Lawn Mower Care & Tips
By Bob Chapman
A widely held belief states: "If a carpenter takes care of his tools, the tools will take care of the carpenter." As a professional gardener, my gas-powered, self-propelled lawn mowers paid the mortgage, fed and clothed the family and gave the kids an excellent education. As you can imagine, I took good care of my tools. I faithfully checked them regularly. A lawn mower cost hundreds of dollars and if the homeowner/gardener takes care of it, it will last for many, many years. To help you protect your investment simply follow the suggestions below.
Every time you use your mower.
Give the mower a quick visual check, looking for oil seepages or dirty catcher and fill it with fresh gas.
Periodically
- Check the oil. These modern powerful engines literally "run on oil." You don't want an engine to seize up for the lack of a lubricant. Usually, you'll change the oil after 50 hours of usage. In mild winter climates use 10-30W oil.
- If operated under dusty conditions, remove and clean the air filters.
Annual service "The Biggie"
This once-a-year service takes a short while, but it will save your lawn mower from needless wear and tear, and while it may not put the kids through college, it will save you from the needless purchase of a new machine.
- Change the oil, following instructions in your manual for the proper weight for your mower. Consider raising the wheels and push the mower over a disposable, inexpensive aluminum roasting pan to catch the oil drained from the motor. Save the pan for use again next year. Recycle or properly dispose of the oil. Tip: Take the oil to a service station that changes the oil on your car and ask them to recycle it.
- Remove the cover and clean the air filters thoroughly. The filter(s) keeps dust and dirt from entering through the carburetor and harming the engine.
- Remove and check the spark plug. If the gap between the points is wide or corrosion appears, install a new plug.
- Check the deck underneath for accumulated gunk. To perform this function, tilt the mower on its side with the oil filler tube and carburetor side up to prevent loss of fuel and oil and possible hard starting of the engine later. Clean the entire underside and the discharge chute leading to the catcher.
- While the mower is on its side, check the blade for nicks, cracks and dullness. A dull blade tears the blades of grass instead of cutting it smoothly and evenly. Hitting pebbles, rocks, bones, nails, bolts, sprinkler heads and kids toys with your mower can dull a blade quickly. Remove the dull blade and sharpen it to a 15 degree angle. If too badly damaged have it professionally sharpened. The pros will balance the blade, ensuring no harm to the engine from an imbalanced blade.
- Remove the catcher and clean the inside. The catcher must have air flowing through it to work properly. Clogged catchers can leave an unsightly "trail" of clippings instead of catching all of them. Use a pair of closed hand clippers and using the curved side, scrape the inside of the bag if needed to ensure the removal of all clippings, leaves, twigs and other debris. Using a strong jet of water, wash the inside of the bag, letting it dry thoroughly before replacing on the mower.
- Check all screws, bolts and fasteners and tighten any needed.
- If possible, lubricate all cables and points of friction on your mower including the control levers and bars.
- Clean out any dirt found on the tire treads.
Final last look!
Now that your mower has been brought up to an almost-new condition, step back a moment and look at it. You know that your mower is ready to give you another year of faithful service. You won't be scanning the ads for an expensive replacement for a long time!