The Women’s Step-By-Step Guide to Mower Tube-Up

A woman tuning up the lawn mower? You bet! More women than ever before are taking on yard duties, and that includes keeping up their yard care equipment. The lawn mower or tractor is probably the single most expensive piece of yard care equipment, and an annual tune-up taking about 30 minutes will make it easier to start, prolong the life of the engine and make it run cleaner and more efficiently.

Here's the four-step guide to mower tune-up:

Step 1: Roll your lawn mower to a well-lit and level outdoor location. Have your owner's manual on hand to refer to. Run the mower for two or three minutes within the engine. Then turn off the mower and disconnect the spark plug from the spark plug lead wire. Simply pull the lead wire end away from theplug end and tie it away from the spark plug using string or twine. This safety precaution will prevent the mower from starting accidentally.

Step 2: Place some newspaper beneath the mower. On most walk-behind mowers, you will have to tilt the mower deck to find the oil drain plug beneath the mower deck. Always tilt the mower so that the oil cap on the engine is higher than the rest of the engine. Place a container such as a coffee can, jug or oil pan under the drain plug, then turn the plug counter clockwise to remove it (you may need a wrench). Wait for the old oil to drain from the engine. Put the plug back in. Then, simply add fresh oil (be sure the bottle says SAE 30) up to the fill level indicated on your mower. Don't overfill, as it can cause other problems and can even damage the engine.

Step 3: Check and clean the spark plug. It should already be disconnected from the spark plug lead wire by simply pulling the lead wire away from the plug. Next, remove the spark plug from the engine (for this you will need a spark plug socket wrench, widely available at hardware and home improvement stores). Turn the wrench until the plug can be removed. Wipe off any deposits on both ends of the plug using a wire brush. Stubborn deposits can be removed with a small knife. Replace the plug by reversing the directions above. If the plug is more than two years old or is exceptionally dirty, replace it with a new spark plug.

Step 4: The air filter keeps dirt and debris out of the engine. To find the air filter on your mower, refer to your owner's manual. The filter is located at the top of the engine, beneath a cover that is opened by loosening either two wing nuts or a pair of screws. The air filter will be made out of paper or foam – be sure to replace it with exactly the same type of filter. Always refer to the owner's manual or engine manual for any additional procedures, as some types need to be oiled before installation while others do not. It takes about five minutes to remove the old filter and install the new one. Even women who don't tune up their own mowers should know the basics of a tune-up as well as where to locate a few basic parts of the mower engine: the spark plug, air filter, oil cap and gas cap. This will enable her to talk more knowledgably with a technician and even troubleshoot problems if they occur.

Tune-up kits also are available for most mowers at lawn and garden dealerships and home improvement stores. The kit contains everything a woman needs to tune-up her mower, including a fresh spark plug, air filter and oil.

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