Its that time of year when you look out at your lawn and realize: "Its still brownish." And so you turn your back on it and make other plans. You must know that as soon as you do that, the grass is going to play its usual tricks on you and turn green and grow 6 inches after you settle into your oversized La-Z-Boy. By the time you figure out you better get the mower cranked up it will be too late. And you know who you are. Ah, the old blade is rusty. There are mashes of old leaves and twigs caught in the frame as well as old mud dried hard as cement. The spark plug is carbon coated and the filter...oh there's a filter? Yep. Time to service your lawn's best friend and I can help. Really, I can.
1. After the last cutting in the Fall, drain all the gas and oil before shoving it into a corner of the garage. What? Didn't do that? hmmmm Neither did I, but its ok, its really ok, those lawn experts are deceiving you into thinking the thing will blow up or spew black exhaust into the air when you try to start it. They just want you to hire their service, you know the ones...one or two or three or four guys screech to a halt in front of your house, haul an inexplicable number of machines off the back of the cute trailer and start them up all at once. Then the guy (or guys) attempt to set a lawn mowing record by zooming at top speed across your lawn.
2. Well, you didn't drain the fluids so you have to do that first. Turn on the mower and let it run until the gas is burned off. This is important, you shouldn't be doing the next step til the gas is gone. Oh, can't start it?
3. Take out the spark plug, you need one of those spark plug remover tube thingies that you can buy about anywhere except the grocery store. Each end of the tube fits a different size spark plug. Don't have one of those? A normal socket wrench will not work...trust me.. So go somewhere and get one, but before you go, read the spark plug number and get a new one of those too. When you get the old one out, don't put the new one in you finish everything else.
4. Now that you're back with the spark plug stuff, get an aluminum pie pan and put it on top of a piece of newspaper next to the mower. (Note: don't do this on a windy day, just personal experience talking here) Take the cap off the oil fill opening, tip the lawmmower to the side and let the oil drain out into the pie pan. If you have the kind of mower that mixes oil into the gas can, you can skip this step...you lucky.
5. Take off the old blade. Oh, I forget to say, when you go to pick up the new spark plug, grab a new blade too. Remember to bring along the model number of your mower. Its on the front. Usually. Don't go to Sears unless you have a Craftsman mower. Just saying...Anyhow, to take off the old blade you need a pair of the heaviest leather work gloves you can find, may have to buy them too. At some point you will have to grab hold of the old blade. You also need a socket wrench with the correct size socket thing. And maybe some WD 40. Put the wrench on the nut holding the blade in place. This is the tricky part. Turn left to loosen. To the right-tight To the left loose, but you knew that. If it doesn't budge, spray the heck out of it with WD 40 and go in the house and have lunch and a nap. It will take some time. When you come back outside, the blade should come off. Take all the pieces-nut, washers, blade, bracket, anything that fell off when the bolt gave way, and stack them up in the order they came off. heh
6. Put on the new blade. This is easy. Tighten so that the blade stays on when you start up.
7. Put the mower upright and fill with new oil. (if necessary) oh, you should have bought some of that too)
8. Check the air filter. Finding it may take awhile, but trust me, there will be a filter. Wash this with luke warm water and some mild dish soap, rinse, and then lightly coat with oil and put it back where you found it.
9. Now put in the new spark plug, this is easy, you need that spark plug thing again.
10. Gas up. And Bob's your uncle, you're good to go. Hopefully Here is a photo of our mower, tipped to the side with all the little tools scattered round. Having trouble getting the blade off....
Don't forget putting the snow blower away for the season either.
Posted by: Bill Baar | March 24, 2005 at 06:05 AM
Well, Bill, we did not have to use our snow blower even one time this winter so it stays put. I did visit my parents in the Chicago suburbs in January just at the exact time a foot of snow fell so I did use their snowblower.
Posted by: Diane | March 24, 2005 at 07:32 AM