Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

HI there I am new to this forum and I am looking for a new lawnmower. 

When I was at Home Depot I saw the Lawnboy model 10683.  This is a push mower that was very balanced and includes features such as inset wheels, front wheels that are wide and therefore easy to turn, 3 in one, adjustable wheel height, and adjustable handle height.  The only item I was curious about was the 6.5HP Tecumseh motor that they use.  Does anyone have any experience with these motors and are they reliable?  How about the mower in general.  Is it a good quality mower?

I have also looked at the Toro but did not like the push mower because it was not well balanced and the handlebar was uncomfortable.  Any other mower I should look at (but not Sears)?

Thanks,
Frank

In my book Lawnboy has the best mower, I reme,ber my oncle when I was 10 bought  in 1968 a self propelled lawnboy mower we were impressed at this time only fortunate people could afford these fabulous machine

walbroman wrote:

I have rebuilt a few, and they are fine machines,  Actually the only one I will use when I want to groom a fine lawn.

The point about people being able to afford them back then is completely true.  I rebuilt a friends 1976 d-600  (his renters ran it on straight gas)  and when I gave it back to him he made the statement that his Dad (whom was like my second dad)  bought it new from Kauffman's department store.  I thought he was joking.  (Kauffmans then and even now was the top  po-pah  famous in this region for fine leather, etc top of the line stuff.)  They did not sell stuff like that.  And that's what I asked him, and he agreed with me , but he said they sold lawnboys,  cause he was with him, it was a big event, that his dad saved up for.

Lawnboy is still a good mower.  The problem is the emissions don't allow them to make their 2 cycle engine anymore. (keep in mind the 2-cycle has a power stroke each and every time the blade turns, and that blade wacks the grass at 100 times per second.  That makes for a great cut. 

If you hear people knocking Lawnboys, and they do, is what they seemed to do sometime I think in the mid 80's was come out with a lower line of lawnmowers.  At that time the engines on the lower level units were in a lot of cases the same engine as their premium engines (mower model called a Supreme)  however they used some steel decks , and some cheaper handle bars,  didn't have a speed controll etc.  Consequently people who just needed a lawnmower and really didn't care or know a lot about them would go to the store and see "Oh a lawnboy, everybody raves about them)  so they would buy one, the problem is they naturally would buy the cheapest model.  Even if their cheap model was better than the 89 dollar special competitor, Lawnboy got really in trouble by the general unknowing public labeling them as cheap.  I think it almost put them out of business. 

Any how if i were to get another lawnmower,  even if the Lawnboy now has a 4 cycle tec engine, I would still buy the one they have with the aluminum deck and the offset wheel.  The offset wheel is a big key for a nice cut on your lawn  It is there for two reasons it is an an-ti scalping wheel  and being it is recessed back gives you a cutting lip that you can go over borders (then you don't have to trim),get under shrubs with etc.  The offset wheel also makes flat surfaces come out better because no matter how flat your lawn bed is there is still imperfections,  and it even's them out,  I also believe it balances it out somehow that it wacks the grass off cleaner and smoother.  The uplift Airflow created by this uniquely designed deck lifts the knap of the grass up better IMO .  Landscapers in this area use primarily nothing but L-boys, cept for big lawn, Snapper rider  vacs mostly

And you know those el cheap-o's that L-boy made,  I still see them around here cutting grass, and not the 89 dollar special  4 cycle.  And you hardly ever see a lawnboy out at curbside for junk pick-up.

I have used a few of the newer lawn mowers, like expensive toro,s   , Heavy , wheels are always in the way etc.  Like the Personal pace mower,  decent mower,  but it is like driving a truck and the lawn boy is much more smaller and nimble etc,

My kid cuts quite a few lawns in the area, and  does an adjacent neighbors with the neighbors  big new expensive self propelled mower.  When the neighbor is away on vacation he goes over, checks the oil on his, starts it, stops it, then comes back over here and grabs a 1980 f-series L-boy, (not self propelled) as he gets done in half the time, and the lawn looks like a different lawn,  (same heighth etc)  He only does this then not to hurt the guy's feelings so to speak.  When the neighbor comes home (my son tries to time his cut for his return, cause the guy really likes good looking lawns) he usually comes right over to pay him and says, wow  It looks like Center field down at the stadium, and he may say did we get a lot of rain or something.  Our answer is we must have just got enough for it to make the grass look good.  

Ben07

Well, it looks like Lawn Boy has come out with homeowner ZTR's. Richi, Ben and Marc are going to be ecstatic when they see how Lawn Boy is rating the engines!

PDF Version

Lawn Boy ZTR Link

As far as their walk behind mowers go, you might want to go to a dealer and look at the Insight Gold series or the Gold Series. Both of them use Honda engines as opposed to the Insight Series which uses the Tecumseh. I'm not saying the Tecumseh is a bad engine by any means but I would say it is safe to say that the Honda engines are generally better engines. The Gold Pro Series use the 2 Cycle Duraforce engines.

Well..........based on this thread I thought I had better take a little trip over to the Lawnboy site.  Almost made me cry!   I never thought I would see the day that Lawnboy would be phasing out the 2 cycle engines.  Admittedly, I knew of the Tecumseh engines and the Honda engines, but the venerable 2 stroker was always there.  Even the commercial machine has a Briggs engine on it now!   The only machines left are the Gold Series (like Marshall said) that have the aluminum decks and 2 stroke engines.  Looks to me like the end of the line is coming for the 2 cycle engine.  The offset deck and the 2 cycle engine is what made the Lawnboy a Lawnboy.  The new machines are just Toros with a different colour.  I guess Toro is streamlining the machines and hoping that buyers will still spend money on the Green machine (or the Red ).

I absolutely agree with the statement that  the old Lawnboys were somewhat of a status thing.  If you owned a Lawnboy, back then, then you were "in the money. "  My dad bought a 1974 Self propelled Lawnboy and I don't think he ever cut the grass himself!  Always had some neighbour that wanted to give it a try!  BTW, I still have that mower and use it to cut my lawn, when the Walker is on the trailer.

Oh well......................

Ken

Ken, isn't it funny how you can get opinions on things? I know many people that have had Lawn Boys and loved them, as for me, I was never much on them. I think it was because my folks had one when I was young and it was the first mower  I ever used. Being a kid I was too short to push it properly, when I pushed on it, I would push forward and up on the handle and it make the front end end tear into the ground where the front wheel was offset. I hated that damn offset wheel. That and, it clogged badly. The problem was probably mowing grass to long or having the deck not adjusted properly but I didn't know any better.  So, my memories of Lawn Boys are not good ones and those are the well thought out and scientifically based reasons I have never bought one. 

FYI......Lawnboy Recall for Owners

Marshall wrote:

Well I guess you can't say they certainally took all the guess-work out of it. 

(I'm assuming that you were referring to only having cc's listed.  as I didn't  see anything else there)

And you are completely correct on the height thing for using a lawnboy. ( my son always pops up from the time he was way too little when your running something)  consequently I had to start him early on everything, safely of course,   When he was say 10  he didn't seem to enjoy the lawnboy just on a slight upgrade.  Then he rebuilt a 1960 craftsman 20 inch with a mag deck, so he used it for a few years. , now he is full grown he uses the lawnboy, because of it's efficiency and ease. The duraforce's we like less than the older ones as they are slightly heavier..  He still likes his other antique,  but he only takes it out in middle of summer with dry grass etc a couple times.  He is now doing the same thing with the cars, mine always seems to be the one elected to get dirty when his is in the garage all clean and waxed etc. 

Ben07

Ben07 wrote:

LOL . Yes Ben, you got it,  no HP ratings at all!    We're getting one extreme or the other, guess we're not easily satisfied.

we sold 2 of the 2 stroke lawnboys last year.they were the last ones available in Canada...thats it no more available here ever.

at least thats what we are told.

the older ones were a great mower but the 2 we sold were crap plain and simple,very thin steel deck that would bend when you lifted the handle...sheesh not good.

as for the 2 stroke engine...in my opinion they are a dying breed,they cant handle the no lead gas.

not saying they needed the lead but somthing in the unleaded fuel makes them run a bit hotter.

we get a half dozzen every year that just run out of power cause they heat up 2 much.they dont score a piston but they get tired.

but when you consider that they are 20 + years old what can you say...they did well.but they are gone and we wont see the likes of them again i fear.

later chris

snowshoveler wrote:

Does rings, seals and a honing get them going well again?

Ben07

Thanks for all the information on the Lawnboy.  I checked out the price difference on the Tecumseh verses the Honda engine and they want a 50% premium for this.  The price for the Honda version seems to high and I will have to call another dealer to verify.  Interesting thing, the price of the Lawnboy with the Tecumseh engine is the same price at either the small engine shop or Home Depot.  I guess I know where my business will go.

Here is the disclaimer on the Tec. engine that is on the web page,

* This engine was manufactured and laboratory rated by the Tecumseh Power Company at 6.5 gross horsepower in accordance with SAE J1940. As configured to meet safety, emission, and operating requirements, the actual horsepower on this class of lawn mower will be significantly lower.

I wonder what the actual HP actually is???

IHave 3 old 2 cycles, couldnt stand them. Had the same problem with the off set wheel. Any uneven ground they would dig right in.

Frank wrote: Frank, where did you get that they want 50% more for the Honda engine versions? The Gold series is right in-line with the Insight and the Insight Gold is another $70.00 to $100.00

Insight™ Gold Series

MSRP: $409.00 - $559.00 Models: Model 10694 Model 10695 Model 10696 Model 10697 Compare All Models • Honda® GCV 160 Engine • Push and Sens-a-Speed™ Self-Propel System • 21" Steel Deck • Compact Storage • Exclusive Features Designed to Fit You • Outstanding Ease of Use Features • 3-n-1 System • 2-Year Complete Coverage Warranty

Insight™ Series

MSRP: $339.00 - $459.00 Models: Model 10683 Model 10684 Model 10685 Model 10686 Compare All Models • 6.5 hp Easy Start Tecumseh® Engine* • Push, Variable Speed, and Sens-a-Speed™ Self-Propel System • 21" Steel Deck • Compact Storage • Exclusive Features Designed to Fit You • Outstanding Ease of Use Features • 3-n-1 System • 2-Year Complete Coverage Warranty

Gold Series®

MSRP: $349.00 - $469.00 Models: Model 10654 Model 10655 Model 10656 Compare All Models • Powered by Honda® • Push and Easy Stride™ Self-Propel Drive Systems • 22" Steel Deck • 3-n-1 System • Soft Comfort Grips • Easy Fold Handle • 2-Year Complete Coverage Warranty

Marshall,

The dealer I talked to quoted a much higher price for the mower with the Honda engine.  Like I said, I will have to verify this with another Canadian dealer because the price does not seem right.

Ben07 wrote:

Most of the parts for the older lawnboys are gertting hard to get.  If we're lucky and get them they may run for a season.

Sherri

Frank wrote: Ah, sounds like maybe a little price gouging is going on? Could he be quoting you a higher end Honda model than the Tecumseh model you're looking at thus making it seem like all of the price difference is for the engine only?

Marshall wrote:

The only significant difference is the motor. I did find out that the only ones they are ordering this year is the Tec. version and if the customer wants the Honda version they say that it will cost extra for shipping (probably because they have to make a special order for this). I am getting the impression they do not want you to order the mower with the Honda engine because it will be a hassle for them so they have made the price 50% more. Time to shop elsewhere.

Check this PDF Version