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While I am slightly obsessed with Lawn-Boy mowers, a few of my friends have the same admiration for old Simplicity garden tractors. One of them ended up with his grandfather's old push mower. Just so happens it is a Simplicity model 1221. I looked at it and the first thing that came to my mind was, "That's a Lawn-Boy". I have searched high and low for information regarding these push mowers and their similarity to Lawn-Boy mowers and have come up with almost nothing. In fact, there is almost no information on them at all. It seems even from the Simplicity end that all I could find was that they were made along with a Homelite and Allis variant. I have found some IPL'S and owner's manuals but not much else.

I did find a youtube video of a fella running a late 60's version and in the comments someone made a statement indicating the Lawn-Boy sued Simplicity for the production of these mowers. I have not been able to verify that. If anyone can offer any insight it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Simplicity Walk-Behind Mower. The date code on the Briggs is 1980

Model: 1221
MFG.: 1690511
Serial: 003450

Very neat!

Have you seen the new "Saber Edge"? Much more of a Lawnboy clone of the aluminum deck era.

© 2014 SABER EDGE / www.SABERTURF.COM

Wow, wonder if they bought the old casting molds?

operators manual & illustrated parts list. Results

Vervepipes said:

Wow, wonder if they bought the old casting molds?

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Thats what I'm thinking. These are EXPENSIVE mowers, think in the $700 range.

mechanic mark said:

operators manual & illustrated parts list. Results

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Lots of differences. The bag adaptor, or side discharge plate have totally different mouting bolt patterns. The rear-wheel drive mechanism is totally different, the wheel adjusters are somewhat different. the main similarity is it is a stagger-wheel deck, with bag port.

operators manual & illustrated parts list. Results

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I appreciate the link, but as I stated in the original post, I already have those pieces of literature. My biggest question is if there was any collaboration between Lawn-Boy and Simplicity? or Where the two companies at odds because of the similarities between the two.

In accordance to proper forum etiquette... Here is another picture.. I do not know how much he payed for the mower.. I could ask him,tho I don't know his 90 year old brain will remember what he payed for it 34 years ago.. If you include inflation it my be in $700 range.. Who knows.. Maybe someone will post some literature on this subject.. Keep it between the ditches..

The $700 price range I was referring to, was for the brand new modern "Saber Edge" mowers which appear to use a very slightly modified Lawnboy stagger-wheel aluminum deck, albeit with a Briggs engine. Of course, Toro has abandoned the Lawnboy stagger-wheel design concept now all together, so maybe they sold the tooling?

The $700 price range I was referring to, was for the brand new modern "Saber Edge" mowers which appear to use a very slightly modified Lawnboy stagger-wheel aluminum deck, albeit with a Briggs engine. Of course, Toro has abandoned the Lawnboy stagger-wheel design concept now all together, so maybe they sold the tooling?

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I started this thread to discuss the similarities between this old Simplicity and the Lawn-Boy mowers of the same era. There are other threads already discussing this Saber mower. So I feel the need to ask, why are you trying to change the topic of this thread? Do you have a stake in them? Dealer?


In regards to your post pointing out the differences in the Simplicity parts, yes there are pronounced differences in the two different mower companies.(Simplicity and Lawn-Boy) Anyone with a basic knowledge of Lawn-Boy history and design could point out a slew of differences between them. I don't recall anyone saying they were the same, certainly not me. The entire point of starting this thread was to try to see if there is any history between the two mower companies. This question was sparked when I noticed the Lawn-Boy "influence" in this Simplicity design.

I am baffled that it is proving to be so difficult to stay on this subject.

I am sorry if I mis-understood, but I THOUGHT the idea behind the post was mowers that imitated or copied Lawnboy features. In that case, both mowers were relevant. I am not a dealer for anything. I am a hobby Lawnboy collector.

The staggered wheel design was first patented by Lawn B oy..but it became common among manufacturers in the 50s and into the 60s..Toro, Eclips, Jacobsen, etc all used the staggered wheel designs. Although Lawn boy was the first, there where so many slight variations by other brands that protecting the patent was next to impossible
Lee