7 Steps to Mid Season Lawn Mower Maintenance

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Keep your Mower going strong with these 7 tips!

It’s June. It’s raining. These two events haven’t coincided in recent memory. This means that your yard is going to look awesome and green but it also means that you’re going to put more stress on your lawn mower. June grass is older and tougher than spring grass which means that its going to do a number on your blades and deck. If you’ve got a great mower (like a Dixie Chopper) you don’t need to worry, but you do need to make sure you’re keeping your mower in good health. Here are 7 quick steps to make sure that your mower is going to give you best cut throughout the rest of the season!

 

1.     Sharpen your Blades:

If you’re like most people, you sharpen your blades at the beginning of the mowing season then don’t look at them again. This is bad. It puts stress on your belt, your spindles and your motor. White streaks in your lawn are an indication that your blades are breaking the grass rather than cutting the grass, which is unhealthy for your yard.

2.     Check Lift wings:

 You also need to make sure that your lift wings on your blades aren’t cracked. The lift wing lifts the grass up so the blades can slice it off evenly. If your wings are damaged they not only create a poor cut but can also be a hazard if they break off while the deck is engaged. We have blades back to you in a day if you want us to sharpen them.

This is where the Lift Wings are located on your lawn mower blades.

3.     Clean out your deck:

Cleaning out the deck also affects airflow under your deck. As grass builds up under the deck it disrupts airflow, which won’t pull the grass up for the cut. It can also retain moisture, which can lead to rust in your deck.  Take a scraper and few minutes to scrape the grass build up from the bottom of your deck.

4.     Check your belts:

It's imperative that you make sure your belts aren’t fraying or cracked. A broken belt at the wrong time can put an end to your great mow job.

5.     Grease/Check your Spindles:

Make sure your spindles are all still straight. Unless you’ve hit something they should be. Straight spindles will add to prolonged belt life and quality of cut. While you’re under there, go ahead and grease them if you have grease points on your deck.

6.     Check your air filter:

This is the biggest mistake we see people make with their lawn mowers. Checking your air filter quickly can prolong the life of your engine drastically. If it’s dirty get a new one, if its fine, good, but keep an eye on it.

7.     Check Tire Pressure:

Tire pressure can affect your yard in a number of ways and is one of the easiest things you can fix. Low tire pressure on your lawn mower can make your deck mow crooked or not level, or you could blow a tire off the rim. With a quick check you can avoid both of these issues.

 

Additional Tips:

  • If you’re already nearing 50hrs on your zero turn lawn mower you will want to go ahead a change/check the oil and oil filter, unless you're using a diesel at which point you'll want to change the oil at 100hrs. 
  • If you find that the levers on your zero turn aren’t responding evenly when you push them forward you probably need to bring it in and let us adjust them.
  • If you’re leaking oil, obviously, you need to bring you lawn mower in and let us have look. This is most easily seen where you store your lawn mower.

 

These are just some of ways that you can prolong the life of your lawn mower through a rather long and wet mowing season. If you’d like for us to take a look at your lawn mower contact us today to make an appointment!