Lawn boy oil

[bt3]

I know that I need to, but since I don't the necessary tool and material I've never cleaned my Lawn-Boy's exhaust port and it still runs fine, I must be lucky. Any particular brand of synthetic? Does it need to be 2-cycle synthetic? Is it mixed at 32:1 or a different ratio?

Most Synthetic brands come from the same root company, like Shell Oil, so I don't worry about a particular brand of Synthetic. Yes, it needs to be 2 Cycle Synthetic. Most stores that carry 2 Cycle engine oil also carry the Synthetic 2 Cycle. I got mine at a local Sears Hardware.

You can run 2 Cycle Synthetic a little leaner than 32:1, but I do not. I still run it at around 32:1, sometimes probably closer to 30:1.

You are lucky if you have never cleaned your exhaust ports or muffler and yet you are running fine. I made the mistake of running a cheap grocery store brand "Arnold" 2 cycle oil that I actually bought at a grocery store. l had some issues with carbon with this brand. Also, in a pinch one time I ran 2 cycle "Stihl" chainsaw oil at probably 40:1 (maybe more) and that really carboned the machine up big time. Even when running the original LawnBoy "Ashless" oil at 32:1 I had issues with Carbon in the exhaust ports and muffler. Since running Synthetic, I no longer have these issues.

I don't mind working on my LawnBoy. I actually enjoy it. But the job of cleaning the carbon out of the exhaust ports and the muffler is just gosh awful messy. I've seen people clean these mufflers (NON ALUMINUM!) by putting them on an outdoor gas grill and burning the carbon out that way under very high heat. I don't do this. I scrape out the black carbon and then clean with solvent to make sure it is very clean. That is a messy job no matter how you slice it. I'm hoping that Synthetic will cut this process down to once every two years. With regular 2 cycle oil, I was doing it at least twice a season.
The only good thing about having to clean the exhaust ports and muffler is that you are forced to take the blade off, so it gives you an opportunity to sharpen and balance the blade as long as you are removing it. Other than that, it's a very messy job unless you are burning the carbon off.

 

[dewguy1999]

Most Synthetic brands come from the same root company, like Shell Oil, so I don't worry about a particular brand of Synthetic. Yes, it needs to be 2 Cycle Synthetic. Most stores that carry 2 Cycle engine oil also carry the Synthetic 2 Cycle. I got mine at a local Sears Hardware.

You can run 2 Cycle Synthetic a little leaner than 32:1, but I do not. I still run it at around 32:1, sometimes probably closer to 30:1.

You are lucky if you have never cleaned your exhaust ports or muffler and yet you are running fine. I made the mistake of running a cheap grocery store brand "Arnold" 2 cycle oil that I actually bought at a grocery store. l had some issues with carbon with this brand. Also, in a pinch one time I ran 2 cycle "Stihl" chainsaw oil at probably 40:1 (maybe more) and that really carboned the machine up big time. Even when running the original LawnBoy "Ashless" oil at 32:1 I had issues with Carbon in the exhaust ports and muffler. Since running Synthetic, I no longer have these issues.

I don't mind working on my LawnBoy. I actually enjoy it. But the job of cleaning the carbon out of the exhaust ports and the muffler is just gosh awful messy. I've seen people clean these mufflers (NON ALUMINUM!) by putting them on an outdoor gas grill and burning the carbon out that way under very high heat. I don't do this. I scrape out the black carbon and then clean with solvent to make sure it is very clean. That is a messy job no matter how you slice it. I'm hoping that Synthetic will cut this process down to once every two years. With regular 2 cycle oil, I was doing it at least twice a season.
The only good thing about having to clean the exhaust ports and muffler is that you are forced to take the blade off, so it gives you an opportunity to sharpen and balance the blade as long as you are removing it. Other than that, it's a very messy job unless you are burning the carbon off.

Thanks. I've used Echo PowerBlend (a synthetic blend at 50:1 I guess) a few times and the rest of the time over the last 14-years I've used the Lawn-Boy 2-cycle oil. Sounds like you've got one of older Lawn-Boys with the under deck muffler, mine is a E series DuraForce engine so the muffler is above the deck in the front and the exhaust port can be accessed without removing the blade or muffler.

 

[lawnboywillneverdie]

Ik this is off topic but how would you rate this mower in condition and what would you think about value if possible

 

[bt3]

Ik this is off topic but how would you rate this mower in condition and what would you think about value if possible

Rating a mower from a picture is like shooting darts at a board, but from the picture, it looks like it is in very good shape. How it is mechanically and how it was taken care of can be a very different story, as you know.

Value? Are you buying or selling?

 

[bt3]

Thanks. I've used Echo PowerBlend (a synthetic blend at 50:1 I guess) a few times and the rest of the time over the last 14-years I've used the Lawn-Boy 2-cycle oil. Sounds like you've got one of older Lawn-Boys with the under deck muffler, mine is a E series DuraForce engine so the muffler is above the deck in the front and the exhaust port can be accessed without removing the blade or muffler.

Yes, mine is from 1992. I purchased it used from a dealer about 8 years ago. Always wanted a LawnBoy. My Snapper 4 cycle Commercial model with the Wisconsin Robin engine is a beast, but it's heavy. The Drive mechanism for the rear wheels is very complicated and convoluted. I lost a few key parts on it years ago and never bothered to try and get a replacement. They may not be available now since it is a 1984 model. Lately it has gas in the oil issues so a needle valve in the carb is stuck. It's going to be a pain to fix it. And changing the oil is a genuine pain. So I am very glad I have the LawnBoy now. What I did not plan on is how temperamental some of these older LawnBoys can be.

I know your model a bit. I almost bought one. It is a decent model IMO. Has more horsepower than mine, and is updated in style.

 

[lawnboywillneverdie]

Rating a mower from a picture is like shooting darts at a board, but from the picture, it looks like it is in very good shape. How it is mechanically and how it was taken care of can be a very different story, as you know.

Value? Are you buying or selling?

just wanted a number but mechanically its been rebuilt and has never surged (knock on wood) and has been mowing an acre a week for 14 years. very well taken care of by me of course .

 

[lawnboywillneverdie]

i am not selling just wanting to know its true value to someone who know more than me which you probably do from the looks of this thread.

 

[bt3]

i am not selling just wanting to know its true value to someone who know more than me which you probably do from the looks of this thread.

My dealer would put a price on that of $250 and sell it for $200 if you haggled with him. When I bought mine from him he had it marked $200 and I got him down to $150 cash out the door. But mine was much older and not in as good of cosmetic shape as yours appears to be. Plus mine is only 4 HP. But.... "It's a LawnBoy".

A Dealer putting $250 on a used mower like yours is good money and shows value of the brand, when you consider you can get a new Craftsman for $179 on sale this month. However, the Craftsman does not have self drive. It's pure push mowing. And, as my Dealer would tell you, "It's a LawnBoy, it's made to hold up for more than a few seasons."

Of course, what my Dealer would put on it as a retail price and what you could sell it for on Craigslist or eBay may be different. But that's what my Dealer would do, I can almost guarantee it. I've seen his showroom of used mowers for the last 10 years. Decent ones in the shape of yours hover between $200 and $250.

 

[bt3]

I know that I need to, but since I don't the necessary tool and material I've never cleaned my Lawn-Boy's exhaust port and it still runs fine, I must be lucky. Any particular brand of synthetic? Does it need to be 2-cycle synthetic? Is it mixed at 32:1 or a different ratio?

I miss-typed my previous reply hitting a 3 instead of a 4 on the ratio and it's too late to correct it.

I run my Synthetic at a target of around 40:1 for my LawnBoy.

Some say they run 50:1, and that's probably on the bubble for Synthetic, but I feel more comfortable with 40:1, and, no ash/carbon buildup in my ports and muffler like I was used to. I also run this in my STIHL chainsaw without any issues. It's lean enough and being synthetic it performs well.

I've been ordering Royal Purple High Performance 2 cycle oil from Amazon by the quart. Delivered for just a few bucks. It's been working out very well.

FYI: Amazon.com: Royal Purple 01311 HP 2-C High Performance Synthetic 2-Cycle Oil - 1 Quart Bottle: Automotive

 

[Phototone]

I still use the Lawnboy oil, which I get at my local ACE Hardware franchise. I use it at the factory dilution, but I put a dollop of Marvel Mystery Oil in my 2 gallon fuel can, too!!