Last Updated on December 11, 2021 by Kimberly Crawford
It is important to keep your lawn mowers blades sharp and from time to time, you will also need to get it tuned up professionally.
Keep in mind that your lawn mower is going to take quite a beating and so. It is important to ensure that it remains in peak running condition. There is nothing quite as bad and frustrating as having it break down.
People who do not maintain their lawn mowers are the ones that are most likely to suffer a breakdown of equipment. Here are some tips to help you keep your lawn mower running.
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1. Consult the manual
The first thing you need to do is consult the manual. It will tell you just how you should use your lawn mower.
Using the mower according to the manual’s recommendations is the key to ensuring long lasting and trouble-free operation.
2. Remove gasoline after using the mower
After you have used the lawn mower, you must make sure that the old gasoline is removed. Failure to do so will create problems such as your mower not starting.
You can either run the mower till the gasoline has been used up completely, or you can drain the gasoline after your mowing session.
Keep in mind that the next time you start up the lawn mower that you fill it with fresh gasoline. A gas can for lawn mower will prove to be a very handy item, especially when you need to fill the mower with new gasoline.
3. Ensure there is enough oil
It is also important that you check that the mower has enough oil to operate properly. So, before using the mower, make sure you check the oil level and also inspect the oil to see whether it is dark black or if there is floating debris.
If the oil is oil or contaminated, it can cause a malfunction of your lawn mower. This is why you need to change the oil and to do so, you will need to remove the drain plug which is located below the mower.
After draining the oil completely, you need to refill the oil. For help with respect to how much and how to fill the oil, you should consult the owner’s manual.
4. Ensure the undercarriage is clean
The undercarriage of your lawn mower can become clogged with grass. It is common for grass to clog the discharge chute of your mower.
In order to remove this, you will need a wire brush with which you can scrape the grass and dirt away from the undercarriage. Once this is done, use a spray on whatever debris remains.
Be sure to spray with a hose. It is important that before you clean the undercarriage with a hose that you unplug the mower’s spark plug.
5. Check the air filter
The air filter is an important part of your lawn mower. If it gets clogged or dirty, then your mower would be put under undue stress and it will also not burn gasoline proficiently.
Your lawn mower probably has an air filter that is made from paper or foam. Replacing the air filter ensures smooth and trouble-free operation.
6. Use a properly working spark plug
Just like you need to change the air filter when it becomes dirty, so too you have to change the spark plug when it loses its ability to spark properly.
This is a very important maintenance tip that is also very inexpensive and easy to do. As a rule of thumb, you should replace the spark plug every year.
To change the spark plug, you need to remove the spark plug wire and then you should take out the spark plug with the help of a socket wrench or spark plug wrench.
Make sure the new spark plug is not tightened too much as that would cause it to not spark.
7. Keep the blades sharp
Your lawn mower will experience much stress when cutting grass. It may also come under stress when it hits a rock or other object. If the blades become dull, they will not cut the grass cleanly.
This is why you need to ensure the blades are sharp at all times. You can have the blades sharpened at a professional repair shop for a small fee.
8. Have your mower tuned up by a professional
The best way to keep your lawn mower working properly is by taking it to a lawn mower repair shop for maintenance and tuning up.They repair shop knows how to drain the old gas and they can also put in a new air filter and spark plug.
They will also identify problems by running a diagnostic test. Ideally, you should take your lawn mower to a repair shop before the mowing season begins or before the spring grass begins to grow.
The cost of a professional tune-up is not high and you should be ready to spend between fifty and seventy-five dollars for the tune-up.
