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Repairing Your Lawn Mower
Repairing your lawn mower over the winter is an important part of getting it ready for more regular use in the spring. Tuning up and repairing your lawn mower during the winter months can save you a lot of time and trouble later, and should make your life much easier. Rather than waiting for something to go wrong, it is better to perform preemptive repairs on your lawn mower on a regular basis, preventing disasters.
Here at Best of Tools, we have put together a guide to lawn mower repairs to simplify the process for you. We will run through a few important areas of lawn mower repair and maintenance for you. Read on below to find out more about lawn mower repair!
Fuel types
A large part of lawn mower repair and maintenance is ensuring that you always use the right type of fuel with it. For most gas-powered mowers, that means fresh fuel with an octane rating of at least 87 and an alcohol content of under 10%. This should prevent oxidation and condensation, reducing the risk of corrosion from leaving fuel in the tank.
Air filters
If the motor on your lawn mower is running slowly or struggling to start, then it may be choking due to a blocked air filter. Paper filters should be replaced every 25 hours of use or so, while those with a foam pre-filter component only need replacing about once every 100 hours of use. Do not use compressed air to clean a paper filter, as this can cause tearing to the filter and prevent it from protecting the engine mechanisms properly. Air filter integrity is very important, and you should always replace a paper filter instead of attempting to clean it.
Plugs
Spark plugs are an important element of any lawn mower or any other device that relies on a gas engine. As such, if they are too worn, they can cause problems with proper operation. If your lawn mower is idling or running rough, then that might be a sign that your spark plugs are worn down too far. That usually happens after around 100 hours of operation, and the best solution is just to replace your old spark plugs with a new, properly gapped plug.
Deck blockages
When you mow your lawn, debris and cut grass build up around the mower deck of your lawn mower. If this debris piles up too far, it can prevent the mower from properly functioning, particularly when it comes to mulching or bagging features. If your mower features an integrated hose attachment, use that to clean the debris from the deck. If there is no integrated hose, then you will have to scrape the debris off by hand. Disconnect the spark plug, empty or remove the fuel tank, and turn the mower on its back. Then, using a wire brush and a putty knife, thoroughly scrape the deck clean.
Blades
Through regular use, lawn mower blades will dull and become less effective. Dull mower blades will not effectively cut your grass, and may potentially damage your lawn in the process. You will want to keep the blades as sharp as possible. Remove the blades and sharpen them evenly and carefully with a mill bastard file. Then, use a torque wrench to reattach the blade, and be careful not to over tighten the bolt.
Flywheel
It might not be as important as some of the other lawn mower repair options we have discussed above, but if you use your lawn mower very frequently or operate it in dirty and dusty environments, then you will want to clean your flywheel once or twice a season. Just uncover the flywheel and use an old paintbrush to clean dust and dirt off it in order to keep it running properly at all times.
