Lawn Mower Repair

When it comes to fixing your lawn mower, problems can range from small, simple do-it-yourself repairs such as replacing a blade, to large and complicated repairs such as completing a tune-up which should be done by a professional. Most times, major and minor repairs can be avoided with regular maintenance, however your mower is a small engine and even if regular maintenance is done, parts and components wear out and need replacement. If you don’t have basic knowledge of repairing a lawn mower, every little problem can be thought of as a major repair. Diagnosing the problem first will help determine whether or not professional assistance is needed to get your mower up and running. Talk to family and friends and ask them for advice and recommendations. You never know, you might have a small engine expert within your inner circle and a repair shop could be avoided all together.

Do-It-Yourself

Regular maintenance should always be done by you. This would include sharpening, cleaning and tightening the blades of your mower as well as scraping the underside of the deck to remove built-up debris. Water should never be used to clean your mower, especially around the engine so use a damp cloth instead to wipe things down. If you own an air compressor it’s good to utilize it and blow out the air filter, carburetor and engine on a regular basis to preserve the life of your mower. Here is a run down of problems that can occur and be repaired by you:

Engine Won’t Start- Most times gas levels are extremely low or spark plugs are not connected properly. Make sure the switch is on and the primer button is pushed in if necessary. If your spark plugs are connected properly and you're still struggling to start the engine, try cleaning the spark plug with a wire brush or replacing it all together.

Engine Strain- If your engine is straining, your blades might need to be sharpened, or the grass might be too long. Try not to wait too long in between mows, and if you do raise the cutting height and mow slower or overlap.

Debris Build-up- If there is too much grass built up on or under your mowers deck and/or blades wipe them down.

Engine is Revving- Your air filter is probably dirty. You have too choices, either replace it or try removing it and tapping it on the ground to remove any dirt.

Engine is Flooded- This could be as simple as waiting a few minutes and trying again. If your mower has a pull cord, turn the throttle to OFF, pull on the cord a few times, wait a few minutes, turn the throttle to ON and try starting the mower again.

Repair Shops

Like most small engines, even proper and regular maintenance isn’t enough to keep your mower working at all times. Usually there is a problem with the engine components that can be difficult to diagnose or hard to figure out and require the assistance of a repair shop. Sometimes a repair man will come to you, while other times you need to take your mower into the shop where they have all of the tools necessary to repair the problem at their fingertips. If your engine or exhaust is smoking it could be the sign of a bad carburetor, valve or filter and could require a tune-up. Tune-ups on mowers can be tedious and time consuming, so taking it to a repair shop wouldn’t be a bad idea for this even if you're capable of doing it yourself. Check different shops for prices before choosing one, as they will vary. Recommendations from friends and family isn’t a bad idea either.