Get Your Mower Ready for Summer (April 5, 2001):

It’s getting close to the time you’ll want to get your mower out for the first time. Did you leave gas in it? If you did, you want to get all the old gas out. You can do this with an old turkey baster. Use caution, gas is flammable. Be sure to dispose of it properly. If you have gas in your gas can and it is over 30 days old, dispose of it. You can put this gas and the gas you took out of your mower in your car fuel tank. You will have enough gas in your car that this will not make any difference. If you have a 4-cycle engine, change the oil and add fresh 30-weight oil. Most mower engines use 20 oz. Some bigger engines on riders use a quart of oil. Check your owner’s manual. A 20 oz plastic pop bottle is perfect to measure your oil so you don't overfill it. Clean or replace your air filter, sharpen and balance your blade, replace your sparkplugs if needed, and check for loose nuts, bolts, and screws. Now, put in fresh gas—nothing over 30 days old and 87 or higher octane. If it is a little hard to start, you may have old gas in the fuel line and carburetor. Take your air filter out and spray in a shot of WD40. Let it run a while (put air filter back in) to burn any old gas out. Try and restart and you are ready to mow. Have a great mowing season!