Power Equipment Advice and Preservation

Springtime is on its way and we’re all ready to take some time outside in the lawn and garden, we are so just waiting for the weather to break. You want your outdoor power equipment to be available and tuned-up before it needs to get out and do some work.

Before using any gas power equipment this coming season, come into Packs Hardware in Smithville so our professionals can aid and serve you in getting all the correct advice to get your power equipment equipped for the long haul.

Starter Tips:

• First – Find and start with the owner’s manual for the power equipment you’re using. 

Note: You should always keep the owner’s manual from when you buy the equipment or tool, but if you lost it or don’t have it anymore, sometimes it is accessible on-line, just google it!

• Next – Look at the manufacturer’s guidelines on requirements and operations from the instructions. Be sure you have read what kind of safety precautions to take when using your yard or lawn equipment, you could have forgotten over the winter.

Inspect your equipment. Here are some easy steps:

• 1^st – Check for loose belts and any missing plugs that could have been chewed through by little critters.
• Second – Examine all of the safety features that have come with your power equipment and make sure they are all still secure.
• Basic care is essential for working equipment that you do use frequently.

• First – Replace all of the old oil in the lawn equipment. Also, make sure to get rid of the oil, in the decent way, safely. Restore the plug and fill it up with the recommended oil.
• 2^nd – Double-check to see if the gas in your power equipment is on empty because starting it with old gas in the equipment could possibly break it. Most fuel contains some level of ethanol, which this specific kind of gas can isolate over time. Side note – Never leave fuel that is more than a month old in lawn equipment.
• Diminish the gas tank and re-fill it up with newer gas that has 10 percent or less ethanol. Some gas stations may offer E15 or other types of fuel, but this higher-ethanol gas is unsafe for eating by animals and is also illegal.
• Finally - Start your outdoor equipment up and let it sit and warm for a minute and listen to it, to make sure it is sounding okay and there are not any leaks.

A bit more things to checkup on:

• When beginning to use your lawn equipment again you should always separate the spark plugs and also check the undercarriage and make sure there isn’t any debris. Grass and weeds can remain, and could have been there during the cold months, so make sure to look and clean the equipment out. Futher, after all of the care steps are done, it’s a nice idea to replace the air filter(s) in the equipment. Equipment runs lasts longer with new oil, gas, and especially new air filters, even the paper air filters need to be renewed, some equipment may have a foam filter and those may be able to be used again, just check the guide.
• After, remember to check that the blade is sharp enough for use. Confirming the blade is sharpened is important because it could tear the grass in the wrong way. Sharper blades mean grass will be in good condition and also smoother to operate the equipment.

Tip - Prior to mowing, attempt to take up the yard and get rocks, and sticks or anything that may damage the blade out of the yard. The equipment might strike something and ruin the blade, so any push preventing this will be better conservation for your blade and mower.

Make sure to get a routine tuneup by a pro.

• Tune-ups or checkups should be done yearly. Your equipment will stay updated with parts that need to be changed out. Tune-ups can also maintain your equipment to produce fewer emissions. A tune-up can also help your equipment last longer and run more smoothly, therefore saving you money in the end. 

Preservation, as a whole, contains all of the stuff imperative to keep your lawnequipment running; it might just be that it will last longer if you provide proper preservation to your equipment. To end; You should include a yearly check of your equipment by lubricating the moving parts, sharpening the blades, replacing any wires that look old or damaged, as well as, the spark plugs, filters, oil, and gas. Not everyone can do this kind of work… get in touch with a local skilled pro or stop into our store and ask away.

Equipment need a new part? See us at Packs Hardware in Smithville and let our power equipment pro help you finish the upkeep of your lawn equipment stuff.