If you have any amount of yard, then chances are you have a lawnmower to help you maintain the lawn. Regardless of how much grass you have, you need to mow it occasionally to ensure it does not get out of hand. By cutting your grass, you are helping to keep it even, neat, and short. This can affect your curb appeal in a positive way when you keep your lawn trimmed. An electric lawn mower can run you anywhere from $200 to $500 depending on the model. In some cases, the size of your yard may require you to purchase a riding lawn mower. A good quality riding mower can cost you $5,000 depending on what you are looking for. This can be a lofty investment for almost anyone. In an effort to maintain your investment, here are some mistakes not to make with your lawnmower.
Storing the Mower Improperly
How you store your lawnmower can directly impact how it performs. While the weather is nice, you will likely be taking your lawnmower in and out of storage often. When the weather turns cold, you will need to put it up for the winter. This will require a little bit of work to ensure that your lawnmower remains in good condition all winter long. The first thing you want to do is make sure there are no mice around where you plan to store the mower. Mice are known to eat at wires and can quickly damage the coils. Additionally, it is a good idea to disconnect the battery so it won't decrease in charge over time. You also want to drain old fuel in the gas tank so that it does not corrode the tank.
Using Bad Fuel in the Tank
Another common mistake mower owners make is not using the right type of fuel. When you are storing the fuel that you plan to use in the mower, you want to keep it in a dry place so that moisture does not get into the fuel. Water in your gas tank can cause it to rust. You also want to avoid alcohol in your fuel. Look for gas that is alcohol free as this will help keep water out of the tank. Alcohol tends to draw in water in the lines so it is best to leave alcohol out of fuel when using smaller engines.
Waiting Too Long to Cut Your Grass
You can quickly damage your blades and deck if you end up cutting your grass when it is too high. You want to be sure you are cutting your grass often to avoid the grass from getting too high in the first place. If it is unavoidable, then you want to increase the height of your deck and cut your grass a little higher and more often to get the grass back to a normal height. This will help preserve your blades and ensure your mower deck does not get damaged. Talk to a local company, like Joe's Tractor Sales Inc, for more help.
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