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What should I do with this mower?

l_bilyk

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Mar 11, 2005
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Ontario, Canada
Pimp it out? Restore it? Scrap it?

Here's a pic
4kav1o2.jpg
 
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alfadan

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Mar 9, 2007
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Augusta, ks
if it were me, Id take the engine, handle and wheels off. never know when they could be handy in a quick, dirty project.
 

cc_rider

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Joined
Jun 22, 2006
Messages
223
Location
Austin Texas
It's most likely a two-stroke. Which is no big deal either way. It's gonna be near impossible to get parts for it though. I ditched a similar one awhile back. Gave it to a homeless guy so he could get a little cash for the scrap.

c.
 

Daylate$short

Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2007
Messages
14
Those were a great mower in their day. I had one simlar to it in the mid 70's It was used to mow about 10 to 12 yards a summer. I wish is still had it. The two cycle engine was good for mowing steep banks without worry of an "oil shortage" that could happen with four-stroke. The deck on mine
was 18" and made of magnesium.
 

1320stang

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Dec 28, 2006
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Edmond, OK
Polish the deck, heads & block, chrome the top and handle and paint everything else some metallic flipflop green. Put 12" chrome spoke bicycle wheels on it with wide whitewalls. Could be the first episode of "Pimp my Mower".
 
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L

l_bilyk

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Polish the deck, heads & block, chrome the top and handle and paint everything else some metallic flipflop green. Put 12" chrome spoke bicycle wheels on it with wide whitewalls. Could be the first episode of "Pimp my Mower".

Wow it's like you read my mind!
 
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l_bilyk

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Ontario, Canada
Those were a great mower in their day. I had one simlar to it in the mid 70's It was used to mow about 10 to 12 yards a summer. I wish is still had it. The two cycle engine was good for mowing steep banks without worry of an "oil shortage" that could happen with four-stroke. The deck on mine
was 18" and made of magnesium.

How can you tell? I just assumed it was aluminum
 

Trainman

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Joined
Mar 9, 2007
Messages
362
Location
Apalachin NY
Lawn Boys are VERY colectible (notice I didn't say valuable!) if you can find the right guy. Check www.mytractorforum.com. They have a forum there on push lawn mowers, and there are many LB collectors there who can give you advice or perhaps take that mower off your hands if you're going to scrap it. To my eyes, though, with the exception of the rusty shroud, it's not too far gone to be restored.
 

1320stang

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Edmond, OK
When I was going to college, in the industrial arts program they had a small engine class. One guy brought in a old mower he got from the curb. It wasn't a lawn boy, just an old push mower with a B&S. He rebuilt the engine in class faster than about everyone else. He painted the block black and polished the edges of the fins. Cleaned up everything else, new rubber lines, new pull rope and handle and added a chrome fuel filter. He cleaned up the steel deck, painted it black and put some pretty decent red/orange/yellow flames on it. He steel wooled (sp?) the rust off the chrome handle and clear coated it. He got a new set of wheels that had chrome centers. It was just a side discharge mower but he had it looking sweet, a far cry from the way it came in. I asked him what he was going to do with it, he said he had a ditch behind his house along a main road that he didn't like taking his regular mower into as it would pick up the weeds and transfer them to his yard. He had gotten done so far ahead of everyone else, he just used the class time to make the rest of it a bit better and things got out of hand.
 
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
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Location
charlotte nc
That mower if it has any engine on it other than a briggs I would throw away if it doesnt run. I found out that most 3.5 briggs engines are easy to fix and people throw them away all the time. I only spend time on these.A side note.my neighbor has a 400 buck toro with a 6 hp tuscomin that just threw a rod,He almost cried,,,,The waranty just espired too...
 
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wilbilt

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Aug 17, 2006
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NorCal
I resurrected a couple of those Lawn Boys about 10 years ago. Great mowers. A lot of the white plastic parts are some sort of PE that disintegrates in the sun. I eventually gave up on them and gave them away, but I bet they are still mowing somewhere...
 
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l_bilyk

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Mar 11, 2005
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Ontario, Canada
No no.. not plastic.. but there is a plastic cover on top for some reason

and it is a two smoker... the dead giveaway is that the carb bolts right onto the crankcase as you can sortof see in the pic
 

kbs2244

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Nov 11, 2006
Messages
14,065
I would throw it on E Bay. Be sure to put "Lawn Boy" in the discription.
As was said, there are guys out there that like to fix them up.
Some one will show up and take it off your hands.
 

shocksystems

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Joined
Mar 17, 2007
Messages
497
Location
Ipswich, MA USA
I used to work in a family business repairing power equipment. I always hated Lawn Boys. I would personally throw it away, but just because of largely unfounded dislike (mostly unfounded although I still think they are not a quality product). Now an old Snapper, that is a mower I would restore! :)
 

walt2002

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Joined
May 25, 2007
Messages
3
"How can you tell? I just assumed it was aluminum"

IF it is Magnesium, it will have the word cast into the top of the deck under the air cleaner or in that area. This one will be Magnesium. I have 2 excellent ones like it.

"I always hated Lawn Boys. "

Strangely a lot of repair people felt/feel the same way. I specialized in LB repair for this reason plus they are simpler and the interchangeability of parts is great.

"t's gonna be near impossible to get parts for it though. "

Parts are readily available.

Walt Conner
 

RAYJAY

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May 29, 2006
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2,638
Location
UNION DALE PA
go the e-bay route there is a lot of people looking for lawn boy mowers I grew up with the lawn boys and there one of the best mowers out there

really easy to fix and as walt said parts are available now the new lawn boys are junk

Jeff
 

martell06

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Joined
Feb 6, 2007
Messages
183
Location
NE Ohio/Central Michigan
here's my experience. i have one that looks very similar with a newer looking plastic motor cover. about 4-5 years ago it wouldn't start and in a fit of rage, my dad ripped the handle off and threw it into the tall brush next to our house. fished it out a few days later and put it in the corner of the garage. Got a new sears that died two years later, pulled the lawnboy out and it fired on the 3rd pull after sitting for two years. I have mixed the gas wrong and had it sieze up before, let it cool down for 20-30 minutes and it fires up again. Now i turn the crank with a drill and socket becuase the pull cord broke and pull the plug wire to turn it of because the on/off/prime switch broke. an amazing mower all together, light, easy to push and hard to kill. i'd keep it.
 

Kevin54

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Jan 12, 2005
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29,341
Location
Urbana, Ohio
Yeah but that's an aluminum deck... they don't make 'em that way any more

Magnesium deck. We fished a mower like that out of the trash that someone tossed. It was in pieces in a grocery sack. My dad an I put it back together. It ran like a charm and we mowed with it for probably 15 years or so. Numerous yards every week along with tall weeds, sticks and stones:) I took it to my Brother-in-law to have the blade sharpened (he works on mowers) and a new rope put on. He advised me he put in a new plug after I told him not to and it never did run right after that. He tossed the old plug:mad: I guess after 15 years, the mower was set in it ways and did not like anything new put on it. LOL!!! One thing about the older LB's like that....if it gets to the point that it is not running quite right, make sure the exhaust ports are cleaned out. They can get plugged. And they are underneath the deck where the blade is. remove a small cover and there are (If I remember right) two holes that need to be opened.

Kevin
 
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