It’s lawn-cutting time as if anybody has to be told.
At this time, though, the home gardener realizes more than ever how important it is to have his mower in good working condition.
In my travels, I’ve been asked several times about the care of mowers and how to keep them in good condition, so I decided to ask a man who should know—my local garden supply store proprietor.
How To Care For Mowers
When I dropped in on Al Huttar, the lie was literally up to his neck in mowers waiting for repairs. But he graciously gave me his time for “the good of the cause.”
Here’s what he told me:
“Most troubles can be avoided if the people take their machines to a competent serviceman ‘once a year. Like most service members, we prefer to have them in the winter when we have the time to work on them. In addition to sharpening, we fix many minor things, which often saves a lot of trouble when spring comes.
“Many good ills could also be avoided if the mower owner would leave well enough alone and let a competent man make the major adjustments. You know, it’s very easy to ruin a good mower if the reel blades need to meet the cutting blade exactly right. This is nothing for the gardener to fool with.
One adjustment the gardener can and should make is the height of the cut. On reel mowers, this is done by raising or lowering the roller —raise the roller to lower the cut. On rotaries, this adjustment is made by changing the position of the wheels.
“The commonest cause of engine failure is definitely ‘tinkering.’ When a mower leaves the store, it’s in good working condition; nine times out of ten, it will stay that way if you don’t fool with it. I think more people would be happier with their power mowers if they’d leave their screwdrivers and pliers inside when cutting the lawn.
“However, there are many things you can do to keep the mower in good .condition, although they may be much less glamorous than taking the carburetor apart.
“0116 things you can do, even if you don’t know the first thing about machines. It is to keep the mower clean. By this, I mean that after you use it, remove any matted grass on the blade and any grass that may have wound around the reel.
“I’ve yet to hear of any machine harmed by too much oil and grease in the right places. The instruction book you get With the machine will tell you where you can use oil and how often.
“On gasoline engines, you should frequently check to see some oil in the air filter. This is extremely important.
“It’s also important to check the oil in the crankcase, just as you do in your automobile. You may have to add some occasionally, but you will not have to change it once a year.
“On two: cycle engines, be sure there is the correct mixture of oil and gasoline. The best way to do this is to mix about five gallons at a time; this should be enough for the whole season. Be sure to use a clean can when filling your machine.
One machine came in so gummed up that the pistons wouldn’t move. We discovered that the lady had used an old shellac can to fill the gas tank. I don’t know what chemical reactions were involved, but that engine was in a mess!
“Keeping a spare spark plug around would be a good idea. Make sure, though, that it is the correct one for the engine. If the engine fails, try the new plug. If this doesn’t help, take it to a mechanic.
“Very briefly, that’s about it. By the way, Bill, how’s your mower working?”
From the Mail Bag
What gardener needs to learn the real value of the organic matter in his soil?
Fertilize compost offers a nice convenient way of adding composted cattle manure. This material is made from selected manures at the Chicago Stock Yards and is weed-free, odorless, and teeming with beneficial bacteria.
If you’re like me, you spend much precious gardening time trimming and edging the lawn. The solution, of course, is an electric trimmer, preferably one that will trim and edge. The KAUFMAN K-400 is like this.
The head is designed for trimming, but an edger head and blade can be put on very easily. The Kaufman concern also manufactures the HEDGEMASTER electric hedge trimmer. These are real labor savers for anyone with any extensive hedge to trim.
44659 by William L. Meachem