Homeowners, start your engines! It’s time to clean your lawn mower for the spring season. Lawn mowing time is fast approaching! If your spring-cleaning checklist is a mile long, don’t fret. Prepping your mower doesn’t require a ton of time and effort. Just a few minutes of mower love, and $20 to $30 in supplies, will keep your machine running fine for years. Trust us.
Step No. 1: Read the owner’s manual
Check the maintenance schedule and the recommended procedures for your particular machine in the owner’s manual.
“Brands differ on when’s the best time to care for your mower—from every 25 to 50 hours of use,” says Chris Granger, vice president and general manager of Sears Home Services. “Get out your manual and follow its timetable.”
Step No. 2: Disconnect the spark plug
Do this before doing any work on your mower as a safety precaution so the engine can’t possibly start. Do it now, OK?
Step No. 3: Clean the outside
Use a rag, soft-bristle brush, or leaf blower to remove any old grass clippings and debris from around the engine parts. In fact, do this each time you use your mower.
Step No. 4: Freshen the gasoline
Drain the old gasoline from the mower’s tank and add fresh gas. If you stored last year’s leftover gasoline in an air-tight container and added a fuel stabilizer, your leftover gas should be fine. If not, it’s possible that moisture has crept into your leftover gas, which could cause damage to your engine. If you’d rather be safe than sorry and start with all-new gasoline, take the old gas to your local hazardous-waste facility for disposal. Or, take the old gas to an automotive repair shop and ask if they have a disposal tank for old auto fluids. When fall comes to an end, run the machine dry so you don’t have to play a guessing game with the gasoline next spring.
Step No. 5: Drain the engine oil
Drain the old oil by removing the oil drain plug and, typically, tilting the machine on its side. Refer to the owner’s manual for the plug location and preferred draining method. Dispose of old oil properly.
Step No. 6: Sharpen the blade
Turn the mower on its side, remove the cutting blade, and sharpen the blade with a metal file. If you don’t feel comfortable handling sharp objects, take it to a sharpening service and pay a small fee, usually around $10. A sharp blade cuts grass cleanly; a dull blade can tear and injure grass.
Step No. 7: Clean the undercarriage
With the blade removed and the mower on its side, clean the undercarriage to get rid of packed grasses and dirt. Loosen pockets of gunk with a flat-blade screwdriver or similar tool, and scrape the insides clean with a wire brush. When you’re done, replace the cutting blade and turn the mower upright.
Step No. 8: Add new oil
Refill the oil reservoir with the type of oil and viscosity recommended by the owner’s manual. Check the oil level with the dipstick, and be careful not to overfill the reservoir or you’ll risk permanently damaging the engine. If you pour in too much, drain some out until you get the right level.
Step No. 9: Replace the air filter
A clogged or dirty air filter can really put a chokehold on your mower’s performance. Take the old one to your local hardware store to make sure you get the right replacement filter. Between changing, you can clean foam filters with soap and water. Make sure they’re dry before reinstalling. Replace paper filters when they are dirty.
Step No. 10: Replace the spark plugs
Even though spark plugs can last for several years, they’re crucial to your mower’s performance and cost only $2 to $4, so it’s good to replace them annually. When putting the spark plug back into your mower, put a drop or two of lightweight oil on the threads to make it easier to remove next year.
Step No. 11: Oil the wheels
Add a few drops of oil to each wheel axel to keep your rig rolling smoothly.
Step No. 12: Inflate tires
Make sure they’re inflated to the recommended air pressure listed on the sidewall of the tires.
When in doubt, turn to a professional
If tuning up your lawn mower isn’t your idea of a good time, you can take it to a machine repair shop or lawn mower dealer to do the work for you.
Repair shops, which will sharpen the cutting blades, typically charge $50 to $100 for a spring-clean and tuneup. But if you’re up for sharpening your own blade, watch the video below for a detailed tutorial from This Old House.
