5 Common Reasons Why Your Lawn Mower Might Be Failing: Basic Servicing

Matthew Published on Apr 02, 2020

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In this video, we show you 5 Common Reasons Why Your Lawn Mower Might Be Failing: Parts to Check And Change. Demonstrated on a Muccolloch M40-450c Lawn Mower with a 9T502 Briggs and Stratton Engine.

Health & Safety Warning - Please ensure that you have safely prepared the machine and workspace. If you are unsure about any aspect of the task please seek professional advice.

Transcript

Today we're going to identify 5 parts you should check when doing your annual service, which if not carried out, could result in your Lawnmower to fail! Why is it important to service your Lawn Mower? Like most machines, if left and uncared for; this may result in complex issues. During popular seasons, all throughout spring and summer we want to make sure our lawns are looking “tip top condition”, although this can put a lot of strain on our lawnmowers! Over time your blade can become damaged through hitting stones, foreign objects and even catching the blade. As you will know, the blade is the major part that will dramatically change the appearance and cut your lawn. Especially over spring and summer months, you will want to keep your grass trimmed and looking clean cut! You have an option to purchase a Non Genuine or Genuine Blade, this again will be personal preference.(if you are having any other problems with the blade you may also want to check the flywheel key). Over time the oil will darken due to the heat, dirt and agitated air in the crankcase. The Oil being dark doesn't just indicate that it is dirty, but it has reduced the power to coat and protect the engine components. Therefore you will need to drain the oil with an extractor and dispose of it correctly. This should be practiced every 50 hours of operation or season. When replacing you will need to fill the oil to the min and max markings on the dipstick. Be careful as over filling could cause significant damage to the engine. As air filters can get trapped with dirt and grime and even rip and tear, this could have a large effect on the efficiency of your lawn mower. Most air filters are very cheap to purchase and should be replaced at the annual service. As you can see, here is an example of an air filter that needs to be replaced. Some may wash their old air filter, however most people will just replace this part to save time. Make sure you are purchasing the correct air filter for your lawn mowers as many do look similar, and coat the filter in recommended oil. When servicing every year, check the spark plug. Spark Plugs can become extremely hot as they provide the spark that ignites the air and fuel mixture within the cylinders. If not changed, they can cause issues with the engine. Check your manufacturer's specification guide to make sure you are purchasing the correct spark plug. Over time when we start the lawn mower, pulling the rope quite harshly can result in the rope to break. Therefore if this does break, you might be unable to start the lawnmower, or you might affect other parts causing more damage when trying to start the mower. You can either replace the whole recoil assy if damaged or you can just repair the rope. If you didn't already know petrol can go off, petrol is normally fresh for only a month. As the petrol evaporates, it can form deposits which can block the carburettor and fuel lines. After every season, especially when storing for the winter, the fuel can have a major impact on the engine. This can cause severe damage with the change of temperature. Therefore the oil will need to be drained and replaced, with quality unleaded gasoline. So why not make this a yearly task to check potential issues before they become major, and prevent paying for a new expensive lawn mower. This is only just a few minor tasks you may want to check, there are obviously many more parts that could cause issues. We recommend if you are still unsure or not confident, to take your lawn mower to a professional. We hope our videos can help you identify what may be wrong to speed up this process. Additionally, we have a variety of “How To” videos you can watch to replace parts on your mower, to save time and money.