What to Do When Your Lawn Mower Needs a Tune Up

!±8± What to Do When Your Lawn Mower Needs a Tune Up

A lawn mower is a heavily-used machine, so like all machines it needs a little tune-up now and then. By taking the time to tune up your lawn mower, you will keep it running in good working condition for a longer period of time, and thus will be able to save on its repair costs. You will also notice that the mower will run more smoothly and efficiently, so this will make the mowing job even easier than if you had to contend with a noisy sputtering machine.

Thankfully, you do not have to tune up the machine every time you want to use it though. Just once a year is good enough, so it's usually recommended to do the tune up in spring when you first take it out for use during the season.

Before you do anything, please remember to read your user manual first and take note of the safety precautions. Then before you take apart the mower, remove the spark plug first so that it cannot be started by accident.

The last thing you want is to have the sharp metal cutting blades start spinning wildly in front of you when you have your hands in the depths of the machine. This is an accident waiting to happen, so taking the precaution of removing the spark plug first will ensure you will have a safe tune up session.

Once you have removed the spark plug, the next thing to do is a general cleaning of the mower. Use a scrapper to remove any accumulated dirt or grass clippings from underneath the mower, and then check that all the holes, ducts and debris channels are not blocked.

If the blades are dull, this is a good time to have them sharpened. If you feel up to it, you can try sharpening the blades yourself, but you must be extra careful because the curved blades are harder to sharpen for the inexperienced. A safer way is to dismantle the blades and take them to a professional to be sharpened for the best results.

If you are sharpening the blades yourself, make sure they are replaced properly and the retaining screws or bolts are tightened securely. And if any of the blades is severely chipped or is showing signs of wear, you should replace it with a new blade for safety reasons.

Then check the engine belts to ensure they are still taut and not worn out. If any part of the belt is frayed, it's time to have the belt changed. Just get a replacement from your local retail store and follow the simple instructions to change the belt.

This is now a good time to change the engine oil. Again, it's a simple affair that goes a long way to help prolong the working life of the mower. Just make sure you dispose of the oil in an environmentally-friendly way. Do not just dump it into the nearest drain, but take it to your local car lubrication shop instead for proper disposal.

After that, check the air filter to see if it needs changing. If it's a paper filter, just swop out the old one and put in the new one. But if it's a foam filter, you will need to soak it with a few drops of engine oil first before installing it back into the mower.

Now the last thing is to put back the spark plug. But you should change the spark plug and put back a brand new one instead of the old one. This helps your engine run more smoothly and efficiently, thus reducing the amount of gas used.

What to Do When Your Lawn Mower Needs a Tune Up

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Should You Buy a Secondhand Gas Hedge Trimmer?

!±8± Should You Buy a Secondhand Gas Hedge Trimmer?

Should you buy a used gas hedge trimmer? Generally when buying secondhand whether it be tools or appliances, there is normally no guarantee on them which means you can not take them back if they refuse to work. If you buy your used gas hedge trimmer from a chainsaw or lawnmower dealer, it may be have been traded in by the seller who has upgraded to a new model and the dealer may offer you a warranty with it and if you are lucky, it might have been fully serviced.

Where Can I Buy
For obvious reasons a dealer would be the best place to buy, they often have trade in units for sale and usually at a reduced price. Ask them if they will give you a warranty, a thirty day warranty will give you some peace of mind. Other places to search for secondhand gas hedge trimmers include the classified section of your newspaper, message boards at your local mall, also look at second hand goods stores and pawn shops - often these places are great for getting bargains.

You can also buy online, head over to your favorite search engine such as Yahoo or Google and look for secondhand or used gas hedge trimmers, also browse the listings on sites such as eBay. Amazon is well worth looking at, as often they will have refurbished units for sale with a warranty at a fraction of the cost of a new unit and quite often include free shipping.

What Do I Need To Look For
Take a close look at the condition and appearance, this will give you an indication of whether the owner has looked after the unit or not. Check the wear on the handles as this will quite often give you an idea of the age of the unit. Look a the make and model numbers - often an online search of those will give you an idea of the age of the tool and also any issues to be aware of with that particular model.

Inspect the blades closely, see if they have been correctly sharpened and the cutting angle of the blade is correct and not worn - also look for nicks in the blades. Dull or worn blades are dangerous and can cause the hedge trimmer to jam when in use.

Make sure the seller demonstrates the hedge trimmer working, check to make sure it starts easily, no more than one or two pulls on the chord with the choke engaged and the engine should start. If it does not start easily, it could mean issues such as spark problems or something more serious such as electronic ignition faults.

Test the blade lock mechanism if the tool has one fitted - with the blade lock activated the blades should not move and the engine should idle easily. Let the engine warm up first and then rev the engine, listening for strange noises and observing exhaust emissions. Two stroke engines do emit a bit of smoke, but this should not be excessive. Excessive smoke could be an indication of an incorrect fuel to oil mix or something more serious. Check the shutoff switches making sure they do in fact turn off the engine when engaged. Also check for any vibrations in the tool when running, most newer models have anti-vibration features built in.

Buying Considerations
What is the price of the second hand hedge trimmer - is it fair and relative to the age and condition of the machine? How does it compare to the price of a new one?

Always try and negotiate, you may be surprised, often people just really want to get rid of second hand items. Be also aware that you have no idea of the internal condition of the engine of the unit, you may buy it and two days after the purchase the engine may stop, requiring expensive repairs or replacement.

The home handyman range of gas hedge trimmers should give you 1 to 2 years of service and the commercial models 2 to 3 years of work before needing major repairs.

Another option you have when buying second hand (especially from some one local in your area) , ask if they mind you taking the hedge trimmer into your local chainsaw dealer who will give you a professional opinion and an idea of what you should be paying for the unit.

Remember buy carefully and happy trimming.

Should You Buy a Secondhand Gas Hedge Trimmer?

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