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parkplaza_gw

Lawnboy....DONE

parkplaza
12 years ago

I am so done with duraforce lawnboys. Between coils and carbs going bad...done. Cannot afford these items anymore. Crap, crap, and more crap. Out go the commercial 22261, the Gold Pro, and Silver Pro (which is a heap of parts now because I scavenged the mower to repair the others). Maybe it is me, but after buying new carbs at least twice for each mower, no way anymore. The plastic carb really sucks. The vane system sucks. And do not tell me I overtightened them. I repaired a million mowers in my time. Apologies for venting, but when you try to mow your lawn and you need to deal with this crap, it is just too frustrating. Had to fart around with the vane to get it to move freely. Half way through mowing, it sticks again and speed is too slow.

Any recommendations on a new mower? Thinking a may get a discount at the season ends. Was thinking Toro.

Comments (36)

  • 1saxman
    12 years ago

    You know what? I did the same thing a few years ago for many of the same reasons. I'll admit, I miss the 2-cycle mower, but at the same time I immensely enjoy the boring reliability of the 4-cycle mower. I have a LB 22271 commercial with the Honda commercial OHC 190cc engine, and a LB 10684 Insight with Tecumseh 195cc engine.

  • roadbike
    12 years ago

    Those old lawnboy mowers are fine if you enjoy fiddling with a mower incessantly to keep it running and enjoy using a mower
    with an inefficient heavily polluting motor. Otherwise
    get a mower with a reliable Briggs Honda or other equivalent engine and get back to.mowing.

  • andyma_gw
    12 years ago

    Heh heh, I am on my 5th season of using my freebie 7073. It has just needed a carb adjustment and a blade sharpening in that time. If it doesnt start on the 3rd pull, it is usually because , I forgot to turn the fuel on. It is light and powerful even if it smokes a bit

  • ewalk
    12 years ago

    4-Stroke and forget the Headache's Please ! I Love playing with engines , but when it comes time to party with what is important , put your Money were Your Mouth is ! Quit Crying and get Cutting Baby !

  • orangedotfever
    12 years ago

    The EPA inspired E series was not Lawnboy's shining moment.

  • andyma_gw
    12 years ago

    My set of mowers are all freebie junkers. So far, I spend more time mowing with them than I do fixing them.

  • roadbike
    12 years ago

    "My set of mowers are all freebie junkers. So far, I spend more time mowing with them than I do fixing them."

    Why do you need so many lawn mowers to cut one lawn? Sounds like lot's of downtime with those freebie mowers.

  • walt2002
    12 years ago

    Always amuses me the number of even pros who are "Buffaloed" by Lawn Boys. At one time, myself and one other "nut" were the only ones in town who would work on Lawn Boys. I no longer do except family, retired.

    Walt Conner

  • orangedotfever
    12 years ago

    "Why do you need so many lawn mowers to cut one lawn?"

    Need has nothing to do with it. Who are you to judge what he likes or wants to do?

  • andyma_gw
    12 years ago

    I use the LB for trimming around the house, the 77 IH Cadet 80 sit down for the bulk of the lawn. The 4 stroke Suzuki Toro is my weed wacker, used on the encroaching under brush. It is totally expendable , but so far has done very well chopping weeds and briers. I bag the weeds and empty it into the mulch pile. Should any of these fail, I have an OHV Tecumseh powered Lawnboy as a backup. The Toro and Lawnboy were picked up from Craigslist free stuff locally. They were projects I took up whilst on chemo just for diversion. They werent that diverting however, because it took very little time, energy and no money to set them right. I was raised by parents and elders who went through the Depression. Use it up fix it, or make do. Couple that with the decline in quality OPE. I'll never pay money for something as long as I can get somebody's discard and make it function.

    A few years ago, I had a talk with a button collector. She was an Ontario farm girl. We observed that to our grandparents, any manufactured article was saved for potential re-use. I knew a man who used a Ritz cracker box and its wax paper as a lunch bag.

  • robz71lm7
    12 years ago

    I'd be interested in the commercial if available. That being said I have a 10424, 10525, a couple 10323's-purchased for $30 each. I also have a Toro Super Recycler 20099. Sadly the old duraforce mower mulches better and is more powerful than the SR. Not to say the SR is a bad mower-it's great in fact but still outshined by my 10525. To be fair my duraforce isn't stock and has a larger jet.

  • roadbike
    12 years ago

    "Need has nothing to do with it. Who are you to judge what he likes or wants to do?"

    Ok, ODF if need has nothing to do with "it" (owning multiple mowers) please tell us what has to do with "it". He can own a fleet of junker mowers to mow one lawn if he wants. It seems rather pointless and that is the point I am making. I suspect that he is doing a lot more repairs than he lets on.

  • andyma_gw
    12 years ago

    The Inty gets the bulk of the work. So far this season , it has just required a ball joint repair on the drag link. Last season I replaced a belt. The others just have needed fuel. If anything, I am over due on an oil change. Each of the mowers has a fuel shut off . I run the carbs dry after every use. And I dose the gas with MMO. Turns out running the carb dry is recommended by Tecumseh when using 10% ethanol

  • eric_2007
    12 years ago

    Just a word to the wise, if you do part ways with lawn boys make sure you do your homewok on the true value first. The commercial model 22261 in decent running shape could actually sell for a price above what the original retail price was due to the demand. Even with wear and not running due to needing general service still holds a impressive resale value compared to originial price. Seller beware of any low ball offers including those out of state looking to make a mint over your fustration. By the way the surge issue is bypassed by enlarging the carb jets to number 67 and 78 with micro drill bits sold at any decent hobby store. It sounds like you have had the carburetors apart before so remove the jet on the side and the main one in the middle of the carbs, hold the bit tight with a vise grip and gently twist the jet around the bit to ream slightly. This will make a huge differnce. Reguarding the govonor shaft binding, see if the shaft itself is warped. the carb mount bolts do not need to be tightended by "mr muscle" but enough to seal the gaskets. If you remove the belt cover and engine shround you have more then enough room to install the carb properly. When the carb jets are enlarged the engine will run smoother under no load as well as cooler. I own one of these dura force models as well as my neighbor however here in the south they never were as popular as other part of the country. In any case please be informed and smart reguarding any low ball offers or sob stories asking you to ship the 22261 or you will feel like a clown when it apears on e bay a couple weeks later for a hell of a price
    thank you

  • orangedotfever
    12 years ago

    "Ok, ODF if need has nothing to do with "it" (owning multiple mowers) please tell us what has to do with "it". He can own a fleet of junker mowers to mow one lawn if he wants. It seems rather pointless and that is the point I am making. I suspect that he is doing a lot more repairs than he lets on."

    You asked why he "needed" so many mowers. Need is not the point. If he wants or collects then it is his business and your idea of "need" is just you sticking your nose in someone elses business, or hobby. You've proven yourself to be plenty opinionated but need not push your ideas of pointlessness on others.

  • lbpod
    12 years ago

    Why can't we all just get along?

  • ewalk
    12 years ago

    Yeah Ibpod is right if Andy likes his collection or hobby mowers whats the problem RB? I agree that he probably tinkers more with the Old LB's but so what . I have more than one mower out of necessity having home and camp usage . Same with my Saws and Trimmers. Orange has keen interest within LBS also , have to agree that some of the latter LBs were not the same mowers many of us remember for their stellar performance and reliability . I had a few 2-stroke LB units that ran for over 15-20 yrs . Back to Park , if your not mechanically inclined lawnboy mowers probably are not your best choice.

  • andyma_gw
    12 years ago

    I have the 7073 LB that sees about 30 minutes of use every time I mow. I use it up close around the house where driving is too much trouble. That is it. Honest injun, it has only needed a blade sharpening and a carb adjustment in the 5 yrs I've had it. The lack of issues, I attribute to the mower's being a pusher and my use of the shut off and MMO. The Other LB is a novelty. It is the first OHV engine I have had. After I replaced 2 of the 3 engine mount bolts. I got it running, ran it dry and stored it. I dont see myself as having too many mowers, I see it as specialization. Sorta like golf clubs or wrenches.

    :)

  • parkplaza
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I have rejetted them years ago. I can fix anything and do all the work myself, but it is about the cost to keep doing so and getting frustrated in the process when you go to use them and they do not work correctly. How many times does one need to continue to rebuild carbs because the vane will not freely move? The design totally blows. And the carb location totally blows...it is located in an area that will naturally get gunked up. And the coils are not cheap. I have been buying aftermarket ones on ebay, but still after replacing them several times...geesh. I could not imagine the average person who is not mechanically inclined dealing with this machine.

    I do not what they are worth and they will be priced accordingly. I was a LB junkie at one time, but I need to move on. The one thing I will miss is the Leaf Bag...that totally rocks for fall clean up. I wish others would produce such a bag.

    Any recommendations on a good 4 stroke. I am leaning towards Toro. Was considering the HRX Honda, but I am not crazy about its length (mower lenght plus handle length is kind of long) and some negative reviews about Trans and Carb issues.

  • ewalk
    12 years ago

    I'll say it again Park . Toro or Snapper ! Honda has more or less fallen on their sword of late over priced and not exactly bullet proof any longer , much like the saga of Lawnboy ...sound familiar lol .

  • rustyj14
    12 years ago

    Gee, I can't understand why everybody is crying about their Lawn-boy troubles! I have not had any problems with any i have had here, nor with the freebies that were nestled in beside somebody's garbage can on pickup night.
    And if anybody asks me to fix one--no problem--just park it beside the garbage can, and yer troubles will be over!
    And when a guy opens his trunk, or has one in his truck, i tell them not to unload it--period!
    If Lawnboy had stayed with the model they made back in the fifties, i'd still like them, but with the hassle they made for servicing or repairing them now---no,no,no!
    The only problem i had with the 1950 model was the mounting flanges on the gas tank kept breaking off, necessitating welding them back on, twice a summer.

  • bestf100
    12 years ago

    This is an interesting topic. Well I happen to own a 1) commercial Lawn Boy 22261 and a 2) Lawn Boy 10552. I have NOT got tired of mine yet. When you have long and/or grass as I do, 2 cycle is the way to go without bogging down. Maybe because I must be one of the lucky ones who has not had to tamper with my carbs. Very rarely coil trouble either.

    As an experiment, I am going to see if there is anyone out there who wants my mowers more than I do. If anyone is interested in buying either one, (and does not mind paying top dollar - $550 for the #10552, $795 for the 22261), we can talk. You will have to come to Tennessee to get them. Won't ship them. I also have a bunch of the discontinued Mobil 1 2T synthetic motorcycle oil I may throw in - if you are nice and don't try to lowball me. Next to no smoke and no deposits with this oil. If no takers, I'm content to have the last high dollar, Lawn Boy Men standing - and keep on using them year after year.

    Both in great shape. I will mention the #22261 has been modified to take the rear, steel, orange wheels of the LB #22271. You replace the tread when it wears out, and not the entire wheel. This mower is my "backup" mower and only comes out a couple a times/year.

  • jamie_2008
    12 years ago

    I been useing seafoam in my gas,i use 87octaine fuel when i guess i could use the higher grades cause they have stuff in it to keep varnish away.But i prefer to use seafoam not alot just a bit in the tank to keep cleaning as it mows.So far no issues.

  • parkplaza
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    My 22261 has new Lawnboy OEM rear wheels which are identical to the 22271. Some were retrofitting the 22271, but you no longer need to do that...Toro makes them specially for the Lawnboys now. Also, have new front wheel being the original ones had the tread split after only several years of once in awhile use. Post an offer. It is in perfect shape.

  • orangedotfever
    12 years ago

    "...i could use the higher grades cause they have stuff in it to keep varnish away."

    And that stuff would be? Higher octane is made just as a detonation inhibitor. It's not magically better fuel and it's a waste of money if your engine doesn't require it.

  • leeave96
    12 years ago

    Were I you, I'd keep the LB's and get a Honda.

    I have LBs and Snappers for push mowers and enjoy tinkering with both.

    You are correct, sometimes the LBs can be a pain in the arse to keep going, but they ARE different and to me that makes them interesting to use. One of the things I really like about the LBs is their simplicity. I've got several Duraforce powered 10550's and 10323's and really enjoy using them. If you do find another mower, if you side discharge your clippings, it will be hard to beat the LB's deck. I mow a lot of tall and sometimes wet grass and the LB's just won't clog or stall the motor.

    Hope you keep the LB's and find another mower. Oh, don't forget, there were some LB's with 4 cycle engines on them and you might be able to do an engine swap on the cheap too.

    Good luck,
    Bill

  • Dwight54
    12 years ago

    I agree with you Parkplaza. I have had no end of mysterious problems with the governor on my series 10550. I take the carb apart clean it put it together and reinstall it. The governor "flag" seems to pivot freely. The next day it doesn't. Start the motor it has one speed...idle. OR on occassion it will over rev then return to an idle. It has gotten very frustrating..I have fixed a few mowers in my day but this is just plain annoying. It's been a good mower aside from this...for the most part

  • tom_p_pa
    12 years ago

    I could not imagine a non hands on person owning a duraforce vintage LB. It would be unaffordable paying dealers to repair them (carbs, coils) due to the high frequency of failures of parts. Between the frustration of having them not working and lugging them to the dealer, no wonder LB was rated POOR in consumer reports several years back. I used to subscribe to CR, and you get to fill out user surveys, I am sure these LB users bashed the mower.

  • quintus
    9 years ago

    WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM? If you put a gas filter and shutoff on the gas tank of your duraforce you will have no more carb problems.
    Your problem with the vane system is a mystery.

  • quintus
    9 years ago

    WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM? If you put a gas filter and shutoff on the gas tank of your duraforce you will have no more carb problems.
    Your problem with the vane system is a mystery.

  • rdaystrom
    9 years ago

    The problem with the vane type governor, bad coils, ridiculously lean carburetor that needs re-jetting, and worst of all an aluminum rod that melts and causes total engine failure are all well documented problems. The engine is quite powerful and if jetted somewhat richer will last longer. My favorite Lawn-Boy engines are the "M" series 1st and the "F" engine 2nd. In my opinion the entire Lawn-Boy line suffered from poorly designed ignition coils that fail causing the owner to get rid of the mower out of frustration. I have about 21 various models of Lawn-Boys and most have a bad coil. I think Lawn-Boy made millions on selling replacement coils over the years. I think that eroded away at the customer base. Add the EPA into the mix and we see the end of an era of really cool 2-cycle mowers.

  • 1saxman
    9 years ago

    Ah, the 'M'. Haven't seen any comments on those in a long time, but that engine was used only on the LB super-premium mowers. It had oil injection so you didn't have to mix the gas. Seems like it had some other advanced features too, but I can't think of any more details.

  • 1saxman
    9 years ago

    'Your problem with the vane system is a mystery.'

    The plastic carb bodies are subject to warping with uneven torque of the mounting screws, putting the air vane/throttle shaft in a bind. I never had that particular problem on any of them I had. I probably would have kept my 10550 if it were not for the fact that it had 'Easy Stride' (Personal Pace) that I grew to hate.

  • phototone
    9 years ago

    I know of no other mower that has such interest and popularity over the years, yet because they are different, people either love them or hate them. It is worth discussing that in many cases possibly the "best" lawnboy models were the "D" engine models made in the 1960's thru mid-1970's. But, of course most of those (except late model D-600) had points. Some don't like points. But, other than that, many had metal carbs, cast aluminum mufflers (no rust out), and were very reliable, simple and easy to work on. The early "F" engine models were easy also. I have never had a governor air-vane "bind up" on any of my 30 mowers. Of course, I clean all the carbs thoroughly when I am getting a mower running.

  • xr55
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Hello guys, I have several Dura- Force carbed Lawn Boys. One is a 2001 commercial model 22261 that has many many hours on it. For the problem of a sticking governor vane, check for a loose throttle plate in the slot of the throttle shaft. A loose plate will move out of position and stick in the throttle bore of the carb. causing the governor vane to be stuck, and then surge with it comes loose. This is what was wrong with the 22261. To repair replace the throttle shaft and plate. To cure a surging problem, replace the crankshaft seals. The seal lips get hard and wear allowing the the motor to suck air into the crankcase on the compression stroke making the fuel mix lean and then the motor surges. Changing to richer jetting covers up and masks the problem like a band aid and does not fix the motor, but does make for excessive fuel consumption.

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