Lawn Boy 20" Self Propelled Push Mower

Lawn Boy 20" Self Propelled Push Mower - 10603

by Philip Siegrist
(Aiken, South Carolina)

Lawn Boy 10603 With Kohler Gas Powered Engine

I own a Lawn Boy 20" Gas Powered Mower, model 10603. I believe the Kohler engine is 149cc. I live in Aiken, South Carolina and my yard is roughly one acre, minus a bit for mulch beds. The front of the yard is flat for the most part, with a small section of roughly 5% grade.

My backyard is quite steep, maybe a 35% grade. My grass consists mostly of Bermuda and Centipede. This Lawn Boy 10603 mower is self-propelled and was a great purchase for the price, mine cost around $200. Most of the other comparable mowers I looked at were quite a bit more.

I purchased this mower from a local Walmart and it was very easy to assemble and put into operation straight out of the box. Once I had added the fuel and oil I was ready to start pulling, I imagined that this mower would take the usual 10 pulls that other mowers require. However, it started after the second pull, and after about 2 years of use, it still starts on the second or third pull.

The levers are easy to actuate and I have not had to put in any extra maintenance time beyond the norm, i.e. cleaning spark plugs and fuel filters.

This mower has an added feature of a "mulching mode" in which anything chopped up will be coarsely chopped into a mulch. This feature works very well and I’ve saved a bit of money using the mulch I’ve produced in my flower beds.

The only complaint I have about this machine, and this was something I read about when I was researching a mower to buy, is the weight. Since my yard is mostly downhill, the weight of this mower becomes a bit of a chore going up-hill and a bit of a liability going downhill. I don’t have the original box anymore, but this mower must weight at least 60 lbs. If you have a hilly yard, this might be something to consider.

However, on the flat portions of my yard, the self-propulsion mechanism pushes the mower along adequately. This mower is able to cut around my round-shaped flower beds easily, and I have never had a problem turning it or having it dig up my beds. As I stated previously, I purchased this mower about 2 years ago, I use it weekly to mow my grass in the spring and summer. I would recommend this mower for small to moderate sized yards, pushing this thing around a very large yard would probably get tiring.

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Lawn Boy 20" Self Propelled Push Mower - 10603

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Oct 09, 2011
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I'll Stick With Lawn Boy Mowers As I Have Had Good Experiences With The Brand
by: Timothy Alexander

I use a Lawn Boy Model 10603 to cut my rather small yard of about a quarter of an acre. My manual push mower is bright green with a 20" cutting deck and contains a safety bar that you hold while pushing to keep the engine running. When you let the safety bar go the engine stops, this is to prevent accidents while in use.

My 10603 mower also has a Kohler OHV engine that runs smooth and is not too loud as my last Lawn Boy push mower was. The power is adequate and the fuel economy is very good. I can get three cuts of my yard with one tank! My yard is rather flat with the exception of the front ditch, but even so the mower cuts even and with ease.

I remember that the tag at the local hardware store that I bought it from had the retail at just over $250. I was able to get the Lawn Boy machine on sale for $199.99. I plan on getting an oil change once a year as well as a tune up and the blades sharpened. I only cut my grass every 7 to 9 days because most of my property is in the shade and the grass grows very slowly.

I would recomend anyone that is looing for a quality name brand manual mower to consider the Lawn Boy series. I live in Louisville, Kentucky and the climate is fairly mild. I expect to get at least ten years from this mower based on the last one. I currently have about 2 months use on the mower with no wear issues and no issues with starting.

I like the wheels and how the finish makes wiping dirt, dust, and grass off easy as 1,2,3. I feel that the best way to extend the life of these Lawn Boy push mowers is to winterize them before it gets too cold. You need to drain the liquds and clean out the breathing elements and filters as best as you can. I cover my mower with a breathable cloth and wipe it down as best as I can to get as much moisture out and off of it as possible.

I prefer to cut my yard fairly short and because I desire that I set the tire adjustment almost to the bottom. Normally I have it one space from the bottom. This may not be good for yards in dry climates or for those in direct sunlight but as before mentioned mine is mostly in shade. I do have a few roots that stick up and hit the mower blade when I cut the yard but I have yet to see any damage to the Lawn Boy 10603 blade at this time.

I had my eye on a Honda mower but because of the good history that I have had with Lawn Boy brand and the fact that my dad always had one makes it hard to switch. In these days of getting the best bag for the buck, I feel that I can be brand loyal and get a good deal at the same time.

I would like to say that mowers are being better made but I must conclude that while composite materials cut weight and are durable, sometimes metal parts just can not be replaced with synthetics. Also, the quality of the engines, in particular the engine block is now being made in aluminum and not in steel.

I would still recommend the Lawn Boy 10603 to anyone wanting a new push mower.

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