Precautions for using Petrol Mower

Spring is on its way and your gasoline powered lawn mower has probably been tucked away in the corner of the garage for several months now. The time for cleaning up the garden throwing away the remains of your Christmas tree and raking up the leaves and twigs is approaching fast .

So now is the perfect time to take your lawnmower out of winter hibernation and prepare it for the first cut of the season.

The big question is will your mower start?

• Fuel

One of the most common causes of a lawn mower that won't start is stale fuel. Petrol is an organic hydrocarbon and like all organic substances it breaks down naturally over time. If the fuel in your mower is more than 10 to 12 weeks old you should drain it and replace with new, fresh fuel. This will dramatically improve your mower's starting and performance. Note: Don't just refill it with fuel from a jerry can because it is probably as old as the fuel in the mower itself. Instead, replace the whole lot with new fuel from the pump and only ever buy fuel that you will use within a few weeks of purchase.

• Cutter blade

Safety Warning: Always remove the spark plug cap before working on or near the blade cutting because having done so the mower cannot start unexpectedly.

When inspecting the cutting blade always remember to turn the mower over correctly. Failing to do so can cause numerous problems including flooding the air filter or exhaust with oil which will make it impossible to start and can lead to costly repair bills.

The correct way to turn your mower over is to push the main handles down to the ground making sure the spark plug is facing upward.

Particularly important for the first cut of the year; winter grass is extremely tough and can very quickly blunt a blade, so always keep your mower cutting blade sharp. A blunt blade will give a poor cut, labour the engine causing engine wear and increase fuel consumption.

Cutting spin blades at very high speeds and so always need to be balanced. Stones, roots and other garden debris can damage the cutting blade which will put strain on the engine and can cause rapid engine wear resulting in serious and costly damage and repair bills.

If you want to know more about gasoline powered lawn mower, welcome to Fullwatt, garden machinery manufacturers, where there are all kinds of lawn mowers.