A well-maintained lawn mower can last for years; on the other hand, ignoring a few simple things can lower performance and drastically shorten the life of your lawn mower. So here are a few things to ensure your mower will be ready every time you need it.
Check Your Mower’s Oil
Just like in your car, keeping an eye on your mower’s oil is essential to keeping it running and performing well. Check the oil level as well as the oil’s condition, keeping an eye out for any floating debris or dark black coloration. If you notice either of these, it’s time to change the oil.
Clean Your Mower’s Undercarriage
Keeping your lawn mower clean is a great and simple way to keep your mower in excellent condition. As grass, mud, and other debris gets caked up underneath the mower it can make the engine work harder as well clog other mower elements. You can scrape the grass off with a wire brush and hose off any other debris after the mower cools. Remember to disconnect the spark plug anytime you handle the undercarriage of your mower.
Use the Right Fuel for You Mower
Using real, 100% non-ethanol fuel is best for the engine. The moisture attracted by ethanol causes the fuel to break down and gum-up the carburetor, drying out the fuel hose, causing it to crack and leak. Ethanol fuel can also cause rust in metal fuel tanks. Non-ethanol gas also provides better engine performance and offers a much longer shelf life than ethanol based fuels.
Sharpen the Lawn Mower Blade
Your mower’s blade goes through a lot. Grass, rocks, sticks, and other yard debris all take a toll on the blades condition. A dull blade pulls and rips grass blades instead of cutting them. For a clean cut, keep your mower blade sharpened.
Inspect and Change the Lawn Mower’s Air Filter
Keeping your mower’s air filter clean and fresh makes it more efficient. When the air filter is clogged and dirty it increases the stress on the engine and burns more fuel. Air filters are very inexpensive and simple to replace, and should be replaced annually.
Check and Change the Mower’s Spark Plugs
Fresh spark plugs help to ensure an easy start. Changing your spark plugs annually is a great way to keep your mower running smoothly.
Consider a Professional Tune Up for Your Mower
While a lot of these tasks are simple and inexpensive to do yourself, a tune up from a mower specialist can go a long way in adding years to your mower’s life. This service isn’t terribly expensive and includes draining and replacing all of the fluids, filters, and spark plugs, as well as other diagnostic tests.
These are some basic tips that will keep your lawn mower running and your yard in shape all summer. The experts at Bozeman Distributors have been helping Baton Rouge home and business owners with their mower needs for over 50 years.