Trip Alertz For Jetsetters, By Jetsetters
As the spring season approaches, more and more people are getting their lawnmowers ready to take care of their lawn. Even though you may be tempted to bring your lawnmower to a repair shop to get it ready for the spring and summer seasons, the process of tuning it up is fairly simple and can be done from home. To tune-up a lawn mower, you’re going to need several tools:
- Socket wrench
- Spark plug wrench
- Locking pliers
- Work globes
- Air filter
- Motor oil and gasoline
- Screwdriver
- Spark plug
1) Check, Drain And Replace The Oil
Look at your oil level in your mower and see if there’s any debris in it, or if the oil has changed colors. Contaminated and old oil must be drained and replaced to ensure that your lawn mower runs at optimum efficiency. To change the oil, tilt the unit backwards, unscrew the plug with the socket wrench and get a pan ready to collect all the oil that will pour out. When it comes to replacing your oil, it’s important that you use small engine oil as opposed to regular motor oil. Small engine oil provides additional additives which were included to offer protection for the conditions under which your lawnmower will be working. A high quality small engine oil which has the ability to cling to dirt and can help to ensure that your lawnmower’s engine lasts for years.
2) Replace Air Filters
It’s common for air filters to get congested with debris and oil. Therefore, it’s always a wise decision to change your filter, every mowing season as it helps to protect the engine. To replace your air filters, use the screwdriver to remove the cover. Your lawnmower will either have an air or foam filter. Once you find out what kind of filter you have, you can go to your local hardware store to get the right replacement filter.
3) Sharpen The Blade
Most homeowners never sharpen their blades. But just like how your knife has to be continuously sharpened to ensure that you can easily cut into items, you need to do the same with your lawnmower’s blade. Most experts recommend that you should sharpen your blades at least once per year since it’s always coming into contact with rocks and other debris. You can sharpen the blades with a bench porch or metal grinder. Regardless of the method you choose, you have to remove the blade first. To do this, tilt the mower on its right or left side then use the locking pliers to stop the blade from slipping. Then, use the socket wrench to unscrew the bolts that are holding the blade in place. While sharpening the blades, ensure that you use your work gloves to avoid cutting yourself.
4) Replace Spark Plug
If you’ve ever had issues with starting your electric or zero turn lawn mowers, you may need to change the spark plug. An old or damaged spark plug can cause the engine to struggle to start and run poorly when it does start. To replace the spark plug, use the spark plug wrench to unscrew the plug, as to which you can manually remove the plug.
5) Clean It From Top To Bottom
It’s always a good idea to clean your equipment from top to bottom, after extended periods of idleness. This is especially true if you don’t use your lawnmower during the winter season. Start by cleaning the top of the mower using a rag and brush to remove leaves, debris and other grass clippings. You should also check the underside of the unit to remove caked up grass. Once it has been cleaned, wax the deck to stop dirt and grass from sticking to it, when you use it.
