Preparing your Lawn Mower for Spring

Spring is right around the corner, which means flowers are soon to bloom, the birds are soon to return and your lawn is soon to flourish after another winter.

And when the grass greens up and begins growing again, you're going to need to cut it. But you can’t just pull your lawn mower out of storage and think it's good to go.

Just as you should have taken winterization steps in storing your mower for winter, there are certain preparatory steps that you need to take before it's ready to go for spring.

Here's a look at tips for preparing your lawn mower for spring:

Fuel

You should have drained, or run dry, the fuel tank before storing it for winter, but if you didn't, don't fret,  just drain it now. Then, fill it back up with fresh fuel. Don't stop there though - in order to ensure the fuel you're putting into your mower is pure, especially for its first cut of the year, be sure to add a fuel additive. This helps mitigate future fuel problems and also helps the engine run better.

Sharpen the Blade

A dull blade won't just damage your lawn, but it will cause the mower engine to work harder to do the job it needs to do. So be sure to sharpen the blade before the first cut of the season. If you're uncomfortable sharpening it yourself, take it into a local service shop where they can handle this and more in terms of getting your mower up and running well.

Clean the Engine

Pop the cover off of the engine and give the area a good cleaning. Get rid of any of the excess grass clippings and gunk that may have built up around the engine and the fan over the past year so that the mower sounds good and runs well.

New Oil

Finally, you should also change the oil on your mower at least once a year. Why not in spring? First, drain the oil from the crankcase and then refill it per your user manual's recommendation. We also recommend installing a new spark plug.

To recap, prepping your lawn mover for spring is a task that can largely be done by yourself, simply by:

• Adding fuel treatment
• Sharpening the blade
• Cleaning around the engine
• Adding new oil

In addition to these tips, you should also be following the suggested maintenance plan outlined in your lawn mover's user manual for optimum performance.