Lawn Mower Winter Maintenance: Basics Benefits
As fall turns to winter, even the most powerful lawn mowers quickly become yesterday’s news. While there’s nothing wrong with putting your equipment in storage for the winter — just make sure you don’t forget a professional tune-up sometime over the colder months. Equipment experts and savvy homeowners agree: lawn mower winter maintenance is key to better mowing and maximizing the investment you made in this piece of equipment.
At PowerPro Equipment, we’re the East Coast power equipment headquarters with locations in PA and NJ. Not only do we provide a wide inventory of elite-quality lawn mowers, but we offer repair and strategic preventative maintenance services that save you time, money, and headaches. Here’s what our factory-trained technicians do as part of our lawn mower winter maintenance services:
- Change oil and filters
- Check engine RPMs, steering, belts, other essentials
- Clean and replace air filters
- Look at fuel lines and filters
- Replace one or more spark plugs as needed
- Lubricate the machine
- Adjust tire pressures, cables, throttle, and choke
- Level the cutting deck for riding mowers
- Sharpen and balance blades
- Wash the mower exterior
- Do a test run
Keep reading to get more details about how lawn mower maintenance over the winter makes a real difference for homeowners!
Why to Get a Lawn Mower Tune-Up: 4 Main Reasons
Winter is the season of holiday shopping and Black Friday. And if you’re like most people, the last thing you want to do over the winter is incur an unnecessary bill. However, a lawn mower tune-up is one of the most critical investments you can make in your mower, and it pays you back in more ways than one. Here are the four reasons why a winter tune-up is absolutely worth it!
- Prevent Breakdowns — By tuning up your mower over the winter, you make sure it runs smoothly all spring, winter, and fall. Our maintenance routine is designed to find and prevent issues before they happen. Right off the bat this prevents you from feeling the frustration of leaving your lawn half mowed and needing to borrow the neighbor’s mower. On top of that, emergency lawn mower repairs will very often be more expensive than the lawn mower tune-up, so you can save yourself a potentially substantial bill.
- Better Performance When It’s Time to Mow — When it’s finally time to take your mower out of storage after a long winter, you want it to feel fresh and powerful. An elite-level lawn mower winter maintenance regimen ensures that your mower runs and cuts even better than you remember!
- Extend Its Lifespan — Large zero turn mowers are a serious piece of heavy-duty equipment, and thus, a pretty serious investment. In order to get the most out of that investment, you want to ensure the mower lasts for as many years — and provides as many cuts — as possible. These thorough tune-ups have been 100% proven to extend the lifespan of a new mower!
- Discover Problems Early — If there is a serious problem with your equipment, a lawn mower tune-up will find it before it causes a breakdown. While it may still require a repair, it’s better to know about the issue when you have time to think through your decisions, as far as whether you want to repair or replace it. This becomes especially pressing the older your mower becomes.
Shop New Riding, Self-Propelled, and Zero Turn Models
When it comes to buying a mower from the nation’s top brands, PowerPro is the first place you need to go. Throughout PA and beyond, we are known for our lines of zero turn mowers, including Hustler, Spartan, Gravely, and Toro. If you’re new to zero turn, but are curious about their speed and power, read our zero turn buying guide!
The reason that we have so many repeat customers that trust us for their new mowers decade after decade is that our team members are extremely knowledgeable, and our inventory is huge. That means when you ask the tough, yet important questions about the mower you’re shopping for, you get a real answer from a subject matter expert. On top of that, because we have such a large inventory, you can always test drive before you buy!
Schedule Lawn Mower Winter Maintenance Now
This is the best thing you can do to get the most out of your mower — and the best way to make sure the first time you cut in the spring, the experience is better than you remember. We know you’re busy, so we make it easy to get the service you need. If you want to schedule lawn mower winter maintenance or ask any questions, simply give us a call or fill out our contact form to get started. Sign up before the end of December 2021 for a solid discount!
Lawn Mower Parts
Search and shop all the parts you need for your riding lawn equipment and Gator UTV including lawn mower blades, filters, belts, spark plugs, oil, and home maintenance kits.
Find Parts
Search part numbers and John Deere parts diagrams to identify exactly what you need to keep your equipment running smoothly.
Quick Reference Guides
As a John Deere owner, when it’s time to maintain, service or repair your equipment we have easy-to-use information sheets that keep your John Deere equipment running well.
Home Maintenance Kits
Feel confident in tuning up your lawn mower or garden equipment this season with our Home Maintenance Kits. Easily find the right product so you can DIY and save!
Looking for your Serial Number?
Finding your lawn mower’s model number and serial number is as easy as locating the identification tag on your machine. As seen in the example, the model number will be displayed below the MODEL heading (Example: Z235), and the serial number will be underlined on the top-right corner of the tag (Example: 130002).
If you’re looking for the engine number, that can be found directly on the engine itself.
Home and Garden, eat your heart out.
Get the latest on how to care for and enjoy your yard and garden. The articles and videos are informative and the ideas are amazing.
MowerPlus Mobile App
MowerPlus is the app you need to keep your John Deere riding lawn mower running well and your lawn looking great this season. The app tracks and records yard tasks and serves as a one-stop shop for seasonal care tips and maintenance activities. Know your mower and know how you mow with John Deere’s MowerPlus app.
The Right Part. The Right Price.
At John Deere, you get the value of choice for your maintenance and replacement parts for all makes and ages of machines – at any budget.
Genuine Parts
Genuine John Deere Belts Blades are your best choice for your newer machines.
Alternative Parts
Alternative Parts are an economical solution for your John Deere equipment.
The John Deere Easy Change™ 30-Second Oil Change System
Never drain engine oil again.
We’ve changed the oil change. Revolutionized it really. See how fast and easy changing your oil can now be on 100 Series Riding Lawn Tractors with the John Deere Easy Change™ 30-Second Oil Change System. Only from John Deere. Included on the E120, E130, E150, E160, E170, and E180 models.
Step One. Take it off.
Lift the hood. Make sure the engine is cool, then, twist to remove. It’s that simple.
Step Two. Twist and lock.
Grab the new Easy Change™ Canister, twist and lock into place. Make sure the arrow on your Filter System aligns with the arrow on your engine.
Step three. Done.
Close the hood and mow. John Deere recommends the Easy Change™ 30-second Oil Change System every 50 hours or at the end of your mowing season. Don’t drain engine oil ever again.
Draining engine oil is so 2017.
The engine modifications and new technologies are in. The re-envisioned oil filter with a media designed to resist breaking down in oil over time is here. The thousands of hours of testing are done. The end result is an all-in-one, oil and oil filter system like no other. The first of its kind. And thanks to the new John Deere Easy Change™ 30-Second Oil Change System (“System”), you’ll never have to drain the oil from 100 Series Riding Lawn Tractors again.
Here’s why: The new System captures contaminants and recharges your engine with nearly a quart (0.8qt) (0.76 l) of new oil. In fact, this System increases the amount of oil in the engine by nearly 40%. 2 Your engine likes that.
What do you mean, I will never have to drain oil from my engine again? How is that possible? The answer is simple. We have developed a better filtration system and filter design for our 100 Series Riding Lawn Tractors 1. This fully synthetic filter media has greater surface area which increases its capacity to hold harmful contaminants. What’s more, the filter media is designed to resist breaking down in oil over time. Which means you’ll get a cooler running engine. And a cooler running engine and better filtering helps increase engine oil life. John Deere’s recommended oil service for 100 Series Riding Lawn Tractors 1. is to change the System every 50 hours or once a season, whichever comes first. Remember, the System replaces a portion of your engine oil. And that’s plenty.
The System uses John Deere Turf-Gard™ Oil. Using John Deere Turf-Gard™ Oil ensures you are using the exact oil specified by John Deere engineers.
Testing. Testing. Testing. Thanks to thousands of hours of rigorous and extensive testing, you can feel confident your engine will run for years to come.
1 The John Deere Easy Change™ 30-Second Oil Change System is available on E120, E130, E150, E160, E170 and E180 Lawn Tractors today.
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2 Compared to similar V-Twin engine models that do not have the John Deere Easy Change™ 30-Second Oil Change System. That includes equivalent Deere 2017 models and 2018 models without the System.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is new with John Deere Riding Lawn Equipment?
We are excited about the exclusive John Deere Easy Change™ 30 second oil change system. Exclusive to John Deere and only available on certain models of the new 100 Series Lawn Tractors. These tractors are designed for ease of use for both operation and maintenance. The John Deere Easy Change™ System (“Easy Change”) allows the user to easily complete the recommended engine oil and filter maintenance in 30 seconds.
What is this new oil change system?
We changed the oil change. The all-in-one oil and oil filter system gives the owner the ability to change a portion of the oil and the filter in less than 30 seconds.
What happens to the rest of the oil in the engine when the Easy Change system is replaced?
The Easy Change system replaces.8 quart of oil. The remaining oil in the engine is refreshed by the charge of new oil included in the replacement Easy Change system. Combined with 40% more engine oil capacity, improved filtration and cooler running temperatures which help extend oil life, it is no longer necessary to remove and dispose of all the oil in your engine during service.
What makes the Easy Change system unique from other filters?
It is not just a filter. It is a newly developed technology system that allows a new “filter” to come already charged with oil and allows you to remove an existing filter and the contaminants inside without tools and without making a mess. Beyond the filter, technology within the canister and on your engine makes this possible.
Models with the Easy Change oil system use a fully synthetic filter that has more capacity to trap and hold contaminants. The larger surface area of the Easy Change canister acts like a radiator helping the oil to stay cool.
Does the Easy Change system somehow decrease the life of the engine?
The John Deere 100 Series lawn tractor models, with and without Easy Change, are specified for the same lifetime and are rigorously tested to the same standards to ensure the life of the tractor meets expectations.
Can I add the Easy change system to an existing tractor?
Because this system also requires unique features within the engine, the Easy Change system cannot be added to an engine that was not equipped with it at the factory.
Can I change all the oil if I choose to?
You could if you wanted to. There is an oil drain plug. It is not required for maintenance.
How often do I need to change the Easy Change canister?
Every 50 hours or once a year. The 100 Series Lawn Tractors with and without the Easy Change system have the same maintenance schedule.
What type of oil is recommended?
We recommend only John Deere Turf-Gard™ 10W30 Oil. The Easy Change canister comes pre-filled with John Deere Turf-Gard™ 10W30 oil.
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How do I recycle the old oil?
Many local government recycling programs, authorized retailers, auto repair stations, and auto parts stores will puncture and recycle used oil filters and oil.
Do I ever need to add oil?
Yes. Consistent with our service recommendations for this product, you should check oil level daily and add oil if required.
Mobile Lawn Mower Tune Up Services
Mower Doctor is a one of a kind, full service mobile lawn mower repair company based out of New Hudson, Michigan. Our mobile lawn mower repair center allows the team at Mower Doctor to bring the repair shop right to your door. We service the South Lyon, Brighton, Whitmore Lake, Plymouth, Northville, Novi and surrounding areas. Our team comes to you, allowing us to fix your lawn mower faster than if you took it into a regular repair shop!
Our lawn mower tuning service will keep your engine running great all season long! A properly tuned lawn mower allows for a lower operating temperature which helps to extend the life of your mower.
We also test the functionality of every component of the lawn mower to ensure that all parts are operating properly. Our mower tuning service will ensure that your lawn mower will start the first time, every time, all season long.
What’s included with our mobile lawn mower tuning service:
Tune Up Special!
Call and mention this ad for free tune up parts (tune up parts include spark plug, oil, oil filter, fuel/air filter, shop supplies) on a rider and/or push/self-propelled. Needs to be scheduled and serviced by March 31st to get this deal. Does not include repair work.
For more information or to schedule a lawn mower tune up Call 734-558-2328
Our Full Service Lawn Mower Repair Includes:
Blade sharpening and balance, deck cleaning, spark plug replacement, air filter check/replacement, oil change, oil filter change, grease all steering components, fuel systems check up, belt inspection and tire pressure check.
We service all makes and models!
We Accept All Major Credit Cards
Please Note: We have a minimum service charge of 95 for push/self propelled mowers and snowblowers, 160 for a rider, call for minimum on commercial mowers. Service charge is applied towards labor and repair of the machine. This is to cover technicians time and diagnosis of machine. Fee is due at time of service if customer declines service and/or machine is ruled not worth fixing.
Lawn Mower Repair Reviews
“Great service, very knowledgeable and reasonable rates. Jason was able to diagnose and fix my mower at my home within fifteen minutes, and he was more than willing to explain what he was doing and what had happened with my mower. I highly recommend Jason if you need your lawn mower repaired.”
© Copyright | Mower Doctor, LLC.
What Should I do when my lawn and garden engine runs rough or has poor idle?
When your gas-powered lawnmower, trimmer or chain saw is running rough or doesn’t idle correctly, the annoying sound is just the start of your problems. When your equipment’s engine isn’t running smooth, performance suffers, leaving the job undone.
Causes:
If the engine starts, but does not run smoothly, it means that the spark plug and ignition system are in order and you need to look elsewhere for the source of the problem. The usual culprit is air intake or fuel system related.
Symptoms
Dirty or Clogged Air Filter
The job of the air filter is to remove dirt and debris from the air before it enters your engine. If the filter is doing its job, it may become clogged and not allow a sufficient amount of air into the engine for it to run smoothly, If the filter is dirty, it should be replaced.
Old Gas
When did you last fill up the gas tank? Old gasoline can affect the performance of the engine. Gas can go stale in as little as 30 days. If the fuel is old, it should be dumped into a container for proper disposal and fresh fuel should be added. Other options include adding a fuel stabilizer to your tank or using canned fuel that contains no ethanol.
Obstructed Gas Tank Vent
After adding new fuel, check the gas cap. In many small engines, the gas cap also has a vent that serves as the fuel tank ventilation. In order to work properly and supply a sufficient amount of fuel to the carburetor, the vent must be open and free of any debris.
Dirty or clogged fuel filter
A fuel filter that is dirty or clogged with debris can restrict the amount of fuel getting to the carburetor.
Solutions
Change air filter if it’s clogged or dirty.
Unclog or replace gas cap if air vent is blocked.
Replace dirty or clogged fuel filter.
Replace old gas with fresh gas (properly dispose of old gas).
If none of these tips get you up and running smoothly, then it’s time to call on a professional mechanic who specializes in small engines.
The content contained in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be used in lieu of seeking professional advice from a certified technician or mechanic. We encourage you to consult with a certified technician or mechanic if you have specific questions or concerns relating to any of the topics covered herein. Under no circumstances will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on any content.