# my lawn boy 2 stroke mowing the yard



## Deleted member 83629 (Aug 1, 2015)

mows pretty good for a noisy old 2 stroke. thought I would share my antique.


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## sawfun (Aug 2, 2015)

I run Blenzall in mine just for the smell but it does start easier with a good synthetic better. Powerful, light mowers and mine has a magnesium deck. Congratulations on a cool vintage machine.


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## Deleted member 83629 (Aug 2, 2015)

I run whatever at 32 or 40:1


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## sawfun (Aug 2, 2015)

Anything 50:1 or better works. I run 25:1 just for the smell with the Blenzall (castor bean oil). 32:1 or 40:1 with full synthetic. Just use non ethanol gas.


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## ANewSawyer (Aug 2, 2015)

That kicks my four cycle push mowers behind. My mower bogs down if the grass is any taller than the bottom of the deck. Ergh!


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## Marshy (Aug 2, 2015)

My Dad always use to have a few Lawnboys. They were great mowers.


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## Big_Wood (Aug 2, 2015)

ANewSawyer said:


> That kicks my four cycle push mowers behind. My mower bogs down if the grass is any taller than the bottom of the deck. Ergh!



i hear the grass back east is hard grass. we got soft grass out west so that's probably why . my 4 stroke would smoke that thing. i've owned a few lawn boys. they do the job but IMO almost any other mower is a better choice LOL they stopped making them for a reason. really cool antique though. one of the biggest things with a 4 stroke mower is setting the governor correctly. my honda mower purs like a kitten at idle or full bore. full bore couldn't be more then 2000RPM i figure. when i hit a thick tall patch the governor thottles it up automatically so it don't have a chance to bog. many 4 stroke mowers come "eyeballed" from the factory so most governors are rarely set perfect. a high hour 4 stroke mower will almost always improve significantly just with a valve adjustment. i've seen them way way off right from the factory.


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## redfin (Aug 2, 2015)

My old 21 vibes like crazy but I run the heck out of it since my boy and I rehabbed it. He just had to paint it while it was apart.


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## ChoppyChoppy (Aug 2, 2015)

When I was a kid the guy across the road had one, I remember the goofy wheel arrangment and it being stupid loud.

I laughed a bit on your video saying the grass was tall. I normally mow mine when it's about 6-8" average, some spots closer to a foot.


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## ANewSawyer (Aug 2, 2015)

westcoaster90 said:


> i hear the grass back east is hard grass. we got soft grass out west so that's probably why . my 4 stroke would smoke that thing. i've owned a few lawn boys. they do the job but IMO almost any other mower is a better choice LOL they stopped making them for a reason. really cool antique though. one of the biggest things with a 4 stroke mower is setting the governor correctly. my honda mower purs like a kitten at idle or full bore. full bore couldn't be more then 2000RPM i figure. when i hit a thick tall patch the governor thottles it up automatically so it don't have a chance to bog. many 4 stroke mowers come "eyeballed" from the factory so most governors are rarely set perfect. a high hour 4 stroke mower will almost always improve significantly just with a valve adjustment. i've seen them way way off right from the factory.




Well considering we have been like a tropical rain forest this year... This mower is extremely high hour. We have had it over ten years. I have wondered about the valves but I don't know how to adjust them or the governor. I have the lever attached to the governor spring set all the way open but it still bogs really bad.

Btw, this is a L-valve set up. I think. Doing reading now.


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## Big_Wood (Aug 2, 2015)

ANewSawyer said:


> Well considering we maven been like a tropical rain forest this year... This mower is extremely high hour. We have had it over ten years. I have wondered about the valves but I don't know how to adjust them or the governor. I have the lever attached to the governor spring set all the way open but it still bogs really bad.



Is it an old Briggs? If so, just run it til it croaks LOL. Briggs valves are adjusted from an inspection plate on the side of the block. If it's a real old Briggs with the air flap mounted over the ignition module which it sounds like it is It should be disposed of properly which is to put it in a steel crate with couple dozen grenades to go off. The old Briggs would seem to be at full bore when inspected but when fired up that air flap thing throttles it down. governors on the old ones are really touchy mostly because you have that air flap fighting against the governor. It is how old Briggs can get away with no throttle cable. The carb is at full bore to aid starting but as soon as the engine turns some RPM's the flywheel blows air at that flap and evens everything out. When set right the Briggs governor will actually make the engine surge as it tries to throttle up automatically going over long grass. It at least stop it from bogging but it sure isn't smooth. The word smooth and B&S engines should never be used in the same sentence anyways. The new ones are a lot better but they still ain't no Honda. They don't even have bearings LOL just crank spinning in a bushing. You could also just set the governor to always allow the engine to scream. I've done a few like that. They vibrate like crazy and are noisy as hell but man do they cut grass nice when the governor is set like that. Grass can be long and soaked but that mower will still cut it mint. There is one good thing about an old Briggs though. It'll never let ya down with some basic maintenance.


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## ANewSawyer (Aug 2, 2015)

I just started changing the oil in it last year, lol. I did some googling and I think that the valves are my problem. I am really concered about what I will find if tear into this engine. I have my doubts about it being worth fixing. But it has run on the same oil for 8 years and just started having trouble last year. 

I have seen that stupid flap when I cleaned the fins! I wonder what the heck it was. Yah, this engine has no throttle cable, just the flywheel brake.


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## Big_Wood (Aug 2, 2015)

ANewSawyer said:


> I just started changing the oil in it last year, lol. I did some googling and I think that the valves are my problem. I am really concered about what I will find if tear into this engine. I have my doubts about it being worth fixing. But it has run on the same oil for 8 years and just started having trouble last year.
> 
> I have seen that stupid flap when I cleaned the fins! I wonder what the heck it was. Yah, this engine has no throttle cable, just the flywheel brake.



around here, those briggs can be had by the dozens during spring clean up. i do about 10 a year depending and i think the most i ever did was the first year i did it. think it was close to 30. i sell them for $40-$50 each LOL. they always run with a bit of love. for the record, i don't change lawn mower oil LOL i would have to be pretty bored to anyways. all mine are free beaters though so to change the oil would put me over budget LOL


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## ANewSawyer (Aug 2, 2015)

Part of the problem is that the stupid thing is a mulcher. I won't make that mistake again...


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## ANewSawyer (Aug 2, 2015)

Sorry for the thread highjack! But, as I said before, nice Lawnboy!


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## Deleted member 83629 (Aug 3, 2015)

westcoaster90 said:


> i hear the grass back east is hard grass. we got soft grass out west so that's probably why . my 4 stroke would smoke that thing. i've owned a few lawn boys. they do the job but IMO almost any other mower is a better choice LOL they stopped making them for a reason. really cool antique though. one of the biggest things with a 4 stroke mower is setting the governor correctly. my honda mower purs like a kitten at idle or full bore. full bore couldn't be more then 2000RPM i figure. when i hit a thick tall patch the governor thottles it up automatically so it don't have a chance to bog. many 4 stroke mowers come "eyeballed" from the factory so most governors are rarely set perfect. a high hour 4 stroke mower will almost always improve significantly just with a valve adjustment. i've seen them way way off right from the factory.


 they stopped because of the epa regulations and in taller grass this mower is just as powerful it hums under load it was lightly four stroking in this grass I mow for a living btw


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## Big_Wood (Aug 3, 2015)

jakewells said:


> they stopped because of the epa regulations and in taller grass this mower is just as powerful it hums under load it was lightly four stroking in this grass I mow for a living btw



I used to mow for extra bucks back between age 6-16 and still do once in a while. Even then I preferred the 4 strokes and that was when I owned a few lawn boys. With the governor of a 4 stroke set properly they cannot be touched by a lawnboy. I realize you are a fan of them and that's cool. I'm not about to tell you not to be. What I'm saying is my preference is the 4 strokes and the 4 strokes setup right will smoke a lawn boy in tall grass and be much smoother then a lawn boy in shorter grass


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## sawfun (Aug 3, 2015)

I agree that a good four stroke beats a lawnboy for power and cleanliness. However the lawnboy is very lightweight with a mag deck, and then there is the vintage cool factor which cannot be ignored by us strange 2 stroke fanatic folk. Neighbors sure hate the blue smelly smoke though. I'm not fond of the neighbors so that works for me. Come to think of it, I'm probably not too terribly fond of the EPA buracracy either.


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## ChoppyChoppy (Aug 3, 2015)

ANewSawyer said:


> Well considering we have been like a tropical rain forest this year... This mower is extremely high hour. We have had it over ten years. I have wondered about the valves but I don't know how to adjust them or the governor. I have the lever attached to the governor spring set all the way open but it still bogs really bad.
> 
> Btw, this is a L-valve set up. I think. Doing reading now.



I've put maybe 5 or 6 hours on my mower this year, have had.little rain and it's been hot. Mowed 4 times so far.
My mower is a 2008 and has about 180 hrs on it, cut about an acre.


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## Big_Wood (Aug 3, 2015)

sawfun said:


> I agree that a good four stroke beats a lawnboy for power and cleanliness. However the lawnboy is very lightweight with a mag deck, and then there is the vintage cool factor which cannot be ignored by us strange 2 stroke fanatic folk. Neighbors sure hate the blue smelly smoke though. I'm not fond of the neighbors so that works for me. Come to think of it, I'm probably not too terribly fond of the EPA buracracy either.



Last place I lived I wasn't to fond of the neighbours either. Had a husqvarna royal 19 with a Briggs at the time. She smoked one heck of a lot more then any lawn boy I've seen LOL would smoke the whole area out in seconds but I was determined to kill it. Think it must have had cracked valve guides or something. I stayed on topping up the oil but one day it stopped smoking and I just said **** it and forced it to keep going. Think it was a matter of 2 minutes before she was done for good LOL I'm not so fond of the new neighbours either. I need a house in the middle of 20 acres  according to my wife I'm the most intolerant person she has ever known. Whatever that means  She likes it though because once the neighbours or anyone else realizes it they tread lightly LOL


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## sawfun (Aug 3, 2015)

Well, if she's smokin, then she's oil'n. Thats kind of how you have to look at it sometimes. Often an engine will make good power that way, maybe because it's loose and has less friction or maybe because the oil takes up space in the combustion chamber thereby increasing compression. Not a preferred condition by any means, but I have seen it several times in the past.


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## Deleted member 83629 (Aug 4, 2015)

sawfun said:


> I agree that a good four stroke beats a lawnboy for power and cleanliness. However the lawnboy is very lightweight with a mag deck, and then there is the vintage cool factor which cannot be ignored by us strange 2 stroke fanatic folk. Neighbors sure hate the blue smelly smoke though. I'm not fond of the neighbors so that works for me. Come to think of it, I'm probably not too terribly fond of the EPA buracracy either.


 
well I mowed a rural cemetery on the 3rd of this month and the grass was pretty tall about 7 inches in spots and the mower did fine
of course the owner only wants it mowed once a month because of the lack of funding and it can turn into a jungle in now time I will post a video to show you guys how well it does in tall grass. yeah im a diehard lawnboy fan.


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## Big_Wood (Aug 5, 2015)

jakewells said:


> well I mowed a rural cemetery on the 3rd of this month and the grass was pretty tall about 7 inches in spots and the mower did fine
> of course the owner only wants it mowed once a month because of the lack of funding and it can turn into a jungle in now time I will post a video to show you guys how well it does in tall grass. yeah im a diehard lawnboy fan.




LOL jake, you got the good'ol kentucky accent. i'd say out of all the lawnboys i ever had i never had one that was in as good of shape as yours.


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## Sprint60 (Aug 8, 2015)

Best thing about a two-stroke is that you can take it on a hillside or down in the ditch without worrying about lubrication issues. I've got an old Lawn Boy in the shed for just that reason. You can't leave fuel in it though; don't know if the tank has a crack or if the float/needle need work but it will leak and smell nasty in a closed area.


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## sawfun (Aug 8, 2015)

My Lawnboy seems to lose fuel from the tank if sitting more than a week no matter which way the shutoff valve position is. But yep, if she's smokin, she's oil'n.


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## Big_Wood (Aug 8, 2015)

Sprint60 said:


> Best thing about a two-stroke is that you can take it on a hillside or down in the ditch without worrying about lubrication issues. I've got an old Lawn Boy in the shed for just that reason. You can't leave fuel in it though; don't know if the tank has a crack or if the float/needle need work but it will leak and smell nasty in a closed area.



i take my 4 strokes on steep hills too. maybe there is a lubrication issue to worry about but i don't worry about it LOL


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## Deleted member 83629 (Aug 8, 2015)

you can leave fuel in mine fuel valve on or off. but mine has a new tank shutoff valve and i did a major overhaul on the carburetor.
it had more leaks than the exxon valdez before i fixed it lol


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## Deleted member 83629 (Aug 8, 2015)

im using the lawnboy oil that is bottled in the metal cans it will puff a little smoke if you hit a tall patch but it seems to do fine running blue death as a lot of people call it.
i only got 192 cans of this stuff i might as well use it.


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## minermike (Aug 20, 2015)

That thing needs a expansion chamber. Very retro. ----mike


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## Timberton (Oct 6, 2015)

Cool old mower. With 32:1 oil mix and fresh non-ethanol gas, that thing will run forever!


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## Guido Salvage (Oct 6, 2015)

You need to step up to rotary power...


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## Deleted member 83629 (Oct 6, 2015)

I'll pass thank you though.


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## sawfun (Oct 7, 2015)

Guido Salvage said:


> You need to step up to rotary power...
> 
> View attachment 452058


Man, I'd love one of those rotary engine mowers.


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## DrewUth (Oct 7, 2015)

I have one of these but I need a recoil starter assemble- one of the ones that mounts a 90* angle to the crank. Anyone got an extra lying around?


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## Deleted member 83629 (Oct 7, 2015)

DrewUth said:


> I have one of these but I need a recoil starter assemble- one of the ones that mounts a 90* angle to the crank. Anyone got an extra lying around?


give me the model of your lawn boy it should be behind the engine on the back between the back wheels.


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## DrewUth (Oct 7, 2015)

Will do as soon as I get home, thanks! I'll post a pic or two as well.


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## mexicanyella (Oct 9, 2015)

Love that white cooling shroud. And Jake orange/Lawn-boy green custom pictured further down, with the motocross-style drilled airbox.

I always admired other people's lawn-boys but I didn't own one until recently when I picked up a mid-80s model 7035 off CL. It's got the stamped steel deck and the F engine, and a handlebar bail that controls a flywheel brake and ignition interlock.

I plan to remove that safety stuff but other than that it's great. The lawn boy makes a very nice even cut even in tall grass. I don't mind the steel deck as long as it's not rusted out!

Thanks for the vids...not everyone seems to appreciate those mowers but to me they seem elegantly simple in design and functionally quirky in operation, with a unique sound and smell. I'm glad to see people who like to actually mow with them still. Wish I'd gotten one sooner!


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## mexicanyella (Oct 9, 2015)

Also, DrewUth, post photos of your mower's shroud design and starting arrangement. I have a parts mower here with a working recoil, but there are different styles...


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## DrewUth (Oct 13, 2015)

I owe you guys photos- sorry I was away for the weekend, I'll get some today. I can tell you that it is a yellow shroud, green deck, and the recoil assembly mounts 90* to the crank/flywheel, near the 7:00 position if you are standing behind the mower. It works similar to a motorcycle kickstart- with a gear on a "threaded" bushing that moves inward towards the flywheel when engaged, and self retracts as the pull cord is released and the flywheel spins.

Looks like this:


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## mexicanyella (Oct 13, 2015)

Yellow shroud? Huh. Never seen one of those, other than on a Yard-Man.


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## Deleted member 83629 (Oct 13, 2015)

DrewUth said:


> I owe you guys photos- sorry I was away for the weekend, I'll get some today. I can tell you that it is a yellow shroud, green deck, and the recoil assembly mounts 90* to the crank/flywheel, near the 7:00 position if you are standing behind the mower. It works similar to a motorcycle kickstart- with a gear on a "threaded" bushing that moves inward towards the flywheel when engaged, and self retracts as the pull cord is released and the flywheel spins.
> 
> Looks like this:
> 
> View attachment 453480


type in these part numbers at https://www.rcpw.com/
recoil spring --- 604257
starter pulley --- 609457
starter pinion --- 609133
spring ------------609229
washer -----------609005
retaining ring ---609004
You can only get the entire assembly used or NOS around ebay or a old shop having the parts laying around you can still buy the parts but not the assembly.


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## Deleted member 83629 (Oct 13, 2015)

mexicanyella said:


> Yellow shroud? Huh. Never seen one of those, other than on a Yard-Man.


a standard lawn boy from the 80's used a F series engine 4 hp.


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## mexicanyella (Oct 13, 2015)

That shroud is shaped like the one on my parts mower (8237), only mine's green instead of yellow. Air intake slots on top in sort of a rear-facing u-shape, black two-piece air shroud underneath the colored part. 

Both my runner and parts mower have F engines.


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## joe25DA (Oct 25, 2015)

I am on a grounds crew at a private school and mow 10 lawns on the side. I have 4 mowers 3 blowers 2 trucks...I'm over equipped in other words and don't even ask about saws. I've run 2 and 4 strokes. For 4 stroke all I run is Kawasaki, my 36" toro has a big kawi on it and I had a 21" proline toro that had the 6hp version. Honda is good as long as it the GX series and not the timing belt equipped gc engines.
Right now I have 2 low hour pro line 21" Toros with the Suzuki 2 stroke. Best 21" engine ever. Plenty of power and bullet proof. EPA is only reason they are gone. Old lawnboys are wAy cool too. Here's the only 2 I have pics of on phone


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## joe25DA (Oct 25, 2015)

The other 2


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## Deleted member 83629 (Oct 25, 2015)

looks like a toro 222040


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## DrewUth (Oct 26, 2015)

jakewells said:


> a standard lawn boy from the 80's used a F series engine 4 hp.
> View attachment 453482



Sorry for the delay in getting a picture of the tag up:


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## Big Block (Dec 10, 2015)

Thanks. Now I want one.


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## Big Block (Dec 10, 2015)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^



jakewells said:


> well I mowed a rural cemetery on the 3rd of this month and the grass was pretty tall about 7 inches in spots and the mower did fine
> of course the owner only wants it mowed once a month because of the lack of funding and it can turn into a jungle in now time I will post a video to show you guys how well it does in tall grass. yeah im a diehard lawnboy fan.


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## troylee (Dec 10, 2015)

Has anyone ported a lawnboy?


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## rburg (Dec 10, 2015)

The 1st lawn boy I ran was in the late 60's. It was the first self-propelled mower I had ever use. In the mid 70's I ran several lawn boys when I did summer work on a school maintenance department.


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