Lawnmowers are a great invention. They make mowing the lawn so much easier than doing it by hand. But like any machine, they need upkeep and maintenance to ensure that they’ll keep running reliably and last for many years of use.
If you take care of your mower, then the chances are good that it will serve you well for many years to come. Here are 12 mower maintenance tips you should know:
1. Check Your Fuel Level
It’s important to check your fuel level before mowing. If there isn’t enough gas in the tank, the mower may stop working. It will also emit excessive fumes, which could cause health complications if inhaled.
Keep your mower’s gas tank filled to the top before mowing.
2. Clean the Mower After Each Use
Cleaning up after mowing will help prevent rust and corrosion from forming in various parts of your mower. And this will help you avoid frequent and costly repairs.
By cleaning out the mower, you can prevent mower deck rust and mower housing corrosion. Clean mowers will also run much more efficiently than dirty mowers.
3. Grease the Right Places
Greasing mower parts will help cut the wear and tear on them, thus prolonging their lifespan.
A mower’s blade, wheel bearings, transmission case, pulleys, and others can be greased using a grease gun. You can also apply white lithium grease to keep them running and avoiding rust from forming.
4. Change the Oil Periodically
It’s important to change your mower’s oil so it stays free of dirt that clogs the engine leading to costly repairs. Homeowners should consider changing the oil once per season.
5. Keep Your Blades Sharp
The blades on your mower should be kept sharp for a few reasons. First, dull mower blades will tear up the grass and not make a nice-looking mow pattern. Second, dull mower blades won’t cut efficiently and will damage mower components.
Changing mower blades requires taking off the mower’s deck and then following mower blade removal instructions for your model. Be careful when changing mower blades so you don’t get injured.
6. Mow in the Right Direction
Mowing in the wrong direction can potentially damage mower parts, especially mower blades. Mowing in reverse may increase mower blade wear and tear. Mowing against mower resistance could cause mower wheels to spin out of control, damaging mowing deck components such as a drive belt or spindles.
The mower owner’s manual should contain mowing instructions for your particular model, which will explain the correct way to mow your lawn. Follow those directions carefully to avoid potential problems.
7. Create a Mower Maintenance Schedule
Having regular lawn mower maintenance checks performed on your mower is a great idea. It will help you catch potential problems before they become too big to handle without a lawnmower maintenance service. You can do checks like changing mower oil or mower blade sharpening if you have the right tools and mower maintenance experience.
8. Use The Right Fuel for Your Mower
If you mow using unleaded gasoline with a higher octane rating than is recommended for your mower’s engine, it could cause expensive damage to the engine.
So make sure to use fuel that is approved for your mowing machine. Avoid contaminating it with foreign substances such as alcohols, ethers, kerosene, and methanol. These contaminants can also do serious harm to your mowing machine’s engine over time, leading to costly mower repairs.
Always follow mower fuel recommendations to help prevent mower engine damage and costly mower repairs.
9. Take Care of Your Mowing Deck
The mower deck, which is the mower area that comes in contact with grass during mowing, can become rusted or corroded over time. You need to clean and apply a rust inhibitor before each mow or at least once per season, depending on weather conditions in your area.
In addition, regularly wash off grease build-up from mowing blade assembly components after use while they are still warm because it will be less likely to clump up when hot than it would be if cool.
10. Watch Out for Lawn Mower Spikes
Other mowers mowing in your area may leave mower spikes behind. If you hit one of these mowers spikes, it could damage mowing deck components like a mower drive belt or the spindle bearings.
To avoid this type of damage, pay attention to where you mow. Don’t go into areas with spike strips buried in lawns because they could do expensive mower decks or other mower parts damage if you run over them.
11. Keep Your Mower From Freezing When Not in Use
If mowing equipment is exposed to freezing temperatures when in not use, mower parts can become damaged due to excessive wear and tear caused by expansion, contraction, ice buildup, rusting, and other issues.
To avoid mower parts freezing while mowing equipment is not in use, make sure the area where you store the machine is heated. Proper storage goes a long way towards preventing potential problems from occurring.
12. Invest in a Good Mower Cover
A mower cover will help protect mowing equipment against the elements. Using a mower cover during winter storage or mowing season will also prevent tree sap, leaves, bird droppings, and other muck from sticking to moving parts. You’ll then reduce cleaning time because you require less effort to wash these things off after use than if they were left on over a period of time.
You can check out Mowers-online.co.uk for reliable UK lawnmowers.
Implement This Lawn Mower Maintenance Checklist
Mowing equipment maintenance requires that mower and mower components are working efficiently. Proper mower maintenance goes a long way towards helping you take better care of your lawn.
By following the mower owner’s manual recommendations, regular mower checks by qualified technicians, and investing in a good mower, you’ll be taking steps in the right direction towards keeping your mowing equipment in top condition. It will then run as it should for many years to come.
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