Are you ready for another year of lawn care? Okay, regardless of your answer, it's time to dust off your mower and get it ready for the busy mowing season. Annual lawn mower tune ups are important to keeping your yard looking its best. Ignore it? You may as well hire a lawn care professional to do the job. If you own a gas-powered mower, the most important thing you can do is keep it working well for years, and years, and years.
Let's get your lawn mower ready for the season in a few simple steps.
Getting Your Lawn Mower Ready for Spring
- Inspect the mower engine and body. Check for any signs of damage or corrosion, including the blade, air filter, fuel filter, spark plug, spark plug wires, drive belt and fuel lines. Has anything obvious changed since you winterized it last fall? If it has, it's worth replacing suspicious components.
- Sharpen the blade surfaces. It's always a good idea to sharpen the cutting edge of the lawn mower blade once (or twice!) a season. A dull mower blade isn't doing you any favors. To do this, remove the dull blade and sharpen it using a flat file or bench grinder to ensure a clean cut on the grass. When reinstalling, remember: you'll need balanced blades so it sets correctly when spinning.
- Change the engine oil. Drain and replace the old lawn mower oil with clean motor oil to keep the engine running smoothly. While you're at it, check the oil filter if you haven't already. Not sure what type of oil you need? Refer to directions from your mower manufacturer.
- Check the tire pressure. On a riding mower, this is the ideal time to make sure the tires are still in good shape.
- Lubricate your mower's moving parts. You likely lubricated when you put the mower away at the end of the season, but a little more won't hurt. Use a light-duty lubricant as part of your routine mower maintenance.
- Check for loose parts. Engine vibrations and heavy usage can wiggle parts loose over time.
- Clean or replace the dirty air filter. Maintaining a clean air filter helps with proper airflow and engine life. If you didn't change it in the fall, make sure you do it now. Not sure if you have a foam air filter or paper filter? Take a closer look.
- Fill with fresh fuel. If you maintained the gas tank over the winter with a fuel stabilizer, know that you won't need to drain it in the spring. The stabilizer was circulated into the lawn mower system, and will mix with any new fuel you add before or after your first lawn mowing.
- Give it a test run. Start the mower and let it run for a few minutes. How does it sound? Take a pass through some longer grass in your yard. How does it cut? This is the perfect time to investigate weird sounds or correct the angle of the blade before the season is in full swing.
How often should I sharpen my lawn mower blade?
Commit to sharpening your lawn mower blade at least once a season. Truthfully, twice a season is better. A sharp blade ensures a clean cut, which promotes healthy grass growth and reduces stress on the lawn mower engine. While you're at it, remember that leveling the blade throughout the season helps, too. Lift the mower deck once in awhile to check the calibration of the blade.
Can I use old gasoline in my lawn mower?
Using old gasoline in your lawn mower can lead to starting problems and poor engine performance. Gas left in the gas tank can degrade over time, especially if it contains ethanol. Ethanol attracts moisture and can cause corrosion and engine damage. It's always best to use fresh gasoline and add a fuel stabilizer over the off-season to prolong its shelf life.
How do I store my lawn mower properly during the off-season?
To store your lawn mower properly during the off-season, drain the fuel tank or add a fuel stabilizer to prevent fuel degradation. Clean the mower thoroughly with a garden hose to remove any buildup of grass clumps, then sharpen the blade, and store it in a dry, covered area to protect it from the elements. Depending on your climate, it's not a bad idea to start a gas lawn mower from time-to-time and let it run for a few minutes to prevent engine damage from sitting idle for too long.
