The ol' Briggs & Stratton Diesel

[Dieselnut59]

That is just like mine! Has the badge on the side that says "Solid State Ignition" I have the 19" and the 21".

They have the offset front right wheel where thie discharge comes out. The exhaust also comes out under the deck. No throttle control, except the little "switch" above the air cleaner that says "Normal" and "light". It does not smoke bad except when you get into some thick grass, kind of like the older diesels when under a load.

If I could still get this mower, I would buy another just like it, cost be damned.

The best pushers ever were infact LawnBoys produced by OutBoard Marine Corporation (OMC). Todays are just a name. Not much different than Wal-mart variants.



My grandpa, some 30 years ago, bought a new 2 Stroke OMC Lawn Boy with the Magnesium metal deck. 21" cut, simple no throttle required operation, very light and easy to push. The real key and selling point then was "Solid State Ignition"... ie: no points. Still runs tops and cuts very tall grass with ease. 32:1 oil ratio but he mixes a little rich beyond that. He always has used OMC outboard 2 stroke oil and this little metal can he's had since the 1950's. It puffs a little blue smoke... but to me growing up... mowing slightly wet grass on a summer morning with some blue smoke coming out from under the deck was what summer vacation was all about. That and cutting 5 acres with a 30" 8HP Snapper Rear engine rider... . "the COMET".



A true testament to a time when you could actually buy something that WAS really better than the others. You paid more... but you got what you paid for. Today you just pay more and thats about it.



The ultimate Lawn Boys were the Commercial Line, mag decks, and the fuel tanks mounted up on the handle bar. Grandpa converted his to this tank style way back. The commercial ones had orange wheels and fuel tank.

 

[MickeyMiller]

I was cleaning out the garage and found a can of Coleman stove fuel from 1991!! It smelled OK so I figured 'what the heck'... . filled up my 5hp Briggs and Stratton powered mower. Runs great! Conclusion: (1)The B&S doesn't require much in the way of fuel, and (2) Coleman must use some great fuel stabilizer!



BTW, the Coleman can had been opened and was about 7/8 full.