Lawn Boy
Lawn Mowers
Reviews

For more than seven decades, the Lawn Boy name has been synonymous with quality lawnmowers and lawn equipment.

The company can boast a line up of products that help them stand out among the competition.

But is a Lawn Boy right for you? Learn more about the company and the products they offer to find out.

Lawn Boy Background

One of the interesting things about Lawn Boy’s history is that it didn’t start out having anything to do with lawn care at all. Instead, Ole Evinrude developed an outboard motor that was meant to be used on boats.

Around the same time a few other people were getting into the motor building business. The Johnson Motor Wheel Company, for example, was started by three brothers in Terre Haute, Indiana while Briggs and Stratton was a Milwaukee-based manufacturer of gas-powered engines around the same time.

Eventually all of these different companies would come together with the help of Stephen Briggs (from the Milwaukee company) and Ole’s son, Ralph. And that’s where the Lawn-Boy products first began back in 1934.

The first of those products was reel power mower that could be used with only one hand. It was produced by the Evinrude Company after Ole passed away.

The products kept coming until the beginning of World War II in 1939. At that point, lawn mowers seemed less important to most consumers than the manufacture of the motors needed by the military.

After the war, the first rotary lawnmower was being introduced to the public and was making a huge splash with orders through many companies.

Seeing the potential in the product, the Lawn Boy folks purchased the new mower and began selling it themselves. To meet the demand, the company had to use a production line which was a first for these kind of lawnmowers.

From the late 1950’s through the early 1980’s, Lawn Boy continued to grown and introduce new and better products to meet the changing needs of consumers. In 1958, they introduced a line of quieter mowers.

In 1973, they introduced the first cordless mower. Ten years later, they produced safer mowers which were had automatic stop features to prevent serious injuries.

Just one year after purchasing Gilson Brothers in order to expand their product line to include more snow throwers and some garden tractors, Toro purchased the company.

Following the purchase, Toro made sure to get the Lawn Boy products available through more mass retailers so more consumers could have the opportunity to purchase the products.

In 1996, the brand hit a major milestone: they were the leaders in the market in terms of repurchasing. According to the research, almost 60% of people who were buying Lawn Boy power mowers had owned one of the brand’s products in the past. The most recent development for the Lawn Boy company was the development of their new line of zero turn mowers in 2005.

Lawn Boy’s Line of Power Mowers

If you are a traditionalist when it comes to mowing your lawn or you don’t have the yard size that requires a riding mower, you might be interested in Lawn Boy’s line of power mowers which have gone through a major redesign in recent years. The products have a number of new and improved features, such as adjustable handles, which make them easier to use.

Besides the commercial version, Lawn Boy has three separate types of these mowers known as the Insight, the Insight Gold, and the Insight Platinum. Each of these categories contains a number of different models with their own unique set of features.

The six Insight models all come with Tecumseh LV 195 engines and steel decks. Four of the six use recoil starting systems while the other two use an electric start and a blade control system, respectively.

All of the models have an easy to stow feature, although half use knobs and the other half use levers to make the unit fit into storage easier.

The Insight Gold mowers are quite similar in many respects. However, they come with Honda GCV 160 engines, as well as steel decks.

These four models also come with a number of different starting systems available and all come with the Quick Stow Lever features.

One of the biggest differences is that the Gold series is protected by a three year warranty while the regular Insight mowers are only covered for two years.

In many respects, the Insight Platinum series’ five models are very much like the other two with a few upgrades. You can find models with either the Tecumseh or the Honda engines, as well as with the different starting system options and easy storage features.

However, the warranty is a full five years, the maximum cutting height is higher, the deck is made from aluminum instead of steel, and all of the models comes with maintenance-free transmissions.

Zero Turn Mowers

Currently, Lawn Boy offers two models of zero turn mowers. Both models are protected by three year warranties which mean you’ll have plenty of solid lawn mowing experience no matter which version you choose.

Both come with 18 inch high back chairs which are the best option for your comfort, especially if you have a lot of lawn to mow.

They also have larger rear wheels for easier turning and maneuvering and adjustable cutting heights from 1.5 to 4.5 inches so you can get the best cut possible for your lawn.

One of the differences is the deck. The 81270 model has a 42 inch side discharge and the 81271 has a 50 inch side discharge. Another difference are the number of anti-scalp wheels that come standard on each model: there are two on the 81270 and three on the 81271. Both have different engines: a 16 HP Honda powers the 81270 and a 21 HP Kawasaki powers the 81271.

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