With spring and summer months rolling in, your lawn and garden will soon need attention. But before you bust out last year’s tools and get to work, you’ll want to make sure everything is in working condition and ready to tackle the season ahead.
Prep Your Lawnmower
Since your lawnmower was put away in the garage or shed all winter, you’ll want to make sure to do a quick check of its performance before assuming you’re good to go all season. Don’t wait until your grass needs a trim to evaluate your lawnmower. Before using the tool, you’ll want to…
- Clean off your lawnmower and evaluate it for any broken pieces, frayed wires, and other obvious signs that you’ll want to repair.
- Warm up the engine before going straight to work. We recommend allowing the lawnmower to run idol for 15-30 minutes before using it for the first time each season. This will help indict if any internal issues need to be addressed.
- Keep in mind how much use the blade gets. A good general rule of thumb is to sharpen your blade after ever 25 hours of use.
Take Stock of Your Other Electric Equipment
Be sure to use these best practices on all of your lawn equipment, not just your lawnmower. You’ll want to prep and evaluate weed whackers, edgers, gardening tools, electric power equipment, and other tools before operating them each year.
Decide to Repair or Buy New
If you have equipment that does need some adjustment, the question is always to repair or replace. If you’re unsure what to do, evaluate the pros and cons of each.
- Does a warranty still apply to my equipment?
- Do I use this piece of equipment often?
- Is there a newer model or version that offers more features I may benefit from having?
- Is the cost of repair of the time required more costly than purchasing a new version of the equipment?
Get Ready for Watering
As the spring and summer seasons begin to heat up, water your lawn and garden is crucial to keep things lush and healthy. Be sure to check your hose and sprinkler much like your lawnmower each year.