Spring Lawn Mower Tune Up

Warmer weather is here and if you haven’t had to mow the lawn yet, it won’t be long before you do.  If you are like many Americans who prefer to use a lawn maintenance service or landscaper for your lawn care and maintenance, it’s time to touch base and get on their schedule. This is a great time to review any problems from last year, assess any winter damage to the lawn, and talk about any new landscaping needs or lawn care changes for this season.

For those who mow their own lawns, it’s time to get that mower out of the garage and get it ready for another season.  Remove and sharpen the blades and while they are off, clean the underside of the mower deck getting all of those matted grass clippings off.

Change the oil, clean the air filter, and install a new spark plug.  If there was any gas left in the tank from last fall, drain it and fill the tank with fresh gas.  Gasoline does not age well and gas that is more than two months old can cause your lawn mower to run poorly and be hard to start.

If you have a riding lawn mower, use a bicycle pump to fill the tires to the proper pressure. Low tire pressure can cause uneven mowing.  Check the battery and top it off with distilled water if needed.  After sitting all winter, the battery may need a charge.   This is a good time to clean the battery terminals too.