What care can I give my lawn mower in spring to ready it for mowing season?
Clean the spark plugs in lawn mowers (also spelled "lawnmowers") every spring. If the spark plugs are showing wear, don't even try to clean them -- just replace the spark plugs. When you're replacing a lawn mower's spark plugs, apply some anti-seize compound to the new ones to facilitate spark-plug removal next spring.
Besides spark plug care, what other lawnmower care do you advice in spring?
Check that all nuts and bolts are secure every spring, tightening them where necessary. Re-check nuts and bolts for tightness periodically thereafter. Lawnmower vibration loosens nuts and bolts more than you might think.
Do I need to clean the deck of my lawnmower?
Yes. Clean lawnmower decks at least twice during mowing season. Cleaning will not only help lawnmower performance, but also minimize the spread of lawn diseases (remember, when you cut blades of grass, you are essentially opening up wounds that make the grass susceptible to disease).
To clean a lawnmower, first empty the gas tank and disconnect the spark plug wire. Stand the lawnmower up on its side. Take a garden hose and spray the lawnmower's deck (the housing for the cutting blade, on the underside of the mower) at full blast. This will loosen some of the dirt and caked-on grass clippings. Scrub off the rest using a brush, soap and hot water. Rinse, then dry.
Tip : To reduce future incidence of grass clippings sticking to the lawnmower's underside, lightly spray some vegetable oil after cleaning.
Should I add oil each time I use my four-cycle lawnmower?
No. The proper procedure is as follows for four-cycle engines (also called "4-stroke engines"):
Check the level of your lawnmower's oil before you start the lawnmower. To do so, extract the dipstick, wipe it with a clean rag, insert it back in, and check its reading. If the oil appears clean but the reading is low, add oil.
If the your lawnmower's oil appears dirty, however, you'll have to take a different tack. If the reading is not low, go ahead and do your mowing. When done mowing, drain out the lawnmower's oil -- it will come out easily, since the engine is warm at this point. Once the old oil has drained out, replace it with new oil.
If you have both dirty oil and a low reading, add a little oil before mowing, then follow the steps laid out in the prior paragraph. Sure, this way, you'll be draining out a bit of new oil along with the old; but wasting a little oil is far preferable to taking any chance that your lawnmower will run out of oil while you're mowing.
What about the oil for lawnmowers with two-cycle engines?
Lubrication for two-cycle engines (also called "2-stroke" engines) is achieved by mixing the recommended oil into the fuel. Thus with two-cycle lawnmower engines, there isn't any oil to "check." The only checking comes in making sure you're using the recommended type of oil, and using it in the recommended ratio.
What is the proper lawnmower care regimen for air filters?
Before changing/cleaning the air filter, first determine whether your machine has a paper or foam air filter. Paper air filters are replaced; while the foam ones are cleaned.
Steps for Changing a Paper Air Filter
- Unscrew the cover and remove the paper air filter.
- Insert a new paper air filter with the pleat facing out.
- Screw the cover back on.
Steps for Cleaning a Foam Air Filter
- Unscrew the cover.
- Remove air filter unit and discard the old foam.
- Clean the air filter unit.
- Soak the new piece of foam with clean engine oil. Squeeze out the excess oil using a clean rag.
- Insert new foam in air filter
- Ensure the lip protrudes over edge of the unit.
- Screw the cover back on.
How and Why should I sharpen my lawn mower's blade?
Every month or two, you should sharpen the lawn mower's blade. The reason for sharpening lawn mower blades is that dull blades have a tendency to rip grass blades instead of cutting cleanly, leaving grass susceptible to diseases. Here's how to sharpen a lawn mower blade:
- First remove the spark plug wire to ensure the lawn mower doesn't start up accidentally, resulting in injury.
- With a wrench, remove the nut that holds the lawn mower blade up against the deck, then remove the blade.
- Use a file to do the sharpening. Follow the angle of the cutting edge that's already there (the angle will be roughly 45 degrees).
When I'm done mowing in fall, what lawnmower care do you advise?
When the lawnmowing season is over in fall, empty the gas tank by allowing the lawnmower run until its gas tank is empty. Leave the lawnmower's tank empty until spring comes. You'll be glad that you did, next spring, when you go to start up the lawnmower again for another season of mowing. When old gas lies around in the lawnmower all winter, it becomes gummy. At the same time, drain oil tank and refill with fresh oil.
What's the difference between “riding lawn mowers” and “lawn tractors?”
The difference between riding lawn mowers and lawn tractors lies in the location of the cutting deck. Lawn tractors have a mid-mounted cutting deck, while for riding lawn mowers the cutting deck is located under the front of the vehicle. The front-end location of the cutting deck on riding lawn mowers makes these machines more maneuverable. Maneuverability becomes an issue when, for instance, a lawn is dotted with shrubs and trees.
With both riding lawn mowers and lawn tractors you can make use of accessories ranging from brushes for spring cleaning to snow-removal attachments. As with all lawn mowers, caution must be exercised when operating riding lawn mowers and lawn tractors. While providing them with a “vehicle” may seem like a great way to get the kids to mow the lawn without complaining, only those mature enough to handle heavy equipment should be allowed to operate riding lawn mowers and lawn tractors.
How do self-propelled rotary lawn mowers work?
Self-propelled rotary lawn mowers require the operator to squeeze a bar to engage the mower, which causes the machine to take off -- all you have to do is control the direction in which it goes. If you release your grip on the bar, the mower blade stops spinning. For the higher-end self-propelled rotary mowers, the drive system does not shut off when you release the bar – a convenient feature, in case you'd like to transport the lawn mower from point A to point B without cutting grass along the way.
What types of rotary mowers are the best lawn mowers?
What's best will depend on your wants and needs. Gas-powered rotary lawn mowers can be divided into two categories: walk-behind rotary mowers and riding mowers / lawn tractors. The walk-behind rotary lawn mowers can further be classified according to whether they're push-type lawn mowers or self-propelled. Purchase price varies greatly between these types of rotary lawn mowers, with riding mowers / lawn tractors being the most expensive, followed by self-propelled mowers. The push-type mowers are the least expensive because they require you to provide the muscle to make them move.
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