Table of Contents
Introduction
If you have been cutting your grass with a push mower, you might want to upgrade to a riding lawn mower to avoid stress, especially if you have limited mobility or a very large yard. With riding lawn mowers, you can easily complete the task of mowing your lawn. Using a push mower to lawn, a large expanse of land takes a lot of time, which is a tedious task.
The riding lawnmower has a faster mowing speed and a wider mower cutting deck than the push lawn mowers; they leave you with a professional cut in a short time without excess effort. However, if you want to use a riding lawn mower, you must practice how to properly and safely drive it. You can’t just sit on it and drive it around; some components need to be in place for the lawn mower to work effectively and have a long life span. They are easy to operate but learning to use them with optimum safety takes a while to learn through practice.
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If you are considering purchasing a riding lawn mower but don’t know how to handle it, then this article is right for you. Below are the steps on how to use a riding lawn mower properly.
How Mow Grass With A Riding Lawn Mower
The first thing to do before using a riding mower is to check the gas and oil levels. You won’t want to cause damages to the mower or run out of gas while using it, so ensure that all the necessary fluids are at their proper levels before you operate the mower. The next thing is to sit on the mower and start it. For models that use manual transition, you will need to press the clutch and brake pedal down; the majority of the models use a pedal that performs both functions (meaning dual purpose) and turns the key or press the start switch to start the engine.
If your mower is automatic, you just have to hit the start button or put on the switch. Manual mowers still need you to push some gears before it moves, but for the automatic, you can simply step on the gas pedal and move forward at whatever speed you want. Maneuver around the yard by simply turning the steering wheel like that of a car in any direction you want to go. Once you have gotten to the part of the yard where you want to start mowing, you have to adjust the cutting height with the adjustment lever and start the cutting blades but pressing the blade engagement switch or lever.
After doing all that, you can simply mow your lawn, maneuvering as you go. Using your mower to make straight paths, move from one end to the other. After you have gotten to the end of a row, simply turn around and mow in the opposite direction. Let the mower slightly overlap the previous path.
Using A Riding Lawn Mower To Get Stripes In Grass
If you want to create the beautiful stripes you see on stadium grasses; the riding lawn mower can help you achieve this. This effect is created when light reflects on the bent grass blades. The lawn mower’s blades that are bent towards the rider appear darker while the blades that face away from the rider appear lighter. This technique looks impressive, and it is also healthier for your lawn. To get this impressive look, you need to add a striping kit to your mower; it is a roller that bends the grass as you mow. You have to set your cutting height to be a little higher than usual because the longer the grass, the easier it is to bend, and it is also healthier than short grass. Mow on a straight path from one end to the other. Make sure you move in a straight line to avoid getting a wavy look. As you move forward, the roller will bend the grass in the direction of the moving mower.
Once you get to the end of the path, turn around, go back a bit to adjust the turning radius, and then slightly turn in the opposite direction. As you move forward, creating a path, ensure that the path overlaps the previous path by a few inches in order to avoid uncut patches that will ruin the design. Do this to the rest of your lawn, and in no time, you will be left with a beautiful striped pattern across your yard that can compete with what you see at golf courses and stadiums.
How To Sharpen A Lawn Mower Blade
If you own a riding lawn mower that has more than one to three cutting blades, you might be wondering how you can sharpen them. These blades are usually flat, and each end is sharpened. But after a while of usage or coming in contact with branches, rocks, and roots, the blades may become blunt. To keep up your mower’s performance and ensure that you always get a healthy and even cut, you will need to periodically sharpen your riding mower’s blades.
The first thing you need to do if you want to sharpen your mower’s blade is to drive the mower to an area that is leveled, such as a driveway. To easily reach the blades, simply increase the cutting deck’s height to the limit, then put the mower in gear and leave it while using the parking brake. To be safe, find the spark plug and detach the rubber boot that is usually joined to the wire and keep it away from the tip of the spark plug. This is to ensure that your mower does not accidentally start on its own.
You will be removing the blade, so it is best to use a wax pencil to leave marks at the blade’s bottom. This helps you to properly reinstall it after you’re done sharpening it. After that, place a piece of 2*4 lumber between the blade and the mower’s deck, then make use of a socket wrench to loosen and remove the spindle bolt that is usually found in the cutting blade’s center. After removing the bolt, you can lift the blade off and prepare to start sharpening.
The first thing to do is use a wire brush to clean the blade, get rid of any rust, debris, and dirt from the surface. Place the blade down on a flat work surface and let the blade’s cutting edge sit outside the edge of the work surface; this allows you to have easy access to the blade. Use a metal file to sharpen it to file the edge in downward strokes until it is sharp enough. Then turn the blade and do the same thing to the other end of the blade.
After you have done all that, simply place the blade back in the mower’s deck with the wax pencil’s mark facing downwards. Reattach the spindle bolt through the blade and use your hand to tighten it. Use the 2*4 lumber piece to hold the blade in place by using it to push the blade against the mower’s deck. Make use of a socket wrench to ensure that the bolt is held in place; after the bolt has been tightened, you can reattach the rubber boot to the sparkplug.
Conclusion
Life has been made easy with science and technology, and one of the things it gave us is a riding lawn mower. Instead of spending so much time using a push mower, you could go for the more efficient and safe option. It is easy to operate, and it will make mowing your lawn a walk in the park.