Hi! I’m Rick from the Home Depot. Purchasing a lawn mower is sort of like buying a car. You research and gather information to find the one that’s right for you. Then, when you do select the mower, you expect it to last for many years. And it should last with proper mower maintenance.
A mower that’s not properly cared for will loss years of its life and can have a lot more problems in the short run as well. So, to keep your mower in tip top shape, I put together a few helpful tips.
The first thing to remember is to keep your mower clean. After each use, turn the mower off. And give it a quick brush off with a gloved hand, a rag, or a whisk broom. Once it’s been off for a while and cold down, it’s also a good idea to reach under the mower deck with a gloved hand and brush off any tape grass that might have accumulated under the deck or on the blade.
Next, check the air filter. If the filter is made of paper, keep a few spares on hand and replace it when it looks dirty. If the filter is plastic foam, remove it and wash it with warm soapy water, then let it air dry. Once dry, coat the filter lightly and evenly with about two tablespoons of clean mower oil and you’re all set.
The spark plug is next. It should be changed once a year. First, disconnect the existing spark plug wire then, remove the plugged with a wrench or pliers. To be sure you purchased the right replacement plug, write down the code from your existing plug. You can find this in your owner’s manual or just take the old plug with you when you go to purchase a new one. With the replacement in hand, you simply screw in a new plug. Reconnect the spark plug wire and you’re good to go.
And important but sometimes intimidating aspect of lawn mower maintenance is keeping a sharp mower blade. A dull blade can deliver uneven cutting and shred the tips of your grass. This will cause the tips of the grass to turn brown and also makes the grass more susceptible to lawn diseases.
To prevent this you have a couple of options, attach a replacement blade which can be found at the Home Depot for most common mowers, or sharpen the blade yourself. Check out the online project guide on homedepot.com for some tips on how to do that.
Last on the list is changing the oil. After you’ve used the mower for the last time at seasons end, empty the fuel tank by letting the engine run until it’s out of gas. Be sure to leave the gas tank empty until spring. With the gas tank empty, remove the oil fill cap if applicable and turn the mower over on its side to drain the engine oil into a suitable container for recycling.
If your mower has an oil drain plug, use that instead of turning the mower on its side. Refill the engine oil reservoir per your mower manufacturers recommendations then replace the oil fill cap.
Now, you’ve done it. You’ve extended the life of your lawn mower. Remember, a little preemptive maintenance can make all the difference between carefree operation and lots of costly and stress-inducing problems. That’s all for now, thanks for joining us, we’ll see you next time.
More saving, more doing, that’s the power of the Home Depot.
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