Mower Maintenance

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Summer is almost here, and a lush green lawn makes the perfect backdrop for the trees and flowers that are in bloom. To keep it looking good, you water and fertilize it, but you also have to mow it regularly. Not a fun job, but it's worse if your mower isn't running at its best or breaks down a lot. To keep it in tip-top condition, there are six things you should do at the start of mowing season:

Replace the Gas
Hopefully after you mowed for the last time last year, you used all the gas. If you didn't, do it before you refill the tank. Old gas can be the reason a mower won't start.

Change the Oil
Just like your car, your mower has oil and it should be changed on a regular basis. Over time, dirty oil can destroy your mower's engine. Refer to your owner's manual to see just how often it needs to be done.

Clean or Replace the Air Filter
Although you might not necessarily think about your mower's gas mileage, a dirty air filter can keep your mower from using gas efficiently. It's easy to clean or replace the air filter and doesn't even take a lot of time.

Get the Blade Sharpened
If you've ever had to cut paper with dull scissors instead of sharp ones, you know dull scissors rip the paper while sharp ones give you a clean cut. The same is true about lawn mower blades. We recommend you take the blade to a mower repair shop to have this done. It's not expensive and a much safer way to get the job done.

Clean the Undercarriage
When you disconnect the blade to get it sharpened, you might notice a lot of caked-on old grass. All it takes is a wire brush, some elbow grease and your water hose to clean it off. If you don't do it, it could eventually clog the discharge chute. Just make sure the spark plug is disconnected while you're doing it.

Change the Spark Plug
Depending on how many cylinders your car has, it might have four or six spark plugs. However, your lawn mower only has one, and it's an inexpensive part that's easy to replace. We recommend disconnecting it, then cleaning the undercarriage. When the undercarriage is dry, install the new spark plug.

Of course, when completing these steps, be sure to follow manufacturers instructions. Once you do, you'll feel like you have a new mower. And since it will run more efficiently, you can get the job done faster so you can spend more time enjoying your yard.