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DIY Lawnmower Maintenance

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 23:17:40 GMT

10 tips to maintaining your lawnmower this spring

Maintaining your lawnmower is crucial for ensuring it runs efficiently and has a long lifespan. Here are some DIY lawnmower maintenance tips:

1. Change the oil and lubricate moving parts - Before each use, check the oil level and top up as needed. Once a year or after 50 hours of use, drain the old oil by tipping the mower on its side or using the drain plug (if available). Refill with fresh oil according to the manufacturer’s specifications.

Apply lubricant to the mower’s wheels, pivot points, and other moving parts to prevent rust and ensure smooth operation.

2. Check the air filter and spark plug - Remove the air filter cover, take out the old filter and use a compressor to blow it out. Or if it's a foam filter, you can wash it with soap and water, then let it dry before reinstalling. If it is damaged, replace it with a new one.

You can inspect the spark plug by disconnecting the spark plug wire, and removing the plug using a spark plug wrench. If it is damaged or you have trouble starting the mower, install a new one. Ensure it’s properly gapped according to your mower’s specifications.

3. Sharpen the blades - Disconnect the spark plug, then remove the blade. Use a bench grinder to sharpen the blade, or fasten to a vice and use a file or angle grinder, keeping the angle consistent. Balance the blade before reinstalling it.

4. Inspect and replace belts (for Ride-on mowers). - Check belts for wear or cracks. Tighten if they are too loose and replace them if they appear damaged or if the mower isn’t driving correctly.

5. Clean the deck after each use - Use a hose or a putty knife to remove grass clippings and debris from the underside of the mower deck. A clean deck prevents rust and improves mowing performance. It also helps with weed control as it prevents you from accidently spreading seeds.

6. Inspect the fuel system - Check for any fuel leaks or cracked fuel lines. Replace the fuel filter if your mower has one. At the end of the season, either run the mower dry or add a fuel stabilizer to prevent the fuel from going bad.

7. Battery Maintenance (for Electric Mowers) - Keep the battery charged and clean the terminals to prevent corrosion. Store the battery in a cool, dry place during the off-season.

8. Check the tyres - For fuel-powered mowers with pneumatic tyres, check tyre pressure and inflate as needed. Inspect tyres for wear and replace if necessary.

9. Adjust the mower height - On Push mowers adjust the wheel height to ensure an even cut and avoid scalping the lawn as taller grass often results in a healthier lawn. On ride-on mowers ensure the deck and blades are level by adjusting the hexnut on each blade. Refer to your manual for precise instructions.

10. Store the mower properly during the off-season - Clean the mower thoroughly before storage. Store it in a dry, covered area. For fuel-powered mowers, either drain the fuel or use a fuel stabilizer.

By following these lawn mower maintenance tips, your lawnmower will perform better, last longer, and be ready whenever you need it.

Blog Disclaimer:

Cutting Round Corners does not provide safety, investment, business or legal advice. This blog and content has been provided for information purposes only. You should consult your own professional advisors for advice directly relating to your property or before taking action in relation to any of the provided content.

9 Things To Do Now To Prepare For Bushfire Season

cuttingroundcorners@gmail.com (Darren and Erin Forder) — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 14:31:46 GMT

A list for rural-urban property residents to prepare for fire season!

Anyone who's lived on a property and has been through a fire season knows how anxiety-inducing this time of year can be, especially if you know and feel like you really haven't done everything you can do, to prepare yourself, your family and your property.

It’s a nail-biting time frantically switching between radio channels, while making your way home through afternoon gridlock on the Tonkin. Heading towards a plume of black smoke erupting from a distance in the direction straight towards your home. Your mind is racing with so many questions. What warning zone am I in? Yellow? Orange? F##k, I hope it's not Red! Am I going to be able to get home? Are the horses ok? Who should I call to help? What sprinklers should I put on first? What if the power is out? Where is the bloody fuel for the genny? Which float should I hook up first? What the f##k do I do if my road is blocked? And how the f##k am I going to catch 20 bloody chickens?!!

It can also be just as distressing if you're at home on your property and trying to decide what to do first, let alone what you could do to help your neighbour who isn't home from work yet.

I'm hoping I can help you to reduce some of this worry and anxiety (even if only slightly), by giving you a list to start working through NOW, so you can ensure you are prepared and ready to go into this bushfire season feeling confident that although you can't prevent a bushfire, you've done everything you can to reduce its impact on you, your family, your pets, your property, and your neighbours. Treat it as a checklist and give yourself a high five or do a little happy dance each time you tick one off.

9 Things you can do NOW to prepare your property for bushfire season.

All in all, there are many checklists, plans, and resources available on the internet and in our communities to help us learn more and prepare for fire season. So we really don't have an excuse. Why then are we not all prepared and why then are you reading this blog? If you've read this and have found something you may not have thought of, chances are your neighbour, relative or friend may be in the same boat. So please share this post with them because one of the best weapons we have against bushfire is knowledge and the more people that are prepared, reduce their fuel load, and make plans, the lesser the risk to them and everyone around them.

Stay safe this season and many thanks

Erin Forder

Blog Disclaimer

Cutting Round Corners does not provide safety, investment, business, or legal advice. This blog and content has been provided for information purposes only. You should consult your own professional advisors for advice directly relating to your property or before taking action in relation to any of the provided content.

Which generator should you choose for your property?

Wed, 03 May 2023 08:11:01 GMT

What do you do when there's a power outage?

You light candles…Or if you don’t light candles, maybe you start a generator…If you’re thinking about buying a generator, let us share a few things to think about and then once you decide, keep us in mind for transport and delivery of your new generator.

So, if you’re considering a generator, what size do you buy?

Well, that depends on what you want to run off it. Also, where do you want to store it? How much room have you got? And do you plan on taking it away camping? If that tickles your fancy then you don't want anything too big or too heavy. But if it's just for the home, as a backup when you have a power outage, then as long as you've got space, it could be as big as you need it to be to run whatever you need to run in a power outage. Sounds simple right? Well, here are a few more things to consider…

What type of fuel will it run?

Do you have petrol cars and petrol lawnmowers and you're happy to have a petrol generator? Or are you a diesel person?

What do you want to spend?

Diesels are usually a little bit more expensive when it comes to engine choice. Also, when considering fuel, think about volatility. Petrol is highly flammable whereas diesel needs a flame not just a spark to ignite. So, diesel could be considered a little bit “safer” but is generally more expensive to purchase per litre. In short, a diesel generator of the same size as a petrol one is generally more expensive. Most smaller size generators you will find are petrol due to expense and consumer spending habits, whereas the medium to large size generators, marketed at business, industrial, rural and mining sectors will be diesel powered.

What size generator do I need?

Well, that depends on what appliances you will be running from the generator. You can have just your standard 10-amp 240V outlets on your generator just like inside your home. Or you can have 15-amp 240V outlets which supplies a little bit more power, and can run multiple devices or high current drawing devices. Medium to large generators can have a combination of 10A/15A 240V outlets in addition to 3-phase outlets used to run equipment requiring a 3-phase 415V supply. These 3-phase units get physically larger and heavier as the capacity of the generator increases. They are generally key start or push button start.

Generally, in a power outage you'd want to maintain your deep freezer, your fridge and maybe set up some temporary lighting. So, you'll potentially require a number of outlets or an outlet supplying a power board that is capable of supplying all those devices or appliances. Minimum size would be 2.4kW rating or larger for this application. For camping, where you may only run a few lights and a battery charger, then 1kW to 2kW should suffice. Also something to note, a generator will only output 80% of its rated power continuously.

If you had a power outage, is it possible to run everything that is operating in your home now on a generator?

The short answer is yes, providing your generator was large enough and could generate enough supply and power to run everything. However, to run a whole household, you would require a sizeable, non-portable type generator (fixed in the one location) that is permanently connected to your switchboard (the kind we would help you to transport). You’ll need a changeover switch within or next to your switchboard and the whole installation will need to be installed by an electrician, which will be expensive. These installations are usually done on rural properties where power outages may occur often or for a number of days or where businesses require emergency power supply to continue operations.

What is a generator changeover switch?

A changeover switch is a device that switches between the mains supply (power feed from the street – overhead or underground) and the generator to feed your house via your main switchboard. These are either mounted inside or right beside your main switchboard.

If you're planning on running your fixed appliances during a power outage, like a split system air conditioner, electric oven etc... you would need a changeover switch to changeover from your main's power in your switchboard across to your generator supply power.

What kind of ongoing maintenance is required/suggested?

It’s a good idea to start the generator up at least every 3 to 6 months to make sure it starts when you really need it. This also keeps the parts of the engine lubricated. Fuel doesn’t last forever, it goes stale (Unleaded petrol), breaks down over time and leaves a gummy or crystalized deposit inside the fuel tank, carburetor and carburetor bowl. Starting and running the generator every once and a while, you can keep it topped up with fresh fuel. There are also fuel additives on the market for both petrol and diesel fuels that keeps the fuel fresher for longer (some state up to 2 years) which is great for things like generators that may only be started once in a while.

Obviously, you could possibly drain the fuel tank after use, so that the fuel doesn't go stale. Especially with petrol, however, if you need the generator during a blackout and especially if it's at night time the last thing you want to do is go looking for fuel and get it into the generator by torch light and then try and get it started. So, if you’ve got a generator, have a bit of a maintenance plan to ensure it’ll start when you need it the most. If your generator is not being used, pull it out and make sure it functions, check the oil and fuel levels, check the condition of the pull cord, start it up, and afterwards replenish with fresh fuel with a fuel saver additive.

Like everything, the bigger it is, the more power it produces, however the more expensive it will be to purchase, run and maintain.

How often will you use it?

In some cases, this may be a determining factor on how much you spend and the type you buy. Some smaller late models even have remote control, push button or key starting and give you a fully digital read out on performance, power consumption, fuel gauge and run time left in the tank.

We hope this has been helpful in some way and has given you some food for thought when deciding what type and size of generator you might need.

How can Cutting Round Corners help you?

When considering purchasing a generator, consider its transport. Cutting Round Corners can pickup, transport, and crane medium to large generators into place. Call or contact us today to help you with all your transport requirements.

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