home and garden - Extend the life of your small engines - By Chris McDonald of Windham Powersports

No matter how you take care of your lawn, you most likely have a tool with a small engine to help keep it looking stellar.

Your “tools” include anything which you use to maintain your yard and landscape like push mowers, riding mowers, chainsaws, weed whackers, hedge trimmers, yard edger, post hole diggers and more. Proper maintenance of these machines will extend the life and improve the efficiency of your tools!

There are seven tips for maintaining your small engines:

           

(1)   Always consult your owners manual

(2)   A clean air filter is a healthy air filter

(3)   Your oil should be checked and changed on a regular basis

(4)   Always use a clean /fresh fuel filter

(5)   Use degreaser on your engine’s oil spots and stains

(6)   Keep the cooling fins clean and clear of debris

(7)   Fuel caps have air breather holes which should be clear

Additional items to check and verify:

(1)   Sharpen or replace blades

(2)   Verify condition of drive belts (Cracks and stretching)

(3)   Spark plug clean/replace

(4)   Control cable inspection

These are the items that should be checked on a regular basis, you can consult your owners’ manual for exact times to check and or change. There are also small engine shops which offer services to complete these lists for you at a reasonable fee. If these steps are followed on a regular basis your equipment will last for a very long time.