Essential Lawn Mower Maintenance Tips

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Investing in quality equipment like lawn mowers from Sydney Tools is the first step to keeping your lawn in top condition – but it doesn’t end there. You need to do regular maintenance to ensure your mower runs smoothly and delivers a neat cut that keeps your garden in top condition all year round.

This is most likely why some people like to call in a lawn mowing expert, but we’ll simplify the maintenance process for you.

Clean the Deck After Every Use

The deck is like the stomach of your lawn mower, as it’s where the blades spin. Leaving it full of wet grass clippings, dirt, or debris will definitely affect the mower’s performance. It will start feeling sluggish (and smelling funny) and will eventually begin to rust.

Every time you finish mowing your lawn, ensure you remove all grass clippings, dirt, and debris. You should do so gently with a hose or brush, although you should avoid soaking the motor in electric models. Regularly cleaning the mower will ensure that your mower does a neat job and doesn’t overheat due to blocking.

Sharpen the Blades Regularly

Your mower blades become dull as they are used. And when they become too bland, they start tearing the grass instead of cutting it. This will then leave your lawn looking ragged, stressed, and vulnerable to disease.

Ideally, it would be best to sharpen the blades every 20 to 25 hours of use. This isn’t hard, as you can use a blade sharpener or file; you just need to disconnect the spark plugs or battery first. Alternatively, you can engage the services of a professional.

Check the Oil, Filters & Plugs (For Petrol Mowers)

Petrol lawn mowers require more maintenance than electric models as they generally have more moving parts and a larger engine. And when you assume this part, your mower will start sputtering, stalling, or even refusing to start.

The main maintenance areas for petrol mowers are:

• Oil: You need to check the oil level every week. Otherwise, you risk low oil, which can cause serious damage. You should also drain and change it about once a season or every 50 hours of operation.

• Air Filter: Petrol lawn mowers ignite a mix of petrol and air. If the air filter is clogged, the engine will have to work harder and waste fuel. If yours is reusable, clean it after every few uses. If it’s not, replace it together with the oil.

• Spark Plugs: The spark plug ignites the mixture of petrol and air. If it’s worn out, the mower won’t start easily and will also sputter. Replace the plugs about once every season or two.

When you stay on top of these, you ensure the engine doesn’t struggle and therefore extend the life of the petrol mower.

Store It Properly in the Off-Season

There are months when you won’t need to use your lawn mower often, but you need to do better than just keep it in a corner. Start by disconnecting the battery for electric models or emptying the fuel tank in petrol mowers, as the fuel will degrade over time. You should also swap out the oil and filters before the growing season.

Apart from that, you need to ensure you clean your lawn mower and dry it properly to avoid damage. The storage space should also be dry, as dampness encourages rust.

Stick to a Regular Maintenance Schedule

Besides doing proper maintenance, you need to have a schedule that can help ensure you don’t forget an item. This should vary depending on the type of maintenance. For example, sharpening can be done every month, while changing the oil, filters, and spark plugs can be done once a season.

When you establish a schedule, you’ll avoid costly repairs and ensure that your lawn mower provides consistently healthy cuts that improve the overall look and growth of your lawn.

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