Customer Reviews

Lawn Boy 10683 Insight Series 21-Inch 6.5 HP Gas Powered Push Lawn Mower

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

After I couldn't acquire parts for my 19 year old Lawn-Boy mower, I decided to buy another. I did a lot of research before deciding to purchase this Insight model.

This Lawn-Boy is a fine machine despite some flaws. The engine usually starts on the first or second pull, but not always. Once it's running, it's a relatively quiet engine, and the pollution is far less than previous models. One of the best things about this mower is the way it looks. Fab design.

However, the biggest downfall of this mower is its ridiculous weight. I'd like to know why somebody at Lawn-Boy/Toro thought a 70 pound push mower was a good idea. Because it's not.

My old Lawn-Boy was a svelte 35 pounds, so I wrote to Lawn-Boy to ask why they did not make an aluminum mower this year.

Their customer service informed me that they used a steel deck instead of their older, better aluminum designs. They said the aluminum decks were not ready for the 2006 season, but provided me with hope that they will be available next year.

SO, if you can wait until next year, I suggest putting your money towards an aluminum mower. If not, this one will work fine, as long as you don't mind working a lot harder to push the darn thing.

I bought this mower for our house over a month ago. It's been used 5 times since then (once by my wife). Set-up out of the box was simple, it was ready to go, the toughest part was attaching the pull cord to the ring that holds it in place. A pair of pliers made quick work of that.
Once I added the gas and oil, it started on the second or third pull. Our lawn is less than a quarter acre with a slight incline but plenty of trees and fences to maneuver around. My wife and I have had no problems with missing any spots because we couldn't get the mower into tight quarters.
Possibly my favorite feature is how simple it is to put the bag on and take it off. The bar that forms the opening slides onto a little ledge. There's nothing to hold open and the bag fits through the opening of the handle bar, even when full.
I changed the oil after the second use as per the instructions and that went smoothly as well. I haven't fussed with the air filter or spark plug yet, but they seem to be pretty straight forward.
I grew up with my father's Lawn Boy and it worked fine for him for at least 10 years. I would be in heaven is this one also lasted that long.

Purchased this mower 3 weeks ago, ordered it on monday, arrived on wednesday, VERY FAST ! Started on the 1st pull after I added gas/oil. Always had Snappers in the past, it was time for a new one. First NEW mower I've bought in 30 years! Quite happy with it so far. Only feature I wish it had was an adjustable throttle control, but seems it's not necessary as I always run it on full throttle anyway. I would recommend the mower for anyone looking for a good reliable at a reasonable price and comes with a 2 year warranty. I especially like the semi-pneumatic tires, padded grip and ease of starting. Also, I wish the bag were as big as the one on the Snapper, but for less than 1/2 the price I really cannot complain and the shipping was free !

This mower is one of the best mowers I've used. It replaced one of those Home Depot $100 side discharge mowers. Light year's ahead of that one. Usually starts on 1 or 2 pulls of the cord. YOu can side discharge, bag or mulch. I mostly use the mulch. No bagging and my lawn looks better for it.

Good mower. However it is extremely heavy for a push mower.

I can't figure out why I wasted my time trying to fix the old junker, I don't know why I trawled craigslist looking for second hand mowers and I don't know why I thought I would luck out on a good bargain Mower (you know the brands). Eventually after touring 3 Box stores I went to professional Mower shop to ask for advise - they steered me in direstion of the Lawn Boy as good value for money and worth the premium over lesser mowers.

I am so glad I took their advise cos I love this mower, and I venture you will too if - you want a great looking lawn, great mower design, easy handling, and the option to repair vs replace.

I'm kinda nuts about my lawn. With my last mower I had to cut the grass twice - in opposite directions - to get the even cut I wanted ... not anymore.

Plus, because of the LB's wide wheels, I don't get the "wheel ridges" you get next day or day after when a heavy mower / narrow wheels / and damp grass conspire to fold the grass over while mowing, etc.

Plus, In this category all the other grass bags are smaller than the LB's so I can pick up more ... but also, the LB has a design that the bag really fills the bag ... unlike last mower which did have big bag but only filled 50% before dropping.

Plus I love the design, from the Starting pull, to the EZ off bag, to the EZ set wheels - The machine is a dream to operate.

Plus, the tank of gas lasts forever ... Ok, I made this one up, but you should seriously consider this mower.

Paddieman

This is probably a pretty good mower. I bought it on sale because my 18 year old Lawn Boy began acting up. This one has started the first try every time.
But, this is really just a Toro mower with green paint and a Lawn Boy sticker. Toro bought out Lawn Boy several years ago, and the transformation is now complete. Gone are the old two cycle Lawn Boy engines. Now you can have a Tecumseh or a Honda engine, same as on a Toro, and I doubt either one will last as long as my old 2 cycle Lawn Boy.

For starters the handle cushion started to come off after the 3rd use, not a good sign.
The oil was gone after the second use.
It is loud and very heavy (I guess its a plus if someone needs excercise)
It takes a while to start it up (cold start) about 5-8 min, the best way to start it is press the
red button 3-4 times wait 3-4 min press it again, wait again than after the 4 pull it will start.
It chokes off on moderate high grass.
The grass bunches up, than it gets spit out on the side, better to bag it but it still leaves a lot on the ground.

Stay away from lawnboy, these new chinese wonders are JUNK!!!

I bought a used LB 10684. A neighbor broke the aluminum deck on my old LB. Had it for 25 years. Now I won't have to replace plugs, mix oil. But it was great, light.
I had to replace the carb (could have rebuilt) aftr 18 years. Hope this one holds up as well.....

Maintenance:

The Lawn-Boy 10683 Insight will periodically stop for no apparent reason in the middle of your yard and refuse to start again until you've wasted an afternoon trying to fix it and put it back in the garage, disgusted.

A goat will require feeding, veterinary care, and constant supervision. It may eat random shards of metal and kill itself. However, a new goat costs less than this mower.

Winner: Goat.

Efficacy:

The Lawn-Boy will cut your grass, provided that you cut it yesterday and you only want to "take a little off the top." Otherwise, it will choke on its gorge of wet, mulchy clippings as they accumulate in the undercarriage.

A goat will eat your grass, your flowers, your shrubs, and your neighbor's children.

Winner: Goat.

Environmental Impact:

The Lawn-Boy will belch white smoke as it gloriously incinerates its oil if you have the audacity to push it up a slight incline. Gasoline will also dribble out of the cap if you don't fasten it with a torque wrench.

A goat will crap all over everything.

Winner: Goat!

Summation: Get a goat, this mower is garbage.

Update after two years: It's been in for repairs once. It's due again, because it won't shut off unless I reach down and jerk out the spark plug. How much moolah do I get when it chops off my hand?