@mperry_153483. I remember well the push reel mowers–the mowers without engines. The summer between my 3rd and 4th grade, there were three of us the same age and we formed a lawn mowing company. We tied a rope to the front of my parents’ reel mower. Two of us pushed and one pulled the mower. It took the three of us to get that mower through the thick Kentucky bluegrass. We got 75¢ a lawn which we split three ways. Our ‘company’ went.out of business as each of our parents and our neighbors bought power mowers. This was back in 1950.
I thought the rotary power mower was a great invention. I preferred the push mower to the self propelled. I later mowed for a person who had a self propelled mower. The drive mechanism was always going out. I found it easier and faster to use the LawnBoy 2 stroke push mower that my parents had at the time. Those LawnBoy mowers with their light magnesium housing were great mowers back in the 1950s. Of course, they burned oil. The required mixture was 1/2 pint of 30 weight non detergent to a gallon of gasoline- a 16:1 ratio. At the end of each season I would put new piston rings in the engine, new points and condenser in the magneto, and a new needle and seat in the carburetor. The mower would then be ready for the next season.
I use my rider for other things besides cutting grass like pulling the trailers around to haul stuff, grass catcher, aerator, plowing, etc. Just a useful tool but still got almost an acre to cut every week.
The breather is a little rectangular cover with a rubber hose coming out of it. It’s mounted on the side of the block just under the cooling fins. You have to look a little for it.
Ah, the old Lawnboy. I loved that mower, the only one I kept clean. 14 years of dependable service, never a carb problem (if you shut off the fuel), first start in spring, and a reliable self drive. I’d still be using it but the gas tank O-ring (in the shut-off valve) failed. The dealer could get the part, $25 repair, so I dropped it off. After weeks of phone calls I went to the shop and the mower was torn apart. He’d been cannibalizing my mower to fix others.
It never ran after that. Magnetos weren’t available and he’d swapped mine for a failed one, put on a cracked fuel tank, etc.
I have it mounted on the shop wall as a reminder of stupidity and laziness.
Heh heh heh. Reminds me that it took almost a year to get my snow blower back. I went through the shop where I bought it and another dealer on a governor problem. Even put a new carb on it and finally took it to another B&S dealer. Finally got Briggs to look at it and they agreed to replace the engine due to a problem with improper hardening of some part. Problem was the dealer had to pay for the engine before he could get reimbursed. Just got married, needed new computer, etc. etc. before he wanted to shell the money out for my engine. So that’s how it went for almost a year with me checking regularly. I would have paid for the dang thing if I ever thought I’d get my money back again. Last I heard the guy was moving to Iowa.
@bing. I had s better experience with my snowblower at a local hardware store that repairs equipment and has been in business for years. As I was servicing the snowblower for the snow that was predicted to fall in two days, the spark plug dropped out of my hand and fell into the shroud of the engine. I disassembled the snowblower to retrieve the plug. I finally got the plug out from around the flywheel housing, but then couldn’t get the snowblower back together. I fretted over it and the next day I did get it together. I filled the tank with the fuel.mixture, pulled the cord and it started and ran perfectly. However, when I shut it off, I found that the fuel line was leaking. At this point, I gave up and took it to the hardware store. A day later they had it fixed. When I used it to move the snow, the belt broke. I went to Lowe’s and matched up the belt as best I could. The belt was too big and no adjustment would allow the engine to turn the auger. Frustrated again, I took it back to the hardware store. They had the correct belt in stock for my 19 year old snowblower. Again, I got the snowblower back the next day. I didn’t tell the hardware store that I bought the snowblower at Walmart.
At any rate, if I have to buy a new mower or snowblower, I will make my purchase at that hardware store. At my age, service means a lot.
I guess I’m sort of a prepper but when you’ve got a foot of snow in the driveway, I like to cover the contingencies. So I have one spare of each belt for the blower and mower. Plus a couple of the shear pins, plug, skids and blades for the mower. A few years ago I shredded one of the mower belts and went to find another one. No luck anywhere but in desperation tried Walmart. They had both of the drive belts, so I bought spares. They don’t have anything anymore but they did then before they expanded and reduced their inventory. I could get a 74" or a 75" but not the spec 74 1/2. Sometimes that makes a difference.
A buddy of mine did that his pattern of mowing was pull into the street to turn around a cop saw him & gave him a dui warning & told him next time it would be ticket.
Doesnt matter the age, good service deserves to be rewarded. I do the same as you, I will gladly pay more if it is going to be going to an organization that does right by me.
@bing. My snowblower is a simple one-stage MTD that I bought for less than $200 at Walmart 19 years ago. It doesn’t have a shear pin. The original belt was good for 19 years. It’s has a two stroke engine, so I feed it ethanol free 50:1 premixed bottled fuel. I don’t have a long driveway or much sidewalk. I can handle 8" of snow on our driveway and sidewalk in less than 30 minutes.
I have an electricwith lithium ion batteries. Much lighter than a gas mower but same battery problem wear out in a couple of years . Plus dont overcharge as it will fry them quickly
I used a Lawn Boy with 2-cycle engine when a teenager in the 1960s. Its magnesium frame broke and my parents bought something new. Now I have a 1967 Lawn Boy, bought for $35 a few years ago. It, too, had a crack in the magnesium deck but I repaired it with a mending plate, rivets, and JB Weld. I have painted it and put on new old style decals I found on line. It is so light and maneuverable, I actually enjoy cutting the grass now!
I got a new shutoff valve for the gas tank to $10 at a local Lawn Boy dealer a few weeks ago. Once I get it going in the spring, it almost always starts on the first pull. I use 2-cycle oil at a 1:32 ratio and there is no visible smoke.
My only complaint with a zero turn mower. Almost impossible to drink and ride!
True. I think it’s the dumb chargers they use. My nephew is using one that’s 4 yo and seems to be doing fine, with the factory charger. He charges just before mowing. Batts can be so niggling. Don’t charge over 80% to store, don’t store below 40%, store indoors in winter, don’t charge over 80% when temps exceed 110 degrees.
I wondered about that when buying a mower. Even the walk behinds have cup holders. It was a must have on the rider, in the sun for 8 hours, but for the average user? One of the neighbors installed a 6 pack cooler… one beer wasn’t enough. “Sorry, hun, I missed the turn and mowed the cat.”
I have an older (12 year old maybe) zero turn and I would not go back. I mow over 2 acres and sometimes have to mow an elderly neighbors yard, which is another 2 acres. My mower has a cup holder, but I don’t see the point. Take one hand off the controls and you’re spinning in circles. Zero turns should come with those twin beer hard hats.
Get rid of the turf and the mower thus saving time for 12 ounce “curls” around the pool while the women shop with the money you save on gas, maintenance, fertilizer, water and the new mower … and come home happy and excited ! 
The zero turn radius mower is definitely a dad life symbol. We bachelors don’t qualify.
I don’t keep spare parts around for my snow blower, I keep a spare snowblower. I have a 1972 Ariens that I bought in 1990 (when my youngest son moved out) and a Toro CCR2000 single stage from sometime in the mid 1990s. Neuther one have been in the shop since I bought them and I do nothing proactively except grease and oil changes on the big one. Since I live near BuffaloNY they get plenty of work. When going through the backyard with drift bars on it will go through 4’ of snow at an easy walking pace throwing a solid chute diameter stream of snow 30’.
That is pretty hilarious. And strangely accurate. I do have gas station sun glasses too! Haha. It all applies to me, except for the socks with sandals. Not that old yet.
I hope you’re not still using Roundup. That stuff causes cancer (lymphoma).
I can forgive the makers of the video for not knowing since the video came out in 2010.