SPRING MOWS ALOUD
Spring is back, time for outdoor recreation, picnics, baseball -- and lawn mowing.
The beast has been waiting in the corner of the garage all winter. What you are suppose to do is prepare the mower for the winter lay-over after the last mow of the previous year, but you can use pretty much the same steps for a bit of pre-spring reconditioning.
Contrary to popular belief, there is more to mower care and good operation than just pulling the starter rope. First assignment: find out what make and model you own. Any mower made in the last dozen or more years will have a safety sticker upon which you will find sufficient info with which to bring suit against the maker if necessary.
Meanwhile, you'll want the make and model number in case you need parts.
Northern Tool (northerntool.com), we have found, has a huge selection of lawnmower parts and pieces at very reasonable prices. Likewise, Replacement Commercial Parts Warehouse (rcpw.com/Lawn_Mower_Parts.htm) has a huge inventory of OEM parts for all sorts of mowers and equipment.
As soon as you match the make, model and a resource, get yourself a new air filter, spark plug and any part that looks worn. Really, something as simple as the starter cord can cause serious injury if defective. Imagine what would happen if the cord breaks during one of your Herculean tugs! You go flying backward into the birdbath, topple it over, it lands on you and breaks your big toe. So now your bowling score drops by 30 pins.
In general, the parts are cheap and easy to replace. Oh yeah, drain the gas and change the oil, too. This is an internal combustion engine and the oil gets dirty. There's a drain-plug on the bottom and you won't even need a jack stand for this oil change -- unless you have a really big lawnmower. (Don't forget to dispose of the old oil properly)
While you are under the deck, take a peek at the blade. Those rocks and other debris probably have nicked up the blade pretty bad. Use a thick leather glove to hold the blade (some people use a couple layers of thick cloth,) and remove it for sharpening. A good sharp blade will make the mower run cooler and last longer because the engine isn't working as hard.
Our mower cost over $300.00. We want to protect that investment. Last item, which is really the first item to do, is clean the mower completely. Use a scraper or putty knife to get the caked-on junk out of the underdeck. Clean and lubricate all the moving parts. You can do all of this stuff right after the last mow of the summer, too, and be in pretty good shape to simply pull the starter cord the following spring.
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