Adding a lawn mower to your yard management inventory is a big investment, and that investment deserves your time and care. You’re not going to achieve a precision cut with a machine that’s clogged with cuttings or sporting a dull blade, so the longevity and functionality of your equipment depends on a little bit of know-how and elbow grease - but don’t worry! Lawn mowers aren’t difficult to maintain. At Wildwood Mower & Saw, we want to make sure your mower is in tip-top shape, so read on for some tips on regular mower maintenance.
Lubrication
With all its moving parts, your mower depends on clean oil and regular top offs to run smoothly. Lawn mowers have an oil reservoir that keeps the crankshaft and pistons lubricated, and it can be checked just as you would any other vehicle: remove the dipstick, clean it off, reinsert it, and check the oil level. In the unlikely event that the oil is sludgy or discolored, you’ll want to change it out, but on most checks you can simply top off the oil reservoir, close her up, and get right back to mowing.
Cleaning the Undercarriage
Keeping the undercarriage of your mower clean is another key element of lawn mower maintenance. In order to avoid clogs, overheating, and poor cutting power, you’ll want to make sure to clear out debris regularly. For a push mower, simply tip it over and clean it out manually. For a riding mower that is too heavy to tip, it’s best to raise it, such as by driving it up onto blocks, so that you can access the undercarriage with a high-pressure hose to clear out any stuck gunk.
Changing the Spark Plugs
Your lawn mower goes through a lot on a regular basis, between long periods of down-time and intense periods of work. This can really do a number on your machine’s spark plugs, so keep an eye on them when you’re doing a regular check up. Typically, you’ll want to change your spark plugs every one to two years for optimal engine performance. Check to see if your spark plugs are pre-gapped - if they’re not, you’ll need an additional tool to replace them called a plug gap, which will help you set your spark gap to the correct width.
Sharpen the Blade
Your mower’s blade is what makes it a mower, so be sure to give it particular care. Aside from grass itself, your mower will encounter all kinds of hazards in the natural course of its life that can dull your blade. When that happens, you’ll want to grind off any dull part of your blade with a file or burr to get your blade back to its original peak sharpness!
For mowers, parts, and repairs, there’s no better spot than Wildwood Mower & Saw. Visit us in Wildwood, FL, to have a look at our selection. We proudly serve Oxford and The Villages.