How
to Prepare to Mow the Lawn
Amanda Hubbard
If you ask many people if they
have ever mowed a lawn the common reply would be “yes”, but
what about those people who have yet to learn? Well, today is the day
where they are going to learn how to do the simplest aspect of landscaping,
and that is how to prepare to push mow a lawn.
A nice lawn is something that
doesn’t happen overnight. And speaking of night, nighttime is not
always the best time to mow because of dew. A good time to mow the lawn
is after 11 o’clock in the morning. At this time most of the dew
on the grass has evaporated and the grass is no longer wet. Wet grass
can form clumps of grass on the lawn when it is being mowed, and big clumps
really aren’t that attractive. When the grass is dry it also means
that your shoes will not be drenched when you are finished.
Now let’s get started…
Step one: Check the oil and
the gas
To check the oil there is a
little knob on the lawn mower's engine that you can twist off and pull
out a dipstick (figure 1). Take an old rag and wipe the dipstick clean.
Then put the dipstick back in the oil hole and pull it out again to see
where the oil line is on the dipstick. There are words that indicate where
the oil line should be, this lets you know if you need to add oil. If
you do need to add oil, most push mowers will use 10w-30 motor oil. (If
you have questions concerning what type of oil to put in your engine,
it is best to look at you owner’s manual or talk to an automotive
person at your local supply store.) You will then put the new oil in through
the same hole the dipstick goes in.
Next, you need to check how
much gas you have. The gas cap usually has a little picture of a gasoline
pump on it. Unscrew the cap and glance at the amount of gas that is inside.
If the gas is getting low put some unleaded gas in the hole. The gas that
I usually use is unleaded 87.
Step two: Prime the engine
There is usually a sticker
on the engine that says to push a bubble three times before starting your
lawn mower (figure 2). Go ahead and push the bubble three times.
Step three: Pull back the
saftey/start handle
Next,
you have to stand up and hold on to the handle on the lawn mower. In front
of your handle will be another thin handle that you will need to pull
back (figure 3). By pulling this handle and holding it constantly your
lawn mower will run. If you let go of the thin handle your mower will
shut off. This is for the safety of the consumer. If the person mowing
the lawn needs to shut off the engine for any reason they just have to
let go of the handle and the engine will disengage.
Step four: Start the engine
You do this by pulling back
the rubber handle attached to the rope coming out of your engine. You
may have to pull back the rope several times until your engine starts.
Step five: Time to mow the
lawn
This is where you get to decide
what you will mow and how you will approach mowing the lawn. There is
no right or wrong way. You just want to make sure that you don’t
run over big sticks, rocks, or roots. If you have little children you
also want to take in consideration any toys that may be on your lawn.
Have fun!
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