Tiller & Snow Blower Maintenance!

Remember to compost!
         
          We actually prefer to put our maintenance off until this exact time of year. One reason is, it gets us out of going shopping on a nice day, and we do try to pick a nice day for this. Yes in most parts of the country you can still find a decent day in December. Put the jacket on and head for the Garage, or better yet, outside in the driveway if possible.
          The equipment we're talking about here, is the motorized type.
End of the year maintenance for Tillers, Lawn mowers, Leaf Blowers, Chain saws, Concrete saws, Mechanical Augers (if it is not being used through the winter). Start up maintenance for the Snow blower, the Ice Fishing Auger, and the Snow Mobile.
          What to do:
               *     Safety - First of all, before performing any maintenance on machinery, disconnect the spark
                      plug wire.
               *     Check the motor or engine for leaks. Determine where the leak is coming from. It may be
                      as simple as tightening down some bolts. Most leaks on small engines are slow leaks. What
                      I mean by that is if you wipe all the oil up, you probably will not see the leak anymore. It
                      may take a day or two to be visual again, or it may leak only when being used. The first step is
                      to tighten up the bolts. Wipe it down, clean the oil from around the leak. Attach the spark plug
                      wire, start her up, and let her run. Always do your pre-start checks for the required piece
                      of equipment. Check for the leak again. If you can see it, then most likely a new gasket or seal
                      is in order. Take the component apart and replace the gasket. Manuals while not perfect, are
                      better than yesteryear. Refer to them for the parts and materials you need. You may buy the
                      required parts locally or off the Internet. Once you have made the repairs then clean
                      all external components, removing all grease, grime, lawn clippings, dirt, vines, and so
                      forth. Then check the normal parts as that may need replacement or adjustment.
               *     Spark plug - Remove, clean, and inspect to ensure it is the proper type and the gap is good.
                      Info on the type and gap is found in the equipment manual.
               *     Belts - Check for cracks, adjust for proper tension. It's always good to have another one of
                       these handy if it is getting some age on it.
               *     Chain Drive - Check for rust, and damage. Lubricate as per manual.
               *     Blades - Check for sharpness, and balance. Correct either at this time. I always have a
                      spare blade on hand. I normally spray the blade and the underneath mower housing with
                      WD40 at this time. Check the shaft that holds the blade to the motor at this time.
                      Pulleys and shafts - check all for tightness and proper tension.
               *     Check Tines for Wear and deformity. Change as necessary. If you change one on one side
                      then change the other side also to keep the machine in proper balance. We sharpen and
                      balance ours the same as the mower blades.
               *     Check all fluids - Oil, gear box (hydraulic fluid), Transmission Fluid. Change as necessary.
               *     Check all Filters - Replace per visual inspection, or maintenance requirements.
               *     Check housing - For cracks, damage, and vibration wear.
               *     Check and adjust controls - Transmission, Throttle, and so forth.
               *     Inspect all Handles and Steering wheels.
               *     Inspect all wheels and tires - Inflate and tighten as necessary.
               *     Drain Fuel Tank - If you will not use this equipment during the winter, drain the fuel from
                      the tank. There should be a drain on the bottom of the tank, or the bottom of the carburetor
                      bowl. Or disconnect the hose from the tank to the carburetor. Start your engine and run it until
                      the engine stops from lack of gas. This a good time to just take the tank off and clean it out as
                      these small engine fuel tanks seem to attract dirt and debris. Also clean out the carburetor
                      bowl using carb cleaner.
               *     Check the Fuel hoses - Replace as necessary.
               *     Give your machine a good washing at this time. Paying attention to not get any
                      water into the engine.
               *     Grease all Zerk fittings.
               *     Wire brush and treat any moving mechanical or moving parts that have rust.
               *     Check all nuts, bolts, and other fittings.
           
          Thanks for reading, I hope this helps. Enjoy your day in the garage, or out in the sun.