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When it comes to lawn mower maintenance, there are a lot of steps to take to insure that all the components are properly tuned and all the pieces are at their best to insure quality cuts as well as longer durability. For simple push mowers without an engine, the simple adjustment of sharpening the blades will be the biggest issue but with more complicated self-propelled models, the engine, the cutting deck, and other components need to be properly maintained. Air filers, oil filters, spark plugs, and other features all need to be checked and replaced if necessary. In this section, a few of the main maintenance points will be taken into view and explained. Because there are different models from different brands, it is recommended that owners follow the owner's manuals that come with each lawn mower for maintenance.
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Taking care of a lawn mower involves keeping the expensive parts finely tuned and the engine is one of the most costly parts. The engines involves several parts that work together and if a section does not work in a good condition than the whole system will not perform as great. The engine oil is very important for keeping lawn mowers running smoothly. Engine oil levels should be checked every 5 hours using the dipstick to insure stability and should be changed out at an average of 40 to 50 hours or every season. For those lawn mowers with oil filters, these also need to be changed with the engine oil as well. Spark plugs should be checked as well for wear and usually require replacement after 100 hours of use for higher quality brands. When replacing spark plugs, add a little bit of engine oil into the cylinders before slowly cranking them back in. The air filter is another item that needs to be cleaned or replaced, normally around 30 hours of use. There are other components as well that need to be maintained and lawn mower manuals will help with these.
The cutting deck is another component that needs timely maintenance to keep the lawn mower in tip top shape. The deck consists of the surrounding area, the blades, and the chute where the grass clippings are dispersed. The blades become the most important part here and dull blades will not cut grass into fine chopped pieces which makes the sharpening of blades especially vital for mulching. There are places that will sharpen the blades and for DIY people, using a fine file will accomplish this as well, just make sure to disconnect the spark plug wire and batter connection as to not have an accidental startup. Underneath the cutting deck and the chute also need to be cleaned of by scraping off the excess grass trimmings that may clutter areas up. Apply some engine grease or cooking spray to the surface to prevent further sticking. These steps should be enough for most cutting decks
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For people who are not do-it-yourself gurus, there should be several businesses that will provide maintenance of lawn mowers which definitely comes in handy for the more expensive riding mowers.
Before winter storage of lawn mowers there are maintenance options that will help prepare for the coming season. First, the engine oil should be changed along with any oil and air filters. The gas can either be emptied by running the mower or removed. The fuel tank can either be left empty or the addition of an additive along with some gas maybe applied to prevent gumming. All areas that require lubrication should be properly lubricated. The spark plugs should be removed and a little bit of engine oil should be added to the cylinders before replacing them. The deck should be cleaned of grass trimmings and all metal surfaces should be treated with a rust preventive material. For electric lawn mowers, the power cord should be removed along with the negative cable from the battery. These steps should help when spring comes around again and the lawn mower is needed.
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