Mowing here and there will make your lawn healthier and cleaner, but what if your mower also needs help?
Yep, you read it right.
You cannot make your lawn better if your mower is not good itself. It also needs maintenance, so you need to look at it as well from time to time.
To maintain your mower, you need to change its oil regularly to extend its lifespan, also contributing to the engine’s performance.
Mowing is an exciting activity for people who love to spend time in their gardens, so we have to know how to maintain a mower’s longevity by changing its oil frequently.
What are we waiting for? Let’s get started!
How to Change Oil in A Lawn Mower
Prepare Thick Elevation
A 2×2 wood will work as your elevation, and it is not necessary to have one. Having a thick elevation will help lessen the force you will exert to drain the oil.
The elevation is where your mower will lean on while the oil is draining, providing a little bit of height from the floor surface to ensure that the entire oil in the mower will flow out.
Engine Warm-Up
Before anything else, an engine warm-up will be of great help in contributing to the time-efficiency of changing your lawn mower’s oil.
Warm-up your mower’s engine first to speed up the oil change after some time. Since the engine warm-up will heat the oil just a bit, its flow will be quicker to move down the oil drain.
Some oil build-ups will also flow away with the remaining engine oil if you warm up the lawnmower first.
A Little Cool Down
After the oil warm-up, you can wait for a little more time to cool it down, but not to the point that the engine will be entirely cool.
This ensures that the oil will not be scalding once poured out, avoiding damages to the oil pan or any surface.
Catch the Drained Oil
You will need an oil pan to catch the drain from the mower, or if you have none, you can look for whatever flat container you can use to catch the oil while flowing out from the mower.
Make sure to place the oil catcher next to the elevation.
Actual Oil Draining
Place the mower next to your elevation device like a lawn mower lift, and then lean it towards the oil pan right next to the elevation.
Ensure that all the oil inside the lawn mower will be drained, and do not raise the mower unless entire oil particles are drained.
If you do not have an elevation device, you can lean your mower to the oil catcher whether the surface is flat or not, so long as you ensure it does not hit the oil catcher while the oil is draining out.
Replace Oil Filter (If Needed)
After draining the oil, unscrew the oil filter.
If the oil filter is already old, you need to replace it with a new one and coat it with oil before installing it to avoid further damages and defects once used with mowing the yard.
You can use your fingers to coat the new filter with a bit of oil, but if you don’t want to use your fingers, you can also use a brush.
Fill the Mower with Oil
Now that you have drained the oil and replaced the oil filter, you need to gradually fill the mower with new oil to ensure it lasts long and does not get damaged after a long time.
Fill the oil gradually and constantly check it while you are pouring. You can use a dipstick to know its level to avoid overfilling.
Clean Up!
After doing everything needed, clean up the area and wipe your mower to remove some oil residue moving on the lawn mower’s surface.
Why Is it Important to Change My Lawn Mower’s Oil?
You need to do multiple ways to ensure your lawn mower will last longer, and changing oil is the most necessary.
You need to change oil in your lawn mower regularly because you cannot just let the old oil stick up inside the tank’s surface.
Changing the oil will make sure you will get the mower’s best performance with the best engine condition.
Even when you think old oil won’t affect the engine, it will still take effect because the remaining oil will be heated multiple times while being used, which can affect your mower’s lifespan.
Final Words
There are many ways to maintain your lawn mower, but oil changing is one of the essential maintenance.
An oil change for your lawn mower will not only make the tank cleaner, but it will speed up and preserve the engine’s performance, so you will enjoy your garden experience every time you step up and clean the lawn!
It is not that hard to change your mower’s oil. Besides, you only need to dedicate some time to finish the job because things might get messy, given that oil is involved.
Hopefully, this article helped you know how to change your lawn mower’s oil easily and made your view clearer on its importance and advantages.
