Maintaining Your Lawn Mower

Even the highest quality riding lawn mowers eventually get worn down. Time on the job does take its toll on equipment. While you can't prevent all maintenance issues, you can be proactive to prevent some (or, at the very least, delay that trip to the mechanic). We've rounded up some simple maintenance tasks you can handle to keep your lawn mower in good condition below. If you have any questions or want more suggestions, visit Scott's Power Equipment. We proudly serve those in Bridgeton, Arnold, Wentzville, and St. Louis Missouri as well as Metro East, Illinois.

Consult the Owner's Manual

Sure, your lawn mower owner's manual is not the most interesting read in the world. But it does provide essential information about maintaining your specific model. It will outline the specifics of getting a service, such as how often to go and what needs to be serviced. Following these recommendations can help you avoid plenty of headaches down the road. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

The Importance of Lubrication

Without the proper lubrication of your riding lawn mower's moving parts, it's not going to be able to perform properly. Your oil reservoir helps keep the crankshaft and pistons lubricated, so you'll want to check your oil often. It's the same process you use with your car. Put the dipstick in, take it out, wipe it, put it in again, and inspect. Make sure the color and consistency is normal, then top off the oil if need be.

Inspect the Undercarriage

As you use your lawn mower, gunk can collect on the undercarriage. This can range from grass clippings to mud to debris, but it all results in clogging it up. This not only makes your equipment less effective at its job, but it can contribute to issues of overheating.

If your lawn mower is a push model, all you need to do is tip it over and fish out the grime. If yours is a riding lawn mower, you'll want to put it on a small ramp or blocks. This gives you better access to the cutting deck. Then spray away the debris with a hose equipped with a high-pressure nozzle.

Replace Spark Plugs

Spark plugs can be fickle beasts. If you use your riding lawn mower too much, they can die out. If you have too much downtime of your lawn mower, they can waste away. Most models benefit from yearly replacement of the spark plugs, but you may need to do more or less depending on how often you mow and your given model.

Sharpen the Blade

It's no big surprise that a dull riding lawn mower blade isn't going to, well, cut it. But you may be surprised to learn that it's less about the blade being especially sharp and more about it being able to quickly move through the air fast enough to slice the grass. If your blade gets dull, simply use a file, burr, or grinder to get it sharp again. These tools remove dull material so your sharp blade can shine through.

Storage

When your riding lawn mower is not in use, store it somewhere secure. Leaving it in the sun, rain, or bitter cold can result in damage. Simply place it in a secure shed or garage where it can be protected against the elements.

We hope you found these tips helpful! If you run into lawn mower maintenance issues beyond your ability, head over to Scott's Power Equipment. We proudly serve those in Bridgeton, Arnold, Wentzville, and St. Louis Missouri as well as Metro East, Illinois.