Three Tips For Prolonging The Life Of Your Mower

Push mowers, like those from Joe's Tractor Sales Inc, can get expensive depending on all the bells and whistles you want on it. This is why it is so important that you keep up with the maintenance a push mower requires so you don't have to keep purchasing a new one every several years. This can mean the difference between it lasting only 5 years and going strong for over 10 years. The average lawnmower lasts around 8 to 10 years with proper maintenance. Of course, there are many variables for the life expectancy of a push mower. How tall the grass is and how often it is cut are just two of the variables you should consider. The most important variable is the maintenance performed on the push mower. In order to prolong the life expectancy, you will want to make sure you are performing these tasks on your mower. 

Sharpen the Blades

Keeping your blades sharp not only helps your grass from becoming diseased, but it will also ensure that you get a clean cut every time you mow. When the blades are dull it tears the grass instead of cutting it. Torn grass is more prone to diseases. It also means you will likely be cutting the grass more often when you do not get a crisp, clean cut. In order to sharpen the blades, you want to use a sharpening stone, a metal file, or a motorized grinder. By running one of these over the blade, it will help make the blade sharper. Doing this at the start of mowing season will help ensure your blades are sharp. 

Change the Oil

Just like a car, your lawn mower's oil is susceptible to getting impurities in it. You want to make sure that you change the oil often to help remove the impurities so they do not get in the engine and cause problems. If not, it could cause the engine to overheat or fail earlier than it should. Your lawn mower's owner's manual will explain how the oil should be changed. You will want to first remove the bad oil before putting the good oil in it. 

Watch Your Gas

Gas can be hard on small engines, especially when it contains ethanol. To help avoid premature failure, you want to make sure the gas doesn't sit in the tank for long without being used. When mowing season is done and you plan to put the mower up for a while, you want to remove all the fuel. This is because fuel in the tank will degrade over time and start to harden. By removing the fuel at the end of mowing season, you can start the next year's season with fresh fuel for your mower. 


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