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Proper maintenance will improve the life of any piece of equipment, especially pieces like mowers that get a workout day in and day out. Here are five tips to help you get the most out of your small engines.
1) Put maintenance on a schedule.
Scheduling regular service and keeping track of it is one of the most important things you can do to keep your mowers in top shape. Spending a few minutes to inspect equipment each day can save a lot of money and headaches down the road.
“We try to take as many small steps as possible to maximize the life of the engines since we spend such a large amount of money on them,” says Nick Kamataris of Kamataris Landscape & Lawn Care in Ashland, Mass. “I try to preach to my guys that in the five minutes it takes to check these machines every morning, it’s going to save us thousands of dollars in the long run.”
2) Buy good quality oil
Oil is crucial to good performance and while it might be tempting to save a few bucks on a lower quality oil, it’s worth it to shell out a little more.
“One thing you can’t do is try to save money on purchasing oil,” says Jamie Carncross, equipment manager at ProScapes in Jamesville, N.Y. “That’s what makes the machines live or die … As an industry we’re kind of relentless on this equipment, and you have to get whatever type of protections you can. The only variables that you really have are the oils. It’s not just a fluid that you pour in and change periodically. It provides a function.”
3) Check your air filters
Dust can be killer
“The dust is the No. 1 thing that kills these engines,” Kamataris says. “In our climate, blown head gaskets are one of the biggest problems, and that comes from not checking the air filter or blowing out the cooling fins on the side of the engine.”
4) Wash your equipment
Washing your equipment will reveal potential problems like rust, and it gives operators a chance to stop and really look at their equipment.
“The grit sticks to the machine and helps wear parts out,” Carncross says. “Sometimes when things go bad, they take unrelated parts with them. If you can catch it and repair it before it actually fails, you can improve your up time because you can schedule the repair.”
5) Train employees on best practices
When an operator jumps off of a mower and leaves it running full throttle, or commits the sin of running out of oil, the wear and tear on the machine can be devastating. Make sure your people know that they should be taking care of mowers, and how important it is to pay attention.