MOWER MAINTENANCE: USEFUL TIPS

Lawn mower maintenance and a freshly sharpened blade are keys to a crisp lawn cut, that looks sports-turf perfect from day one. It's worth to have two blades for your mower. This allows you to sharpen one at your leisure while mowing with the other. Before you start the engine, you’ll always have a sharp blade handy for a quick and easy change or if the blade is suddenly nicked by a rock. So, before you start spinning your engine this spring, read these mower maintenance tips:

ENGINE CARE:

Check & change the oil.

Use new gas to fill the tank.

If necessary, replace the spark plug.

Clean out all the grass from the undercarriage.

Check blades' edges and sharpen them.

MOWER BLADES:

Just like kitchen's knives, blades need to be sharpened. If the cut ends of your turf grass are ragged or stringy, your blade is dull. You can SHARPEN IT YOURSELF. HERE’S HOW: (To avoid any accident, use gloves) 1-Disconnect the spark plug wire 2-Tip the mower on its side to expose the blade. 3-Use an adjustable crescent wrench to remove the nut that holds the blade on.(Do not use pliers, channel locks, or pipe wrenches as these have ridges that gouge the metal. In general, avoid tools that have ridged teeth on the gripping parts). 4-Remove the blade and secure it in a vice with the beveled end up. 5-Sharpen the blade by running a flat file in one direction parallel to the edge of the bevel. (Keep track of how many times you pass the file so you can apply the same amount to the other end, that will provide balance). 6-Replace the blade on the mower with the fins of the blade pointing down. 7-Tighten the nut securely with a crescent wrench.