Saturday Ill be picking up a lawn mower Ive been wanting for a long time, a Snapper self propelled with the Robin Wisconsin 2 stroke engine. Ive heard these are just as bulletproof as the Toros with the 2 stroke Suzuki engine. Its a 1986 year model, runs great, and the guy said parts are still available. My question is, should I use it regularly or keep it as more of a vintage piece? 40:1 or 50:1 fuel mixture? Those who have one or experience with one please chime in. Thanks
Snapper mower
- Thread starter mobilnissan1991
- Start date
Engines don't have a desired mixture. People ran rich mixtures like 32:1 back in the day because that's what the oils were formulated for. You run the mixture recommended on the bottle of mix you're using. Feel free to experiment after that if you want.
Triple_Se7en
$50 Site Donor 2024
I owned that one and a Toro Recycler from that specific era-dateline. There's nothing special about the Snapper, other-than it can suck-up cigarette butts from the street curb area. That was the only thing I found impressive about the Snapper. That lawnmower started to lose compression after only 3-4 years of cutting a small front & back yard. I'm talking about a yard that only takes 20 minutes (front and back) to mow while walking somewhat slowly. That's how little these two front & back yards are.
The Toro was a monster from day-1. It had a linkage system that no matter how tight I made the routing system that leads to the carb-area, it would loosen within a year and never restart the engine when needed.
Another nightmare with the Toro was it's steel underbelly. I tried everything imaginable to keep grass clippings from clogging underneath, whenever the grass was even slightly damp or wet.
I literally gave both of these lawnmowers away while they still ran. I told both new owners (relatives) that I never wanted to see these lawnmowers again, so if they suddenly decided to return these mowers back to me, I would option that they pawn them-off on someone else that's not a relative of ours.
The two best push lawnmowers I ever had was a $99 Sears Craftsman rear bagger on clearance in 1990 and the one I currently have for several years now..... a $249 Yard Machine from Home Depot (HD still sells it)
Both always started on first pull and ran smooth as silk - mulched grass into small pieces and filled the yard waste rear bag to full capacity and never left clumps of grass on the lawn.
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32 to 1 is ideal regardless of oil choice. The idea that modern oils "out lubricate" yesterday's oils is incorrect. Today's oils burn cleaner and don't clog the ports or stick the piston rings.
See if you can find Snapper OEM swiveling front wheels. That makes a Snapper mower a real professional tool.
I have a Snapper Commercial with swiveling wheels. Best mower I've ever owned. The Kawi engine had a few stump strikes and finally failed, despite the bent crankshaft being "fixed" a few times by a 5 pound sledge.... I re-powered with a heavy Honda 190. Would LOVE a 2 stroke instead!!!
The Snapper swivel wheels look a lot like this.
See if you can find Snapper OEM swiveling front wheels. That makes a Snapper mower a real professional tool.
I have a Snapper Commercial with swiveling wheels. Best mower I've ever owned. The Kawi engine had a few stump strikes and finally failed, despite the bent crankshaft being "fixed" a few times by a 5 pound sledge.... I re-powered with a heavy Honda 190. Would LOVE a 2 stroke instead!!!
The Snapper swivel wheels look a lot like this.
Use it. The Robin has far more power than the anemic Suzuki and the Snapper deck is far superior at bagging compared to the Toro. Robin will be quite happy at 32:1.
Use it and enjoy it. I never understood people who buy machines to just park them in a shed somewhere and let them rot.
Agreed.. it's a lawn mower, not an investment.
the robin 2 stroke is far better than the suzuki. dont get snapper swivel wheels. the drive system isnt strong enough to operate them. if you must have swivel wheels the ariens is what you what. the robin will operate just fine at 50/1 with good quality oil. irun 40/1 in mine. if some one told you parts are aval for the robin 2 stroke still- they lie. take a look for yourself. they are so well made they seldom need parts but what you can find will cause you to have a stroke at the price. the robin 4 stroke is just as good. buy the way i have run a commercial lawn biz for 35 years so i have ample experience with these mower engines. still have a small fleet of these running but i have had to start canableizing to keep them going . there just impossible to find parts for now. last rear made was 2004
Hmmm, I've been using them on my Snapper for decades. No drive problems or wheel problems. That mower is an absolute joy to use. What problems do you notice?
32:1 ashless oil for that robin.
Lawn boy & briggs & stratton 2 cycle oils are good for those engines.
Lawn boy & briggs & stratton 2 cycle oils are good for those engines.
Picked this one up today for $200. 1983. Self propelled, came with bag, mulch attachment and side discharge attachment, ready to go. The Wisconsin Robin needs quite a bit of work to be ready to go, but the deck is great for spare parts. What should I run in this old Briggs to keep it going for another 41 years? Straight 30, 15W40, something with high zinc?
Nice! 15w40 or 10w30 HDEO would be my choice, you don't need high zinc.
JHZR2
Staff member
I’ve collected two of these. Love them. Both of mine are old Briggs.
pre 90's briggs used a steel camshaft. Any off the shelf SAE 30 or 15W40 will work fine.
Any reason to think that Redline or HPL 15W40 would provide more longevity?
Probably not, it is a splash lubed system with no filter. Changing the oil frequently to get the contaminants, moisture, and fuel out will likely have a better impact on longevity. I change the oil in my equipment yearly.
I have the same mower and it has had mobil 1 5w-30 in it since I got it 10+ years ago.. Just use it to trim so not running for hours at a time or anything. No consumption or issues..
