With a significant amount of time and money invested in your lawn equipment, you want to make it last as long as possible. Regular maintenance can not only make your equipment last longer, but with proper care they can continue to function like new. For lawn mowers in particular, there are several tasks that can keep your mower cutting grass like new. Sharpening and replacing blades, changing oil, maintaining air filters and spark plugs, and getting a tune-up are all steps you can take to help your mower cut well for many years.
Replacing and Sharpening Blades
The most important concern when replacing or sharpening mower blades is safety. For commercial mowers, lawn tractors, and riding mowers, the weight of the mower is often the biggest issue. Sometimes raising the mower deck to its highest level will be enough to reach the blades, but often you'll need to raise the mower and make sure it is secure enough for you to work underneath the deck.
Make sure the key is removed from the ignition before you start. It is recommended that you also disconnect the spark plug to make sure the mower cannot turn on while you are working.
To remove the blade, block it so it does not turn and then remove with an appropriately sized wrench.
When
sharpening a mower blade, the first goal is to maintain the correct angle. Whether you use a hand grinder, file, or bench top grinder, the basic process is the same. Try to grind both sides of the blade evenly to maintain a good balance.
General Maintenance
Keeping the mower clean is one of the simplest ways to make it mow like new. Regularly cleaning off grass and dirt that get on the mower help prevent rust of the metal parts and keeps components running smoothly.
Changing the oil at the end of the mowing season, cleaning or changing the air filter, and replacing spark plugs are easy maintenance tasks to help keep your mower running well. When air filters become damaged or dirty, they can prevent the mower from starting. Whether you clean or replace it will depend on how dirty the filter is and whether
it's foam or paper.
Getting a Tune-up
Having a professional tune-up done is important to maintaining your lawn equipment at peak operating efficiency. A qualified
service department can perform maintenance tasks you don't feel comfortable doing yourself, and diagnose and repair more complex problems.
Keeping up with regular maintenance tasks helps keep mowers and other equipment in top condition to perform your lawn care tasks. Making sure that you keep your mower blades sharp and performing general maintenance can keep your lawn mower cutting like new for many years.
