What is most likely to go wrong with my small engine equipment?

The number one problem with small engines is neglect.  Your snow blower, edger, hedger, mower, pump, compressors and riders need service regularly.  This equipment is expensive and with new emission controls pretty temperamental.  You must establish a routine of maintenance.

Just like you would never consider running your car for 10,000 miles without changing the oil and filters, you should do the same thing for your equipment every 20 hours.  You also need to add fuel stabilizer and sharpen cutting edges like the mower or rider blades.  That makes the engine run better because it does not have to work as hard because the blades will cut through easier.  You will need the model number to know what parts are needed so watch this video.

The other thing people often forget is to grease the mandrels and turning surfaces.  If you don’t do this and make sure the bearing inside have good lubrication they will heat up and fail eventually.  At a hundred bucks to replace each, plus labor costs, it would seem that thirty cents of lubricant nd 10 minutes would be a great investment.  While you are lubing up the mandrels, take a few minutes and oil the cables and all surfaces that move. Over time they will rust and a little oil will prevent or at least slow it down significantly.

The gas because of ethanol and other additives will destroy your carburetor, hoses and all rubber surfaces and seals it comes in contact with.  Install a fuel cut off and when you’re not using the equipment run it out of gas.  Whenever you add gas make sure to treat it with some sort of fuel stabilizer.  I prefer sea foam myself because in addition to stabilizing the fuel it also cleans the system.

Keep the equipme in a shed protected from the elements.  If you have to store your rider outdoors, cover it with a tarp.  The rain and snow will get on the metal and rust them. This will reduce the life of the mower and all the moving parts significantly.  Oiling the wear surfaces and cables becomes essential as I have seen it a hundred times where the surfaces for the blade engage or cables for the throttle become locked and have to be replaced. 

 If you have any questions, need parts or advice contact me at 575-706-2695 and watch out videos at askthemowerguy.com or youtube.com/askthemowerguy.  You can always visit one of the stores in Carlsbad or Roswell New Mexico –Carlsbad Small Engine or All Seasons Engines.

 Also, if you are looking for something and it is not in our parts room check out our Ebay page!

Parts and repairs in Carlsbad, NM

ASKTHEMOWERGUY BLOG IS WRITTEN BY HAROLD KLAUS