Lawn Equipment Repair

Lawn mowers, lawn tractors, garden tillers, string trimmers, and leaf blowers all have one thing in common, they're powered by small gas engines. When maintained properly, good quality lawn equipment will last many years. Take care of your equipment and avoid big repair bills by doing maintenance work and common repairs yourself.

Lawn Tractor Starter Problems

An electric starter can go bad in several ways. It can fail electrically - this is when the copper winding from the armature breaks, or when brushes break or wear out. Starters can also fail mechanically.

Read: Test And Replace Lawn Tractor Starter

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To keep your engine running it's best, valve clearance should be checked and adjusted as part of periodic maintenance. This article covers how to adjust valves on Briggs & Stratton motors.

Read: How To Adjust Valves On Briggs OHV Engines

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Engine backfire doesn't hurt your engine, but it should be repaired (and it is an easy fix).

Read: Lawn Tractor Backfires When Shut Off

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Originally established in 1960 as part of International Harvester, Cub Cadet continues to produce top-quality lawn and garden equipment.

Read: Cub Cadet XT1 Lawn Tractor Review

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Mostly seen on Cub Cadet and Craftsman zero-turn and riding tractors, twin-cylinder Kohler 7000 series engines also retrofit onto many other makes and models.

Read: Kohler 7000 Engine Specs

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Double baggers helps make leaf collecting or mulching much easier.

Read: Install Bagger on Cub Cadet Lawn Tractor

Read: Lawn Tractor Yard Cart Review

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Push Lawn Mowers

If your house property is less than a half-acre, you probably cut the grass with a lawn mower. These are usually powered by a small (7 hp or less) single-cylinder engine, and most have a self-propel feature.

Many gas-powered lawn mowers rely on a primer button to help start the engine. Unfortunately, being made of rubber, it's just a matter of time before it cracks from age and exposure. This leads to gas leaking and hard starting.

Read: Replace Primer Bulb On Lawn Mower

Read: Lawn Mower Not Self-Propelling

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Lawn Equipment Misc

Aside from fresh gasoline, lawn mowers and lawn tractors require very little from you. For non-commercial use, regular maintenance includes a yearly tune-up (air filter and spark plug), oil change, and a blade sharpening.

The best thing you can do to get maximum life from your gas-powered lawn equipment is to change the oil at least every season. Twice a year is recommended if used more than once a week. Be sure to use name-brand quality oil.

Use Proper Oil

Small engines require oil specifically designed for air-cooled equipment. Most automotive oils manufactured after 2009 do not meet these specifications. This results in higher operating temperatures and reduced engine life.

I replace the gas filter on my lawn tractor twice a year.