Lawn equipment is often one of the most neglected appliances around your home. Forgetting to do regular oil changes and other basic maintenance procedures will cause your mower to break down long before it should. The good news is that most maintenance on the eXmark mower is easy to do and should only take a few extra minutes of your time.
Cleaning Your Mower
One of the biggest problems homeowners experience with their eXmark mowers is trouble getting it started after a long period of sitting, or trouble keeping the mower running smoothly. In many cases, this problem can be resolved simply by cleaning your mower on a regular basis. Dust and debris builds up in and around your mower over time, getting into the air intake, and sometimes even building up around your fuel and oil filler caps, contaminating your fluids. The simple solution is to quickly clean off your mower after each use and at the beginning of the season when it has been sitting all winter long. Don’t use water, as this can also contaminate your fuel and oil, and cause rust. Instead, a quick brush with a rag or an air compressor can blow out all the cobwebs and keep your engine clean. You should also take a moment to check under your mower before you start it up to make sure no animals have nested between the blades and nothing has gotten lodged under the mower before you try to turn it over for the first time.
Lubrication
Proper lubrication is imperative, not just for the engine, but for all the moving parts on the mower. Since your mower does gather a significant amount of dirt and dust, it is important to properly grease the adjustment shaft bearings and rear struts every 40 hours. You should also plan on greasing the brake handle, brake bushings and motion control bushings every 160 hours. At the beginning of the year, take some time to grease your caster wheels and the drive belt hubs to ensure free movement in every direction. Improperly lubricated drive mechanisms will make it difficult or even dangerous to operate your eXmark mower as your wheels or control levers could become seized over time.
Filters
Naturally, changing the oil filter every time you do an oil change is imperative. However, you should also be checking your inner and outer air filters every 40-50 hours as well. Dirty air filters contribute to a majority of engine starting issues every season, and can be fixed quickly by replacing both filter units. Fuel filters are also suspect when you are having engine trouble, and should be changed every 25 hours, especially if you leave fuel sitting in the system for long periods of time. Condensation and dirt buildup can prevent the flow of fuel to your engine or cause the fuel to burn poorly.
Other Maintenance
If you are using your eXmark mower on a regular basis, and doing maintenance at the suggested intervals, you can plan on taking the time once per year to do an all over clean up. This includes all of your yearly greasing and filter changing, but should also include changing spark plugs and ensuring that the blades are properly sharpened. You can also check the wheels for condition and check bolts for torque.
Want to know more about eXmark Mowers? Stop by Shank’s Lawn in South Central Pennsylvania at 4900 Molly Pitcher Highway in Chambersburg, off route 11, or shop online at shankslawn.com for parts and accessories anywhere in the US and Canada.
