March 2, 2010
Written By: The Lawn Tire Guy

I love winter and snow, but let's face it, this winter has been over the top! I am more than ready to start thinking ahead toward Spring. I'm certain that most of you are as well, so I'm going to take a few moments today to write about things that you should check on your lawn mower before cutting the grass.

• It's important that all small engines are serviced regularly, which for the average home owner means AT LEAST once a season. (Check your mower's owners manual for service interval details).
• Sharpen the blades. Your lawn will not only look better, but will remain healthier if you always cut with sharp lawn mower blades. That occassional rock, stick, or even heavy leaf debris can dull the blades considerably throughout the season. The best way to sharpen the blade/s is to remove them from the deck and sharpen with a hand grinder. (Make sure that you remove the spark plug wire or key from your mower before sticking your hand under the mower deck!)
• Greese all areas of your chasis and deck. The most frequent breakdown during mowing season is bearing replacements. This can be avoided in most cases if you keep them well lubricated.
• Clean or replace the air filter. Mowers are subject to a lot of dust throughout a season, so it is very important that your engine is able to pull adequate airflow through the filtration system. If the filter is plugged, the engine will be starved air and will run warmer than intended.
• Time to replace worn lawn tires. Check the sidewalls for cracking or otherwise known as weather checking. This is also a good time to assess the performance these lawn mower tires delivered during the last mowing season. Did you have problems making it up some hills when the grass was slightly damp? If so, you may want to consider a lug design tire that will offer a lot more traction, while still not being incredibly hard on turf.
• Battery maintenance. This is a great time to check the water levels in your lawn mower's battery. If the battery has been left outside during the winter, you may even need to replace it.

While you're watching this winter's snow melt, I hope you're able to perform all of these maintenance steps to keep your lawn mower in tip top shape! 

 

The Lawn Tire Guy