Home Improvement

There's more to mowing a lawn than just turning on the mower. A mower that's not properly cared for will have years taken off its life and have a lot more problems in the short run, as well.

A little fast, simple maintenance during the mowing season and just before you put it to bed for the winter can make the difference between care-free operation and lots of costly and stress-inducing problems.

Be sure to keep the blade sharp, as described in the project Sharpening a Mower Blade. A sharp blade, along with a well cared-for engine, will keep your mower humming for years to come.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

MATERIALS
Dish detergent
Mower oil

Once or twice a year, clean the mower. With the gas tank empty, disconnect the spark plug wire and turn the mower on its side. Give it a powerful spray with a hose to loosen dirt and dried-on grass. Scrub with a soft brush and soapy water. Then rinse.

Replace or clean the air filter once or twice a year as well. Replace paper filters when they look dirty. Plastic foam filters can be removed and washed out by hand in warm, soapy water and then allowed to air-dry. After they dry thoroughly, work about 2 tablespoons of clean mower oil evenly across and into the filter, lightly coating it as well.

After you've used the mower for the last time at the end of the growing season, empty the fuel tank by letting the engine run until it runs out of gas. Leave the gas tank empty until spring. If the mower has a separate tank for oil, empty it and refill the oil tank with fresh oil.

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