Lawn mower maintenance: 10 rules to follow

Lawn mowers are among the most used outdoor power equipment pieces. They’re also the most expensive appliance, which requires proper maintenance in order to function effectively for as long as possible. If you don’t want to spend a ton of money on buying a new lawn mower every few years, make sure to memorize these operation precautions and maintenance advice to apply them to practice every time you mow your lawn.

Lawn mower maintenance tips

1. Study the owner’s manual to figure out how to operate your model of a lawn mower safely, which particular maintenance measures it requires to run smoothly and how often you should take them.
2. A lawn mower is like a mini version of a vehicle. Therefore, you have to change its oil, fuel and oil filters on a regular basis to prolong the mower’s lifespan and prevent serious breakdowns. The frequency of these maintenance measures should be indicated in the owner’s manual. But, most mowers should receive oil changes after each 25 hours of the active use. Depending on the square footage of your lawn and the number of times you mow it throughout the season, you may have to change the oil from 2 to 3 times per year on average. The lawn mower techs also recommend conducting an oil change before the first time you use your mower after the winter break.
3. Sharpening the mower’s blade is an essential part of the lawn mower maintenance, as it influences the quality of the grass trimming. If the blade is blunt, it will make your lawn look patchy, frayed and brown, as well as make the grass vulnerable to different diseases and parasites. If you can’t sharpen the blade at home, don’t be too lazy to do that at the lawn equipment repair shop prior to the start of every season.
4. You can sharpen the blade a few times, but eventually, it will get too dull and old to be used anymore. Therefore, replace the mower’s blade once a year or once in two years depending on the intensity of the use.
5. Don’t forget to clean the mower’s deck. It’s something a lot of people skip. Even though lawn movers have belt guards designed to prevent grass clippings and other debris from falling into the compartment with mower’s belts and pulleys, you still need to clean the deck from the stuff that gets trapped inside. In order to do that, find the belt guards on top of the lawn mower’s deck, remove them and blow off the grass clippings and other particles with the help of a leaf blower every two-three month depending on the use. Otherwise, the mower’s belts and pulleys will wear out too fast and lead to expensive repairs.
6. Mower’s spark plugs have to be replaced regularly. Otherwise, you may experience troubles when starting your mower, as well as serious engine issues. It’s quite easy to change the lawn mower plugs – you just need to unscrew old plugs, set the gaps of the new ones and screw them in. And, the plugs aren’t expensive at all. Again, check the recommended intervals in the manual.
7. Don’t use a lawn mower if it sounds weird or trims grass not as well as it normally does. Schedule a professional tech service appointment with the lawn mower repairing pros on HireRush.com to fix minor issues and breakdowns before they cause fatal consequences. Remember that using a faulty mower might not only lead to the major breakdown. It is also dangerous for the person who operates it. Leave your request here
8. Inspect your lawn for rocks, kids’ toys, garden hoses and large sticks before you start mowing it. Otherwise, your lawn mower may bump into those things and get damaged.
9. Keep the lawn mower’s tires inflated, as otherwise, it may cut your grass unevenly. Clean its undercarriage from the grass clippings to prevent them from clogging the discharge chute and causing operation issues. In order to clean it, disconnect the spark plugs (due to the safety reasons), take a wire brush, scrape the grass off and rinse the undercarriage clean with a garden hose.
10. Proper storage and winterization are crucial for a lawn mower. Keep your mower in a dry, safe place where it won’t be subject to the outdoor weather conditions. Clean fuel caps and lubricate undercarriage metal to avoid rusting.