Friday, September 11, 2009

Tips on General Lawn Mower Maintenance

Tips on General Lawn Mower Maintenance

You want to keep your lawn healthy, green and lush all season long, and your lawnmower is an important part of maintaining your lawn's overall health and appeal. By following these tips on general lawn mower maintenance, you will ensure that your lawn mower is working at peak efficiency every time you need to use it.

Tip #1
Keep your lawn mowers blade sharp. A dull lawn mower blade makes for an uneven cut to your lawn, and may even damage your grass. In addition, a sharp blade means cutting efficiency, reducing wear and tear on your lawn mower's engine and other parts.

Tip #2
Ensure your lawn mower's air filter is kept clean and free of dust and dirt. You can usually just shake the air filter out to remove dust and debris. However if your air filter has been in use for a while, and has a lot of build up on it you should replace it immediately. All of your lawn mower's parts work in conjunction with one another so saving money by not replacing an overly dirty air filter will only cost you money in the long run.

Tip #3
Clean your lawn mower's carburetor. Just like your car, your lawn mower's carburetor needs to be looked after. Before removing the carburetor, make sure the fuel line has been turned off. Once you have the carburetor out give it a good clean so that it's floating valve is able to move freely. Then replace the carburetor and turn the fuel on back on.


Tip #4
Check your lawn mower's fuel. In addition to keeping the fuel topped up, to at least halfway, you want to replace any gas that was left over from the previous season that did not have a stabilizer added to it.


Tip #5
In addition to keeping the fuel topped up and in good shape, you also want to inspect your lawn mower's fuel line. It's very common to switch your fuel line off at the end of the season, so it's easy to forget about it. If your lawn mower isn't starting check that first. If the engine still doesn't start the gas may not be getting to the carburetor. To check that, remove the fuel hose from the carburetor to see if the fuel is flowing through. If it is, you can reconnect the two. If it isn't your fuel line may be plugged or the filter may be blocked.


Tip #6
Check the spark plug. That's one of the most basic things you can do if your lawn mower is not starting or working properly. To check it, detach the wire at the end of the plug before removing it. You want to ensure the spark plug is not wet or dirty.


These tips on general lawn mower maintenance will keep your lawn mower doing its job properly throughout the season. You will save money on costly lawn mower repair and part replacement by performing regular upkeep on it. Your lawn mower will last much longer, and your lawn will be a lovely sight to behold.

About the Author:
Blake Bahrns is a lawn mower parts and small engine parts expert with over 20 years of experience working on lawn and garden equipment. For additional lawn mower tips, lawn care tips, and more free lawn mower articles visit http://www.lawneq.com/.

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