2 cycle push mower

   / 2 cycle push mower #1  

Dargo

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I mow the side of a very steep hill and the island in my lake with a really old 2 cycle Lawn Boy mower. I'd decided that after being dropped into the lake dozens of times, turned over on the hill side, and generally abused for over a decade, I wanted to replace it with a new one since it has been slowly losing power, the handle has been bent, broken, welded, and twisted too many times, and it is beginning to be flat worn out. It has long since earned it's keep.

Anyway, I was shocked to find that nobody makes a 2 cycle push mower anymore. Or, at least that is what I've been told from numerous places. Also, there apparently is not any other light weight push mower with relatively high power that is available. I often wait a month or two in between mowing the island, (no matter how you look at it, it's no fun) so the grass is always really tall.

Fortunately I was able to find one "left over" Lawn Boy 2 cycle push mower buried under other items at a Lowe's store, so I grabbed it. My question is, besides the EPA being a bit over zelous, why no more 2 cycle push mowers? Apparently it is impossible to beat them on power to weight ratio. I'm able to easily pick up the Lawn Boy and put it in and take it out of the back of my paddle boat to mow my island. Does anyone else make a 2 cycle push mower? I have a relative who also mows the side of a steep hill with a 2 cycle Lawn Boy and he is in a near panic that the 2 cycles may no longer be available. He went through about a dozen push mowers one summer mowing the side of the hill he mows. Apparently on the side of the steep hill they lost lubrication and fried themselves. Is the era of the 2 cycle over??
 
   / 2 cycle push mower #2  
Dargo,
All indications I have seen are that the era of the 2 cycle mowers is done. 2 cycle outboard motors are on the way out as well. I believe this is mostly due to EPA requirements. But the other issue is mixing the gas/oil which most people don't seem to want to do and then the other thing of my wife filling up a weedeater with straight gas. I came home and she said it just quit but was running better than it ever had before it quit /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I wonder about chain saws ? Might be a while longer on their life cycle as it will be hard to replace them with a 4 cycle and still have them be light enough and get proper lubrication in all positions.

My only recommendation would be to stock up on the old 2 cycle units while you still can.

BTW My brother told me the other day that MTD stood for Mower of Total Destruction /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Not sure which destruction he was talking about though.

Ben
 
   / 2 cycle push mower #3  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( My only recommendation would be to stock up on the old 2 cycle units while you still can.)</font>

If these are the lime green ones I'm thinking of, they're hard to get around here. I see them out there in action and the owners won't get rid of them until they're in the condition yours is.

Have you considered one of those DR style trimmers? I ran a small one a few months ago and was pretty impressed. It had a small B&S engine but seemed very light and wasy to maneuver. Did a decent job too. Not sure if they make them but for your hills, self-propelled may be needed.
 
   / 2 cycle push mower
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Since I posted this thread this morning, my brother in law got me. I told the guy at Lowes that if he found another one to give me a call. My brother in law went there and helped one of the other (younger) workers look through their back room and found one. He (brother in law) just called me and told me to not expect a call from the "slower" associate at Lowes, because his younger associate helped him find their last one.

Bczoom, yeah, they are the lime green ones you see. My grandfather is still running his that he bought in the mid 60's. It says "Lawn Boy by Johnson Outboard" on his mower! It is sort of a light tan color. He has used it every week of every summer since the 60's to mow his 1/8 acre yard. He tells me that he has had to put rings in it twice, a piston once, and two sets of wheels, besides the occasional new blade. I suppose that's not too bad for nearly 40 years of mowing.

Maybe I shouldn't have abused my "old" one and I wouldn't have needed to buy a new one now. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif From all the stores and small engine shops I've called, the consensus is: if you can find one of the 2 cycle Lawn Boy mowers, buy it!
 
   / 2 cycle push mower
  • Thread Starter
#5  
One small engine shop told me that he has gotten 4 cycle string trimmers and 4 cycle chain saws. I wonder how heavy a 6 hp 4 cycle chain saw with a 22" bar will be?? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I don't think I'd want to use it all day!
 
   / 2 cycle push mower #6  
<font color="blue"> It says "Lawn Boy by Johnson Outboard" on his mower! It is sort of a light tan color. </font>

After the tan color, they went to white for a short time before going to the lime green. I had a Lawnboy electric mower, circa 1970 with their trademark offset front wheels back when I lived in town. I gave it away after I got tired of running over extension cords and not being able to mow during the slightest drizzle. It was sure nice being able to hang the mower on the garage wall though.
 
   / 2 cycle push mower #7  
SURPRISED you even found a 2 cycle mower. they are a thing of the past . most folks don't want to deal with mixing gas and oil, and of course the EPA has some thing to do with it. don't be surprised if u see chain saw and weed eaters go the same route in a few years.
 
   / 2 cycle push mower
  • Thread Starter
#8  
I heard that the F15's put out some visible exhaust if they hit the afterburners, and those bombs they drop make a big smokey mess. The EPA might get them too. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
   / 2 cycle push mower #9  
I've been using a 1978 Lawn boy 2 cycle since I bought it (used) in 1982. I heard someone say the 2 strokes were going to go out of production, so I bough a new one at Lowes this past April. They had 5 of them sitting on the shelves. Those are some tough and long lasting mowers! The old one still mows fine!
 
   / 2 cycle push mower #10  
How much does Lowes get for these 2 cycles? I might try to pick one up before they are gone, if they are not too much.
Thanks,
Moon of Ohio
 
 
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