March 25--In the spring, the grass grows like weeds and the weeds grow even faster. Better get your lawn mower out of storage.
If you properly prepared your mower for storage last fall, a few tugs of the starting cord or a twist of the ignition switch on your rider may be all you need. But, if you are like most of us, you just stuck that mower in the corner.
If you did not use a fuel stabilizer, now is the time to drain that stale gas from the tank. Also, drain the gas in the carburetor bowl. If there is not a drain screw, remove the bowl being careful not to damage the gasket. Put fresh gas in the tank. Use extreme caution when handling gasoline.
The motor oil on four-stroke engines should be replaced. Check your owner's manual for the proper SAE grade. Some require a single viscosity such as SAE 30. Two-stroke engines do not have a sump. They simply require a gas/oil mix.
If your mower has grease fittings, pump some in until the old grease just begins to ooze out of the component.
Sharpen the blades. Better yet, buy another set of blades. Install them and take the old ones for sharpening if you do not care to do it yourself.
A new spark plug may make starting easier so pick one up along with those blades. Even if you do not need it right away, having a new plug on the shelf comes in handy if the current one gets fouled.
Clean or replace the air filter. Most foam filters can be washed with soap and water and then lightly oiled. Pleated paper filters should be replaced. Pick one up along with the blades and spark plug.
Check the air pressure in pneumatic tires. They probably lost some air over the winter.
Check all of the cables and controls for smooth operation. Give them a few drops of light oil such as 3-in-One if needed.
If you have an electric mower, charge the battery or examine the power cord for safety.
Think sun.
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