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Five of the most frustrating things about servicing your lawn

Have you ever woke up on a bright and sunny Saturday morning full of energy and thought to yourself, "Today, I am going to tackle the lawn first thing, so I can relax the rest of the day" only to find that you have spent the day attempting to get your equipment working, the yard mowed and edged, and ended up sunburnt, tired, and with a headache? If you have, then you are not alone! Here is a list of five of the most frustrating things homeowners have complained about when servicing their lawn and how to avoid them!

1) Equipment failure

Yes, this happens far too frequently to homeowners and it drives them crazy. It seems to happen more in the spring than at any other time of the year. Have you ever wondered why? Well, most homeowners fail to winterize their lawn equipment before putting them up for the winter. This could be something as easy as running their equipment completely out of gasoline to adding fuel additives and stabilizers to prevent the gasoline from turning into a sludge that can clog up carburetors and be almost impossible to start in the spring even if you put the freshest of gasoline in the fuel tank. An ounce of prevention goes a long way here. So, if you live in a region that experiences snowy winters and you will not be using your lawn equipment, then simply run them out of gas or buy some fuel stabilizer. Your back and fingers will thank you for it come springtime.

2) Sharpen your blades

One wouldn't think that something as pliable as a blade of grass would dull a hardened steel lawn mower blade very quickly, but they would be wrong. It doesn't take much time for a mower blade to dull, or become chipped from hitting rocks and other obstructions that are in your lawn. Over time, it takes more effort for the mower's blades to cut through the lawn and that can put unwanted wear and tear on the engine. The blades can be easily taken off of the mower and sharpened with an angle grinder or on a bench grinder. They can also be replaced completely fairly inexpensively. If you choose to sharpen your own mower blades it is important for you to take safety precautions such as eye and hand protection as well as refraining from wearing loose clothing when operating any power tools with spinning parts that operate at high RPMs.

3) Dirty air cleaners and carburetor bowls

Dirty air cleaners can restrict the amount of air that will flow into a carburetor which is essential for proper operation of the engine. Some air cleaners are made of a paper filament and are disposable while others are made out of foam and are washable. Air cleaners are a very important part of keeping your equipment running at its peak since there is a lot of debris and pollen that could be sucked into the carburetor and prevent it from running correctly by clogging jets and orifices. While some people may be tempted to run a mower, or other equipment, without an air cleaner it is not a good idea and you will be setting yourself up for costly repair bills and added frustration.

Similarly, dirty carburetor bowls can cause the floats that are housed within the carbureator to become stuck open or closed. This will either starve the engine for gasoline or flood it out by giving it too much. It is a good idea to drop the bowl at the beginning of each season and clean out the debris as well as manually checking the float's operation by physically moving it up and down to make sure it is not stuck.

4) Dirty Spark Plugs and Weak Coils

So, in order for an engine to operate correctly it needs to get air, fuel and spark. We talked about air and fuel, but what about spark? Well, the coil and the spark plug plays an integral part in providing the spark to ignite the air/fuel mixture inside the engine. If a spark plug is dirty, or fouled, then the spark will be too weak to combust the mixture and the mower will not run. Also, if the gap on the spark plug is set to the wrong thickness the spark may never occur at all. While some thrifty homeowners may be tempted to just clean off the spark plugs and pop them back in their mower to save a few bucks it is a better idea to just take the old one to your local auto parts store and they can match you up with a new one that is pre-gapped. I bought one last week and it cost my $1.99 which is a small price to pay to avoid a huge headache. Also, the coil is what creates the spark which travels to the spark plug through the spark plug cable. Sometimes, the coils get damaged or wear out. If this happens it is a good idea to just order a replacement online and replace it instead of trying to fix it yourself. Chances are the vibration from mowing your lawn a couple of times will undo any patches or repairs that you have performed on the coil and render it inoperable and cause you trouble.

5) Installing new weed trimmer string

Yes, you may think that you have enough weed trimmer sting on your weed trimmer only to get halfway done with your lawn and find out that you ran out. It is a good idea to check before you start weed trimming to ensure that you have enough line on the trimmer's spool to complete the job. Sometimes, the spool can be hard to get off at the beginning of the season due to debris, temperature change, and humidity which can fuse the spool on the head of the trimmer. Take care when disassembling it so that you do not lose the spring that is under the spool and that you remember how to put it back on. If not, you could be asking for trouble.

Now, these aren't the only 5 frustrating things to worry about when it comes to servicing your lawn. We also have things like checking your oil, belts, and other components, finding your safety gear, managing your time, avoiding obstacles in your lawn, and operating your equipment safely. Our advice to you , if you can help it, is to plan out your weekend and fill it with family-oriented tasks throughout the day and let the professionals at Ardmore Lawn Care take care of your lawn so that you can not only spend more time with your loved ones, but also rest easy in knowing that your lawn is getting serviced by skilled lawn care professionals at a great price! Contact us today by calling/text, email, or on Facebook to schedule an appointment to free you from the bonds, and the woes, of servicing your lawn this season.

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