While mowing the lawn might not be at the top of everyone’s list, it is a task that must be done.  However, one way to make it more doable is by ensuring that your lawn care equipment is always ready when needed.  This is best accomplished by ensuring all the working parts of your mower, weed-wacker, edger, etc. are correctly maintained.   Lawn care equipment must be taken care of properly for the results you want.

Maintenance Tips for Getting the Most from Your Lawn Care Tools

While some maintenance tasks will only be performed once a season, others should be done after every use. Regardless of the frequency, these maintenance tasks should not be overlooked.

Change the oil –

After  every 50 hours of use, the lawn mower needs an oil change.  However, to stretch the interval, opt for a quality synthetic oil.  The 10W-30 by AMSOIL is specifically designed for small engines.  It allows as many as 100 hours between oil changes. Buy Great Oil provides AMSOIL.

Oil and air filters –

To protect the engine and keep it running smoothly, change the oil filter every other oil change.  Change your air filter based on the manufacturer’s recommendations. Be sure to check the owner’s manual.

Keep it clean –

After each use, remove grass clippings from underneath the mower deck.  Built up grass minimizes airflow and reduces the mower’s ability to cut evenly. In addition, if the grass was damp when you cut, the mower deck can rust.

Keep it sharp –

The mower is only as good as its blades.  To clean the blades, first remove the spark plugs or battery to ensure the engine does not start accidentally! Then, follow the instructions in the user’s manual to remove the build-up and sharpen the blades carefully. This task usually needs to be done at least once a season, but it may need to be done more if you have an especially hearty or thinker variety of grass. Also, most lawn equipment stores have someone on-site who can do this task for you, should you not feel comfortable doing it yourself.

Tire pressure –

If you have a larger riding mower, then take time to check the tire pressure and see that it is at the recommended level. The correct tire pressure will make the ride smoother and ensure that the blade moves as designed for an optimum mowing job.

Lubricant –

Protect the various parts of the engine and cutting mechanisms by keeping them adequately lubed. This should be done 2-3 times per season, more if you are cutting the lawn weekly. Frequent lubrication will keep wheel bearings, blade spindles, and other moving parts from creating friction and causing damage to the mower.

While the instinct upon finishing lawn work is to put away the tools and head inside for a shower and a cold drink, don’t forget about the clean-up. After all, this will ensure the tools are ready the next time you need them! And whether it is choosing the correct AMSOIL motor oil or keeping the blades clean, lawn equipment maintenance is a must. Don’t ignore the importance of these small jobs so you can keep the big problems at bay.