Minnesotans take great pride in their lawns. From beautiful landscaping to luscious green grass, we love our curb appeal. We count on our lawn mowers to keep our yards up to standards every summer, but how do we keep it around year after year? Lawn mowers are a significant purchase and the best way to maximize your investment is by protecting the longevity of your mower. Here is how to keep your lawn mower in tip top shape so it can help you keep your lawn looking its best.
Regular Maintenance
It cannot be stressed enough how important regular maintenance is to your lawn mower. We all know it’s important, but with so many things to take care of – maintaining the lawn mower tends to fall on the backburner. Commit to a spring tune-up, winterizing your mower and be sure to clear it of any debris after each. Doing so will likely add years to its lifetime.
Fluid Management
One of the best ways to ensure the longevity of your mower is to properly manage and change both the fuel and oil. As with any engine, fresh oil is best suited to keep parts lubricated and firing as they should. While you don’t need to drain unused fuel after each mow, you will want to be sure it is flushed as a part of your winterization procedure so that you can start with fresh oil in the spring.
Sharpen Your Blade
Your lawn mower blade plays a significant role in the overall efficiency of your mower. Sharp blades make quick work of your grass, dull blades waste fuel and time. With dull blades, you often find yourself needing to make a second pass. Not only does this further dull your blade but you burn through twice as much fuel as you would have with a sharp one. While sharpening will likely take place as part of both your spring tune-up and winterization procedures, taking it in for a midseason touch up will help you get the most out of your mower while keeping your lawn looking great.
Storage Matters
It is important that you store your mower as carefully as you operate it. Store your lawn mower in a dry, well ventilated area. This will protect it from the elements as well as ensure that gasoline fumes are not trapped in a confined space. If you are putting your mower away for a prolonged period of time, you may want to consider using a fuel stabilizer or running the fuel tank dry before storing.
Professional Lawn Mower Repair
Some things are best left in the hands of the professionals and lawn mower maintenance is one of them. The service staff at Minnesota Equipment is here to help you get the most out of your lawn mower. No matter if you use a walk behind, zero turn or riding mower – our team has the know-how to keep you mowing. You can trust us to provide reliable spring tune-ups and winterizations as well as handle any repairs that are needed. Stop by one of our four Twin Cities locations today!