Lawn Mower Care 101

Learn the basics you need to know to keep your mower in good shape.

Get your mower ready for the season.
You can do this every spring by bringing it into us at Arco Lawn Equipment for a regular service, or you can cover the basics yourself:

• Drain the gas tank and fill with fresh gas. 
• Clean around cooling fins.
• Change oil.
• Check air filter; clean or replace as needed.
• Clean the deck.
• Change the spark plug.
• Lubricate the machine thoroughly.
• Check cables and hardware.
• Sharpen the blades.

Mow at the proper height for the type of grass you have. 
As a general rule, it's better to mow at a higher cutting level and mow more often; this makes for longer, healthier grass which can absorb more nutrients from both sun and soil, thus withstanding disease and drought conditions better.

Keep the blades sharp all during mowing season. 
Dull blades will result in grass tips that are torn, not sheared off cleanly, and will make the grass tips turn brown on the ends which makes your yard look dull.

Keep the gas fresh. 
Gas can go bad quickly, causing a varnish-like substance to build up in your mower's fuel line, tank, and carburetion system. Add fuel stabilizer to your gas with every fresh purchase to help prevent gas going bad, and only buy a couple of gallons at a time.

Check the oil before every use.
It's easy to forget when you last checked or changed the oil on your machine, so just make it a habit to check with every use and keep at the optimum fill level. For most home owners, it's sufficient to change the oil twice a year: at the beginning and the end of the mowing season.