As the countdown to the spring season begins, equipment dealers and their customers are prepping lawn maintenance products. From dull blades to neglected oil changes, overlooked mower maintenance tasks can result in costly repairs and unexpected downtime for homeowners. To help prevent these setbacks — and to help equipment dealers help customers maintain loyalty and mower longevity, Toro established National Lawn Mower Maintenance Week occurring the first week in March every year.
“It’s not uncommon for a good quality lawn mower to last decades, and potentially into the next generation, if properly maintained and operated,” says Wes Bollingmo, channel and product support manager at Toro, based in Bloomington, Mn. “Without proper maintenance and care, some mowers are hard-pressed to last a full season. The special week we designate is a call to action — a reminder that skipping basic maintenance can leave you facing costly repairs or even a total breakdown when you need your mower most.”
Ahead of National Lawn Mower Maintenance Week, March 1-7, Bollingmo connected with Rural Lifestyle Dealer. He reinforced the value that equipment dealers bring to customers in supporting the long-term maintenance of this and other equipment.
“While many maintenance tasks can be easily tackled at home, don’t hesitate to reach out to your local dealer for expert assistance,” urges Bollingmo. “Whether it’s guidance on specific maintenance needs or sourcing the right parts, dealers are an invaluable resource to ensure your equipment stays in peak condition for the season ahead — and those to come.”
How Dealers Can Support Mower Longevity and Customer Relationships
When asked how equipment dealers can best support their customers’ mower maintenance, while reinforcing the relationship, he shared several tips to bring value to both sides.
“Equipment dealers play a huge role in helping customers get the most life out of their mowers,” said Bollingmo. “A well-maintained mower can last decades, but without proper care, some may not even make it through a full season, so focusing on ways dealers can help keep mowers running strong is key.” He offered the following tips.
- Educate Customers on Maintenance Basics – A little knowledge goes a long way. Dealers can offer quick maintenance workshops or provide easy-to-follow guides on things like oil changes, air filter care, blade sharpening, and proper battery charging. Many people don’t realize how much damage dull blades or clogged air filters can do until it’s too late!
- Encourage Regular Service & Inspections – Not every issue is obvious, and sometimes a mower just “isn’t running right.” That’s where a professional inspection can save time and money. Encouraging seasonal tune-ups helps customers catch small problems before they turn into costly repairs.
- Stock the Essentials & Offer Fuel Advice – Keeping air filters, oil, blades, and batteries in stock can go far in ensuring customers aren’t scrambling when they need a quick fix. When it comes to fuel, dealers can help bust myths, such as the idea that high-octane always means better quality. Instead, fresh fuel bought in small quantities is key to keeping a mower running smoothly.
- Help Contractors Minimize Downtime – For landscapers, every minute counts during peak season. Dealers can provide simple daily maintenance checklists to help crews stay on top of routine upkeep and avoid unexpected breakdowns.
- Offer Battery Care Tips – As more people switch to battery-powered mowers, dealers should stress proper charging habits. Just like fuel in a gas mower, battery power gets used up faster with heavier workloads. Helping customers understand how to maximize battery life can prevent early replacements.
By focusing on education, service, and easy access to parts, dealers can help homeowners and contractors keep their mowers in top shape — maybe even long enough to pass them down to the next generation!
By committing a small amount of time in the month of March to focus on maintenance, equipment dealers and their customers alike can ensure they are fully prepared for the mowing season ahead.
Mower Maintenance To Do’s from Toro
While gas and battery-powered mowers have different maintenance requirements, these tips are universally applicable to all types of mowers:
- Inspect screws, bolts and other components. Tighten or replace them if needed.
- Remove battery or disconnect spark plug. Then, while using protective gloves, remove stuck-on grass and debris from the underside of the mower. When tipping the mower on its side, ensure the air filter is facing up and the oil dipstick is facing down. This will prevent oil from getting into the air filter area.
- Check the mower blades for sharpness and sharpen or replace them if needed. Sharpening is recommended for every 25 hours of operation, while replacement is only necessary if the blades are nicked or broken.
“When mower blades have not been properly maintained, they can actually damage grass, leaving it to brown quickly and harm the plant itself. Dull and damaged cutting blades tend to tear the grass blade versus cut it. Blade tears stress the grass, forcing it to expend energy repairing itself,” explains Bollingmo.
Gas-Powered Mower Maintenance
- Inspect the spark plugs to ensure the lead-in connector is clean, in good condition and attached securely to the top of the plug.
- Empty the fuel tank if fuel is left over from last season. Then, fill it with fresh fuel. It’s best to use fuel that’s less than 30 days old.
- Replace the oil and air filter. Doing so keeps the engine in top shape, sparing users from an oil-related repair later.
- Test the recoil system. It should be retracting properly and free of any fraying. If there is damage to the rope, consider replacing it.
In supporting battery-powered mower maintenance, Toro recommends testing the battery by charging it for 24 hours (or until the battery indicates full charge), then starting up the mower.
How Dealers Can Nurture the Mower Customer Relationship
In its ongoing support of equipment dealers and their customers, Toro also weighed in on the best time to start mowing. This is yet another way for dealers who share these tried and true expert tips to help nurture and strengthen the relationship with the customer, promoting equipment and customer longevity and loyalty with an educational approach.
You might be tempted to pull out the mower and start cutting down that new spring growth as soon as it appears. However, it’s best to step back and take a look at lawn conditions before you begin. The burst of healthy grass activity in spring will help keep your lawn lush and vibrant for the rest of the year. Use it wisely! By timing your mowing and seeding schedule to make the most of this growth, you’ll enjoy much better results overall.
Equipment Dealer Questions to Ask Customers
Toro urges equipment dealers and their lawn mower customers, whether individual large property owners or lawn and landscape contractors, to ask the following questions.
How Tall is the Grass?
Give your spring grass a chance to develop strong, healthy roots. This means waiting until it’s at least 2 inches tall before mowing. Even then, stick to the rule of not taking off more than a third of its length so that it doesn’t die before it’s had a chance to develop.
How Recently Did You Fertilize?
Spring is a great time to fertilize your lawn because of its high rate of new growth. Like a child going through a growth spurt, the grass consumes nutrients at a much faster rate than normal. Both early and late spring are ideal times to fertilize. Just remember that you have to give the nutrients a chance to be absorbed before you mow, so time accordingly.
Are You Overseeding This Year?
Overseeding is another common activity in spring. This is typically done before fertilizing, so you’ll need to set up a schedule of seeding, mowing, and fertilizing that won’t cause further damage. In most cases, you’ll have to plan on not mowing until later in spring (April-May). If you’re interested in renting a slit seeder, find a rental location here. You can also hire this to be done by a landscape contractor.
Where Do You Live?
Location will have an impact on your mowing schedule, especially if you live where late frosts are a possibility, or there’s an excess of rain.
Freezing Conditions
The freezing/thawing cycle can be very rough on new growth and can cause dehydration, which isn’t good for the grass. Cutting it down while it’s unstable can cause irreparable damage. If freezing is a possibility, you should plan on mowing the grass longer than usual. It’s better to risk longer grass and the need to mow more often than to cut it too short and have the frost kill the rest of the plant off.
Wet Conditions
An unseasonably wet spring could cause a huge rush of damp growth that can be more difficult to mow. Therefore, pay close attention to weather conditions. You may need to scale back on your mowing schedule until the grass dries out to prevent potential problems or damage to the turf.
How Much Time Do You Have?
As soon as you perform that first mow, you should plan on mowing every 3-5 days to create a clean, manicured look. By waiting until you have the time and energy to devote to mowing, you’ll end up with a better-looking lawn.
