In our last installment we discussed getting your engine ready for the season. Well, what about the lawnmower itself? This time we will deal with that.
Start With Your Lawnmower’s Wheels
First, we’re assuming this is a riding lawn mower, so let’s look at the mower’s wheels and tires. Quality of cut is as much determined by the wheels and tires as it is the blades. The machine has to be level side to side. So let’s look at the front tires. Again, we’re going to assume that the tires have decent tread and are in relatively good condition. (Since we are dealing with small P.S.I. values, we need a good tire gauge that reads in single pound increments. These gauges generally read from 1 to 20 pounds per square inch. The gauge you use for your automobile generally reads from 10 to 60 P.S.I.)
So let’s check the tire inflation. On most front tires on riding lawnmowers the inflation is around 14 P.S.I. This means both tires need to have the same amount of air in them to maintain level from side to side. Then we will move to the rear tires. Generally, they will require inflation to around 10 P.S.I. Again this needs to be the same on both sides. This will insure the mower sits level side to side. It is not necessary for all four tires to be inflated the same amount, as long as each pair is the same, in other words the fronts are equal and the rears are equal between the pair.
Let’s take a look at the wheels themselves. Are they tight on the spindles or do the wobble excessively? It might be time to pull the wheels and replace the wheel bearings or bushings prior to undertaking another season of mowing. If the wheels are all right, what about the spindles and tie rods. Are they tight or loose or possibly even broken? If you need to replace these parts give us a call at 877-314-6990 and we will be able to quickly get you the replacement parts. Now is the time to repair the mower when you have a little time before you really need it. (more…)