Electric Lawn Mower Maintenance and Care – 30 Tips

Today I want to share with all my viewers over 30 easy tips on how to maintain and care for your electric lawn mower in tip-top shape. One of the biggest reasons we choose an electric mower over a gas mower is the low maintenance that electric mowers are famous for.

We certainly do not intend to spend money on one item over and over when maintaining a cordless electric mower can be a breeze.

Friends, these maintenance tips might seem simple, and most you already know, but do you follow consistently?  Consistency is key. You would be amazed to see how much longer your mower will last if you follow these rules.

First, we will look at the things you need to do before mowing, then during mowing, and finally what you need to do after each mowing session as well as at the end of a mowing season.

If you are new to electric lawnmowers and you are coming from a gas mower, here is a list of things you can forget about from this day onwards:

1. Gasoline

2. Spark plug

3. Air filter

4. Oil

5. Noise

6. Pull Cord

All you are doing is protecting your blades, deck, motor, and battery.

Things you need to do before Mowing

These are just some simple things that will give your electric mower the longest possible life. Remember to practice personal safety guidelines while mowing, such as wearing suitable shoes, clothes, and eye protection.

 Inspect your lawn before each mowing session

1. Remove all sticks, stones, wires, and other harmful debris from the lawn prior to mowing. Ensure that the ventilation area for the motor is free of debris. Ignoring this simple step could not only damage your blade, motor, and your deck but could be harmful to you. So if you value your body parts, take this precaution.

 Inspect your mower before each mowing session

1. Check your battery to ensure it is charged, not damaged, leaking, hot or swollen.
2. Ensure that your power outlet matches your charger requirements. Do not fry your device guys.
3. Ensure all mower screws, nuts, and bolts are tightened before each session.
4. Keep an eye out for frayed wires leading up to the starter which is usually on the handlebar.
5. Inspect bags and chutes for damage, holes, etc before attaching them to your mower.
6. Ensure attachments are secured in place (Bags, chutes)
7. Ensure all screwed parts such as wheels and axels are clean and lubricated.
8. Ensure that the blade of your mower is sharp and in good condition. Sharpen at least once per year.
9. If your mower blade is bent, cracked, or gouged, order a replacement blade. If the blade is just dull but does not have any other damages, sharpen before mowing. This improves your quality of cut, especially in tall, thick grass, and lessens the pressure on your motor.
10. Ensure your cutting height is adjusted to the highest height when cutting tall grass or if you are on uneven or bumpy terrain to avoid damages to your blades, motor, and deck.

Things to look out for while mowing

It is of equal importance to ensure that you are as vigilant during your mowing session as you were before you started to mow. This is when a lot of problems that you missed before starting your mowing session will get worse!

1. Allow the mower to start properly before you start walking.
2. In tall or thick grass, walk slower to allow the clippings to dislodge to avoid clogging up your mower.
3. Keep your eyes peeled for debris you might have missed that may damage your mower.
4. If the mower starts to stall, spark, smoke or wobble, cut the power, use the security key where provided, and check the deck and/or battery for damages. Wobbling may indicate that the blade is unevenly secured or screws are missing and needs to be tightened so do not take this lightly.
5. If it starts to drizzle or rain unless otherwise specified by the company, get to dry grounds with your mower.
6. If you need to recharge your battery during a mowing session, ensure the battery is cool before charging. Some chargers have a cooling mechanism in place and so you can avoid this step.
7. If you have to cross terrain with gravel or anything else that could cause damage to your mower or your person, switch the mower off before attempting to cross.

What you need to do after a mowing session

Some people just mow and then put away the mower as is then prep it for use when it’s time to mow again. This is a very bad habit. You might be tired after your session, it is okay to take a breather, get something to eat and drink, and get back to your mower.

Ensure you observe the following rules before you store away your electric mower:

Do:

1. Ensure your mower off.
2. Remove the battery from the mower If removable
3. Ensure the battery is fully charged before storing after each session and at the end of the mowing season.
4. Ensure that the mower is clean and dry before putting away in storage
5. Ensure the handle and the starter is dry and free of oil and debris.
6. Ensure that you are storing in a dry area at the recommended temperature in your manual.
7. Use a damp cloth for the deck after using a brush (not metal) to remove dirt and grass from wheels, motor ventilation are and the blades. Always wear safety gloves when handling the blades.

Do not:

1. Do not use a spay hose to clean the mower unless the mower is weatherproof. Most electric mowers and not waterproof.
2. For plastic decks, do not use harsh chemicals to clean the mower as this might damage the material.
3. Do not store your electric mower next to frequently used liquid or corrosive substances such as your fertilizers and pesticides.
4. Do not use solid plastic lawnmower covers in a hot shed to cover plastic deck lawnmower or those with plastic clips, levers, and other plastic accessories as the heat will crystalize them.

“Winter is coming” – How to winterize your electric mower

1. All the above under storage
2. Store the battery indoors in a cool area
3. Check to ensure battery is fully charged

Repairing your mower

1. Remember, always power off and disconnect the battery for suspected electric problems.
2. Your first option should always be to call the company to troubleshoot before calling a mechanic. Most companies offer exclusive repairs and do not recommend anyone but certified repair shops under the company. Each mower might have a different technology that can only be repaired by their experts.
3. Do not use the batteries or other parts from different mower models interchangeably unless specified by your company.
4. Do not try to twist the charger cable into different positions to see if it works. If the charging cable is frayed or damaged, do not use it and this might damage your battery.

Final thoughts to share with you

At the end of the day, even though electric mowers are a lot easier to maintain than gas mowers, we still need to do our due diligence before, during, and after the mowing session. Our main goal is to protect our blades, deck, motor, and battery. Oh and something I forgot to mention, this is an electric mower, so we should not mow wet grass for fear of electrocution unless it is weather resistant like the Ego line of mowers. Better safe than sorry.

I hope you found these tips helpful. Remember the more you care about your mowers the more they will care for your wallets.

Let me know in the comment section below if you do any of these for your mower and if you have any additional tips that you think we missed.

Happy Mowing!

Short Video Explaining blade care

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Blades

Bonus: When is the best time to cut your lawn?