Mower Care
A power mower is a big investment. It's important to maintain it well to keep it going longer and better, not to mention giving your lawn a nice cut every time.
Here are the basics:
Keep it relatively clean. After each use, give your mower a quick brushing off with a rag or even just your garden-gloved hand. It's also a good idea, once the mower has stopped running and is definitely turned off, to brush off the underside where the blade is. A sturdy stick or scrap of lumber will help you knock off the tough stuff.
Keep the blade sharp. Mower blades should be sharpened once or twice a year in the northern half of the U.S. where softer, cool-season grasses are grown and mowed for a shorter season. Sharpen them three to four times a year in the southern half where grasses are coarser and mowed for more months of the year.
A dull mower blade will tear, rather than cleanly cut, the top of a grass blade. The ragged cut then turns brown, resulting in an entire lawn with a beige cast. Ragged ends are also good entry points for disease.
You can sharpen the blade yourself by removing it and filing it. Or take it to a mower maintenance or knife sharpening place and have it sharpened. To make things easy, keep a second mower blade on hand to use while the other is getting sharpened.
Get an annual tune-up. A gas-powered engine will perform best and last longest if it has an annual tune-up from a professional. Most homeowners do this in the fall so the mower is ready to go in the spring.
Clean or replace the air filter. Check your owner's manual (or ask a knowledgeable clerk at a place that sells air filters) to see if you need to do this on your type of mower. If you do, replace paper filters when they look dirty, usually two to three times a year.
Plastic foam filters should be removed and washed with warm, soapy water. Air dry thoroughly, then work about 2 tablespoons of clean mower oil evenly across the filter to lightly coat it.
Put your mower away right each fall. After the last mowing of the season, give the mower a good cleaning. Run the mower until the tank is empty and all the gas is run through the fuel lines, the point at which the mower stops running. If there is a separate tank for oil, empty it and refill it with fresh oil. When spring arrived, you'll be all set and ready to mow!
