Lawnmower Tips

• Safety is the number one tip. Never put your hand under a mower unless the spark plug wire has been disconnected and isolated from the spark plug. Spark can jump a large gap especially if it is humid out.

• Don't cut the grass when it is wet. Alot of todays mowers are built with thin, sheetmetal decks. When you cut wet grass, it sticks to the deck and causes rust to start. You can loose your deck in a very short period of time.
• Always run your mower at full throttle. The higher rpm will give you a better cut and put less strain on the motor. This is also true on a riding mower. Use the transmission gears to go slower instead of the throttle.
• Never put gas in a hot mower. Let it cool down for a few minutes and take a break. A gas can makes a rather large bomb.
• If you use a mulching mower, cut the grass more often. I have seen several mowers that had the engine worn out in a short period of time. The reason for this is the long grass having to bind around inside the mower until it is shredded small enough.
• Don't run a four cycle mower on inclines, hills or even in ditches. A four cycle mower is one where gas and oil are put in seperate places. Running the four cycle mower on inclines will cause oil to seep into the ignition chamber causing smoke and eventual spark plug fouling.
• If you need to tip your mower to service the underneath, tip it towards the end opposite the spark plug. Other directions will again cause oil to seep into the combustion chamber causing a difficult start.
• Sharpen your blade every year. This will give you a better cut and prolong the life of your motor. See the question and answer page to see how to do this.
• If your mower has wheel adjusters, make sure they are all set to the same hieght.
• Store your mower indoors or cover it outside. Water is one of the biggest enemies of machines made out of steel parts.

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