Maintaining Your Lawn Equipment !

Yard equipment is expensive to purchase—and can become dangerous and prone to costly repairs if some simple maintenance checks aren't followed.
For example, the average lawn mower needs to be replaced every six years, but you can extend its life by keeping the blade sharp and following these tips from one of our readers to regularly clean the mower deck. Lawn tractors are among the most repair-prone products we test, but again, some regular precautions (including proper battery storage) will ensure trouble-free operation.
Hedge and string trimmers, garden tillers and chain saws require less maintenance, but will last longer and cut better if you perform a few simple maintenance steps. One especially crucial one is to run the machines' gas tanks dry or stabilize the gasoline before storing them away for the winter.
The links at left detail simple checks and essential maintenance you should perform before, during and at the end of the season for each of these types of lawn equipment. You can also share tips and pitfalls to avoid in our lawn mower and tractor and other lawn and garden equipment forums.

Lawn-mower care

Mowers are replaced every six years, on average, according to the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, an industry trade group. But yours can last much longer than that with the right care. Simple, routine maintenance can also save you the $50 to $75 per hour you'll pay a repair shop and the $300 to $600 or more you'll shell out for many new push and self-propelled mowers. (See our Ratings and recommendations for push mowers and self-propelledmowers.)
Clearing away small stumps, bricks, and other obstacles is one way to protect your mower from an early death, since hitting them with the blade is a common way to destroy these machines. Here's what else you can do and when to do it:
When the mowing season begins:

• For four-stroke gas mowers, check that the oil dipstick level is at or near the full mark. Add more if necessary, but don't overfill. Too little oil can damage or destroy the engine by leaving parts unlubricated; too much can also underlubricate by causing air bubbles.
• For two-stroke gas models, mix fresh gasoline and two-cycle oil according to the ratio recommended in the owner's manual. Too little oil can damage the engine by underlubricating vital parts; too much can cause poor running, excess exhaust emissions, and fouled spark plugs.
• Hose or scrape off old clippings from beneath the mowing deck using a plastic putty knife immediately after each mowing. This way clippings do not dry to the deck, which makes them harder to remove. Caked-on clippings can compromise mulching and bagging by upsetting airflow beneath. Clippings can also corrode metal decks--one reason why mowers are replaced. Caution: On gas mowers, disconnect the spark-plug wire first.
• Check a gas mower's pull-start cord and replace it if it's frayed.
• Check an electric mower's power cord and replace it if it shows cracks or other damage.
• Have any mower's blade sharpened if you didn't do it before winter storage. Blades should be sharpened at least once each mowing season to cut evenly and avoid tearing the grass.

During the mowing season:

• Hose or scrape off old clippings from beneath the deck.
• Remove grass and debris from a gas engine's cooling fins, engine covers, and air-intake screens after each use to help prevent engine overheating.
• If your mower has a manual engine-speed control, be sure it's properly adjusted.
• Regularly check belts/chain drives for wear and tightness.

Before winter storage:

• Add stabilizer to a gas mower's fuel tank at the end of the mowing season. Let the engine run until fuel runs out.
• Remove a gas engine's spark plug and pour an ounce of oil into the cylinder. Slowly pull the starter cord to distribute the oil on moving parts and help prevent rust. Then reinstall the plug.
• Replace the spark plug every 100 hours of operation (roughly every four years). Have the blade sharpened.
• Replace a gas engine's carburetor air filter if it's paper. Wash foam filters in soap and water, rinse and squeeze dry, then oil with engine oil and squeeze dry again before reinstalling.
• Replace old engine oil on four-stroke engines and properly dispose of it at a collection center. Two-stroke engines don't require this, since they burn a small amount of oil with the gas.
• Fold the handlebar to save space, then store the mower in a dry, ventilated area. On concrete floors, put plastic beneath the mower to help prevent moisture from corroding the deck.

See our Ratings and recommendations for push mowers, self-propelled mowers, and lawn tractors).

Lawn-tractor care

Lawn tractors are among the most repair-prone products we test, according to our annual surveys. At several hundred pounds, they're also a handful to transport to the repair shop, where you'll typically pay $50 to $75 per hour once you get an appointment. While new-tractor prices have dropped in recent years, you'll still pay $1,500 or more for most competent models (See our lawn tractor Ratings and recommendations.)
Some simple at-home upkeep can help you avoid those expenses and the time and hassle of getting a broken tractor to a shop. Much of that maintenance involves the gas engine that runs all lawn tractors. Here's what to do and when to do it:
When the mowing season begins:

• Unless the battery is maintenance-free, check its electrolyte level and top off each cell with distilled water as needed. Some batteries are mounted beneath the seat, some under the hood.
• Tighten the two cables if they're loose on their terminals--a common no-start culprit.
• Recharge the battery if needed. Use a portable charger or power pack.
• Check connections to other electrical parts, such as lights, gauges, and the ignition key, and tighten or clean as needed.
• Hose off or scrape old clippings from beneath the mowing deck. (Hint: Drive the front of the tractor onto car ramps for access if the deck lacks a garden-hose connection.) Caked-on clippings compromise mulching and bagging by upsetting airflow beneath. When using a hose, avoid getting the engine and transmission wet.
• Have blades sharpened if you didn't do it before winter storage. Blades should be sharpened at least once each mowing season.
• Be sure tires are properly inflated. Most require 10 to 14 pounds per square inch (psi); check the owner's manual.

During the mowing season:

• Check that the oil-dipstick level is at or near the full mark. Add more if needed, but don't overfill. Too little oil can damage or destroy the engine by leaving parts unlubricated; too much can also underlubricate by causing air bubbles.
• Check tires visually before each use.
• Hose or scrape old clippings from beneath the mowing deck.
• Regularly check belts/chain drives for wear and tightness.

Before winter storage:

• Have blades sharpened.
• Replace spark plugs.
• Replace the carburetor air filter if it's paper. Wash foam filters in soap and water, rinse and squeeze dry, then oil with engine oil and squeeze dry again before reinstalling.
• Replace the fuel filter. You'll find it on the hose leading to the carburetor.
• Replace old engine oil and dispose of it properly at a collection center.
• Add stabilizer to the fuel tank at the end of the mowing season. Let the engine run until fuel runs out.
• Remove and keep the battery charged with a trickle charger during long storage.

See our Ratings and recommendations for push mowers, self-propelled mowers, and lawn tractors).