Cleaning your lawn mower regularly is an important maintenance routine because keeping your the lawn mower clean will let you get the good outcome for your lawn. Keeping the mower blades, above the blades and underside of the lawn mowers decks without grass clippings helps decrease performance issues over time. For example, the lawn mower surface is full of dirt, mush and grass clippings cause clumps of grass and spread lawn disease quicker.
Warm weather comes soon and the lawn grows up faster. Thus, you have to make sure that the lawn mower gets ready to work immediately to make the lawn come with a beautiful look. And, it would be good if you clean the mower deck after every use will prevent build-up over the long run, but I supposed that cleaning the mower 2 or 3 times in the mowing season will keep it in good shape also.
Here are some lawn mower maintenance tips for you with any routine maintenance. Keep reading!
Check Out The Blades Regularly For The Better Mowing Performance
The sharpness of the blades will lose after a long time using. It is important to find out which things that damage the blade as soon as possible. Some damages on the lawn mowers can be cracks, broken blades, bends, thin wear. Some worn causes thin blades so they are easy to be crack while using so you should make sure that the blades need to be sharp enough. Bad things happen to the blades can cause safety issues seriously.
Clean Under The Mowing Housing
Cleaning under the mowing housing at the end of the day is necessary. You should use a hard brush or a spatula to clean it because it helps you finish the cleaning much easier. Water is not used when you do the cleaning under the mowing housing to keep it out of lubrication from critical parts in case it still gets wet.
Sharpen The Blade Is A Must-To-Do Work.
Your shed will not be perfect if the lawn is cut with dull blades. In fact, the lawn mower gives nice trims when it is equipped with sharp blades. To sharpen the blades, you have to remove the spark plug wire first to make it safe. Next, you use a wrench to remove the blade. After removing the blade, you use a drill and sharpening stone to sharpen the blade. This work can take you 35 minutes to an hour to make the dull cutting blade become shapen. If you can not sharpen it by yourself, then take them to the hardware store to have them sharpen.
Clean the Deck
The deck or the underside of the mower is another part that needs to be clean so often. The dirty deck with debris interferes with its ability to function and lead to corrosion. It is also the reason to spread fungal diseases quickly. Do not forget to clean the deck at least 3 times a year ( each spring and midseason) to get good results. Here are some steps for cleaning the deck.
- Plug out the spark wire for safety
- Empty the gas tank
- Turn the mower onto its side
- Spray the underside thoroughly with a garden hose
- Use a brush and soapy water to take dirt and debris away from the blade
- Put on a thin layer of vegetable oil on the underside of the mower to prevent debris
Check And Change The Oil Regularly Is Needed
Oil changes are just an easy job but they are a crucial factor to keep the mower work well. These habits will help ensure the longevity of your engine. You should check the condition and level of the oil and change the oil regularly. Changing oil every 50 hours is helpful because it helps the engine work properly. In addition, you should use Synthetic oils instead of regular oil to prevent breaking down.
Change The Gas
Old gas or stale gas is bad for the lawn mower because it can damage the engine badly. The deposits will sink to the bottom and the fuel quality will be reduced after a long time using it. Therefore, it’s important not to leave the lawn mower out in the shed all winter while there’s still old gasoline in it. Or, you can use a fuel stabilizer to keep fuel fresh for longer.
Clean The Filter
As you know, the air filters play a role as an oil-soaked and debris-covered sponge. It is covered in a metal or plastic casing on the side of the engine. If the fuel filter is dirty, the engine will not work well so you have to keep it clean especially when you use the mower in the dry and dirty areas. You should clean the filter a couple of times a year so that the mower can have smooth trimming process. The easiest way to clean the filter is by soaking it in warm and soapy water and then squeeze dry. For the sponge filter, it can be reinstall and leaned easily. And, in case the lawn mower is equipped with a cardboard filter, you just replace instead cleaning it.
Inspect Spark Plugs
Spark plugs are simple factors of the lawn mower. They last for several years in a well-tuned mower. However, they can be damaged so hard if it gets some problems from the air and fuel. Cleaning, replacing and changing the Spark Plugs help ensure consistent spark and improve fuel economy. To inspect spark plugs you have to use the plug wrench to remove the plug when you do the checkup. And, if you want to check them, you should follow this step as below.
Step 1: Disconnect the spark plug lead. Nest, clean the area around the spark plug.
Step 2: Remove the spark plug by using a socket.
Step 3: Clean the deposits from the plug with a wire brush and spray-on plug cleaner.
Step 4: Inspect the spark plug with all hard deposits.
Lawn Mower Tire Issues
The tires of the lawn mower are hard enough to work under pressure. If these tires are worn, their inflation is not good anymore. Thus, you should check the tires so often to consider if they are slipping and replace them immediately for better work. As the instruction in the operator’s manual, you should replace worn tires every 2 years for safe operation.
How to Store Your Lawn Mower at the End of the Season
The end of the season is your time to store the lawn mower in the storage. Here is what you should do to store the lawnmower in good condition.
Remove Fuel: Never forget to empty the fuel left in the tank before storing the lawn mower in the storage if you own a gas mower. Old fuel will never be good for the mower when it stays in the tank for a long time because it can corrode the innards for the engine. If you want to use the mower in the following year, just add new fuel.
Remove The Battery: When summer ends and it’s time to put your battery-powered lawn mower away for the winter season. The batteries of the mowers should be removed all during summer. You should charge them up sometimes to keep them in optimum condition so that you use them for the next year without worrying.
Clean: Cleaning the lawn mower is an important thing you have to do before keeping it in the storage during winter time. You should make sure that you give it a clean look after removing all grass, debris, and things that stuck underneath and generally. It will be ready to work in the following year if you store it well.