Preparing Your Lawn Equipment For Spring

Spring is Knocking on the door. Lawn Mowing season is just around the corner. There's nothing more annoying than dealing with a broken lawn mower. And if yours has been sitting in the garage all winter, you'll want to make sure it is running for when the time comes. Here is an initiative checklist you can take as a homeowner to make sure your grass cutting equipment is ready to go when needed. This way, you can keep your lawn looking neat and maintained, all-summer long.

1. Cleaning and Tune-Up

Replace the old spark plug with a new one if it hasn't been done in the past year. An old spark plug can cause your mower difficulties starting, waste fuel and give a rough-looking lawn cut. Next, Clean off and scrape under the lawn mower deck (you can also add wax to keep the grass clippings from sticking). Lastly, Wipe-Off leaves and debris around the engine and found in crevices such as the wheels. Check your air filter and Clean or Replace it.

2. Complete an Oil Change

Simply Remove the oil drain plug located near the bottom of your mowers engine and allow the old oil to flow out into a container. You will be able to tell the oil is due if it is dark rather than the usual shiny see-through color. Once emptied, Re-fill with New oil. Make Sure to use proper type and quantity for your mower. Follow your owners manual for guidelines.

3. Check if Your blades need Sharpening

A Dull Mower can split the tip of your grass, leaving your Lawn with a brown/yellow cast and a ragged look. Leaving your lawn prone to disease and infections. Sharpen the blade at least once a year. To do so, you will need to take off the blade from the mower. If you notice any dents or nicks in the blade, it is probably from hitting rocks or objects when mowing. You will need to buy a replacement blade. While the blade is off, take advantage by cleaning the surrounding area.

4. Empty Fuel Tank

Your tank should always be emptied in the fall. Leaving gasoline in your mowers fuel tank for long periods of time can cause problems such as a clogging the fuel lines and carburetor. If this were to happen, having it repaired in a timely manner during spring would be very hard. To avoid any problems, we recommend using a fuel stabilizer. You can find this at your local hardware store. Fill up your tank with the stabilizer and let your mower run for a few minutes until it dies. Once dead, try to restart it a few more times to assure the lines are empty. Once done, you may fill with gas.

5. Lubricate Moving Parts

Greasing the wheels bearings and any other rusted parts will add to your Lawn Mower's Lifespan.