I don't know but, I like the lawnboy and i don't even own one! i cant believe all the beautifully restored lb's on this site. I always thought the lawn boy was a bargain brand all these years, since i joined this site i know better now! Must be like the huge following weber barbeque's have, i have one now and don't know how i lived without it. I guess its too late too get a new 2 cycle LB now. Forgive me but whats up with the staggered wheels/deck? (greenhorn!)

The staggered wheel setup made it a great trimming mower, especially in tight areas. I like the simplicity, durability, and light weight of the early LB. They are very easy to rebuild if necessary and under OMC,the parts were about the lowest priced on the market. Certainly not the case now. Toro has a heavy pencil. Sure do like the sound of a healthy 2 stroke.

For me Lawn Boys are the perfect hobby. Besides liking the sound of the two stroke Lawn Boy engine and the good feeling I get mowing with one, there are several other aspects to this pastime. I have always liked out of the ordinary things that had special qualities. If you really get into Lawn Boys you might start thinking they were the best mowers on the planet. The duraforce models were excellent but my interests lie in the older models, especially those made in the early 70's. This brings me to the next thing I really enjoy, taking an older Lawn Boy, finding it's weak points and making improvements using redesigned parts or better materials that were not available or too costly to use when the mower was being manufactured.And let me tell you, there are not a lot of improvements that can be made. Just using synthetic oil is one. Better gasket material is another. Since I have always liked engines,I get a lot of satisfaction from assembling a Lawn Boy and paying attention to every detail.I also get to do a lot of experimenting with different metal treatments like glass beading and painting, with a goal of finding the longest lasting most durable finishes. And then there is the excitment of searching for and finding old Lawn Boys, collecting is always fun.

Coyote, Lawn Boys were always the more expensive mower not the bargain brand.

I was skeptical about Lawnboys until I owned one. This was a used machine that came from a family friend who fixed everything. When he died and his treasure chest of parts and machines was clean out (and thrown out), I kept all the parts I could recognize for all makes. The Lawnboy were the most recognizable so I concentrated on then. I slowly started to get as many running as I could. I gave them to my mother, sister, cousins and anyone who would supply parts for the next fixup. These were all given away because I did not want to deal with warranty and money. I never bought parts, just took them off another machine. The older vintages can be picked up for nothing off the street or landfill. My material costs were zero. Only my sister returned hers when her husband bought a new $99 mower. Her old mower is now part of my fleet of seven.
My current project is to replace the steel deck on my mother-in-laws LB. The amazing thing is that she thinks this is something I can do right. Boy is the pressure on!
The power, ease to push, exchange-ability of parts, simplicity and reliability all make this my mower of choice.

Hello Mike

You should post some picture of your collection. Its ashame this site deletes old post.

Forrest

The offset-wheel deck provides three benefits: closer trimming on the front, better discharge (discharge chute tangential to blade arc, and first-cut clippings discharge first) and resistance to scalping (right front wheel is almost on-center, preventing scalping when mowing over a hump). The main drawback is inability to trim with the right side of the mower, which is easily overcome by mowing counter-clockwise.

For me...it is what I know. I always had one growing up. Reliable and outlasted all other items around the house. The sound, the smells, the feel. It is just so familiar. Everytime I operate one, it reminds me of summertime growing up...and that is priceless. They are uniquely different and strange looking too.

Anyone can own a 4 cycle clone. These are the MAC computer in a IBM clone world. Who wants ordinary when life can be so boring as it is. It just adds a bit of spice to an otherwise drab chore. Properly cared for they can last a generation or more, which in itself sets it apart from the clones. We can be perfectly content with our little green pals.

Ditto to growing up cutting the grass with that great rumbling sound!

My first Lawn-Boy (dad's but I mowed with it) was a 19" staggered wheel throroughbred! My second and current one I have been using since the early 70's is a model 7222 2-stroke, 4hp, cast magnesium deck, 21", mow anything you got Lawn-Boy. I have rebuilt the carb twice, gotten replacement wheels, bags and plugs, but the shortblock is as delivered from OMC (still strong after 33 years). The best mowers on the planet are 2-stroke Lawn-Boys in my humble opinion. Anyone can have a 4-stroke and they don't make them like they used too......

David

The fastest way to get me to want something is to tell be I can't have it. The tree huggers tell me I can't have one because they pollute too much. That is why I bought my first Lawn-Boy, a 10515 in 1995, and the only reason I bought a 10550 in March 2005 is because they went out of production (you can't have one because they aren't made anymore because of government regulations).

We can't help it!!! They put something in that 2-stroke oil to make us uncontrollably want them!

Honestly, it all the reasons stated above. Plus, I always liked the idea that the engine came from the same folks that built marine-grade engines. At least that's the roots of 'em.

Doesn't matter who built it or what it's powering, I just can't get excited at all about single-cylinder 4-stroke anything. Load-down an OMC lawn-boy and you get the sounds of an outboard on a lake, cruising to a favorite camping spot or something.

Plus the added bonus....if you use LB oil that is....is the smell of pizza crust, marshmallows, buttered toast, etc.

My neighbors 4 year old daughter once commented while mowing my lawn and I stopped to say hello and chat with the father..."Daddy, I smell roasted marshmallows." This was a priceless statement one can never forget. I just smiled knowing it my little green mower making such delightful smells.

I also like the way it makes your clothes smell. You come inside the house, and your wife can smell you 2 floors away and says, "Ewwww, you smell awful!" This cracks me up.

As for me... Dad had a yellow IH-Lawnboy, bought it new probably in 73 or so, and we used it until 1985ish when I was going to start mowing many lawns on the block, I was 11 or 12 or so. Of course, I HAD to insist we got the craftsman with electric start and self propel.

never did get that thing to run right, or start without bringing it to sears first to have them mess with it.

A few years later I got a job at a hardware store/lawn boy dealer and realized how good I really had it with the yellow IH mower. Bought dad a LZPN21C for fathers day. I now have it and it's running as good as ever.

I still want to get one of those old yellow ones... just for me. It had a cool shroud cover, looked like fake headlights like a cub cadet tractor.

Murph

Two things for me...

I like the power to weight ration of 2-stroke engines. And when I was a kid I mowed an old (read, rough and uneven) cemetary. The cemetary had 2 that I used to trim around head stones. I wish I knew what the model was but they were aluminum or mag deck, 2 stroke, push mowers (not self propelled). There was nothing like it for going around markers and over the uneven ground. I've been a fan ever since and I finally got my own 10550 last year whend I heard the 2 strokes were out of production. I guess I have an affinity for the odd-ball stuff.

i used them in the early -mid eightys when i lived up north and had a lawn biz. moved to fla and brought my push commercial with me but soon relived i had to have selfpropel . when toro bought lawnboy and put the 3speed trans into them -i started using them again. the lawnboy 2 stroke will cut what others cant. when i heard production had stopped -i started stocking up. got 10 running units now. the silver series duraforce = best value-the f motor =most durable.the amazing M =best preformer

All I have to say is, "Ignorance is bliss" before I joined this forum, I planted a new lawn,so I started thinking " I need a new mower" (deck on honda rusted out) Then I started reading this forum and thats when the trouble began! I would have been perfectly happy with a craftsman or whatever the box store sells, now I am roaming from specialty mower shops all over creation looking at mowers--- and then at a shop here in seattle I see in the corner hiding a new lawn boy 2 cycle mower, this was the last one. ( dont know the model # but it had removeable hatch on the deck lid for bagger, no self propel, no bag,very basic, had the offset deck) Don't yell but I didnt by it, Because I started thinking " I need self propell, blade brake,rear bag etc. I dont know what to do just dont know what I'm looking for regarding lawn boys yet, maybe i should look for a used one, -- Or buy a Toro, honda, Ariens john deere ??? I hate You guys ;)

The reliability and the uniqueness of the 2-stroke engine and the staggered wheel deck. Because of the deck, I have never gotten a better looking lawn out of any other mower.

As far as lawn mowers go, they are so simple that it is actually fun to work on them. I like feeling like I can do something that not everyone can, and that some people find impressive and at the same time it's not a headache to do.

Can someone help me out with somewhere to look to get more Lawnboys to restore? I've had a couple - one that needed minor repairs - and I want more but I don't know where y'all look to find all these gems. I'm actually up to any free or cheap repairable mower. Thanks for your help.

A unique design, quality engineering and simplicity. I always loved the styling of the mowers. Lawnboys are the only mower that was like the auto industry. If you look at all the older OMC models, they had a new look for each model year, a different engine shroud, a different color etc. That makes them special in their own way.
The sound is the best. sadly, they are a rare thing to hear these days. So many people running craftsmans and hondas around here. Every so often you will hear a lawnboy in the far distance. I get drawn to the sound! I need to see who elso is running one other than me!
I have obsessive compulsive lawnboy disorder. I have an oversized collection but I love it. The neighbors think Im crazy as they see me cutting the lawn with a different lawnboy each week! Pretty soon they all go back to storage for the winter......Thats when the snow-boy comes out!!

For me, it's nostalgia, Americana, and an appreciation for things that are durable and well made.

The neighborhood I grew up in was full of Lawn-Boys. They always intrigued me with their distinctive engine sound and wacky appearance. The brand was in its heyday then (1970s), and they were the best mowers on the market---something that impressed the h*** out of this kid. (I've always been a lawn mower enthusiast for some unknown reason.)

Today, I appreciate the durability and simplicity of Lawn-Boy 2-cycle engines. I also like the mowers' build quality (which has continued under Toro ownership). These two factors, plus the nostalgia of my childhood memories, have combined with the Americana of the staggered wheel L-B (it was the first rotary power mower on the market) to make a Lawn-Boy collector out of me.

There's nothing else like the sounds and smells of mowing with a 2-cycle L-B. Sadly, as UHF1483 pointed out, they are a rarity these days. Therefore, I hope to be able to preserve these sounds and smells for future generations. I say "hope" because this is totally dependent on both Toro's long-term parts support and the EPA.

For me lawn boys are special because of their uniqueness, dad always had four cycles to mow with when I was a kid. However I have always liked the two cycle engines because they were "different" I liked the smell and the oil mixing procedure. My first motorcycle was a three cylinder two stoke Kawasaki 500 and I used the then expensive Klotz synthetic oil that really smelled great. So after I grew up and got married and moved to another town I was surprized to see that this new town was a "Lawn-boy Town". This was mostly because the local hardware store sold them and was really good at keeping them running. Around about 1982 I bought my first LB a self-propelled R8237 that I bent the crank on and just last winter found a used replacement and now it is running fine. Now that they have stopped production I have bought four more LB's a 10323, 10324, 10550, and another that I'm not sure what it is as the ID plate is not on it but I think it's a "F" series with the three speed transmission and aluminum deck. I also have two complete Duraforce engines and spare carbs, mufflers, tanks, and other misc. parts and enough Mobil one synthetic oil to last me a lifetime. There is nothing like the smell of two-cycle exhaust and sound of a well tuned Lawn-Boy's Power hum. The rest of the family thinks I'm crazy when I SMILE while mowing! Ah the simple pleasures of life.

The first mower I ever used was a 7220 Lawnboy that my Dad bought new in 1969. It still runs fine, but the deck is cracked to the point I need to find another one. The smell brings back memories of a simpler time, before mortgages, car payments, buying toilet paper (dont laugh...I always thought it just magically appeared on the damn roll!) Over the years, I owned a Lawnboy mag deck electric start with a D-430 engine that got stolen around 20 Years ago, and it was just last year that I started collecting them. I didnt realize how bad I missed them little green devils until I got another one! I now have a 10550, 8351, 7073, 10313, and a 10523. Life is good! I still check around the night before garbage pickup day to try and find more! Right now I have the 10523 disassembled to restore it.

One thing I remember most about Dad's old IH was that it (like all LB's I now know) it had a SPECIAL handle made just for me -- none of the neighbor's mowers had that bar going across at adult-knee level so that I could help dad and push too!

One thing I remember most about Dad's old IH was that it (like all LB's I now know) it had a SPECIAL handle made just for me -- none of the neighbor's mowers had that bar going across at adult-knee level so that I could help dad and push too!

Well there's a memory! I never thought of that, though.

Why are we addicted?

Because we are sick in the head...the whole damn bunch of us.

.....could be true. I mean, we all refer to the good smell of the fumes which can't be too good for us.

Matt, Dave, No to the fumes, it's the Burbble! and if that don't get ya then the Power HUM will! LOL

Really it's for the folks that enjoy the idea of owning a well designed, precision built, piece of lawn care equiptment that the average guy doesn't appreciate.

I'm addicted when I can pull out my M21ZMR right after hurricane Wilma and vacuum up yard debris and leave my yard looking great. And then right after that mow my neighbor's yard that has super long St Augustine without bogging down or sputtering. Her yard looked great after the M was finished. My Honda would not have handled my neighbors grass at all, it would bog, complain and perhaps quit, but the Lawnboy actually sounded like it liked it and that it was loafing when it got back to my "easy" yard. That's what addicts me to it.

"My Honda would not have handled my neighbors grass at all, it would bog, complain and perhaps quit, but the Lawnboy actually sounded like it liked it and that it was loafing when it got back to my 'easy' yard."

That's another thing that makes these mowers so great...the 2-cycle engine's consistent torque output will cut through anything!

It's also another thing that makes a Lawn-Boy a Lawn-Boy.

It's sad that the main thing that makes a Lawn-Boy a Lawn-Boy has been swept away from us by a government agency. Anyone ever fitted a LB with a converter?

QUOTE: "For me, it's nostalgia, Americana, and an appreciation for things that are durable and well made."

I'll second that! I'm not a real LB fanatic - I own only 2. A 2003 DuraForce powered Silver Series and a 70's magnesium deck push model that I plan on rebuilding this winter and using at a rental property. Someday I'll add a C or D powered LB to the fleet.

Maybe 2 stroke fumes are more addictive than tobacco......

I started my obsession when my grandma had a '77 #8235AE as a loaner when her Briggs powered cheapie was in the shop. She liked it so much she traded in her practically new Lawn Chief on this one that was probably 5 or 6 years old at the time. I mowed her lawn with it once she couldn't do it anymore and absolutely loved it. Shortly thereafter I started reading every piece of information on Lawn-Boys, and became somewhat of an expert on them. I landed a job at a small engine shop where I worked on nothing but "green" all day, and tended to accumulate lots of trade-ins for my own collection. I pretty much got paid in old Lawn-Boys, because that's what just about all the money I made went into!
I always had an affection for them, especially the really unique ones that nobody else had.
Now that they're becoming more scarce, I'm even more motivated to get a couple old ones back in shape. Finding them isn't easy though...I've been striking out just about everywhere, but come spring, I should be able to get a couple nice ones that come in to the shops on trade.

The look on the faces of the neighbors and people driving by when you're out mowing with a nice running machine that's older than they are is priceless too...I remember mowing the lawn with my '76 #8235E Bicentennial and getting some strange looks from passers-by. Or the comments like "when did you get a new mower?" when I'd be mowing with my '75 #7264 that looked brand new.
My #10525 Duraforce is a powerhouse, and I like mowing with it, but it just doesn't generate the same feelings from myself and others as a restored older machine does.

In time I may get enough of them restored that I can get a spot at one of the local gas and steam engine shows. I'm sure I'll get some positive responses from the spectators.

I don't know why 2-stroke does that to a person. I had a 1950 Saab 92 (I think) two-cylinder, two stroke that I almost cried when we had to part ways. Also in the 1970s I had a Bultaco 250cc 2-stroke motorcycle that had been highly modified for dirt flat-track racing at local county fairs. (it used castor oil and alcohol) It was given to me, and after I almost was thrown in jail for driving it on the street, I got rid of it. Maybe it is like the Mazda logoÂ. Zoom-zoom

I don't understand you guys at all. I personally only own 15 or so, just enough to get by.

I really hope this year I can get a lawnboy to work on, no one is my city of shelton seems to get rid of any, all I keep getting are craftsmen, rally, and the ocacional toro

My fascination with Lawn Boy started when I was a kid and I would see other dads mowing with a Lawnboy. My father would always remark that they were junk, but that was a another way of saying we could not afford one. So, we went on mowing our lawn with whatever mower we could junk pick and repair...i remember a couple lawn chiefs. Eventually, I was able to junk pick someone's discarded Lawn Boy and then I became a loyal fan.

My confession. I used to have a few old LB's kicking around and used them to mow my lawn for years. There is no dispute that they are great machines. However I have moved to the dark side. I now prefer 4 cycle engines. That goes for motorcycles, Dirtbikes (the new 4-cycle dirt bikes are great 5 valve/single cylinder), Atv's, boatmotors, Anyone see the new 4 stroke supercharged Sea doo's and Skidoos!. No reason in particular, just a change in mood I guess over the years.
Thumper Technology!
I guess it's whatever turns your crank!, pun intended:)

I bought my Model 6262 from a neighbor in 1985, when my W.T. Grants mower(a 1960's hand-me-down from another old neighbor) gave up the ghost. I have used and abused that machine for 27 years, mowing lawns and picking up lots of leaves. With the exception of one muffler, three plugs, two bags and a few blades, that machine hasn't ever let me down. Until this past fall.
Suddenly she refused to start. I installed a fresh plug and still no dice. I parked it in the garage until today, when I finally gave it a second look. Began by pulling the fuel line from the tank petcock and voila! No flow! Probed the petcock with a small nail and the obstruction(gunk) popped out along with renewed fuel flow. Cleaned the machine up a bit while it was up on the bench and brought it outside for a test drive. 4 pulls and that sucker fired right up in a glorious cloud of blue smoke. To think, I was beginning to consider a new machine. Think I'll treat her to a shot of grease to the wheels and a new blade.
Not necessarily an addiction. Just an apreciation for a machine that can give that much uninterupted service, without requiring much more from me than fuel/oil.

I think we Lawnboy fans have the internet to thank.
Think about it. I personally don't know of anywhere
within 50 miles of my small town to even think to look
for repair parts. Now I can get online and within
a couple of days my parts are on the front porch.
Since the 70's I used to buy another used 'Boy'
everytime the last one I had needed parts. And then
I would rob one or the other to keep one of them
running.
Also, we wouldn't know there were many others
that were 'addicted' without places like this forum. And how about E-Bay, where we can still find them to buy?
Because of the internet there are a lot more
addicts than there would be without it.

Well I just got a 6211 and I mowed with it for the first time today. It is without a doubt a unique sound, and it is not the everyday murray from Wal-Mart. These things have character, that it for sure. I certainly hope I get bit buy the bug same as you guys, because it makes lawnmowing time so much fun!

Kyle

'The main drawback is inability to trim with the right side of the mower, which is easily overcome by mowing counter-clockwise.'

Duh...make that CLOCKWISE! Counter-clockwise is what you can't do because any obstruction to trim around would then be on the right-hand side.
I can't believe nobody caught that after all this time. I can't say for sure why we're addicted, but the truth is in all of these comments somewhere...I think a lot of it is just being different from Joe Crapsman. After messing around with a 10201, a 10323 and a 10550 for a number of years, I've determined that the only 'fix' for a true 'addict' would be a 'Gold' Series from the '80s/'90s with an 'F' engine and aluminum deck. I say this because the Duraforce models with above-deck muffler just don't have the same sound or smell as the under-deck muffler. Still, the 10550 I now have is one fine mower and adequately meets the 'strangeness' requirement. It also makes pretty good smells with Lawn-Boy oil, but I miss that 'sweet' aroma of fresh grass cooked on the muffler.

Oh boy.......here we go.

I have used a number of Lawn Boys over the years and now own 2 of them. Mine arent the staggered wheel kind though. The 2 I have are the 8480s with the wheel drive that adjusts to your speed. The 2-cycle engines lasted on our big hill where a 4-cycle would run short on oil and burn up. Plus no oil changes are needed on these. Both still after 20 some years work like new in spite of the abuse they took on the hill at the old house. These have the magnesium decks and they are in great shape. I also have a late 50's Jacobson with the staggered wheel arrangement and 2-cycle engine. Mom and Dad paid $20 for it and it still runs to this day. I also have a 1997 vintage Lawnboy with the staggered steel deck. Lots of problems though with this one mainly to do with the ignition modules. Other than that it too runs good.

Almost all of mine are Duraforce, but I still have a 10518 just in case I need the sound and smell of the underdeck F engine. So far I havent used it this year so I guess I dont have to worry about wearing it out. :-)