Few people want to be replacing their gas lawn mowers all the time. Gas lawn mowers are not laptops or mobile devices, and there is minimal planned obsolescence involved. Knowing how to maintain gas lawn mower can make all the difference in the world for the people who are trying to save as much as possible on their lawn care, especially if they are trying to mow broad lawns all the time. Gas lawn mower repair will be unnecessary for the people who are able to follow basic gas lawn mower maintenance at the right time.
Cleaning
One of the biggest sources of wear and tear for a gas lawn mower is the dirt that it is going to accumulate over the course of its usage. The particles of dirt literally start breaking down the paint, the metal, and all of the other composite materials. People need to make sure that they are able to keep the underside of their mowers clean in order to use them for a long period of time:
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- Brush off a lawn mower with a whisk broom after every usage. Grass may have accumulated under the deck and on the blade area, and brushing everything off can stop the debris from getting lodged there or damaging the device over time.
- It’s a good idea to completely clean off a gas lawn mower thoroughly twice a year or so. People who use their lawn-mowers more often than that might want to clean them more often, especially if they live in the sort of warm climates that will require them to mow their large lawns frequently.
- People can clean their gas lawn mowers thoroughly by turning them onto their sides once they have been turned off and rinsing them out with garden hoses, which should help to dislodge some of the trapped grasses, rock, or dirt debris. People can then rinse and dry off their gas lawn mowers.
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Air Filter
The air filter is one of the parts of a gas mower that is going to tend to degrade more easily than most others. People need to replace the air filter of a gas mower twice a year or so in order to be on the safe side. Given the importance of the air filter, this is a crucial part of knowing how to maintain gas lawn mower.
If the paper air filter looks dirty at all, it is probably time to get it replaced. Customers who use plastic foam filters should actually wash and dry them at the rate of a few times a year. After letting these plastic foam filters air dry, people can lightly coat them with motor oil.
Spark Plugs
It is important to replace the spark plug of a given gas lawn mower at least once a year or so. People can replace their spark plugs around the same time that they replace their mower’s oil. Replacing the spark plug will help keep the ignition process and inner workings fresh and effective.
Gas and Oil
When people are putting away their gas lawn mowers for the winter, it is a good idea to completely empty the gas tank. The gas is just going to go to waste in there, and it can cause the interior to rust as it grows stale during the winter.
Customers will be able to eliminate a lot of wear and tear just by emptying the gas tanks of their gas mowers at the right time, and they will also manage to avert certain risks in the process. Changing the oil once a year in a gas mower is just as important.
Overall, customers should change the gas in their lawn-mowers every three months or so. The gas is going to be fresh by that point, and a lot of it is going to be used during the mowing process. However, people can be surprised how efficient these devices can be, and if they still have a lot of gas left over, they should be sure to empty out the tank after three months.
Activation
Some people allow their gas mowers to lie dormant, which might be understandable for the people who do not need to use them all that often, or the people who only use them seasonally. However, it is a good idea to turn on a gas mower on a monthly basis.
This can stop dirt and dust from accumulating within the mower, which can happen more easily purely through under-use. This will also help with the internal functioning of the gas lawn mower, which can start to degrade from lack of use in many cases.
Blade
The blade of a given gas lawn mower is going to tend to get dull with time, and in direct proportion to how often it is used. Some people might want to replace their blades regularly. However, it is often just as expedient to just sharpen the blade.
People can usually use fairly simple tools in order to sharpen the blades. When asking whether or not a given blade is sharp enough, people should look only at the performance of their self-propelled gas mowers. They should test them out in order to see how well they’re cutting the grass.
People who are wondering why their mowers are not cutting as well or as evenly should consider that the blades need to be changed or that the blades are just a little dull and need to be sharpened. People who cut their grass unevenly may encourage various problems as a result. Poorly-cut grass tends to become infected, dry, and brown. For simple tasks like cutting the lawn edge, one can utilize a weed wacker instead.
Winter Storage
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For one thing, people absolutely must disconnect the spark plug of the gas mower prior to storing it for the winter time. Otherwise, there is a small but very real chance that the mower could accidentally start while it is in storage. Some people remove the mower blade during the storage period for similar reasons.
This is also one of the best times to clean the undercarriage of the mower. The trapped debris can eventually accumulate additional dust while in storage. Coupled with the moisture that the device may encounter in storage, the device could become terrible damaged while in storage unless it is properly cleaned in advance.
Remove the Gas before Storing it
People absolutely must remove the gas from the gas tank of their lawn mowers while they’re keeping them in storage. The rubber and plastic parts of a given gas mower may never be the same after months of contact with stale gas, and the stale gas presents a long-term hazard.
This is also a good time to completely clean the cooling fins, to change the oil, and to get a new air filter. Once again, the debris can damage the machine while it is in storage. It’s also a good idea for people to start over with a clean slate once the winter is finished.
Naturally, people should choose a safe and clean space for their devices during the winter time. Lots of accidents can occur while a device is in storage for months. The lawn mower should be kept in a clean section of the garage or other storage space. Ideally, this should be a place that is not prone to the most extreme temperature changes either, since these temperature changes can cause damage to the composite materials over time.
Conclusion
Even the best gas lawn mower is not going to last forever. However, knowing how to maintain lawn mower can make all the difference in the world for the people who are trying to extend the lifespans of their lawn mowers. People will probably be able to double the lifespan of these devices thanks to these maintenance tips.