5 Sure Ways to Destroy a Lawn Mower

by Erin Hynes

If you dread the drudgery of mowing your lawn all summer, here are five sure ways to destroy your mower, freeing you up for naps in the hammock and trips to the beach.

Neglect the Air Filter

The mower's air filter catches dirt that otherwise would find its way into the mower engine through the carburetor. That dirt accumulates in the air filter, keeping oxygen from reaching the engine. Without adequate oxygen for internal combustion, the engine sputters and coughs.

Replace or clean your air filter — whether you clean or replace depends on your mower model — once a year or after every 100 hours of operation, whichever comes first. Service your filter more often if you mow in dusty conditions — like using your mower to mulch dry leaves in autumn.

1. Skip the Oil Change

The grit in dirty engine oil grinds on moving parts in the engine, shortening the engine's life. Being low on engine oil can burn out the engine completely. Change the oil every 3 months or after 25 hours of mower use, whichever comes first.

2. Ignore the Spark Plug

An old or improperly gapped spark plug makes the engine run rough. A wet or corroded plug won't start the engine at all. Check the spark plug after every 50 hours of operation and replace it each year.

3. Let Clippings Cake

Clippings and dirt that collect on the mower can block cooling fins and the air intake screen, making the engine overheat. Moist debris — and even dry grass clippings which are moist — can trigger corrosion and rust.

After mowing, let the mower cool until it's safe to touch and then use a piece of wood to scrape debris from under the deck. Gently brush clippings off the top of the mower.

4. Use Old Fuel

Gasoline that sits in the mower over the winter collects moisture. So does gasoline that sits in a gas can for months, especially if that gasoline contains ethanol. Water prevents the engine from starting — your mower's engine can't burn water.

Keep moisture from reacting with gasoline by adding fuel stabilizer to the fuel tank or gas can. Follow the mix ratio on the stabilizer label and run the mower for at least 10 minutes before storing it for the winter.

5. Disregard Vibrations

An imbalanced blade — one that was sharpened unevenly — makes a mower shake. So does a bent blade. So does a loose blade. The uneven cut that a messed-up blade causes is the least of your concerns — a blade that breaks or cuts loose from the mower when rotating at a high speed is dangerous to the mower and to anyone nearby.

To test the balance of the blade, remove it from the mower and hang it horizontally on a nail. If one side dips, shave metal from that side until the blade balances.

Regularly check that the blade is tightly bolted to the mower. That bolt is heat treated, so if you ever have to replace it, replace it with same bolt type from Sears PartsDirect. Replace the blade if it's bent or has a chip that sharpening the blade can't remove.

How to Save Your Mower from This Fate

Tuning up your mower once a year prevents most problems that shorten the life of your lawn mower. A mower tune-up doesn't take long, and you can save money on the parts you need by buying a mower tune-up kitthat includes a spark plug, oil, air filter and gas stabilizer.

Writer Erin Hynes dodges a lot of mower maintenance by having a battery-powered mower.