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Spring Mower Maintenance

 

In just a few short weeks--or what we hope will be short weeks--the snow will be melted, the flowers will bloom and the grass will again sprout its green shoots and be ripe for a trim.
 
With that in mind, this is the time for landscape professionals and homeowners to think about lawn mower maintenance. Proper care of equipment can potentially save hundreds of dollars and increase productivity. But the biggest challenge is knowing exactly what to do and what’s best for your equipment.
 
Exmark, the leading manufacturer of commercial-grade mowing equipment, has pulled together the ins and outs of lawn mower maintenance. Use it as a guide that helps you set up for a productive and profitable mowing season.
 
Quick tips to help you get ready for spring.
·         Check fluids for leaking and refilling as needed
·         Clean your mower, checking every nook and cranny
·         Check your nuts and bolts
·         Supply the equipment with fresh gas
·         Sharpen and balance your blades
·         Check your air filters
·         Find your Zen in the art of mowing
·         Establish a regular maintenance cycle for the season–with or without your dealer (preferably with)
 
Lubrication, lubrication, lubrication.
We can’t stress enough. Proper lubrication of your equipment is first and foremost in mower maintenance. The most important oil change for your engine should happen after the first five hours of operating a new mower. Unfortunately, when you’re busy running your equipment, five hours can go by fairly quickly. But changing the oil at this time can increase the longevity of your engine. Why? This “break-in oil” will typically break down quicker than normal, caused by the enormous amount of sheering force in the engine as parts begin to seat in these first few hours of operation. Ignoring this first important oil change can lead to expensive repairs down the road.
 
Your first hydraulic oil and filter change should be at 200 hours and then changed at maximum every 500 hours after that, if you are using genuine Exmark Hydraulic Oil. The maximum is 250 hours if using Mobil 1 oil. This will provide the ultimate protection for your equipment to keep running smoothly throughout the season. Ignoring this recommendation, will cause your equipment to work harder and run hotter. Your mowing conditions should also help guide the maintenance schedule for your machine. If you regularly mow hills or run bagging equipment, consider changing both the hydraulic fluid and engine oil much more frequently than manufacturer’s maximum recommendations.
 
Depending on your wear points, you’ll also need to consider the lubrication of bearings. This information can be found in your maintenance guides. Exmark also has posted tips for greasing joints of various mowers at www.youtube.com/exmarkmanufacturing. 
 
As for appropriate types of oil and grease, many engine manufacturers recommend a certain weight of oil for various engines and equipment. Heeding this recommendation can make a big difference in oil consumption, as well as in the proper lubrication of the engine. It’s also important to note that all grease is not created equal. The grease you should use for your equipment will depend on the type of machine and how you use it.
 
Many people think using less expensive grease or generic brand oil is a good way to save a few bucks, but they shouldn’t take that chance. If Kohler has formulated oil for a Kohler engine, use it—especially during the warranty period. Using original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts could pay dividends if you have a problem with your mower.
 
In addition, most engine manufacturers do not recommend the use of synthetic oils. The proper petroleum-based oil lubricates the engine adequately.
 
Minimize the use of water when cleaning the mower.
As with many things in life, there is a right and a wrong way to clean your equipment. Mower owners should clean their units as often as possible, but minimize the use of water. Water and detergents can lead to corrosion problems.
 
Power washing is a popular method to clean mowers, but is not best for the longevity of the machine. Water is a natural enemy of metal and can cause rusting and corrosion. By cleaning with water and detergents, you force unnatural elements into places that can be detrimental for your mower. For example, if water sits on a bearing seal or an electrical connection, it can do more harm than good.
 
The proper way to clean your mower is to simply apply air pressure. A lawn or leaf blower will work perfectly for this. By cleaning with air, you will clear dirt and debris from the machine without causing damage.
 
It’s also important to check and clean the nooks and crannies of the machine–not just the areas you can see. Take off the cover plates, lift up the seat and scour any of the hard-to-reach areas you normally wouldn’t tend to. This step is perhaps even more important than cleaning the areas in plain site because if debris is hidden, it will restrict the airflow to the hydraulic system, in turn, increasing heat, and will accelerate the hydraulic oil breakdown.
 
Check your nuts and bolts.
Before you start cutting grass this spring, make sure the connectors of your equipment are in working order. With most units, the number one connection to check will be the castle nuts. These points are essential to test because if they work their way loose, your wheels could fall off the unit, leading to potentially catastrophic events in the field. Problems with your wheels or castle nuts could also cause damage to the wheel motor--one of the more expensive parts on the equipment to repair.
 
It’s ideal to check the bolts after the first 100 hours of operating a machine; after that, every 500 hours. By doing this, you can proactively maintain the least expensive items on the machine before they lead to expensive, larger unit repairs.

The motion control dampeners are items that should be maintained regularly because the deterioration of this piece leads to other, more expensive parts of the mower, like the wheel motor, to wear out and break down.
 
Do not store oxygenated fuels for more than 30 days.
Oxygenated fuels (fuels containing alcohol blends or MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether)) have a shelf life of 30 days. Lawn mower owners should mark the date on their gas cans when filling up. This is an easy step to ignore when starting fresh with a new season. Plain and simple, don’t reuse your old fuel.
 
In addition, fuel should be checked to ensure that it does not contain over the maximum 10 percent alcohol or 15 percent MTBE. Inexpensive testers are available.
 
Sharpen and replace damaged blades.
The purpose of the mower is to cut grass, and the whole process starts with the blade. A mower with dull blades has to work harder, and it’s forced to shred grass rather than cut through grass. The correct angle to sharpen a blade is 28 degrees. Users should sharpen blades and replace any damaged blades every 8-to-10 hours of use or more under certain conditions. A dull blade increases the load on the belts, bearings and engine and affects the overall cut quality of the job.
 
Having a balanced blade is also extremely important to the overall longevity of your machine. An out of balance blade can be very expensive for a lawn mower owner.  An unbalanced blade will actually swivel and wobble causing the solid metal of the deck to flex many times a second. Just thirty minutes of operating with out of balance blades can crack your deck completely through; operating for one hour, can break your spindle assembly completely out of the deck, an expensive problem to resolve. Blade-balancing tools are inexpensive and readily available.
 
Exmark recommends keeping several extra sets of sharp, balanced blades on hand. Having sharp, balanced blades will save you fuel and save money in the long-run. It doesn’t take much to make a big difference in the overall performance of your blade. In fact, it takes one to two extra horsepower just to turn a dull blade, increasing your fuel costs. More information on blade maintenance can be found at: www.youtube.com/exmarkmanufacturing.
 
Check air filters.
This is where your engine breathes. Just like the engine oil, check these filters on a daily basis. It’s essential to clear the filter from debris. If the filter gets clogged at some point, the engine will find another way to breathe through any other available gap or crevasse. Typically, these crevasses don’t have filters so this process will allow the machine to suck in dirt, sand and debris into places it shouldn’t be. 
 
It’s also important to note never to clean your air filters with compressed air. This can cause accidental holes in the filter.
 
Find your Zen in the art of mowing.
Another basic tip to keeping your mowers in great shape is to keep your mowing calm. An aggressive operator who manhandles the machine will wear the equipment down at a much quicker rate as well as tear up the turf. This aggressive handling causes an enormous amount of strain on the hydraulic system will also compromise the quality of cut.
 
It’s also worth noting that mowers aren’t designed to jump over things. If you need to go up or down a curb–don’t jump it. Jumping off a curb takes the weight of the machine from its center, resulting in free-spinning tires and, upon landing, creates excess weight and pressure on the machine. It doesn’t matter what type of equipment you have, none of these systems are designed to deal with a force that strong and can cause an immediate failure of the hydraulic system.
 
Walk-behind versus riding mower maintenance.
While there aren’t major differences to the mower maintenance of walk-behind and riding lawn mowers, it makes sense to look through your individual units’ manuals for recommended maintenance schedules. The frequency of maintenance and proper methods for maintenance will need to be a marriage of the manufacturer recommendations and your regular machine usage conditions. Typically, these mowers differ in the hours needed between scheduled maintenance including oil changes, hydraulic fuel checks and greasing of the joints and connections.
 
Since your equipment has likely been in hibernation for the last three to four months, it may need a bit of a refresher. After you run it for 50 hours into the season, try conducting another maintenance cycle to refresh the fluids and check the nuts and bolts. This will help your equipment to last longer and kick-start your season successfully by getting the cobwebs off the machine.
 
Dealer-scheduled maintenance is key.
Whether you are a do-it-yourselfer or someone who takes their equipment into a dealer for regularly scheduled maintenance, it is important to realize that the dealer is your best friend when it comes to extending the life of your mower.
 
Your local dealer knows the conditions you mow in, your local area, your machine, and how you use your equipment to get the job done. Your local dealers can also recommend a customized maintenance routine for your units that ties directly with how you use them–which is going to be better than any generic manufacturer maintenance program available.
 
It may save you money to do things yourself in the short-run, but since dealers are factory trained to fix and spot issues before they become serious problems, this could save you time and money in the end. Dealers are also aware of any out-of-the-ordinary maintenance routines or new and improved repair methods sent directly from the factory. Exmark recommends that even the do-it-yourselfers make the effort to find a dealer they trust and make their best friend.
 
Regular maintenance cycles are important for the longevity of your equipment. Whether you are a homeowner or a commercial landscaper, knowing the most important parts to check and what types of maintenance need to happen regularly is key to having beautifully cut grass this spring and a successful landscaping season.
 
 
About Exmark
Exmark Manufacturing was incorporated in 1982 and, since its inception, has been engaged in the design and manufacture of mid-size commercial walk-behind and riding lawn mowers for landscape professionals. In addition to designing, building and marketing quality turf care equipment, Exmark’s goal is total customer satisfaction. Products are sold to distributors who, in turn, market to dealers throughout the continental United States and Canada.
 
Exmark is the industry’s leading manufacturer of commercial zero-turn riding mowers. Exmark offers a checklist of 14 mower service tips on its Web site at www.exmark.com/servicetips.htm.
Written By: 
David Martin, Customer Service Manager, Exmark Manufacturing