new to me mower

[hansj3]

So in my previous thread said that I had mentioned that my grass gets thick fast and I needed a mower that doesn't bog, so I can get what I find to be a terrible job done (allergies)

Some had said that lawnboy mowers might fit the bill so I trolled craigslist and found a 94 silver series. Model 10201.

Man this thing is built. I know that I wanted something more powerful, but we will see if it bogs

1994
Silver series
Steel deck
4.5 HP
$15

I cleaned the carb and it runs well. Is there anything I should look for on these?

 

[Warstud]

Shoulda got a 6.5 hp.

 

[hansj3]

On craigslist in the twin cities area there were 4 lawn boys and this was the only two stroke

If its close to what I need but not powerful enough, I know someone who needs a brush mower. Put tall wheels and mow away

 

[KD0AXS]

Originally Posted By: hansj3
On craigslist in the twin cities area there were 4 lawn boys and this was the only two stroke


Not sure how you're searching, but there are tons of Lawn Boys on the Minneapolis Craigslist. I just went to the for sale section and put "Lawn Boy" in the search box, and I got over 100 results. The very first one that came up was a 6.5 2 stroke.

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/wsh/grd/5021607498.html

 

[IndyIan]

For $15 I'd play with the governor a bit and get a few extra revs, if it doesn't do the job initially. I think the 2 strokes will out cut the 4's as long as you don't let it bog too low. Mine won't pull itself up from very low revs with a deck full of grass like 4 stroke will, but to bog it, I'm not cutting lawn grass anyways.
As a kid I'd put a couple leaves on the fan intake to really make it go, but of course that cuts cooling as well.
Also a new blade with good tips on the end helps greatly.

 

[hansj3]

I had heard lots of mixed reviews on the coils of the duraforce engines

And That and the carbs are too lean

And the mufflers plug up

$15 seemed like a no brainer if it runs as well as my 7 HP mtd I will search out a nice 6.5 HP with alloy deck.

Also nice as that one was, that one wasn't $15, and had a bagger that I will never use and was self propelling which I find adds weight, complexity, and another point of failure which I don't care for.

 

[hansj3]

Double post

 

[C1KLTX]

You can get some deals on things on craigslist esp if the person thinks It's broken. I got a Honda Harmony 216 Mower on craiglist for $50. All it needed was a new brake/choke cable (old cable had too much slack to keep it running).

I was happy to take it off their hands lol.

 

[earlyre]

Well for about $120 you could repower it with a 5.5hp chonda motor....

 

[chiefsfan1]

look for a 22260 or 22261 Lawn Boy.

 

[Cujet]

The 4.5HP one is good and will cut tall grass. But the 6.5HP one is absolutely unstoppable.

However, for $15, you can't really go wrong!

Don't run LawnBoy mowers at lean oil/fuel ratio's like 50 to 1. They don't have connecting rod bearings, so they need a much more oil rich ratio. Use the recommended oil ratio.

 

[hansj3]

So I ran the mower today, not much of a test seeing as I mowed two days ago, but it ran great considering.
When I got it the throttle cable was screwed up. Retrofitted an ace hardware throttle kit to take the lawn boy stuff. Now it seems to have only 200 rpm of control. The governer spring is screwed up though. I just adjusted the idle to a comfortable range

Fresh gas, plug, and carb and it goes.

Someone brought up the unique smell of 2 stroke and burned grass... I could get used to it...

 

[Hokiefyd]

I never had a whole lot of success getting the speed control on these 2-cycle carburetors to work right. In my mind, it's best to simply set the speed so it's correct on "full throttle" and never move the thing.

Bonus points if it has a primer instead of a choke -- then you NEVER have to move the throttle control. Watch out for warpage on the plastic carburetor body where it mounts to the engine. There is sometimes a metal heat shield there, but it often doesn't make a difference. If you get air leaks there, you'll have to take the carburetor off and sand it down smooth.

This one should have a V-series 2-cycle engine. They're not the best Lawn-Boy's ever made...actually, Lawn-Boy didn't build them...this was Toro's engine after they acquired Lawn-Boy in the late 1980s. They used a lot of self-tapping screws that liked to break and a very odd (and LOUD) muffler design. Despite sharing some internals from the F-series engine, the V-series really liked to vibrate itself apart.

They were the first transition from the decades-old F-series engine to the more modern style engine mounting system, with the drive belt under the engine mounting plate.

 

[AnthemBassMan]

The V series engine on your 10201 is a beast! I had the same mower until the engine snapped the connecting rod. It was mow over tall grass, small saplings, and whatever wildlife wouldn't get out of the way! That engine can get noisy and rattle pretty good, but unless you have something happen like what mine did, you'll be hard pressed to kill it. And if you want a treat with the 2 stroke smell, get some good ol' Klotz oil to mix in your gas!

L8R,
Matt

 

[andyd]

Google up mytractorforum.com walk behinds and ask any question you want about a 2 stroke Lawnboy. LBs have quite a following. If you include the model and serial numbers in your post, then you will get all sorts of useful info. From the 5 yrs my freebie LB gave me, I gained an appreciation for them. Other than sharpening the blade and cleaning the air filter, I did nothing with the mower for 5 yrs. When the starter string broke, I retired it. I had a Freebie Toro GTS that I had just finished fixing its troubles with a shoulder bolt from a parts mower.

 

[AnthemBassMan]

-I'm a member at http://www.mytractorforum.com/155-walk-behind-mowers/ too. It truly is a mecca for Lawn Boy knowledge.

L8R,
Matt