Picked parts off of them. Cost to replace motor was roughly half of a new one. Most folks bought new ones and learned their lesson.

Casco1 · Jan 20, 2006

As a followup I was just thinking over the years, before the advent of weedeaters & leafblowers, quite a few people would say to me I can't be bothered with a two cycle mower it's toomuch work mixing the gas. I found mixing the gas was less work than changing the oil, but maybe it's just me.

linpat · Jan 20, 2006

check out the 4 cycle trimmers that r made now.
husky, shindaiwa

Kyle_in_Tex · Jan 21, 2006

( check out the 4 cycle trimmers that r made now.
husky, shindaiwa )

I don't know about Husky, but the shindaiwa has a unique 4cycle that still uses premix fuel for lubrication.

GreenQuality · Jan 22, 2006

I wish you luck trying to find a 2 stroke lawn boy! they don't sell them any more! try lookig at toro who bought out lawn boy,they have some very nice mower ,I like the super recycler,with cast alum deck and with ovh briggs engine and with 5 yr warranty! that's a true warranty!!!

Bird · Jan 22, 2006

I don't know whether they still sell them or not, but they do still list them on lawnboy.com (6.5 hp DuraForce 2-stroke).

Kyle_in_Tex · Jan 22, 2006

( I wish you luck trying to find a 2 stroke lawn boy! they don't sell them any more! try lookig at toro who bought out lawn boy,they have some very nice mower ,I like the super recycler,with cast alum deck and with ovh briggs engine and with 5 yr warranty! that's a true warranty!!! )

Greenquality-click on the blue link a few posts above

1962 · Jan 22, 2006

that just wouldnt be right if they stopped manufacturing the 2 stroke lawn boy. i still run my '74 deluxe with the magnesium deck. bought it brand new at the dealer. its only used as a trim mower now, but in the 70's and 80's it mowed 1/2 acre lawn once a week. i use L/B 2 cycle oil,and annually clean the air filter... and every so often i would take the below deck muffler apart and clean out the carbon build up..

Dutch445 · Jan 23, 2006

we had one of those magnesium deck mowers in the 70's..
it was the hardest starting mower i've ever dealt with in my life!
now, that was while i was a young teenager, and i knew absolutely nothing about anything! i could very well have
not been following the proper starting procedure for all i know.. but all i remember is,,
pull
pull
pull
pull

swear

pull
pull
pull
pull

swear

pull
pull
pull

throw something

and on and on

/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Bird · Jan 23, 2006

And that's the same mower I had that was the easiest to start of any I ever used. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif The pull rope came straight up and I could do that with two fingers. And even nicer was the fact that my wife and teenage daughters could start it. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I did put a new spark plug in it every couple of years, and once had to replace the points and condensor.

Dutch445 · Jan 23, 2006

wasn't there a primer on that engine?
I think my mom read the manual,
and it stated to push the primer 3 times,
no more, no less...
i have learned that with primers, sometimes
3 just isn't enough!
but like i said, i knew nothing about motors..
or anything else back then!

..

billbill1 · Jan 23, 2006

Not trying to hijack the thread, I bought one of the 4-stroke Honda mini tillers last summer. It holds something like 2 oz. of oil. That thing is tough!!! About the size of the Mantis tiller but really churns up the dirt. I am really impressed with it.

Bird · Jan 23, 2006

You know I gave my old '71-'72 Lawnboy to a daughter 17 years ago; not sure what she did with it when she later moved from a house into an apartment. I can't even remember for sure whether it had a primer. I know that daughter now has a Lawnboy with the 4-stroke Tecumseh engine and it says to push the primer 5 times. But I've found that not matter whether you do it 3 or 5, it starts on the first or second pull, revs up, then dies. Hit the primer a couple more, pull the rope once more, and it'll start and keep running then.

1962 · Jan 23, 2006

the primer button was part of the on-off switch. just switch it on , then push the same white plastic shaft 3 or 4 times to prime. the straight up pull start system on mine failed years back. parts to repair it at that time were not worth it through OMC. now i use one of those cordless drill starters on the nut from the flywheel. those magnesium decks last forever.. most decks were aluminum, and the steel decks would never last as long as the engine before they rusted out. if you have a magnesium deck, it will be stamped on the deck just under the air cleaner cover..

tomnky · Jan 24, 2006

I have a Lawn Boy model 6301 a commercial mower that I bought new in 1982. It has a primer bulb on the handlebar.

It runs good as it hasn't been used that much, although the paint is starting to peel in places on the deck.

Sometimes it to can be a Bear to get started!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I had the pull rope replaced at a Lawn Boy servicing Dealer last Year and they only offered me like $35.00 for trade-in on a New Model four cycle. ( I kept her) /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

RWEST · Jan 31, 2006

My uncle had a many year old LawnBoy 2-stroke; he'd replace the spark plug each spring and mow away. That thing must have been 20 years old and still working great 'til my aunt backed over it in the driveway one day. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I have one of the "Silver Series" 2-strokers that I got about 15 years ago. It had the little squishy 'push/push' rubber primer hickey on it, til one day the rubber thingey disappeared. So, I snuck in and got the wife's turkey baster out of the kitchen drawer and used that to prime it. Works fine, although, one day the neighbor stopped over and said "what ARE you doing to that mower" while I was 'basting' it. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Now I start it behind the garage where no one can see. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif