Mower care
The forty-dollar-a-week machine
A push mower that gets an hour of care a year lasts fifteen seasons. Here is the whole checklist, then the shops near you that sharpen blades, fix small engines, or come to the house.
Sharpen or swap the blade
Every 20 to 25 hours of mowing (about monthly)
A dull blade tears instead of cuts. The torn tips turn tan and the lawn looks sick two days after mowing. Buy a second blade and alternate; sharpen the spare over winter.
Oil change, SAE 30
Each spring
Most walk-behind engines hold about 20 oz. Drain warm, refill, check the dipstick. Takes ten minutes.
Air filter and spark plug
Each spring
Both cost under ten dollars and together they are the difference between a first-pull start and a trip to the shop.
Scrape the deck
Every mow
Clippings packed under the deck throw off the airflow that lifts grass for a clean cut and the vacuum that mulches leaves.
Stabilize or drain the fuel
Before winter
Ethanol gas absorbs water and gums the carburetor in three months. A capful of stabilizer, run five minutes, done.
Check the drive belt and wheels
Every two years
Self-propelled mowers wear the belt; riders wear the deck belt and spindle bearings. Listen for squeal.
blade 21oil sae30air filterspark plugfuel stabilizertrimmer lineAll price-watched; consumables are on your plan.
Repair and sharpening shops by county
Independent small-engine shops, blade sharpeners, mobile services that come to the driveway, and hardware stores that sharpen over the counter.