Keeping Your Lawn Mower In Good Condition
Residential lawns and campuses both rely on one machine above all to keep everything looking spic and span: lawn mowers. But like with any tool, a lawn mower only works as well as its maintenance record lets it. We here at Abell & Son want to help you keep your mower working longer and more efficiently, so we’ve put together some tips for lawn mower maintenance. To learn more, or to see the lawn mowers we have for sale, contact our stores in Lake Charles and Welsh, Louisiana, today!
Sharpen The Blade
Overgrown grass can hide a number of hazards your mower was never meant to handle, from rocks to large branches and more. Even just grass will dull your blade over time. Luckily, a file, burr, or grinder can help you sharpen the blade again to get your tool back to work. You don’t need to aim for the sharpest edge, since the speed and force of the blade’s rotation does most of the work. Just get it sharp enough to cut through grass without shredding it, and you’re good to go.
Clean The Undercarriage
Your mower can get clumps of grass, dirt, mud, and debris stuck in the undercarriage, which can build up to the point where it interferes with the rotation of your blades. That interference will slow your blades, causing your engine to work harder and lowering the efficiency of your cut. A gentle scraping tool or a hose—garden or pressure washer—will get rid of the bulk of that mess easily enough.
Proper Lubrication
Like any machine with moving parts, one of the most vital parts of maintaining your lawn mower is ensuring it’s properly lubricated. Your engine has an oil reservoir that will keep the crankshaft and pistons lubricated, and you can check those levels the same way you would with your car. Pull out the dipstick, clean it off, reinsert it, and pull it out again to see how much oil you’ve got. When it gets below the indicator on the dipstick, top it off and you’re good to go.
Pay attention to what the oil looks like. If it’s thickened or dark, you need to change out your oil. If you see metal shavings, water, or other impurities, you may need to change your oil filter as well.
We hope these tips help you keep your lawn mower working efficiently and without trouble! If you have any questions, find a maintenance problem that you need help with, or just want to see our inventory, contact us at Abell & Son. We proudly serve the people of Lafayette, Louisiana, and Beaumont, Texas—let us serve you today!