Five Tips for Ensuring Your Equipment is Ready for the Mowing Season
For every person that loves to spend time with their mower going back and forth in the yard, there is a person that totally despises the same action. Living in the midwest you can rest assured that, love it or hate it, your grass is going to need mowed. Here are several early season tips to ensure your mower is up to the task.
1. Give it a once over. Visually check all the belts, safety shields, guards, and replace any damaged or missing parts. Change the engine oil, oil filter, air filter, and spark plug(s). Inspect the tires for wear and set tire pressures to the specifications in your owner’s manual.
2. Stay sharp. To get a precision cut every time you mow and save on fuel costs, be sure your mower blades are not dull. You can use more fuel with a dull blade, so either sharpen them or have a spare blade on hand. The health of your grass can deteriorate when the blades are dull causing an otherwise healthy lawn to appear brown.
3. Hit the deck. Clippings and debris can build up under the mower deck, which can cut airflow capacity, and reduce effectiveness. A dirty mower deck can also cause rust and corrosion, so be sure to check for buildup before running the mower for the first time each year. Avoid mowing early in the morning; this allows the grass to dry and ensures minimal grass buildup under your deck. Leaf blowers or compressed air are great options post mowing to clean off your mower without using water.
4. Fuel fix. Running “Premium” 91 octane fuel in your outdoor power equipment can greatly increase the lifespan of your machine. Lower grade fuels are mixed with ethanol, which can cause premature fuel system failures. Small handheld equipment such as trimmers, blowers and chainsaws are especially sensitive to poor quality fuels. In order to prevent fuel separation that can lead to corrosion be sure to add a fuel stabilizer to your gas tank. After adding the stabilizer, run the engine for five minutes to incorporate the stabilizer throughout the fuel system.
5. Keep it safe. It might not be the most interesting book on the shelf, but the operator’s manual is essential to understanding the specific safety features on your equipment and doubles as a good troubleshooting guide and proper maintenance schedule. A quick read of the owner’s manual will also provide time saving features on the mower that the salesman or supplier may not have shared with you.
Most maintenance and upkeep on your outdoor power equipment is fairly easy for the average DIY’er and requires basic hand tools. This maintenance takes minimal time and should be no trouble squeezing into an already busy Saturday morning. Should your skill level or schedule not allow you to complete regular maintenance, we offer several full-service small engine shops. Let Prairieland Partners John Deere do the maintenance work for you.
Proper and timely maintenance will help to efficiently complete your most loved and/or hated outdoor tasks, getting you back to your favorite summer pastimes.
Tim Pralle, PrairieLand Partners Wamego Turf Salesman