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Lawn Equipment Repair Articles

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 equipment repair
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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.

Kohler 7000 engine specs

Read: Kohler 7000 Engine Specs

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Commonly fitted to John Deere, Craftsman, MTD and other homeowner-grade lawn tractors, Briggs and Stratton Intek engines were offered in single-cylinder and twin cylinder versions.

Briggs Intek engine specs

Read: Briggs Intek Engine Specs

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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.

lawn equipment repair and maintenance

Read: Briggs Starter Test and Replace

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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.

adjust valves Briggs OHV

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).

lawn tractor repair and maintenance

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.

lawn tractor repair and maintenance

Read: Cub Cadet XT1 Lawn Tractor Review

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Having a riding mower makes lawn care easy, and adding a few accessories will make yard work even easier.

Cub Cadet XT1 Accessories

Read: Cub Cadet XT1 Accessories

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Double baggers helps make leaf collecting or mulching much easier.

install leaf bagger on lawn tractor

Read: Install Bagger on Cub Cadet Lawn Tractor

utility yard cart review

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.

lawn mower repair and maintenance

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

lawn mower doesn't self propel

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.

lawn equipment repair and maintenance

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.

30w small engine 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 once a year.

replace gas filter on lawn tractor

Best Fuel For Small Engines

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Leaf Blowers

small engine resources

Yet another casualty of ethanol-blended gas.

replace carburetor on leaf blower

Read: Replace Fuel Lines On Leaf Blower

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inexpensive ramp kit for pickup truck

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