How to Maintain a Lawnmower – 1 Hour Maintenance
Well, Fall is upon us in full force here in the Free State. About a week ago we passed the peak fall foliage mark, and recent storms have already started to blow leaves down from the trees. We’ll be firing up our mulching mower to take care of some of them, but once the dozen oaks that surround our property start their daily barrage, we’ll turn to bagging them. We usually make a day of it on Black Friday… it’s quite a bit calmer than hitting the sales.
Fall Lawnmower Maintenance
With Fall comes an an excellent time to maintain your lawnmower. While most would put off this activity for the Spring, by doing it now, you’ll be ready to fire up that mower first thing next cutting season… Imagine the feeling of heading out to your garage or shed, adding gas, and starting up a mower that’s ready to rock.
Here’s the few steps you can take now to get a jump on next Season (with links to articles explaining each step in detail). Maintenance should take you less than an hour after you pick-up the necessary parts (oil, spark plug, and air filter, and potentially a new blade). The only significant tool is a grinder, which you’ll either need to purchase or borrow from a friend.
Simple Lawnmower Maintenance Steps
Step 1: Change the Lawnmower’s Oil. During regular use, the oil will get dirty. By changing the oil at least once per season, you’ll prolong the mower’s life by years. Total time: 20 minutes.
Step 2: Change the Lawnmower’s Air Filter. Perhaps even more important than the oil is the air filter. Lawnmower air filters can get extremely dirty over time as they are constantly filtering lawn clipping debris. Total time: 5 minutes.
Step 3: Change the Lawn Mower’s Spark Plug. You may only need to perform this step once every 2-3 years, depending on use. Check the spark plug for wear. If needed, replace the plug to keep the engine running in top condition. Total time: 5 minutes.
Step 4: Sharpen or Replace the Lawnmower’s Blade. More than any other maintenance task, sharpening your lawnmower’s blade will bring new life to the lawnmower. It’ll cut faster and more evenly, and make the lawnmower perform like new. Total time: 20 minutes.Before you Put the Lawnmower Away…
Before you put the lawnmower away for the Winter, you’ve got two options for the remaining gas: either run the lawnmower out of gas, or add a gas life extender. Most gasolines break down and aren’t usable after 6 months. Even if they do run when you start up the engine, you run the risk of gumming up the components with poor-performing gas. Our choice each year is to run it out of gas. For life extenders, you can check the local home improvement big box or an auto parts store.
What do you think? Will you maintain your lawnmower this Fall, or put the job off for another 5 months?
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5 Responses to How to Maintain a Lawnmower – 1 Hour Maintenance
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October 28th, 2009 8:59 am
A good reminder and good advice. I try to do most of this every year. (I let the spark plug and blade-sharpening fall to my lawnmower fix-it guy. But since he recently gave up his business, I may be taking on the whole works!)
The leaves are just starting to appear en masse at This D*mn House but you can bet that by Thanksgiving I will have drained the oil and run the mower’s engine of its gas supply.
October 28th, 2009 1:46 pm
What perfect timing. I was just at my local lawnmower shop yesterday picking up a new primer bulb for my 10 y/o Lawn-Boy. Also got quotes on blade sharpening vs replacement. The mower runs on a gas/oil mix so no oil to change or drain & the air filter is just a sponge so I clean & reuse it. Didn’t think about the spark plug (Oops). Thanks for the reminder! And I’m bad about leaving gas in my mower over the winter so I’ll make sure I run it out this year.
October 28th, 2009 3:24 pm
You can usually get at least 2-3 good sharpenings out of a single blade. Our soil is rocky so I end up with a dull blade pretty quickly. This year may very well end up a replacement for us.
Glad you liked the article. The mower series is one of my favorites.
November 2nd, 2009 3:06 am
Hate to waste fuel but I also prefer to just run out the gas. Feel better about storing an empty tank and getting a fresh start in the spring. Great tips on maintenance!
November 2nd, 2009 9:28 pm
Thanks, Tim – we do the same – run it out… usually try to optimize is though – put in only enough gas for the last mow.