All the lawn owners wish to have a perfect lawn and in process of growing a perfect lawn, you may experience some setbacks too. You may experience that some of the time while mowing your lawn, mower may suddenly stop to work or may start to give you uneven and not so clean cuts or you may experience other similar issues. These issues tell you that it is the time that your mower needs to be repaired. Repairing, however, may not always refer to taking your mower to a professional’s shop and investing a lot of time, money and efforts. Some simple repairs can be done by yourself and some simple issues can be quickly fixed without delaying your mowing job for days.
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Common Problems and Repair Solutions
In this section, we have highlighted some interruptions that you may experience commonly while mowing your lawn and these can be addressed and fixed quickly.
Instruction: We recommend you to go through your mower’s user manual before starting to do any repair job on your equipment for personal and lawn mower safety purpose.
If the mower is not starting:
Most of you may be experiencing this issue quite often and getting frustrated. First, check if the fuel is filled up. Your mower may have old fuel and this could lead to startup issues. If you haven’t used your mower for long, try draining out old fuel and filled with a fresh one. Startup problems can also be because of a loose or disconnected spark plug. Check the spark plug and clean it if it is dirty. Tightly reconnect and try starting up again. Another common startup problem could lie in a dirty air filter. Clean filter or replace if needed. Also if the fuel is not reaching engine, the mower would not start up. Try tapping carburetor for the flow of fuel or check if you need a new filter altogether.
If the mower is losing power during the mowing process:
Mower starts up but suddenly loses power or stops, this issue may be because of a dirty air filter or dirty spark plug. Follow tips aforementioned. If these are not problem areas, then try raising the height of cut on your mower. You must also check if clippings and debris are collected underside of your mower deck.
If the mower is giving uneven cuts:
You may be noticing that mower is giving you uneven cuts and it may be vibrating a lot too while working. One of the reasons could be that something (either clippings or debris) may be collected underside of the mower deck. Check and clean the deck if needed. Also, check that the side discharge shoot must be clear and clean. Uneven cuts can also be because of a dull or loose of the bent blade of the mower. Sharpen the blade or replace if needed.
If you are witnessing smoke out of your mower:
At some point in time, you may also witness some smoke coming out of your mower’s engine. It may or may not be dangerous. If for instance, your chamber of fuel is full or if the oil is leaking into the exhaust with your mower in titled position, it is just that the engine is too hot and thus the muffler may be burning. Simply turn the mower engine off. Apart from that, you may also witness some dangerous condition when you have a light color smoke. In this case, contact a professional repair technician to get it done in the right way without causing any permanent loss.
Regular Repair Tips
- Blow and clean your mower deck: Keeping deck clean is important and it is quite simple. Just remove the belt guards and blow out the dirt and debris that may be hindering performance. Clean under the pulleys. Use an air compressor or leaf blower for this purpose. Cleaning must be done every time after 3rd or 4th mowing job.
- Repair spark plug pointers: These may be most cheap parts of an engine but keeping them tuned is most important. You must replace them often in order to enjoy easy startup and reduced fuel consumption. If the plugs are worn out you may encounter difficult startup and fuel inefficiency with your mower. Bad spark plugs can also cause damage to the engine. Check instructions for replacement in manual and work accordingly. You would only need a screwdriver for replacement.
- Check fuel filter for replacement: Check if your fuel filter needs replacement. Review user manual to see when to replace the filter. This can be done simply by pinching fuel line with a clamp so that gas flow is completely stopped. Drain any fuel left in the line. Remove the old one by plugging openings and install new ones. Follow direction arrows for removal and installation of the filter.
- Check oil filter: Your mower also needs an oil change and filter replacement. Follow instruction manual for your mower for recommended options. Change the oil filter when you want to change the oil. There may be some spillage. Old oil must be stored in a bottle and you can send it for recycling.
- Check blades: Blades are an important part of a lawnmower. If your mower blade is worn out, change it. Dull blades are not only bad for your lawn but also would require your engine and belt to work harder affecting their useful life. It is best to remove the deck for changing the blade. Make sure that you have locked deck wheels with a clamp so that it doesn’t flip over on you. Loosen the bolts of the blade and hold it back with a clamp and wood blocks. For loosening the bolts you would need a breaker bar and six-point socket. Replace the new blade. If your blade only needs sharpening, you can take it to a professional. Use a torque wrench for tightening blade bolts as over-tightening may break it.
- Clean or replace air filters: You can wash foam prefilter while the filter must be blown off for cleaning dust at least in a month if the weather is dusty. Replacing air filter is important and you must check for manufacturer’s recommendation for change of filter. Foam prefilter can be washed with soap and water. Do not use any other cleaner. Use light air compressor for blowing off the dust from the filter. Make sure that you replace the filter when it is time to replace even if it looks clean and maintained. This repair service cannot overset the time when you need to change the air filter.
Conclusion
Apart from this repair, you must maintain your mower on a regular basis that gives your mower a good lifetime. If you follow these simple steps for repair, you won’t find it really difficult to keep your mower maintained by yourself. Different brands of lawn mowers may require varied repair and replacements and you must read and follow manufacturer’s instructions and recommendation to keep your mower in a perfect shape for your lawn maintenance and growth.
