Lawn Mower Maintenance tip-filters

Lawn Mower Maintenance tip-filters, the most important piece of advice is to regularly inspect, clean or replace the air filter.

Lawn Mower Maintenance tip-filters, the most important piece of advice is to regularly inspect, clean or replace the air filter. The air filter is located on or near the top or side of the engine. There are two main types of filters, paper or foam filters

The paper filters when dirty can be removed and tapped lightly against your knee a few times and this should knock off most of the dust/dirt on the filter. Return the filter and replace the plastic filter cover and away you go.

If you have the foam type then you will need to remove it and submerse it in a pale of warm water and dish soap. Squeeze it to wring out the trapped dust and dirt. Once the filter is clean let it dry.

After it has had time to dry out apply a small amount of clean oil and lightly, wring out the filter until the oil has covered the filter. It is this light coating of oil that helps to trap the dirt. Return the foam filter and replace the filer cover and continue to mow your lawn.

Replace the oil filter is the next Lawn Mower Maintenance tip. Most small push mowers don’t have oil filters; this applies to larger walk behind or riding lawn mowers. These oil filters should be changed every other time the oil is changed.

This depends on the number of hours on the engine. A schedule of when to change to oil filter is indicated on the maintenance schedule in the operators’ manual. If you don’ have a manual then a good rule of thumb is once a season or every 100 hours whichever comes first.

A special tip my father always told me to apply a small bead of new oil around the rubber gasket mount on the filter before attaching it on the engine block. I believe it was to help protect the gasket from premature cracking or wear.

While still talking about Lawn Mower Maintenance and walk/riding mowers, there is another filter that needs to be replaced on a scheduled basis. It is the fuel filter. This filter is also important as it stops any dirt or other unwanted deposits from reaching the carburetor and clogging it.

A clogged (blocked) carburetor will keep your engine from running properly or at all. Again the frequency recommendations will be indicated in the maintenance schedule of the owners’ manual; if you don’t have one then once a season will be satisfactory.

“Keep It Simple to Succeed” lets get out there and make our lawns healthy and green! br>

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