Redbow
Senior Member
Had a push lawn mower to last if you can remember. I have a 3hp Murray that I have had now for almost 20 years. It still runs well and does not use oil. True I have owned riding mowers along with this old push machine but its been tough so far I have used it a lot over the years. Mostly for trimming where I can't get into with the riding mower but I have cut the entire yard with it many times. Its a tough little machine and still starts easily.
I have had a bunch of push mowers I never bought a riding mower until I was on into my forties. Some have lasted 15 years or more and some I have had were push mowers that others threw away but were an easy fix. I always run 40 weight Diesel oil in all my mowers riding ones included. That works for me never had a problem doing that.
Now back in the early seventies Western Auto Stores started selling 2 cycle mowers for $29.95 each. If I remember correctly they were 18 inch cut mowers and my Uncle bought one. We lived in SC back then my Uncle used that mower for a couple of years then it quit on him. He and I were talking and I told him I needed a small push mower and he told me about the 2 cycle one that he had but would not run. He told me he had just bought another push mower a 4 cycle machine and that I could have the little 2 cycle mower if I wanted to come and get it and see if I could get it running again. In a day or so I drove over to his house and got the 2 cycle machine and took it home with me.
On my days off I examined the 2 cycle mower to see if I could fix it. It wasn't firing the plug was fouled so I put a new plug in it, pulled the starting chord a few times and it roared to life again. I thought to myself, well that was easy. I sharpened the blade and mowed my yard with it. My Uncle and I worked together on the Railroad and when I returned to work I told him about the fouled plug in the 2 cycle mower and that he could have it back if he wished. He said no, keep it and use it as long as it will run. That thing did run it ran for years afterwards mowing my yard many times over. I never used a 2 cycle oil in that little machine, just 30 weight motor oil in with the gasoline. It never missed a lick with me doing that.
One day I was using the little two cycle mower when the engine stopped suddenly. I knew by the sound of the thing that something had come loose inside the engine. I tore it down and sure enough the piston had broken. I called a shop in the city of Florence SC that I knew carried about any part for any mower that people needed and told them my problem with the 2 cycle mower. The man on the phone told me he did have the part to fix it, a new piston with the rod already attached along with the rings and new bearings. I bought the kit for six bucks and put the old 2 cycle back together. About the third pull of the starting chord the little machine roared back to life and I cut my yard with it. I was amazed at how tough the little mower really was.
Finally the old 2 cycle wore out the frame where the engine mounted to it the frame broke. I mentioned to someone at work about the tough little 2 cycle machine and how I hated to scrap it. Someone heard me and said I have one in my shed the engine blew up and I had to buy another push mower. If you want it I will bring it tomorrow. I took the mower home the frame looked almost new in fact the whole mower did. I tore it down and the rod was seized to the crankshaft. I think lack of oil killed that little mower. But I took the engine off the one my Uncle gave me and mounted it on the new to me give away mower and went back to mowing grass.
That little engine ran for a few years after I mounted it on the other frame and the same thing happened to it, the frame broke again but the engine still ran fine. I said to myself, ok that's it. Time to buy a new push mower. For only $29.95 at Western Auto they were well worth the money but many people did not like them because you had to mix the gas it used with oil. Western Auto had quit selling them by the time I scrapped my old 2 cycle machine. I hated to see it go.
I have had a bunch of push mowers I never bought a riding mower until I was on into my forties. Some have lasted 15 years or more and some I have had were push mowers that others threw away but were an easy fix. I always run 40 weight Diesel oil in all my mowers riding ones included. That works for me never had a problem doing that.
Now back in the early seventies Western Auto Stores started selling 2 cycle mowers for $29.95 each. If I remember correctly they were 18 inch cut mowers and my Uncle bought one. We lived in SC back then my Uncle used that mower for a couple of years then it quit on him. He and I were talking and I told him I needed a small push mower and he told me about the 2 cycle one that he had but would not run. He told me he had just bought another push mower a 4 cycle machine and that I could have the little 2 cycle mower if I wanted to come and get it and see if I could get it running again. In a day or so I drove over to his house and got the 2 cycle machine and took it home with me.
On my days off I examined the 2 cycle mower to see if I could fix it. It wasn't firing the plug was fouled so I put a new plug in it, pulled the starting chord a few times and it roared to life again. I thought to myself, well that was easy. I sharpened the blade and mowed my yard with it. My Uncle and I worked together on the Railroad and when I returned to work I told him about the fouled plug in the 2 cycle mower and that he could have it back if he wished. He said no, keep it and use it as long as it will run. That thing did run it ran for years afterwards mowing my yard many times over. I never used a 2 cycle oil in that little machine, just 30 weight motor oil in with the gasoline. It never missed a lick with me doing that.
One day I was using the little two cycle mower when the engine stopped suddenly. I knew by the sound of the thing that something had come loose inside the engine. I tore it down and sure enough the piston had broken. I called a shop in the city of Florence SC that I knew carried about any part for any mower that people needed and told them my problem with the 2 cycle mower. The man on the phone told me he did have the part to fix it, a new piston with the rod already attached along with the rings and new bearings. I bought the kit for six bucks and put the old 2 cycle back together. About the third pull of the starting chord the little machine roared back to life and I cut my yard with it. I was amazed at how tough the little mower really was.
Finally the old 2 cycle wore out the frame where the engine mounted to it the frame broke. I mentioned to someone at work about the tough little 2 cycle machine and how I hated to scrap it. Someone heard me and said I have one in my shed the engine blew up and I had to buy another push mower. If you want it I will bring it tomorrow. I took the mower home the frame looked almost new in fact the whole mower did. I tore it down and the rod was seized to the crankshaft. I think lack of oil killed that little mower. But I took the engine off the one my Uncle gave me and mounted it on the new to me give away mower and went back to mowing grass.
That little engine ran for a few years after I mounted it on the other frame and the same thing happened to it, the frame broke again but the engine still ran fine. I said to myself, ok that's it. Time to buy a new push mower. For only $29.95 at Western Auto they were well worth the money but many people did not like them because you had to mix the gas it used with oil. Western Auto had quit selling them by the time I scrapped my old 2 cycle machine. I hated to see it go.
