Is your lawnmower due for servicing, or is it way past its servicing date? Because you really should, and you have to service your lawnmower as soon as possible, whether you are into machinery and their parts or not.
The lifeline of that mower, its efficiency, and most importantly, your safety are all tied down to how often you service the mower and whether you service it as regularly as recommended by the manufacturer or not. And just like your car, your lawnmower needs to be serviced regularly and well for the best performance.
And with the mower being one of the most important equipment for caring and the maintenance of your lawn, you need to keep it in perfect shape if you need to keep those perfectly manicured lawns.
So, in as much as you don’t use your lawnmower as often as you use your car, you should never overlook the need for the mower’s servicing and maintenance.
Keep in mind that servicing the mower in time means that you will be able to identify a defect in the system early or even replace the important parts before they completely breakdown, affecting other parts, and raking in a huge repair and replacement bill.
Also, you don’t want your lawnmower to remind you that it’s time for major repairs and serving because the moment that happens, you might be in for the longest repair and troubleshooting process of your life. Of course, this won’t be a cheap process.
Now, while some of the advanced lawnmowers on the market today will come with a number of nifty and highly intuitive functions like a service meter of sorts, others don’t, and you have to check the manufacturer’s instructions to determine whether it’s time for servicing or not.
Sometimes, however, the mower will send you loud signals for your action. Some of these signals include a slow or a sluggish start, engine stalling or skipping, or leaking fuel. Although these are some of the most common issues that affect lawnmowers, they might also signal deep-rooted issues.
In this guide, we’ll take you through the important steps of servicing your lawnmower
Table of Contents
How to Service Your Lawnmower and Tips for Keeping Your Lawnmower in Perfect Working Condition
Know Your Mower
This might sound like a lame joke or a lot of work, but you need to know your mower like the back of your hands. The only way for you to detect a problem before you have bigger issues is by understanding your mower well, and that means knowing how it sounds like and feels when you make certain moves.
You have to be keen and really present at the moment to be able to tell when your lawnmower is not working perfectly. But your senses are not enough, and you need to read your user manual before you start using the mower.
Familiarize yourself with the parts and the things that should be expected from the mower for you to give your lawnmower the best care.
Store the Mower Correctly
The next important thing you should do is to always store the lawnmower well. Again, follow the instructions provided for the storage of the mower in different seasons.
For example, to use the mower after it’s been sitting for too long, say during winter, you need to do some things before you fire it up. For example, you need to get rid of the old gasoline first, but also, you have to drain the fuel tank before you keep it away in storage.
Annual Servicing
One of the important things you must know when buying a gas-powered lawnmower is that from the moment the mower is in your possession, you will be required to service it annually.
Generally, the mower is expected to run smoothly in its first year and the next couple of years, but for you to make sure that the mower still runs great after 2 or three years, you must service it from its first birthday in your home, and all the subsequent years.
During the annual servicing, some of the important things to service will include the cables because these start to stretch naturally after some time.
The blades will also be dull, and you might also need to service the carburetor because it is the most important part of the ignition system and the general running of the mower.
Below, we look at the important servicing steps and elements that shouldn’t be ignored.
Dirty carburetors can lead to overheating, jumpy starts etc. Here’s how to clean it
Fit in a New Spark Plug
The spark plugs refer to the engine component that will ignite the gasoline in the piston engine, ti facilitate the spinning of the engines. These plugs are, therefore, crucial, and before you work on any other part of the mower, disconnect these spark plugs first, whether you will be working on the blades, the engine, or the ignition system.
Now, even though you don’t have to replace the spark plugs each year, you should clean these plugs during the mower’s annual maintenance. While at it, ensure that the gap after the removal of the spark plugs is accurate, as per the directions provided in the user manual.
The other reason to remove the plug is that it prevents its seizure in your engine or the accidental starting of the engine. Once clean of it replacing the old plugs, be careful not to fit the plug too tightly as it might close off the plug gap, starting the engine accidentally.
Clean the cutting deck
This might not sound like an obvious thing to do, but you need to thoroughly clean the cutting deck, specifically its underside. Also, repaint the entire deck. Doing this will protect the engine.
Remove the spark plug before any of this, and tip the mower with the carburetor’s side up, and the rest of the mower leaning against a wall. For a self-propelled mower, it would be a great idea to remove both the blades and the belt-guard covers for safe access to the cutting deck’s underside. Use a wire brush to clean it.
It’s also worth noting that failure to clean the underside of the mower, especially if there is grass around the engine or the air inlets, would cause the overheating of the mower, resulting in a faster rate of breakdown and loss of operational efficiency.
And follow the provided instructions on tipping the mower because you don’t want to risk oil/ fuel leaks.
Draining and Changing the Oil
It’s a smart idea to drain all the gasoline in the fuel tank at the end of every mowing season, and that means that before you put away the mower, it should be drained of all the old gasoline.
And if you are tempted to leave in the gasoline, you have to bear in mind the gas has a shelf life of 30 days, and it will be stale after the 30th day, meaning that it’s such a bad idea to leave the gas in the tank throughout winter. But if you do, you must drain and replace the gas before the next mowing season.
Follow the disposal steps provided by the local authorities.
Tighten loose wheels and bolts
Servicing means making sure that every part of the mower still runs as it should, and that means making sure that all the parts are as snug as they should be.
Tighten loose bolts because if they fall off, they may cause serious problems to your mower or even cause injuries. Tighten the wheels too because you don’t want the wheels flying around. Don’t ride the mower if the wheels are wobbly; ensure that the axle nut is tightened or replaced if it’s the issue.
Replace the air filters
The air filter is one of the most important parts of the engine because it keeps out dust and debris. So, this filter must be replaced more frequently, for example, every 3 months. But check the instructions left by the manufacturer for the replacement schedule, as well as the model of the filter that you can use on the mower.
Replace the cutting blade
Servicing the mower means replacing the blades if they are too old or sharpening the blade it dull. Like all the other mechanical parts of the mower, the blades will lose efficiency over time when cutting grass, and you might not have any more clean cuts.
So, whether the blades all for sharpening or replacement, this is the time to do that. If the replacement of the blades is necessary, you have to make sure that the blades are compatible with your mower’s size specifications.
Start
If the mower uses a pull starter cord, replace it, especially if it’s frayed or if it snapped. And if it uses a primer bulb, you’d have to replace that too, especially if you are noticing issues and delays with a start.
Oil Change
For the engine’s top performance, you need the oil changed and replaced. Find permitted recycling and waste centers that take old oil because pouring the oil down the drain is not an option. The replacement oil chosen should be the best quality engine oil to keep the engine well-lubricated.
New Season, New oil
Before a new mowing season, clean out and refill the fuel tank with new and fresh gasoline.