5 Great Life Saving Tips For Your Mower
I am happy to see all the families and people practicing No Mow May in the Twin Cities. I think it is a great way to do our little part collectively to help early season pollinators do their thing!
But I get crazy anxiety!
Not for the environment, neighborhood aesthetics, or the HOAs that are already trouble… I worry about your mower!!!
Lawn mowers are meant to cut grass that is not terribly long. In fact, they only want you to cut about 1.5 inches at a time. Going longer than that will cause a lot of stress on your mower! It can cause excess friction, overheating, and much much mower! I mean more.
So I want to give 5 great life saving tips for your mower so that you don’t have to visit me later! (Don’t get me wrong. Come visit me anytime you want. But I also want to help you avoid a headache later.)
I drive around St. Anthony a lot, and I am happy to see the families and houses that are practicing No Mow May. I think it is a great way to do our little part collectively to help early season pollinators do their thing!
But I worry a lot about it too! Not for the environment, or neighborhoods, or the homeowner associations that are already trouble… I worry about your mower!!!
So I want to give 5 great life saving tips for your mower so that you don’t have to visit me later! (Don’t get me wrong. I love helping all of you out. But I also want to help you avoid a headache later.)
Lawn mowers are meant to cut grass that is not terribly long. In fact, they only want you to cut about 1.5 inches at a time. Going longer than that will cause a lot of stress on your mower! It can cause excess friction, overheating, and much much mower. I mean more.
- Get As High As You Can! – For your very first mow, adjust the height of your wheels to the highest setting. (You thought I was talking about something else, weren’t you.) After your first mow, give it a day break and then cut to the height of your liking.
- Check Your Oil Level and Color – Make sure your oil level is within the high and low markings of your dipstick and also the color of the oil. If it is clear or a medium amber, you should be ok. Darker than that, I suggest you do an oil change first. Oil is very important in the cooling and lubrication of small engines. Dark oil means the cooling and lubricating properties have most likely broken down.
- Sharpen You Blade – This is kind of a no brainer here, but it is worth mentioning that a sharp blade is a happy blade. If the back fins are super thin though, you better get that blade replaced before you get a piece of metal in your foot and a tetanus shot in your you know what.
- Clean Your Deck – Tip your mower on the oil dipstick side and look to see if the underside of your deck had collected grass, dirt and debris. If so, clean that out. Use a paint scraper or your wife’s favorite spatula. (I won’t tell her.) Gras buildup hinders cut performance.
- Dry Grass Only!! – Please, do not mow wet grass. Your mower and your shoes are going to thank you. Mowing wet grass is going to gunk up the mower deck, impede your cut, and put a lot of strain on your engine. Wet grass is so heavy. It’s kinda like trying to run in water.
Thanks for coming to my TED Talk. Take it easy out there. Enjoy your yard. It’s been so long since we have seen them!
If you find yourself with a mower problem, give Matt’s a call. We can help you!