Regular lawn mower maintenance will help to prolong the lifespan of your lawn mower, and prevent accidents from occurring due to worn or damaged parts.
In JAKMax’s many years of supplying and servicing all types of lawn mower parts in Australia, we’ve come across every kind of problem that poor mower maintenance can cause.
This guide is born out of that experience, to help you get the best use and longevity from yours. We’ll cover the most important maintenance tasks, ranging from day-to-day care, to how to service a lawn mower.
Of course, if you’re not really the DIY type, you can skip the instructions below and simply contact JAKMax for thorough, professional lawn mower servicing.
Understanding Petrol Lawn Mower Maintenance
A lawn mower requires regular maintenance to ensure that all components are working properly for optimal performance. Its internal combustion engine needs the same sort of care as your car’s engine, and the blades need to be maintained for maximum cutting efficiency. This not only benefits your lawn mower – cleaner, more precise cutting also helps keep your grass healthy.
Additionally, you’re likely to save a fair amount on repairs or parts replacement if you maintain your mower properly, and you’ll prolong its lifespan.
Why Do Lawn Mowers Need Servicing?
Like any machine, a lawn mower should be serviced regularly. This is essential to detect worn or damaged parts, and replace them so that your machine continues to work smoothly. Regular lawnmower servicing can also reduce the cost of later repairs. If you keep yours in good nick, you’re far less likely to have to replace major parts.
How Often Should I Service a Lawn Mower?
Most suppliers recommend that you service your lawn mower every 12 months. If you use your lawn mower a lot, it may be better to do it more often.
Lawn mower manufacturers, like Sanli and Greenworks, provide maintenance schedules in your owner’s manual. JAKMax specialises in lawn mower parts and accessories from these brands, so they’re really easy to get if you need to replace parts like air filters.
What Maintenance Does a Lawnmower Need?
General lawn mower maintenance only requires a few simple procedures:
First, you’ll need some basic tools:
- Rags and a soft brush
- A wire brush
- Safety gloves
- WD40 lubricant
Before you begin, make sure that your lawn mower is safe to work on, by checking that the throttle is in the “Off” position For extra safety, disconnect the spark plug.
Step 1: Clean the outside of your lawn mower
Use your rags and a brush to clean the lawn mower’s outer casing and wheels, removing any grime or vegetation.
Step 2: Lubrication
To lubricate external working parts, spray WD40 onto the throttle cable, the wheels and the height adjuster. Make sure not to leave any excess – wipe away with a rag.
Step 3: Inspect the spark plug
Remove the spark plug and make sure that it’s clean. You can use the wire brush for this. Replace it if you need to.
Step 4: Clean the air filter
Take off the air filter housing cover and check it for dirt. If necessary, remove the air filter, give it a few taps and clean it with a soft brush.
Step 5: Clean the grass catcher
Remove the grass catcher container from the back of your lawn mower and give it a thorough brushing. Hose it down if very dirty.
Step 6: Clean the underside
Put your lawn mower on its side to clean underneath the blade protector. Don safety gloves and use a brush to remove grass or other vegetation, making sure to clean the blades too.
How To Service a Lawn Mower?
Servicing isn’t difficult or expensive, but it’s a very necessary part of lawn mower maintenance. Always remember to first read your owner’s manual, as it will contain servicing instructions specific to your make and model.
If you’d rather not do it yourself, you can take advantage of our affordability and efficiency, and book yours in at a JAKMax lawn mower service dealer. We have branches all over Australia, including Tasmania.
Here’s how to do a quick lawn mower tune up:
Disconnect the spark plug
Disconnect the spark plug to avoid the risk of the engine starting up unexpectedly. Clean your spark plug or replace it if necessary.
Remove any external debris
Before inspecting other components, remove any vegetation or other debris with a brush.
Check and tighten loose components
Make sure that all the nuts and bolts are tightened. Pay special attention to the wheels. Make sure that they’re well affixed and can rotate freely and evenly.
Check and clean the air filter
The air filter plays a crucial role in protecting your lawn mower, by preventing dust and debris from entering the engine system. Keeping it clean and clear is thus an important part of lawn mower maintenance. Remove your air filter from its housing and dust it off with a brush. Clean the housing as well.
If it’s really clogged, you should replace it. Changing the air filter typically only requires the following:
- Unscrew the retaining bolt from the air filter housing.
- Open the housing and take out the foam filter.
- Clean the housing.
- Soak the new filter foam in clean engine oil, and then squeeze out as much as you can.
- Put the new oil-soaked foam filter into the housing.
- Close the housing and screw the retaining bolt back on.
You can get new, approved air filters from JAKMax – and if you’re not sure how to change the air filter on a lawn mower, we can show you or do it for you.
Check the starter cord
Inspect your starter cord for any signs of fraying. To replace it, remove the pulley system housing, take off the old cord and insert the end of the new one into the pulley. Then wind it a few times.
Replace the oil
Look at your owner’s manual to locate the plugs to the oil reservoir. Place a bucket underneath them before opening and letting the oil drain out. Pour in new oil to the correct level using a funnel.
How Often Should You Change the Oil in a Petrol Lawn Mower?
It’s recommended that you change the oil in your petrol lawn mower at least once a year, typically at the start of spring. As a further rule of thumb, you should change oil after every 50 hours of use.
Do I Need to Drain Petrol from a Lawnmower?
It’s always a good idea to drain the petrol from your lawn mower, especially if you don’t use it often. Petrol left in the tank can degrade within 30 days, and running your lawn mower on degraded petrol can damage it.
Use a syphon pump to transfer the petrol from your lawn mower to an external cannister. Before you do this, turn the fuel shut-off valve to the “Off” position, if you have one, and make sure to remove the spark plug. Or empty the petrol by tilting the lawnmower and pouring it into a draining pan or a funnel.
Life Expectancy of a Petrol Lawn Mower
In general, petrol lawn mowers last for around 10 years, provided they’re properly maintained. However, this also depends on usage. You can expect a lifespan of roughly 450-500 hours of use. A regular tune up schedule can extend this further.
Replace or Repair – Which is Better?
It’s usually cheaper to repair components yourself. The choice of whether to replace or repair hinges largely on the condition of the components and the age of your mower. JAKMax professionals can accurately advise you on whether you need to replace parts or not. And if this level of lawn mower maintenance is beyond your ability, we’ll take care of it.
Can You Sharpen Mower Blades Yourself?
You only need a few basic tools to sharpen your mower blades. Doing it yourself will save you the lawn mower blade sharpening service cost, but if you’re hesitant to
Can You Sharpen Mower Blades Without Removing Them?
It’s not recommended that you try to sharpen mower blades without removing them. If they’re still attached it can become an unwieldy task, as access is awkward and the blades can move around.
Correct Ways of Lawnmower Blade Sharpening
As always, make sure that the lawnmower power is off, and remove the spark plug. Then put a wooden block between the mowing deck and the blade to prevent any movement, and use a wrench to loosen the central nut and remove the blade.
Put on safety glasses and gloves, and clean the blade before sharpening. A simple metal file is the best tool to use. Make sure to file in the direction of the cutting angle, and sharpen both sides. The blades don’t need to be razor sharp – only about as edged as a butter knife.
To Sum Up:
Proper lawn mower maintenance goes a long way to ensuring the machine’s longevity, reducing overall costs, helping to prevent injuries, and keeping your grass healthy.
For a professional tune-up, replacement parts or advice, you can always contact JAKMax. We’ll help ensure you have many happy years of good use.