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I know that we're all the time discussing particular issues, concerns, wishes, wants, projects and the like. But I thought I'd start a thread on what it is about the Lawn Boys, and why it is that we like them so much. I'll start this off.

For me, there are several reasons I like Lawn Boy, and personally think it's the 'Cadillac' of walk-behind mowers.
1) You can't kill 'em! Give them the least amount of care and attention, and they'll run forever.
2) They're the simplest thing to work on and maintain.
3) They're light weight and easy to handle.
4) Very economical to operate.

So what about you guys? What do you like about them?

You can't beat the 2-cycle engines. Very light weight and powerful. They're also economical to run. I prefer the aluminum deck models, so rusting is not an issue. Very easy to work on. I've found 30+ year old ones that have been long forgotten, and got them running again. Prices and availability of parts are reasonable. I can enter a model and serial # of any mower on the lawnboy website and get access to parts diagrams and prices. The 2 -cycle engines, and staggered wheel decks just set them off from all the others I suppose. As for a new LB, you couldn't give me one.
That's my 2 cents worth.

I agree with ya Fireman...you couldn't give me one of the new ones. Come on...cheap steel deck, high maintenance 4-cycle, not that reliable (in my opinion), not easy or fun to work on, and definitely not cheap to buy parts....why would I want one?:thumbdown:

Give me the old Lawn Boy A N Y D A Y!!!:biggrin:

And as a side note, unless I misread or misunderstood the advertisements, one can still buy new 2-cycle mowers (not Lawn Boy) in other parts of the world. In Australia, one can buy the "Victa". It's offered in both 2 & 4-cycle models. (may have to go back and double-check that one...lol:laughing

I agree with the points made above and would add that all the arguments in favor of two-cycle engines that have been made in other threads (two- vs four-cycle) apply to two-cycle Lawn-Boy mowers.

The question here is what is unique about Lawn-Boy -- characteristics not found in other brands. My favorite unique Lawn-Boy feature is the large muffler, mounted under the deck. I like the sound of two-stroke engines in general but, combined with the muffler design, the old Lawn-Boys have a very pleasing exhaust note.

I agree 100%, the LB's do have a very distinctive and pleasing sound.
*must be why I enjoy cutting grass so much...music to my ears...lol:laughing:

I love Lawn Boy mowers because they are so lightweight and have lots of cutting power. Much lighter than other mowers.
They cut better than any other mower I have ever used, maybe because of the grass thro-out being up forward on the right front, and maybe because they have more power than 4strokes.

I have used and worked on many mowers and I love my green 2stroke Lawn Boys so much I would let them in my bed. They run great, smell great and sound great. They can be forgotten about for years and still run great. They dont mind if I used other mowers for a while, when I use them again they are still right where I put them waiting for attention.

I have 47 push mowers total but only 7 of them are Lawn Boys. Motor swap/conversion of a 10323 to rebuilt Stihl MS-660 Magnum motor almost complete. After years of wanting and wishing Stihl would produce a 2stroke push mower, I decided if one was to exist it would have to custom built. Progress has been slow but its almost done. Next project is painting my 10324 hot pink color and naming it Lawn Girl push mower for my daughter.

Yes my friends and I all love Lawn Boys. Other 2stroke push mowers we just like a whole lot.

Stihl_powered_LawnBoy said:

I love Lawn Boy mowers because they are so lightweight and have lots of cutting power. Much lighter than other mowers.
They cut better than any other mower I have ever used, maybe because of the grass thro-out being up forward on the right front, and maybe because they have more power than 4strokes.

I have used and worked on many mowers and I love my green 2stroke Lawn Boys so much I would let them in my bed. They run great, smell great and sound great. They can be forgotten about for years and still run great. They dont mind if I used other mowers for a while, when I use them again they are still right where I put them waiting for attention.

I have 47 push mowers total but only 7 of them are Lawn Boys. Motor swap/conversion of a 10323 to rebuilt Stihl MS-660 Magnum motor almost complete. After years of wanting and wishing Stihl would produce a 2stroke push mower, I decided if one was to exist it would have to custom built. Progress has been slow but its almost done. Next project is painting my 10324 hot pink color and naming it Lawn Girl push mower for my daughter.

Yes my friends and I all love Lawn Boys. Other 2stroke push mowers we just like a whole lot.

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:thumbsup: That is one interesting project. :thumbsup:

I have three Stihl saws and am a huge fan. I've thought of making a very light-weight brush mower with one of the bigger Stihl engines, a reduction gear and an alloy deck. Just a dream. :biggrin:

Please post a picture of your project.

The Lawn-Girl project sounds good too.

Everything no other lawn mower can beat em. I have a lawnboy 40 years old still cutting grass.

I Love Lawnboy mowers so much that last week I brought home 25 more older models from a Stihl & lawnboy dealer that had them setting outside for parts. Most are still complete, just given up on by owners for various reasons. I love them so much I hated to see them so lonely and abandoned outside. Now they will be added to my other yard ornaments until I can build a storage building for them, hopefully soon. I can't believe the number of people who see them and stop by to talk about them. While on the way home with 8 of the lawnboys in my truck, I stopped by walmart, and when leaving the store, I met 3 people at my truck waiting for me and asking either to sell them one or if I could repair an old one they had. I now have 7 people wanting me to sell them one as soon as I get them repaired/restored.

I love LawnBoy so much that I want to paint my truck LawnBoy green.

Stihl_powered_LawnBoy said:

I Love Lawnboy mowers so much that last week I brought home 25 more older models from a Stihl & lawnboy dealer that had them setting outside for parts. Most are still complete, just given up on by owners for various reasons. I love them so much I hated to see them so lonely and abandoned outside. Now they will be added to my other yard ornaments until I can build a storage building for them, hopefully soon. I can't believe the number of people who see them and stop by to talk about them. While on the way home with 8 of the lawnboys in my truck, I stopped by walmart, and when leaving the store, I met 3 people at my truck waiting for me and asking either to sell them one or if I could repair an old one they had. I now have 7 people wanting me to sell them one as soon as I get them repaired/restored.

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Wow, that's quite a find. I've never found that many at one time. Actually, it's just as well... I don't know how I'd find time to fix that many.

Welcome. :welcome:

LawnBoys are better by design. Some have been known to go over 30 years without any maintenance.

My wife loves her lawn boy (me), she belives in reg maintence..

Lawn-Boy is awesome! I got my first machine (2 stroke self-propelled) 8 years ago and have never done anything but routine maintenance. I don't know how good the new four strokes are, but the old smokey twos are great.

THEY ARE SO HARD TO KILL!

I bought my first one (SCAMP) at a yard sale over 20 years ago for $50. I treated it like crap, using it to bushog small saplings and briars on my new (then) property. Some years later the steel deck broke, around a wheel I think, and I just shoved it behind the garage for a few years (outside, no cover). Then after 2-3 years went by I was cleaning up and decided to see if it still would start. Poured in some gas, primed it and there she went, purring like only a Lawn Boy does. I decided right then to replace her frame and found a used aluminum frame. Now it's back inside everynight and used regularly like a weed eater around the yard. I lucked up on another one at a yard sale about 4 years ago for only $2.00! I brought it home, cleaned rust from the magneto, added fuel, and heard it purring too! They sleep together now. I still work the crap out of 'em and they seem to love it! About as maintenance free as it gets for me. Gotta Love Lawn Boys! (2 cycle that is):thumbsup:

Great story! After getting bit by the bug about 5 years ago, you can't give me anything else. I've bought, and sold quite a few, plus I've sold several parts. It's a great little hobby. Here's a line-up of my D - series mowers. All still run, and do a great job. I have a Gold Series F engine for my main mower. 18 years old and still as smooth as butter. I'm always on the look-out for the green machines

Yours look much nicer that mine Fireman. I took another close look at my $2 mower and noticed it says Lawn Boy by JC Penney on the front of the tank. Did they make many of those? Do you know how to identify the years? I don't know much about LB's but I'm very pleased with mine.

Garacuda said:

Yours look much nicer that mine Fireman. I took another close look at my $2 mower and noticed it says Lawn Boy by JC Penney on the front of the tank. Did they make many of those? Do you know how to identify the years? I don't know much about LB's but I'm very pleased with mine.

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Thank you. I'll be glad to help you ID your JcP mower. I wouldn't think there's very many out there, but I do see one come up on eBay and Craigslist every now and then. They definitely have a look of their own. To find the year, go to Lawnboy.com, click to buy parts. There's a space to enter the model # of the mower. It will give a list of years that you will have to match to the serial # of the mower.

Fireman 123 said:

Great story! After getting bit by the bug about 5 years ago, you can't give me anything else. I've bought, and sold quite a few, plus I've sold several parts. It's a great little hobby. Here's a line-up of my D - series mowers. All still run, and do a great job. I have a Gold Series F engine for my main mower. 18 years old and still as smooth as butter. I'm always on the look-out for the green machines

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Thanks for posting those photos. I have two of the same mowers: a model 8232 (plus I have a second one for parts); and a model 7266 (sort of my favorite mower.)

Fireman 123 said:

Thank you. I'll be glad to help you ID your JcP mower. I wouldn't think there's very many out there, but I do see one come up on eBay and Craigslist every now and then. They definitely have a look of their own. To find the year, go to Lawnboy.com, click to buy parts. There's a space to enter the model # of the mower. It will give a list of years that you will have to match to the serial # of the mower.

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Thanks, I'll check it out. I never knew this site was here until last week and I think it's great. So much useful knowledge and the folks are so helpful to each other. I never even knew when they stopped making the beloved 2 stroker.:ashamed: My JcP mower must have set outside a lot, the plastic gas cap fell apart, the plastic tabs holding the gas tank onto the cover broke and it's now held on with pop rivets. But I'm still happy with it and my old faithful Scamp. You guys have made me decide to give them a bath this weekend.....heck, I might even sharpen their blades while I'm at it.:wink:

the smell is the best. 2 stroke exhaust mixed with fresh cut grass.

A green machine that puts out blue smoke and growls like a Lion just screams Renegade doesn't it? I have brought several Lawn-boy mowers back to life. Nothing beats the sound of a LB working in the deep grass with a sharp blade and the side discharge wide open. I presently own three machines.

I have always been fond of Lawn Boy mowers but after working on a few assorted mtd and craftsman I appreciate them even more.New mowers are crap built to not last more than 3-4 years.I have done things with mine that would have killed a newer mower.My souped up Duraforce can cut anything and I proved it last week to my buddy who had a 2 foot high weed not grass field on a hillside.Try that with your honda or husqovara.

I love my 2002 SilverPro Series 10323. I run Motul oil in the gas at 50:1, and have done this since day one (new). I have a spare short block, but it does not need any work yet. You can't beat a 2-Stroke, I'm glad I bought mine. 12 years cutting a one acre lot.

I have a 19 inch Lawn Boy that I bought new in 1980. I still have the bill of sale for it.
I use this machine regularly, and it still runs as good as the day I bought it.
I also have a 1980 21 inch that I acquired a few years ago, and it still runs great.
I challenge anyone to find another brand of mower that old that is still running.
Also I have a 4 cycle Lawn Boy, Silver, that runs great too.
I have another 2 cycle machine that I picked up at the dump and got running by putting a new plug in.
It runs great and I am willing to give it away to someone that would really appreciate having it, and would be willing to come to NH and pick it up.
Contact me at nh248@metrocast.net, if you are interested.

I can't add any more about a Lawn-Boy then what has all ready been said and I haven't used one in about 10 years. I can say that the first time I used one I was hooked. Back in the 70s, I was running Toro and I dropped off 4 mowers at the dealer for engine work and the guy at the dealer asked if I wanted to try one (Lawn-Boy) to see how I like it. I can't remember the model # but it was a commercial one with a big orange gas tank and orange wheels, 21" cut I think, metal engine cover if I remember right. I used it and I had one of my cutting crews use it and we all loved the power, it was nice and light, the deck that is. I never returned the one I was using and bought three more for a total of four. Those Lawn-Boys out lasted the Toro's. I changed all my mowers to Lawn-Boy, got new gas cans and cases of 2 cycle oil and never regretted it. You could ware the tire off the rims before the engine or decks. We did have to get the oil/gas ratio right but once that was done all my cutting crews love them and the comp. would stop and look and ask how much did we pay for those, some said they will not last, the decks will break things like that. In about two years time almost every lawn care co. was running Lawn-Boy. I used it in my adds, We use the best mowers out there and it worked because they gave a good cut, my guys could cut more yards in one day. It was the best money I ever spent. I can't say anything about the new 4 cycle Lawn-boys because I've never used one. But thats just me.

I'm not an old man but I'm getting there, and I'm at the point in life where I'm beginning to feel nostalgic. I can remember the days when men were men and women were women and Americans built quality.
Lawnboy exemplifies just that, pure red blooded Americana, simple, to the point and made to mow and mow and mow some more.
The kind of machine to be handed down to the grandkids....a couple modles were even adorned in the red white and blue ( stars and stripes and bicentenial...sometimes called the liberty). Lol....today they would probably be sued by some special intrest group for such a thing....anyhow...they bring me back to the good old days, and beyond all the obvious reasons...this is why I love them ol Lawnboys.
Lee

unclelee said:

I'm not an old man but I'm getting there, and I'm at the point in life where I'm beginning to feel nostalgic. I can remember the days when men were men and women were women and Americans built quality.
Lawnboy exemplifies just that, pure red blooded Americana, simple, to the point and made to mow and mow and mow some more.
The kind of machine to be handed down to the grandkids....a couple modles were even adorned in the red white and blue ( stars and stripes and bicentenial...sometimes called the liberty). Lol....today they would probably be sued by some special intrest group for such a thing....anyhow...they bring me back to the good old days, and beyond all the obvious reasons...this is why I love them ol Lawnboys.
Lee

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You are right about bring back the good old days, when I was thinking about the first Lawn-Boys I ever owned, man that was a good time in my life. You could make a deal with a handshake. I glad I saw this thread and posted, man time flies. I'm sorry about the hijack. "but thats just me"

unclelee said:

I'm not an old man but I'm getting there, and I'm at the point in life where I'm beginning to feel nostalgic. I can remember the days when men were men and women were women and Americans built quality.
Lawnboy exemplifies just that, pure red blooded Americana, simple, to the point and made to mow and mow and mow some more.
The kind of machine to be handed down to the grandkids....a couple modles were even adorned in the red white and blue ( stars and stripes and bicentenial...sometimes called the liberty). Lol....today they would probably be sued by some special intrest group for such a thing....anyhow...they bring me back to the good old days, and beyond all the obvious reasons...this is why I love them ol Lawnboys.
Lee

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Unclelee, I really get the nostalgia thing. Every time I put one of my old Lawn Boys to work, I remember the days when the sound of them was so common in my neighborhood. They were well made and they lasted with just a little TLC. They were simple and easy to repair and they didn't have all those goofy safety features. They were just fine the way they were and still are if operated using common sense. Some people see an old Lawn Boy as just an old, polluting contraption made to do a common chore. But to us vintage Lawn Boy fans, they represent so much more. I could go on and on. By the way, I am nearly 58 and based on the tone of my response, I guess I'm getting old too.

I just wouldn't have anything else to use for my lawns. One thing I have noticed, having all vintages of LawnBoy. The earlier ones were quieter, with larger under-deck mufflers of aluminum, as time went on they made a switch to steel mufflers, and at last, very flimsy steel under-deck mufflers (except the 6.5 hp Duraforce with above deck muffler), and they got louder, due to flimsy steel mufflers.

gfp55 said:

You are right about bring back the good old days, when I was thinking about the first Lawn-Boys I ever owned, man that was a good time in my life. You could make a deal with a handshake. I glad I saw this thread and posted, man time flies. I'm sorry about the hijack. "but thats just me"

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So you can't make a deal with a handshake anymore? You demand a contract now. Sad times are upon us.