Every homeowner wants their house to look beautiful, and lawn mowers help you keep your front yard aesthetically pleasing. However, servicing a lawn mower is as important as keeping the grass tidy in your front yard. Regularly servicing the lawn mower keeps it functioning and running smoothly for years to come. There are certain tips for servicing your lawn mower to keep it in a pristine condition.
In order to properly service your lawn mower, you need to clean the spark plug, drain the fuel, clean out any debris, replace or sharpen the blades and make sure that the air filters are properly cleaned. It is recommended that you service your lawn mower at least once a year.
In this article, you will learn how to service your lawn mower properly as recommended by professionals. And you will also get to know the proper time and duration for regularly servicing your lawn mower in order to keep it functioning smoothly.
How Often Should You Service a Lawn Mower?
Professionals recommend cleaning and servicing your lawn mower at the end of every mowing or cutting season. This means that you have to regularly service your lawn mower at least once every year to make sure that it can run smoothly in the future.
Cleaning and servicing your lawn mower at the end of every cutting season will give you more control over the lifespan of your lawn mower and will ensure that it does not accumulate dirt or dust during the inactive season.
How to Service a Lawn Mower?
With the help of regular servicing, a lawn mower can easily last the full lifetime of an owner without any problems.
Today, we will take a look at some of the tips provided by professionals in order to extend the lifespan of your lawn mower but also to make sure that it keeps on working as smoothly as possible throughout its life span. Here are some of the most important things to keep in mind while servicing the lawn mower.
- Change The Oil.
- Clean or Replace the Spark Plug.
- Clean Out the Air Filters Properly.
- Take Care of the Moving Levers.
- Tighten The Belts and Wheel Hubs.
- Grease The Joints.
- Sharpen The Blades.
- Drain The Fuel.
- Clean Out Any Debris.
You Need to Clean the Spark Plug
Spark plug is undeniably the most important part of the lawn mower as it is responsible for igniting the fuel in the engine, which results in the spinning of blades.
Before you start servicing your lawn mower, you need to look at the spark plug and make sure it is properly cleaned and is in a pristine condition. Before you undertake the process of cleaning your spark plug, you need to make sure that the plug is properly disconnected, and the engine doesn’t ignite when you clean the spark plugs.
Once you have properly disconnected the engine from the spark plug, you can then begin to clean your spark plug. Check the manufacturer’s manual to make sure that the gap between the spark plug and the engine fuel is as recommended.
Remove the spark plug from the engine and thoroughly clean it with a wet cloth. Once the spark plug is cleaned, let it dry before inserting it back into the engine. You also need to remember not to overtighten the spark plug when you are replacing it or inserting it back into the engine as this can easily and accidentally close the air gap between the spark plug and the engine.
Elimination of the air gap between the spark plug and the fuel will hinder the process of ignition and cause problems.
You Need to Drain Gasoline
Another important thing that you need to remember is to completely dry up your lawn mower at the end of every cutting season and make sure there is no gasoline left inside the tank.
You need to take care of the residual fuel left in the tank and keep your lawn mower running as long as possible in order to drain it. The majority of fuel cans have a shelf life of around 30 days, and using stale fuel to start up your engine can result in damage to your lawn mower.
Therefore, you need to make sure that you have drained every drop of fuel from your tank and cleaned the engine with a wet cloth.
Take Care of the Accumulated Debris
One of the most important tips when servicing your lawn mower is to clean out any debris from the engine and other places of a lawn mower. One of the most important places to check underneath the cutting deck to make sure that there is no residual debris or dust.
Moreover, you also have to take a look around air inlets and motor and make sure that there is no debris that can cause your lawn mower to overheat during the next cutting session. If you want your lawn mower to function as long as its advertised lifespan, you need to make sure that you properly clean out any debris from underneath the cutting deck and from around the air inlets.
Remember when cleaning out the debris that wet and moist grass is easier to remove then dry grass. Therefore, you need to clean your lawn mower from any form of debris after the cutting session, and you should not wait for weeks to remove the grass from blades and air inlets.
You also need to make sure to wear personal protective gloves around the blades and take care of your eyes as well with the help of protective goggles. Moreover, it is usually recommended that people take the spark plug out so there’s no risk of starting the lawn mower with your hand near the blade.
You Need to Check Bolts and Nuts.
Lawn mowers are designed so that the blades keep running extremely fast in order to cut any excessive grass from your front yard. This fast motion can result in loose bolts and wheels, and you need to make sure that all the bolts and wheels are tightened when servicing your lawn mower.
If any bolts are loose, the blades can come off and can seriously result in severe injuries. It is better to make sure that all the bolts nut and wheels are in place when you are servicing the lawn mower. Professionals recommend tightening the bolts and wheels during every session, but not to overtighten the bolts, as this can also result in issues with the lawn mower.
If your lawn mower is wobbling irregularly more than usual, you need to take a look at the axle nut, which may either need replacement or adjustment. It can also be an issue with the wheel itself, and this is why you need to take a look at all the nuts and bolts in your lawn mower during your next servicing session.
You need to Sharpen the Blades.
You can keep using your lawn mower to keep your garden tidy and clean, but if the blades are blunt, it will have less than a minimal impact on your grass. You will end up wasting a lot of fuel without any results.
Therefore, during every servicing session, you need to make sure to sharpen the blades of a lawn mower and keep them in a healthy condition. In order to sharpen your blades, you need to safely remove the blades from their position and take it to your local lawn mower dealer for proper sharpening. Once again, professionals recommend that the spark plug be removed for safety.
You can also sharpen the blades by yourself with the help of a file, but you need to make sure that you are wearing protective gloves and goggles. However, it is recommended that you take the blades to a professional lawn mower service center since they will understand how to properly sharpen the blades at the natural angle of the cutting blade.
These professionals can also make the blade evenly weighted so that these blades don’t come off or wobble during the next cutting season.
Take a Look at The Throttle Cable Adjustment
If you have a lawn mower that still uses a throttle cable to ignite the fuel, you need to make sure that the throttle cable is properly adjusted and clean of all debris.
- You need to make sure that the throttle is properly connected to the butterfly choke inside so that it can properly ignite the fuel to spin the blades.
- In order to service the throttle cable, you need to take off the air filters and ask someone to operate the throttle lever while you are taking a look at the valve.
- Just a little behind their filters, you will find the butterfly valve that is supposed to be properly connected to the throttle cable. This basically serves as the lawn mower’s choking mechanism that is used when you use a throttle cable to start the lawn mower.
- When you are not using a throttle cable, this butterfly valve should be closed all the way.
- When your friend or somebody moves the throttle lever, you need to make sure that the butterfly valve opens up slowly to accommodate the throttle cable.
- When this throttle lever is moved to full speed, you should also notice a butterfly valve that should also be open all the way.
- Otherwise, this could indicate a problem with your throttle cable. If there are any problems with the throttle cable, you need to loosen the cable screw and re-tighten the screw in order to adjust the throttle cable properly.
You Need to Check the Drive Belt
Another important thing when servicing your lawn mower is to make sure that the drive belt is properly connected to the rest of the engine and is not loose.
Moreover, you also need to make sure that there is no grass or debris accumulated under the belt guard. If the drive belt and the belt guard are filled with grass, the belt may come off at any time and get stuck in the blade. It will then be shredded into pieces.
Therefore, if you want to make sure that you do not have to pay any additional money on replacing your drive belt, you need to remove the belt guard and check if it is filled with debris. You can easily remove the belt guard cover that is attached to the lawn mower with screws and take a look at the belt itself.
Once you have removed the belt guard, you can take any fluid or oil and clean the belt as well as the belt guard to make sure that it is properly cleaned and ready for the next cutting session.
If the belt is old, worn and cracked like in the photo below, you should definitly get a new one.
You Need to Inspect the Transmission Box
Lastly, you also need to check the transmission box and make sure that it is free from any grass or debris. If the transmission box is filled with accumulated dirt or debris, it will slowly start causing problems for you when you use the lawn mower. The transmission box acts as the catalyst for controlling the movements of the lawn mower.
Lift the grass box deflector up and remove the square plastic part from the back of your lawn mower in order to get to the transmission box. You can use a long piece of metal or wood to keep the grass box deflector out of the way and check the transmission box manually to clean it from any residual debris or dust.
Servicing Different Types of Lawn mowers?
Lawn mowers come in different sizes and shapes, and you need to understand the different types of lawn mowers before you buy a suitable lawn mower for your front yard. Moreover, you also need to learn the differences among different types to understand how to service them properly.
The steps mentioned above are generalized for the majority of lawn mowers. However, with proper understanding of different types of lawn mowers, you will understand better to take care of the machine, and how to properly service it.
Ride-On Lawn mower Offer an Enjoyable Mowing Experience
You must have seen a ride-on lawn mower at least once in your life. These are the kind of lawn mowers that you can sit on and control the speed with your feet.
These not only look amazing at first sight, but these are also pretty amazing if you have a large lawn or a big front yard. These ride-on lawn mowers are not only designed to offer you the maximum amount of comfort, but these can also reduce the amount of time taken to mow the lawn easily.
Moreover, these ride-on lawn mowers also offer an enjoyable experience and a heightened level of efficiency. These are also considered to be far superior to walk-along lawn mowers. However, one of the things you should know before deciding to buy a ride-on lawn mower is that these machines come with the hefty price tag.
When it comes to taking care of a ride-on lawn mower, there isn’t much that you have to do. Just make sure to clean the spark plug, clean any debris from air inlets and the engine, and remember to drain the fuel completely at the end of every cutting season.
Walk-Along Mower Works Well with Easy Lawns
On the other hand, the walk-along lawn mower is the kind of machine that you have to use while you walk behind it. These machines are perfect if you have a smaller front yard or a smaller garden to take care of with the help of the lawn mower, and the grass doesn’t grow too tall or too thick. This is further perfect for lawns that can be easily taken care of their few hours.
These kinds of lawn mowers are also more affordable than the ride-on mowers, but these require more effort and hard work from users and have to be taken care of constantly.
When it comes to taking care of your walk-along lawn mower, you need to sharpen the blades during ever servicing sessions, and you need to double-check the bolts. Make sure that all the bolts and wheels are tightly in place lest they cause any issues for you.
A Cylinder Lawn mower Needs to Have its Transmission Box Checked
A cylinder lawn mower is one of the most common types of ride-along mowers, and this comes with vertically rotating cylinders and blades that are located at the front of the mover.
The blades move around in a fixed position in a horizontal manner against a fixed axle. The grass is trapped between the blades and then sliced off, much like a pair of scissors. The higher the number of blades in the front of the lawn mower, the more precise it cuts the grass.
These kinds of cylindrical lawn mowers are perfect for even surfaces and smaller front yards. Moreover, these kinds of lawn mowers can be used to create defined strips on your lawn without any problems.
If you have an electric lawn mower, you don’t need to worry about maintenance that much. Just remember to check the transmission box, clean out any debris from the blades, and keep the blades sharp.
Rear Engine Riding Mower Comes with a Lot of Horsepower
This is a specific kind of a ride-on lawn mower that is perfect for moderately sized lawns that are needed to big or too small.
The engine is placed at the rear of the machine underneath the driving seat, and the deck is also placed under the driver’s position. These kinds of lawn mowers are controlled with the help of a hand lever that operates the continuously variable transmission box and has cylinder engines. These can offer you a horsepower between 10 and 11 can easily take care of the lawn without any issues.
Make sure to clean any residual debris and grass from the engine after every cutting session. You also need to take a look at the sharpness of the blades every time you service a rear engine riding mower.
A Rotary Lawn mower Needs a Clean Carburetor?
This is yet again a very common type of lawn mower that you must have seen at least once in your life. These are extremely inexpensive and can be purchased at any local hardware store.
These kinds of lawn mowers have a single blade that rotates in a horizontal motion at an extremely high speed. These lawn mowers are designed to cut grass upon contact, much like a food processor or a blender.
However, one of the drawbacks of using a rotary lawn mower is that these do not offer you are really high level of precision and can only take care of medium to long grass on average.
When you are servicing a rotary mower, you need to ensure that you have greased all the bolts and also refilled the engine with fuel. Clean the carburetor bowl and the fuel tank properly as well.
Clean Your Push Lawn Mower
This is one of the simplest forms of lawn mowers, and it is basically a manual labor machine that forces you to operate the machine by exerting immense manual pressure on the machine.
There is no motor found in this kind of a lawn mower, and you have to exert all the force required to push this mower over around the front yard. These are also among the most affordable forms of lawn mowers, and they are also extremely lightweight and easy to use as these lawn mowers only require a push to cut the grass.
Moreover, these kinds of lawn mowers offer you amazing maneuverability, therefore, allowing you to take it anywhere you want and steering it away from all the obstacles with just a push of your hand.
You can also place this anywhere as this is a lightweight and a compact kind of a lawn mower, and it does not take up a lot of space.
However, this kind of lawn mower requires a lot of physical exertion from the users and does not do anything or cut the grass without any manual labor. Therefore, if you have a big garden or front yard to take care of, a push lawn mower may not be the right solution for you.
When you are servicing a push lawn mower, make sure to check under the undercarriage for any debris. Besides that, there isn’t much to do.
What Is a Zero Turn Lawn Mower?
If lawn mowers had an equivalent of a Ferrari, it would be the zero turn lawn mower. These kinds of lawn mowers can be easily controlled by lap bars in the front seat that is responsible for operating the dual hydrostatic transmission located in the rear wheels.
One of the best things about using a zero turn lawn mower is that these kinds of lawn mowers offer you amazing maneuverability while using an automatic motor and a transmission box. These lawn mowers are capable of making sharp turns and give you an amazing cutting performance with top-notch precision.
These can be used for all varieties of front yards and also work perfectly with residential and commercial landscapes. One of the best things about using a zero turn lawn mower is that these can easily get into tight corners and offer you the ability to make sharp turns when faced with obstacles.
These kinds of lawn mowers also come with amazing steering abilities that make them efficient for moving laws of irregular shapes. With the help of a motor, these offer you the shortest amount of time to take care of your lawn.
Us a Lawn Tractor for those Big Jobs
Lawn tractors are among the most common forms of motor-based lawn mowers, and this kind of lawn tractors come with a front-mounted engine. If you have a really big lawn to take care of, this kind of lawn mower will be perfect for your requirements. The overall deck width typically ranges from 42 to 54 inches.
Moreover, this kind of lawn mower comes with the horsepower of 18 to 25, which is pretty amazing considering that it is just a lawn mower. This kind of lawn mowers can be operated with the help of a single lever transmission box. On the other hand, the majority of modern lawn tractors offer you variable transmission with the help of a pulley drive power automatic transmission box.
One thing you need to remember is that this kind of a lawn mower will cost you a hefty price tag, and these range somewhere between USD 1000 to USD 3000 on average. However, if you purchase a lawn tractor, you should know that this can take care of all sizes of lawns, and this will also last you for years to come.
Sharpen Your Self-Propelled Mower’s Blades
Self-propelled lawn mowers offer automated transmission that moves the machine forward so that you do not have to exert any physical force on it.
You merely have to guide this kind of lawn mowers in the right direction, and the transmission will take care of everything. You can quickly and easily mow your lawn with the help of a self-propelled lawn mower, but it will take you a longer amount of time then motor based lawn mowers.
This kind of lawn mowers can give you a more consistent lawn cut as compared to other lawn mowers as these can easily maintain a constant speed. However, this kind of lawn mower requires a lot of maintenance and sometimes has to be replaced if something goes wrong. With the help of regular servicing, you can keep your self-propelled lawn mower running for years without any hassles.
It is recommended to replace the spark plug of your self-propelled lawn mower once a year for a thorough servicing. Professionals also recommend to sharpen and balance the blades twice every season, and cleaning the fuel tank properly.
What Is the Bottom Line Here?
Lawn mowers require a lot of care and maintenance and must be thoroughly cleaned after every cutting session. You need to make sure to change the oil regularly and treat this machine just like any other machine you have.
If you take care of your lawn mower and regularly service it at least once a year, it will last you for years to come and will not require any additional expenditures for maintenance or repairs.