Landscape Architect Articles

LCN October 2007 Maintenance Issues10-03-07 | News

Top 10 Mower Tips

As the season draws to an end, put a little fuel stabilizer in your gas to ensure that the stabilized fuel gets into the carburetor. James Messner: National Memorial Cemetery Hawaii

The ride-on mower is the heart and soul of landscaping. For your business to run smoothly, you must avoid costly problems and mower breakdowns. To help you avoid these pitfalls, check out these ten tips, and hopefully your stable will end up being put out to pasture after many years of use, and not because you forgot to check the belt tension.

1.Cleaning your mower

Clean your units as often as possible, but minimize the use of water. Water under pressure + detergent = corrosion and problems. Pressure washers clean great, but they also put water and detergents into places that can be very detrimental to your equipment. Use compressed air or blowers as much as possible. Also make sure you grease and lubricate the unit afterward if water was used.

2. Installing a spring

An inexpensive and easy tool for removing or installing a spring is an old starter rope. Simply take the old rope and make a loop at the handle. Attach it to one side of the spring and slip the rope over the other end. Use the rope to stretch the spring and attach it to the other anchor point.

3. A faster, simpler way to remove old engine oil

You may want to look at some of the oil evacuation systems that are on the market. Many dealers use these types of devices. They?EUR??,,????'???re a lot like vacuum cleaners. You stick the hose down the dip stick tube and suck the old oil out. Remember to change the filter!

4. Fixing a flat

Flats can be a problem. Some tire sealant may work great. Be careful about how much weight this adds to the wheel. Do not use a sealant that makes the tire hard. Keep in mind, the tire is your shock absorber on the unit. You may put excessive load on the frame and drive system.

5. A tip for greasing the pivot points of your mowers

Remove the tension from the spring-tensioned pivot points when greasing them. This will allow the grease to be more evenly distributed.

6. Corrosion prevention

Corrosion is inevitable?EUR??,,????'??+that?EUR??,,????'???s why you grease and lubricate your machines. Don?EUR??,,????'???t forget about the electrical connections. At least once a year, clean and repack the electrical connections with dielectric grease.

7. Maintaining idler pulleys

To add a little life to your idler pulleys, try using a little spray lubricant on the seals. Over time, water and sunlight can cause the seals to harden, shrink or crack. When this happens, the seal no longer protects the bearing and a failure will soon happen. The lubricant will help to keep the seal soft and resistant to the weathering that can occur.

8. Adjusting a new belt

Make sure to check the adjustment on a new belt, often. If your crew purchases new mowers, check the belt three times in the first 24 hours of use, and adjust it if necessary. During this time, the belt is fitting into the pulleys. If the belt is allowed to loosen as it fits in, you may spin/burn the belt, which drastically reduces belt life.

9. Checking belt tension

A simple belt-tension gauge is a ruler and a fish scale. Simply hook the fish scale around the belt, and pull. Use the ruler to measure the distance. On some belts, we recommend a 1/2-inch deflection with 10 pounds of pressure. This means it would take a force of 10 pounds to move the belt a half-inch.

10. Sharpening and balancing mower blades

Blade sharpness and balancing are important. Dull blades tear leaf tips, making them susceptible to dieback and pests. A dull blade also increases the load on the belts, bearings and engine. An unbalanced blade can cause vibrations and stress to the cutting deck. Every 8 to 10 hours of use, sharpen the blades and replace any damaged blades.

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