It’s spring and that means everyone’s favourite weekend activity has begun – mowing the lawn!
Whether you’re an amateur gardener, a lawn perfectionist or just like to give it a quick once-over, a mower in good working order will make the job quicker and easier.
At Sunshine Coast Mowers, we recommend springtime to our clients as the perfect time to give your mower its annual tune-up. It’s amazing what a simple bit of maintenance will do to help ensure your mower continues to perform at its best.
Step 1: Change the oil
Oil is critical for lubricating and cooling the engine, and most four-stroke engines mowers will need to have the oil replaced each year or after 25 hours of use.
It’s important to only use four-stroke engine oil or refer to the engine manufacturer’s specifications, which we have on hand at Sunshine Coast Mowers if you get stuck.
Step 2: Change the air filterhonda-air-filter
Think of this as allowing the engine to breathe properly.
If you don’t change the air filter than it can become clogged with oil and debris, which means your engine is going to get hot a lot quicker and cause problems down the track.
Step 3: Grease
This is to ensure ease of operation for your vital mower components, such as hinges, wheels and all other moveable parts. The biggest mistake is using the wrong grease. The brand doesn't matter, but use the type recommended by the manufacturer, whether it's plain lithium, lithium with molybdenum disulfide, or poly urea. Grease every fitting every time you change the oil. Check your owner's manual to locate them all.
Step 4: Replace the spark plug
Worn spark plugs cause a variety of problems, from hard starting and poor fuel economy to misfires and even engine damage. Replacing them is one of the easiest ways to guarantee your mower starts every time. Because spark plugs are pre-gapped, all you need to do is remove the old spark plug and replace it with a new one. Aim to do this at the beginning of every mowing season.
Step 5: Change the mower blades
Worn mower blades tear the grass instead of cutting it. When your blades become blunt, visit Sunshine Coast Mowers service centre at Maroochydore or Caloundra and have the blades, bolts and nuts replaced.
Step 6: Give your fuel a boost
Fuel becomes stale in about 30 days, making your engine more difficult to start. Get into the habit of adding a fuel treatment and stabiliser, which will extend the life of your fuel and protect your engine.