Equipment Maintenance for Lawn Care Business Owners

As a lawn care business owner, your time is precious. You want your equipment to work at its best at all times without worrying about it performing poorly or not starting at all.

When you purchase quality brands, you can typically expect that to happen – but not without maintenance. If you don’t make time for care, you can spend more time fixing your equipment than actually using it. Learn more about maintenance requirements for lawn care equipment below, and you can provide your clients with a reliable, high-quality lawn care service they can trust.

Check Oil and Filters

If any equipment you own has a motor, it will likely need oil and filters to work at its best. When was the last time you checked the oil and filters within landscaping and lawn mowing equipment?

The more frequently you check and replace these components, the less likely your chances of engine failure, and the longer your equipment might last. The same goes for air filters, found on most residential and commercial lawnmowers. Clogged air filters can reduce air circulation and cause carbon build-up. Keep at least one replacement air filter on hand at all times to minimise downtime.

Sharpen and Check Blades

Just as you would sharpen knives you use in the kitchen, you need to do the same for any lawn equipment with blades—the sharper the blade, the cleaner the cut.

Typically, the best time to replace or sharpen your blades is when they have any dents or nicks. However, if you notice that your grass height is uneven after cutting, the grass blades look torn, or the edges of your grass are brown and frayed, these can be reasonably good signs that they’re in dire need of sharpening. Most rusty and dull blades chew and rip the grass rather than cut it cleanly.

Always carry a spare set of blades and tools for switching out old blades. You can then set time aside to sharpen the used blades yourself or take them to your local hardware store for sharpening. If you choose to sharpen blades yourself to lower your operational costs, make sure you wear safety gear, such as work gloves, eye protection, and ear protection.

Check the Spark Plugs

Spark plugs are such a small, inexpensive part of your lawn mowing equipment, but they can have the most significant impact. Failing spark plugs can make your lawn mower hard to start and even contribute to increased fuel consumption and poor engine performance.

Inspect your spark plugs at least every month. Be on the lookout for general wear, cracks, and chips. Consider stocking up on spark plugs so that you don’t have to be out of action for too long.

Clean Your Equipment

When you’re working in people’s yards day in and day out, your equipment is going to get dirty. When they’re not being covered in lawn clippings, they’re getting splattered with dirt, water, and other organic matter.

If you don’t clean your equipment often, you might experience rust and dirt build-up that’s both unsightly and harmful to your gear’s efficiency. Take the time to clean your equipment each day, and you might be surprised by how long it lasts.

Create a Maintenance Checklist

When you have a long list of equipment you use daily, like lawnmowers, hedge cutters, leaf blowers, and line trimmers, it’s hard to remember what you’ve serviced and what you haven’t. Take the guesswork out of the process by creating a maintenance checklist.

These checklists can incorporate all the tasks you need to perform on each piece of equipment and the dates you need to perform them. If you can’t remember the last time you changed the oil in your mower, you can simply refer to your maintenance sheet to find out.

Rely On the Pros

During the growing seasons, you’ve probably got more than enough tasks on your to-do list. At this point, equipment maintenance is simply cutting into your free time. If your goal with taking on a lawn care franchise was to enjoy a better work-life balance, consider leaving maintenance and repairs to the experts.

Develop a relationship with your local mower shop and discuss your current and future needs with them. When they know you have several pieces of outdoor power equipment you’ll need regular servicing for, they might be inclined to provide competitive prices and fast turnaround timeframes.  

Maintain Your Mowers Like a Pro

A successful lawn care business is about more than buying the right equipment and building up a loyal and satisfied customer base. It’s also about making sure you maintain your equipment to keep providing a high-quality service. Take note of these tips above, and you might enjoy having reliable, long-lasting equipment that suits your needs for years to come.