D
Deleted member 83629
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mows pretty good for a noisy old 2 stroke. thought I would share my antique.
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I run Blenzall in mine just for the smell but it does start easier with a good synthetic better. Powerful, light mowers and mine has a magnesium deck. Congratulations on a cool vintage machine.
D
Deleted member 83629
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I run whatever at 32 or 40:1
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Anything 50:1 or better works. I run 25:1 just for the smell with the Blenzall (castor bean oil). 32:1 or 40:1 with full synthetic. Just use non ethanol gas.
ANewSawyer
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That kicks my four cycle push mowers behind. My mower bogs down if the grass is any taller than the bottom of the deck. Ergh!
Big_Wood
westcoast dweller
i hear the grass back east is hard grass. we got soft grass out west so that's probably why
. my 4 stroke would smoke that thing. i've owned a few lawn boys. they do the job but IMO almost any other mower is a better choice LOL they stopped making them for a reason. really cool antique though. one of the biggest things with a 4 stroke mower is setting the governor correctly. my honda mower purs like a kitten at idle or full bore. full bore couldn't be more then 2000RPM i figure. when i hit a thick tall patch the governor thottles it up automatically so it don't have a chance to bog. many 4 stroke mowers come "eyeballed" from the factory so most governors are rarely set perfect. a high hour 4 stroke mower will almost always improve significantly just with a valve adjustment. i've seen them way way off right from the factory.
ChoppyChoppy
Tree Freak
When I was a kid the guy across the road had one, I remember the goofy wheel arrangment and it being stupid loud.
I laughed a bit on your video saying the grass was tall. I normally mow mine when it's about 6-8" average, some spots closer to a foot.
I laughed a bit on your video saying the grass was tall. I normally mow mine when it's about 6-8" average, some spots closer to a foot.
ANewSawyer
Addicted to ArboristSite
i hear the grass back east is hard grass. we got soft grass out west so that's probably why
Well considering we have been like a tropical rain forest this year... This mower is extremely high hour. We have had it over ten years. I have wondered about the valves but I don't know how to adjust them or the governor. I have the lever attached to the governor spring set all the way open but it still bogs really bad.
Btw, this is a L-valve set up. I think. Doing reading now.
Big_Wood
westcoast dweller
Is it an old Briggs? If so, just run it til it croaks LOL. Briggs valves are adjusted from an inspection plate on the side of the block. If it's a real old Briggs with the air flap mounted over the ignition module which it sounds like it is It should be disposed of properly which is to put it in a steel crate with couple dozen grenades to go off. The old Briggs would seem to be at full bore when inspected but when fired up that air flap thing throttles it down. governors on the old ones are really touchy mostly because you have that air flap fighting against the governor. It is how old Briggs can get away with no throttle cable. The carb is at full bore to aid starting but as soon as the engine turns some RPM's the flywheel blows air at that flap and evens everything out. When set right the Briggs governor will actually make the engine surge as it tries to throttle up automatically going over long grass. It at least stop it from bogging but it sure isn't smooth. The word smooth and B&S engines should never be used in the same sentence anyways. The new ones are a lot better but they still ain't no Honda. They don't even have bearings LOL just crank spinning in a bushing. You could also just set the governor to always allow the engine to scream. I've done a few like that. They vibrate like crazy and are noisy as hell but man do they cut grass nice when the governor is set like that. Grass can be long and soaked but that mower will still cut it mint. There is one good thing about an old Briggs though. It'll never let ya down with some basic maintenance.
ANewSawyer
Addicted to ArboristSite
I just started changing the oil in it last year, lol. I did some googling and I think that the valves are my problem. I am really concered about what I will find if tear into this engine. I have my doubts about it being worth fixing. But it has run on the same oil for 8 years and just started having trouble last year.
I have seen that stupid flap when I cleaned the fins! I wonder what the heck it was. Yah, this engine has no throttle cable, just the flywheel brake.
I have seen that stupid flap when I cleaned the fins! I wonder what the heck it was. Yah, this engine has no throttle cable, just the flywheel brake.
Big_Wood
westcoast dweller
around here, those briggs can be had by the dozens during spring clean up. i do about 10 a year depending and i think the most i ever did was the first year i did it. think it was close to 30. i sell them for $40-$50 each LOL. they always run with a bit of love. for the record, i don't change lawn mower oil LOL i would have to be pretty bored to anyways. all mine are free beaters though so to change the oil would put me over budget LOL
ANewSawyer
Addicted to ArboristSite
Part of the problem is that the stupid thing is a mulcher. I won't make that mistake again...
ANewSawyer
Addicted to ArboristSite
Sorry for the thread highjack! But, as I said before, nice Lawnboy!
D
Deleted member 83629
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they stopped because of the epa regulations and in taller grass this mower is just as powerful it hums under load it was lightly four stroking in this grass I mow for a living btwi hear the grass back east is hard grass. we got soft grass out west so that's probably why
Big_Wood
westcoast dweller
I used to mow for extra bucks back between age 6-16 and still do once in a while. Even then I preferred the 4 strokes and that was when I owned a few lawn boys. With the governor of a 4 stroke set properly they cannot be touched by a lawnboy. I realize you are a fan of them and that's cool. I'm not about to tell you not to be. What I'm saying is my preference is the 4 strokes and the 4 strokes setup right will smoke a lawn boy in tall grass and be much smoother then a lawn boy in shorter grass
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I agree that a good four stroke beats a lawnboy for power and cleanliness. However the lawnboy is very lightweight with a mag deck, and then there is the vintage cool factor which cannot be ignored by us strange 2 stroke fanatic folk. Neighbors sure hate the blue smelly smoke though. I'm not fond of the neighbors so that works for me. Come to think of it, I'm probably not too terribly fond of the EPA buracracy either.
ChoppyChoppy
Tree Freak
I've put maybe 5 or 6 hours on my mower this year, have had.little rain and it's been hot. Mowed 4 times so far.
My mower is a 2008 and has about 180 hrs on it, cut about an acre.
Big_Wood
westcoast dweller
Last place I lived I wasn't to fond of the neighbours either. Had a husqvarna royal 19 with a Briggs at the time. She smoked one heck of a lot more then any lawn boy I've seen LOL would smoke the whole area out in seconds but I was determined to kill it. Think it must have had cracked valve guides or something. I stayed on topping up the oil but one day it stopped smoking and I just said **** it and forced it to keep going. Think it was a matter of 2 minutes before she was done for good LOL I'm not so fond of the new neighbours either. I need a house in the middle of 20 acres
according to my wife I'm the most intolerant person she has ever known. Whatever that means She likes it though because once the neighbours or anyone else realizes it they tread lightly LOLSimilar threads
