MENULawn mowing season will be here before you know it. Will you be ready?Last fall, I gave you some tips for preparing your mower to overwinter. Now it’s time to get the mower ready to operate once again. If you followed my advice last fall, you only have to pull it out and crank it up. If you drained the fuel, you’ll have to fill the tank, of course. Be sure to check the oil, too.If you didn’t follow our advice, you should change the oil and spark plug(s), and clean all the old grass from under the mowing deck. If you haven’t changed the air filter recently, this would be a good time to do that, too. If you want details, refer back to the fall blog. It was posted November 25.If you have a riding mower, check the maintenance requirements in the owner’s manual. These machines may require grease at various points. Yours may also need a transmission oil change or, if it is hydro-drive, the hydro-pumps may need maintenance. Many owners take these machines to a dealer or service outlet for spring maintenance.If you performed the maintenance I recommended for your string trimmer, cultivator, hedge trimmer, blower and other outdoor power equipment, the only spring tasks might be to change the spark plug and check the air filter. Spark plugs tend to get dirty faster in a two-stroke engine than in a four stroke. They are inexpensive enough that you should change them at least once a year. Then be sure you have fresh gas/oil mixture and you’re ready to go.If you didn’t perform maintenance on your hand held power equipment, refer back to the November 25 blog. When in doubt about any maintenance procedure, consult the owner’s manual, especially if the product is still in warranty.
