Lawn Mower Maintenance

Keeping a lawn looking great takes a lot of work, and much of it rests on the shoulders of our mowers. Whether they’re push, walk-behind, or riding mowers, they’re sure to built up a bit of extra dirt and grass, and suffer the wear and tear of operation in hot summer sun. By the end of autumn, your mower is ready for a break. But it’s much better for you, your lawn, and your mower if you keep up with some basic maintenance.

At Harold Implement Company, we understand that you want equipment that gets the job done fast and easily, but to get great results again and again you’ll need to ensure your equipment is properly maintained. Mowers are no exception, which is why we’ve put together this short list of basic mower maintenance tips. Read on for more information or head into our location in Corning, Arkansas, where we proudly serve Paragould, Jonesboro, and Pocahontas.

Before You Begin

Whenever you’re dealing with maintaining equipment or vehicles, always dig out your owner’s manual. This can help outline what you should be looking at or when to schedule regular service. There are also likely to be helpful tips for your specific model with ways of troubleshooting common problems. Save yourself time, effort, and a whole lot of money by checking with your owner’s manual!

Lubrication

All machines need proper lubrication to keep their metal parts from tearing themselves apart and reduce overall heat, and mowers are no different. Their engines have a oil reservoir that keeps the crankshaft and pistons running smooth. 

Check the oil just like you would on a car or truck. Remove the dipstick, clean it off, reinsert, and then pull it out again for a clean reading. The oil should be smooth and gold in color, while sludgy and discolored oil is a sign you need to replace it. Otherwise top it off and move on. Your oil should also be free of water, metal shavings, or other impurities, as these often indicate a more worrisome mechanical problem. 

Clean the Undercarriage

The bottom side of your mower is likely to collect all sorts of debris, whether it’s just grass clippings or clods of dirt and rocks. All that gunk can decrease cutting efficiency, but it can also cause overheating, which leads to mechanical damage. For push mowers, you can simply tip them up and clean out any muck that’s stuck in there. For riding mowers, you’ll want to ride your up a small ramp or blocks so you can get good access to the cutting deck. At that point, you can just blast everything away with a high-pressure hose nozzle.

Hopper and bag systems used to collect clippings take a bit of extra work to keep clean. You should make sure the chute and all gates are clear of clippings and other debris. Do not leave clippings in the hopper between mowings, as they can settle and compact into dense bricks of grass that will require some serious scraping to get out.

Change the Spark Plugs

Mower spark plugs are notorious for needing replacements sooner rather than later. A lot of that is due to the long periods of downtime between cuts for residential mowers, and the intense operational periods when they are in use. Replace the spark plugs in your mower at least once every other year to maintain optimal performance. Check to see if your spark plugs are pre-gapped or not. If they aren’t, you’ll need a plug gap tool to set the spark plugs to the right width.

Sharpen the Cutting Blade

While your mower might have a lot of moving parts that work together to get the job done, it’s the blade that actually makes the cut. But the cutting blade doesn’t just come into contact with grass; unfortunately, it also picks up rocks and dirt and other debris that can ding up and dull the blade. A file, burr, or grinder can help you get rid of dull material and sharpen the blade. You shouldn’t be after a razor’s edge here, just a clean blade — the shearing force caused by its rotational speed does most of the cutting work, after all. You just want to make sure get the blade to a place where it moves quickly through the air and cuts the grass without shredding it up.

Hopefully these lawn mower maintenance tips can help you keep your mower cutting for seasons to come. If you’re still after more maintenance information, or you’re just ready to check out some great new and used lawn mowers, including walk-behind mowers, lawn tractors, and zero-turn mowers, head into Harold Implement Company in Corning, Arkansas, where we proudly serve Paragould, Jonesboro, and Pocahontas. Our team of courteous professionals will help you find what you’re looking for. Stop by today!