Lawnmowers play an instrumental role in maintaining functional outdoor living spaces; however, they are not bulletproof. These machines will break down at some point, but knowing how to troubleshoot and fix them will reduce your maintenance costs considerably. Let’s look at six common issues.
1. Failure to start
When a mower doesn’t start, the culprit is often an empty tank or old fuel. This is especially true if the device has been sitting in your shed or garage over the winter. Fuel tends to naturally degrade and lose combustibility with time due to oxidation and evaporation. Change the petrol and try to start it again.
2. Smokes like it wants to explode
Perhaps you have managed to start it, but it is smoking too much. This is often the result of oil mixing with fuel, which usually means a leak in the oil chamber. Replace the oil cap or the entire oil chamber with parts such as Briggs and Stratton parts.
3. Loses power while mowing
If a lawnmower struggles to do its job, you might be dealing with a dirty filter. Check the manufacturer’s instruction to find it, then clean or replace it. This part is inexpensive and readily available from stockists such as https://diyengineparts.com/Brand/1/briggs-and-stratton-parts.
4. Too hard to pull the starter rope
A stiff starter rope is often the result of the flywheel brake applying pressure on the handle; fortunately, this is easy to fix. Just make room for the starter line to play and the problem should go away.
Alternatively, a stuck blade might be the issue. Placing the lawnmower on a flat surface should solve this glitch.
5. Overheating
Most people will not worry about overheating; however, it eventually leads to a bigger problem. Fixing this issue is often as easy as changing the fan. Cleaning it might also work for a clogged cooling system.
6. Lawnmower does not cut grass like it used to
For starters, be sure to cut the grass when it is dry. You might also want to raise the deck a bit to cut grass that is too long. Always remember to mow at a slow pace when dealing with long grass. Getting rid of any debris can be another way of solving this small issue.