Simple Lawnmower
Maintenance
by: Mark J. Donovan
Do you have trouble starting your lawnmower up in the spring? Before deciding to take your lawnmower in for repair, try these few simple suggestions. After completing them most of the time your lawnmower will fire up and run like a champ.
Pull and clean the Spark Plug
Most of the time simply cleaning the spark plug will solve your lawnmower woes. To do this, disconnect the wire attached to the end of the spark plug. Then using a wrench or a Ratchet/Socket, remove the spark plug. If the spark plug is black or wet looking, you have probably found your problem on why the lawnmower is not starting.
Using fine grit sandpaper, sand the top of the spark plug down to bare metal. Make sure you sand all around the edges of the piece of metal (tab) that sits just above the electrode. Make sure that there is a gap between the metal tab and the electrode. If you still have the lawnmower manual and a feeler gauge you can adjust the gap to the specifications. However, if there is a small gap it is probably sufficient for the spark plug to operate correctly.
Make sure the spark plug is free of dust and dry. Then screw it back into the cylinder and connect back the wire to the end of the spark plug. Then try starting the lawn mower.
Check for Oil
Make sure there is oil in the lawnmower and that it is at the proper level.
Check for Fuel
Make sure there is gas in the lawn mower. If you have old gas in the lawnmower and did not put in a fuel stabilizer at the end of the season, replace the gas. If you had drained the gas tank at the end of the previous season, then fill the tank at least half full with new gas.
Check the Fuel Line
Like many of us, at the end of the previous lawn mowing season we turn off the fuel line switch. Make sure it is in the on position. If you have done all of the above and the engine will not fire, then check to see if the fuel is getting to the carburetor. Temporarily disconnect the fuel hose from the carburetor and see if gas pours out. If so reconnect the hose. If not, then check the fuel line. It may be gummed up or the fuel filter is clogged.
Check the Air Filter
Make sure the Air Filter is clean. If it is dirty and oily then replace it. If it just dirty shake it and knock out some of the dust. This may solve your problem; however I would still recommend replacing it.
Clean the Carburetor
First turn off the fuel line. Disassembling and cleaning the carburetor is not as bad as you may think. Usually there is a nut on the underside of the carburetor. Remove this and pull the bottom portion of the carburetor off. Clean the inside of this lower portion of the carburetor and then make sure the float valve moves up and down freely. The float valve is a plastic object about 1.5” in diameter that hangs down when you remove the lower portion of the carburetor.
Reconnect the lower portion of the carburetor and turn on the fuel line again.
Try restarting the lawnmower. If it still does not work after performing all of these procedures, then take it to a repair shop. However, from personal experience these procedures usually solve the problem.
Sharpen the Blade
Finally, make sure you sharpen the blade. This will ensure you minimize the torque on the engine while cutting the grass. Not to mention, your lawn will get a more even cut.
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About The Author Over the past 20+ years Mark Donovan has been involved with building homes and additions to homes. His projects have included: building a vacation home, building additions and garages on to existing homes, and finishing unfinished homes. For more home improvement information visit http://www.homeadditionplus.com and http://www.homeaddition.blogspot.com. |
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Mowing
The Lawn - Do It The Correct Way Without mowing the lawn, a beautifully manicured yard can easily turn into an overgrown forest. Ignoring the proper techniques according to the type of grass you possess can also lead to damaging problems that are be rather difficult to hide. As you approach the task of lawn mowing, there are a couple of factors to consider, which can either make or break the appearance of your grass and overall presentation of the yard. Debating Height As a rule of thumb, grass generally responds best when selecting one of the higher lawnmower settings, especially during a heat-filled summer day. If the blade is set too low, scalping is often the result, which is highly undesirable. When the blade is set too low, a gouging of the soil may occur, which pulls up the grass and in particular, turf that is dry and straw-colored. If you find yourself falling behind the growth of your lawn, you may mow the grass at a higher length, and then lower the blade for a mowing that takes place after a couple of days have passed. A common rule is that you should never cut off more than 1/3 of the length of grass in a single mowing. Recommended Mowing Heights Your location by region usually determines the type of grass in your yard, which is based upon selections better suited for various climates and temperature levels. Below you will find a few recommendations based on minimum and maximum heights for an assortment of common grass types: Fine Fescue (1½"; 2½"); Tall Fescue (2"; 3"); Kentucky Blue grass (1½"; 2½"); Rye grass (1½"; 2½"); Bahia grass (2"; 4"); Bermuda grass (1½"; 2"); Buffalo grass (2"; 3"); Carpet grass (2"; 3"); Centipede grass (1"; 1½"); St. Augustine grass/Floratam (2"; 4"); and Zoysia grass (¾"; 2"). Mowing Frequency Typically, individuals should mow their lawn once per week. Sometimes, seasonal and weather changes may also affect the frequency of mowing. For example, grass tends to grow at a more rapid pace during the springtime. This means mowing the grass twice a week may become necessary in order to avoid having to remove more than 1/3 of the length. Blade Sharpness Keeping the mower blade sharp will produce the best results when it comes to keeping a yard looking fresh and clean. When the blades of a mower become dull, grass blade ends are torn in such a way that a raggedy appearance is the result. These jagged ends usually turn brown, causing the grass to look dried-out. This type of blade damage also promotes the spread of fungus and disease. Additional Lawn Mowing Tips Before mowing your lawn, there are additional tips that may increase the prosperity of a lawn. For instance, mowing in different directions helps to prevent the look of leaning grass blades. Try diagonal, horizontal, and vertical patterns. When mowing, you should avoid making sharp turns. Also, it is important to never mow a lawn that is wet as it only invites fungus to attack.
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