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Electric lawn mowers are a great alternative to gas-powered counterparts. They’re quieter, cheaper, and usually, pack enough power to tackle most types of lawns. However, like all motorized appliances, they do require some TLC.
An electric lawn mower requires servicing annually, but it is less complicated than a gas-powered mower. You can perform many maintenance tasks yourself, such as cleaning and inspecting the mower and adequately storing the battery.
Keeping your mower in tip-top condition isn’t difficult, but it requires care and dedication. In this article, I’ll cover the steps you can take to properly service and maintain your electric mower.
Why Service Your Electric Mower?
Keeping your lawn in check can be challenging during the growing season, and lawn mowers can take a severe beating. Parts wear out or become clogged or damaged. These issues can cause your lawn mower to completely break down if left unchecked.
Therefore, servicing and maintaining your electric mower is your best defense against breakages and ensures your mower lasts the distance. According to lawn mower repair service – Lawnmower Fixed, a properly maintained mower can last up to 8-10 years (source).
How Often Should You Service Your Electric Mower?
The good news is that an electric mower requires very little maintenance, but you might want to get it checked annually. The best time to do this is when you won’t be needing it for a while – after the summer period is a good time.
What Can You Do To Service Your Electric Mower?
Once the growing season is over, it’s time to start your maintenance routine. You will have already been performing some of these tasks, but now is the time to be thorough and detailed. That way, you can safely store your mower away until it’s time to use it again.
According to Electric Mower Report (source) and Worx (source), these are the crucial steps you must follow.
Clean the Undercarriage
The undercarriage is the part of the mower that contains the blade. This section contains a lot of the muck and dirt sucked up from mowing. This part of the mower requires regular cleaning throughout the growing season but now is your chance to get in there and make it spotless.
Go in with a brush and remove any build-up inside the undercarriage. Make sure you get in all the cracks and crevices to remove everything.
Do NOT use water, particularly a pressure washer or hosepipe, to clean your mower. The water can quickly enter inside and cause corrosion and other damage.
Watch this YouTube video for simple, effective tips on cleaning without water:
Check and Clean All the Vents
An electric mower has vents to keep air flowing during use. Over time, these vents might get clogged and cause the motor to blow.
You’ll need to go in and get the vents fully cleaned before turning the mower back on again.
Check All Fixtures and Fastenings
Checking that everything is still in place on your mower is essential. Go around each part of the mower and test how secure all fastenings, screws, bolts, and other fixtures are. Buy a replacement and fix the issue if any fastenings have gone missing.
Sharpen the Blade
The blade is the mower section that receives the most wear and tear, so over time it might become dull, stopping the mower from doing its job correctly.
Remove the blade from the mower (refer to your lawn mower’s instruction manual on how to do this). You can use a couple of different methods to sharpen the blade. Check out this excellent YouTube video on how to do it:
If you don’t fancy sharpening the blade yourself, you can take it to your local lawn mower repair shop, and they’ll do it for you.
Lubricate the Wheels
Finally, the wheels can become stuck, thanks to all that grass and debris. Check each wheel and remove anything that shouldn’t be there, then get some WD40 and give them a good spray. Test them by spinning each wheel to see if they move freely.
How To Maintain Your Electric Lawnmower’s Cord or Battery
The next step is to check and service the power supply. This is simple if your mower has a corded power supply. Batteries, on the other hand, require a little more care.
Inspect the Cord
If your mower has a power cord, make sure it isn’t frayed or damaged. If you see signs of wear, it’s time to replace it. This handy YouTube video details how to repair a damaged power cord. Alternatively, you can take it to the repair shop to have it done.
Clean Out and Properly Store the Battery
For battery-powered mowers, you need to do the following tasks:
- Remove the battery and give the compartment a thorough clean. Again, a can of compressed air is suitable for this task.
- Check the battery over for cracks or other damage.
- Fully charge the battery, then store it out of the mower and somewhere warm for the winter. This is important for maintaining the life of the battery. Take care not to leave it in the cold garage or shed. Find somewhere in the house to keep it.
- Check the battery every month. If you see the level of power drop, charge it back up again.
How To Know if Your Electric Lawnmower Needs Repairing?
Even the most diligent mower owners can find their electric mower breaks down occasionally or becomes damaged. If you notice any of the following, you need to get it checked out:
- The motor fails to start even with a fully charged battery.
- The motor is unusually loud or is making a strange noise.
- The mower gets unusually hot when in use.
- You experience an electric shock when using the mower.
- The blades fail to turn.
Where To Get Your Electric Lawnmower Serviced or Repaired?
If you don’t feel like servicing your mower yourself or if you experience a problem with your electric mower, you can get an expert on the case. All you need to do is find your local repair and service shop.
To do this, search online for “lawn mower repairs near me” or “lawn mower service near me,” and you’ll get a handy list of places you can take your mower. Recommendations from family and friends are also an excellent way to find somewhere suitable.
Conclusion
Mowers are expensive so take the time to protect your investment by servicing it each year. It won’t take long, yet it’ll save you time and money in repairs later. Plus, your lawn will be the envy of your neighbors for years to come.
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