Reasons Why You Should Complete Your Lawn Mower Service

Maintenance on lawn mowers, especially push mowers, is very simple. The average person of the home DIY type can easily run their own lawn mower service. With a few simple tools and a little effort, you can handle maintenance on your lawn mower. The first place to look would be your owner’s manual. If you don’t have one, you should contact the manufacturer of your mower. This will list all the service intervals for various items on your mower.

There are many reasons to maintain your lawn mower.

Longevity – You wouldn’t drive your car without changing your oil, would you? So why would you neglect your lawn mower? When you keep up with your mower maintenance, you lower your total cost of ownership. Your mower will last you many years if it is cared for properly.

Quality – When your mower is fully serviced, it will perform at its best. This means that the motor runs perfectly and that the blades are sharp and balanced. The end result is a mower that will start reliably, cut clean and always be ready when you are.

Common Tasks While Servicing a Lawn Mower

Basic maintenance goes a long way and is simple. Most jobs can be completed at the end of the cutting season before winter storage, or completed just before the season begins. These common elements include the following.

Air filter

Oil

Spark plug

Sharpen and/or replace blades

Below deck cleaning

Air filter

Typical air filter for a lawn mower.

As cheap as they are, air filters only need to be done once a year. Most lawn mowers have easy access to the air filter housing. Unlock a couple of tabs or loosen a couple of screws. Lawn mower air filters are usually of the soft foam or paper type. If you allow your mower’s air filter to become clogged, you will lose power and not fully burn fuel. Consult your owner’s manual for the correct filter.

Oil

oil pan

At least once a year, you should change the engine oil in your lawn mower. This will usually require you to tip your mower on its side and drain through the fill port, as most do not have drain plugs. Many riding mowers will run on SAE 30, but there should be a chart comparing your climate temperature to recommended oil usage. Simply unscrew the fill plug, tip the mower on its side, and drain all the oil into an approved container. When your container is full, you can take it to a local garage or recycling center for disposal.

oil chart

Oil table for recommended oil weight for the climate. Consult the owner’s manual for your specific engine.

The type of oil you use will vary somewhat, depending on your local climate. Most manufacturers have a chart in the owner’s manual that shows the temperature ranges.

Spark plug

All small push mowers have a single spark plug. The spark plug’s job is to ignite the gasoline to supply power to turn the blade. Over time, this spark plug can become dirty or fouled. When this occurs, your mower won’t start or runs rough and doesn’t work well. To change a spark plug, you will need a spark plug boot. Spark plug boots have a special rubber insert inside to protect the ceramic of the spark plug and also hold and hold it in place.

Once you’ve removed the spark plug, you’ll see what model number it is by looking at the side of the ceramic. You should be able to see a number, usually in blue letters. This will tell you which spark plug to replace. Install the new plug and tighten it.

mower blade

When the mower blade is sharp, it will obviously make a cleaner cut. But this also helps the grass grow better by cutting it and not tearing it. When you look at a blade of grass at the tip, you should see a nice, clean cut. If it’s jagged and broken, it means you need to sharpen the blade.

Having a sharp blade also requires less work on the engine. This will in the long run result in a longer life for the motor as it is not loaded all the time.

Sharpening blades at home is something that a DIYer can do. At the very least, it requires one file and would make it much easier to keep it safe while you work.

Another option is also a grinder, which is much faster, but not everyone has a grinder at home.

Newer styles of sharpening are using a blade sharpener. These work much like a knife sharpener found in your kitchen, but with a larger scale for lawn mower blades.

Sharpening is pretty easy. But first we must remove the blade.

Removing the blade from a lawn mower

Raise the mower safely so that you can access the underside where the blade is located. If you tilt it to the side, drain as much gas as possible, and also put the engine muffler up. This will prevent oil from running into the muffler and causing the smoke show on start up.

Remove the spark plug wire as a precaution against accidental starting.

With the blade holder, secure the blade so that it does not rotate. This tool is a lifesaver compared to using a block of wood.

Using a breaker bar and the correct size socket, loosen the center retaining bolt.

Remove the sheet.

This is also a good time to remove any grass buildup under the deck.

Sharp and Balanced

Now that you’ve removed the blade, it’s time to sharpen it. Now, considering you haven’t hit rocks or other solid objects, you shouldn’t have any big chips on the blade. If it does, just buy a new blade set and install it.

Hold the blade securely in a vise, or you could hold it by hand. It is important to wear gloves! This will keep your fingers intact. Using a blade sharpener, go from center to tip until a nice sharp edge forms. Repeat on the other side.

Now we need to make sure that your blade is balanced. Using a blade balancer, place the blade on it and make sure it is level. If one side seems to sag more than the other, remove more material.

The purpose of rocking is to reduce vibration. It’s the same concept as balancing your car’s tires.

When finished, re-install the blade in your mower. Installation is the reverse of removal.

Final Thoughts on Lawn Mower Service

Making your own lawn mower service is something anyone can do. This is a job that you need to complete once a year and it is fairly low cost. Once you buy all the tools you need, your mower will cost next to nothing to maintain.

Completing your own lawn mower service is rewarding knowing that the job will be done right. It will also save you money over and over again.

Enjoy your lawn mower service and Happy Cutting!