Lawn mower hose connection. Craftsman Parts for Outdoor Power Equipment

How to Wash Your Mower Deck (and Why)

Perhaps you’re not the kind of person who’s overly concerned with keeping their equipment spotless all of the time. We usually aren’t! But when it comes to our lawnmower decks, we try to make an exception. Washing your mower deck is important to protect the condition of your equipment and maintain your lawn’s health.

Why Should I Clean My Mower Deck?

You’re probably more likely to make the effort of cleaning your mower deck if you know why you’re doing it, so let’s review how this practice affects your mower and your lawn.

First, you know those annoying grass clippings that tend to stick to the wheels and deck? Well, they look unsightly on your equipment, but they’re a nuisance beyond that. If enough grass clippings accumulate, the buildup can prevent your grass from standing upright, and you won’t get a clean cut. 1

If your mower blades can’t cleanly slice the grass, they’ll shred it instead, damaging your lawn.

When your lawn isn’t completely dry, it’s even worse. Damp grass easily forms clumps that will build up quickly underneath your deck. When that happens, your deck will retain moisture, creating the ideal environment for rust to form. If your goal is for your mower to stay rugged and running for a long time, rust is a huge issue.

Additionally, the act of mowing essentially slices open your grass blades. This can make them vulnerable to things like fungus, and if the clippings underneath your deck are carrying that fungus, you can spread it out to the rest of your lawn. 1

These factors should convince you of the importance of keeping your mower deck clean.

How Frequently Should I Clean My Deck?

The answer to how often you should wash your deck can depend on your specific situation. Generally, you shouldn’t need to clean the deck more frequently than two to three times in one mowing season. However, if you have a larger yard or if your yard is in a wet or low spot, you’ll want to clean at least four times a season.

Plus, if you ever mow when your grass is wet or if you mow very long grass, you may want to wash your deck each time you use your mower.

Ultimately, use your best judgment and be flexible. Depending on how dry or how large your lawn is, you can increase or decrease the number of times you’ll need to wash your deck during the mowing season.

How Do I Wash My Lawnmower Deck?

Some mowers have a built-in washing feature that makes cleaning their decks easy. We recommend doing this immediately after you get done mowing so that the clippings won’t have time to harden. Put your mower on a clean, non-grassy surface, adjust the deck to its lowest height, connect the hose, turn on the water, and engage the blades.

If you’re working with a push mower without a built-in washing feature, begin here:

• Remove the gas in your tank or run the mower dry of fuel.
• Take out your mower’s spark plug.
• Put your mower on its side with the air filter and carburetor pointing up.

If you have a riding mower, do this instead:

• Engage the parking brake on your mower and put chucks behind the back tires.
• Lift the front end of your mower with a lawnmower jack.
• Once your mower is tilted high enough that you can clean it, secure the jack position to keep it there.

With those steps complete, it’s time to clean.

• Use a garden hose or a pressure washer to loosen grass clumps on your deck’s underside.
• If there’s debris that can’t be removed with water, use plastic tools, like a brush or ice scraper, to scrub it away.
• Give your deck a final rinse. Then be sure to dry it completely so that rust doesn’t form.

Check Your Mower Blades

Since your mower deck is accessible right now, it’s a great time to check your mower blades. You want to keep them sharp enough to slice your grass cleanly but not so sharp that they can cut your hand. (Ironically enough, over-sharpened blades dull quickly.)

If your blade is dull but appears to be in good shape otherwise, you should be able to have it sharpened at your local machine shop (or you can do it yourself). However, if you see any rust spots or large chips or dents, you’ll want to replace it.

Be sure to check out our replacement lawnmower blade options below.

CRAFTSMAN

Find the CRAFTSMAN original equipment parts and accessories you need to keep your lawn mower, snow blower and other outdoor power equipment performing strong. These parts and accessories are designed and engineered to exact standards to provide reliability and optimal performance. Protect your CRAFTSMAN outdoor power product investment with CRAFTSMAN original equipment parts and accessories.

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Repair rather than replace your most essential lawn care accessory with these quick and easy techniques.

By Manasa Reddigari and Bob Vila | Updated May 31, 2021 10:53 AM

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When intact, your garden hose is a trusty tool for hydrating your lawn, rinsing debris from your deck, and just about every exterior task requiring water. But a bent, torn, or otherwise leaky hose wastes water and makes outdoor chores more difficult. Plus, you often only discover there’s a problem after you’ve started a job when running out to buy a new hose is darned inconvenient. Fortunately, it’s fairly easy to extend its life by repairing a garden hose with the Smart (and cheap!) DIY fixes we’ve assembled here. Read on to learn more about garden hose repair.

Seal small holes with electrical tape.

Pesky pinholes are often only visible to the eye when you connect the water and spot small, geyser-like spurts of water from the punctured section of the hose. Such small leaks can direct water away from the lawn or plants you’re aiming for—not to mention squirt you in the eye! Electrical tape, usually made of a PVC backing and a rubber-based adhesive, has the elasticity, insulation, and weather resistance needed to effectively plug these holes, but you may eventually need a hose mender (see below) if leaks persist.

Turn off the water, disconnect the hose, and wipe it dry with a rag. Mark the punctured section with a marker, then wrap electrical tape around the marked section, overlapping a few times to ensure good adherence. Take care not to wrap so tightly that the hose creases, as this might impede water flow. Reconnect the hose to the spigot or a spray nozzle and turn on the water to verify that you’ve solved the problem.

Repair large tears with a hose mender.

Larger tears in a hose often result from snagging on a tree or bush, cracking with exposure to extreme heat or cold, or chewing by a naughty pet. Water will gush from such tears when you turn on the tap, but a hose mender—a short plastic or metal tube that replaces the damaged section, available (e.g., Nelson Compression Fit Hose Mender on Amazon)—can come to the rescue.

Turn off the water, disconnect the hose, and remove the torn section with a hose cutter or garden shears. Attach the cut ends of the hose to the connectors of the hose mender, twisting the two collars on the mender clockwise to tighten. Reconnect the hose to the spigot or a nozzle and turn on the water to verify there are no leaks.

Fix a leaky coupling with a new hose gasket.

One of the peskiest garden hose problems is a leak in the coupling: the metal or plastic fitting found on both ends of a hose used to connect the hose to the spigot, a nozzle, or a sprinkler. If you spot a steady drip coming from the hose couplings when you connect it to source, the gasket may need to be replaced. Gaskets naturally wear with time and water exposure, so plan to switch out your hose gaskets every three to 10 years.

Turn off the water, disconnect the leaky hose end, and use needle-nose pliers to pull out the existing gasket inside the coupling on that hose end. Use your fingers to push the new gasket inside the hose coupling. Generally, the thicker O-ring gaskets (e.g., Nelson O-ring, available on Amazon), the more watertight the seal; flat gaskets don’t mold to the contours of the coupling quite as well. Reconnect the hose to a spigot or nozzle and turn on the water to ensure the coupling no longer leaks.

Replace a bent coupling with a new hose coupling.

If the coupling on either end of the hose continues to leak after a gasket replacement, the coupling may have gotten physically misshapen by a run-in with a lawn mower or other piece of heavy equipment. A bent coupling loses the watertight seal between the hose and a spigot, nozzle, or sprinkler, causing a leak.

Replacing a bent coupling with a new one that suits your needs will provide a permanent solution for the leak. There are two types of couplings: female (e.g., Nelson Female Hose Repair, available on Amazon) connects to the spigot and male (e.g., Nelson Male Hose Repair, available on Amazon) connects to a nozzle or sprinkler. Also be sure to choose a coupling with the same diameter as that of your hose (e.g., 5/8-inch coupling for a 5/8-inch-diameter hose). Both the coupling type and diameter will be stated on the packaging.

Turn off the water, disconnect the hose, and remove the entire bent coupling with a hose cutter. Push the exposed end of the hose into the connector of the coupling, and then twist the collar of the coupling clockwise to tighten it. Connect the hose to a spigot or nozzle and turn on the water to ensure the coupling doesn’t leak.

Safeguard your hose to avoid future damage.

Use these tips to stave off future damage to your garden hose and ensure leak-free lawn maintenance:

• Avoid leaving a hose outside in extreme heat or cold. Existing creases in a hose can progress into cracks with exposure to high heat or if cold water inside the hose freezes. A cool, dry environment like the garage is best for hose storage.
• Lightly coil and store your hose on a hose cart (e.g., Ironton Hose Reel Cart, available on Amazon) when not in use to keep it kink-free (creases can eventually lead to tears). A hose cart will also make it easier to transport your hose to and from the garage or shed to the lawn without the hose snagging on trees or bushes, equipment, and other sharp objects or abrasive surfaces that can cause holes or tears in it.
• Drain any remaining water in a hose after a watering session by spraying it out with a nozzle and then lifting and gently shaking the hose with the hose end facing down to remove any leftover water. Standing water can weather the gaskets inside the hose and reduce the integrity of their seal over time.

If you must replace your hose, choose one made of rubber instead of vinyl. Rubber hoses tend to be more resistant to temperature changes and are less likely to crack over time than vinyl equivalents.

Lawn mower hose connection

Whether it’s a petrol mower, a battery-powered mower or a robot lawn mower, keeping them in the best condition possible will ensure they perform their very best for years to come. In this guide, we will look at how to clean and maintain the 3 most commonly owned types of lawn mowers, so that you can enjoy trouble-free mowing!

Signs your mower needs servicing

When your mower is working as it should, it’s all too easy to skip its annual servicing. Postponing by a few weeks won’t be an issue, but annual mower servicing is something you want to remember to do for one good reason. it keeps your mower in the best working condition possible, saving you time and money on spares and repairs down the road.

How often your mower needs servicing can be found in the user manual for your model. However, there are times when your mower may need an early service, especially if you are noticing any of the following:

• Your lawn mower is having difficulty starting.
• Your mower is making loud knocking or rattling sounds.
• There’s smoke coming from the mower.
• It shudders when mowing thick grass.
• There’s a high-pitch whining sound when starting.
• There are more vibrations than usual.
• The mower is giving an uneven cut.

The easy way to clean a petrol lawn mower

The way you clean your mower will largely depend on the power supply and the type of mower you have. For the most part, electric and petrol push mowers follow the same types of cleaning with a few apparent differences such as petrol, oil, and fuel filters. For simplicity, we’ll look at each of the basic steps to cleaning a lawn mower, going deeper into the different steps when needed.

• Place your mower on a level and secure surface such as a driveway or patio. If the mower is not on a flat surface, you run the risk of it tipping over as you work on it, which could cause injury.
• If your mower has a grass catcher, remove it and close the discharge flap to prevent any grass or debris from being pushed back inside during cleaning.
• To access the underside of your mower’s deck, always tip your mower backwards towards the handles, never to its side. This will prevent oil and any fuel that may still be in the engine from seeping into places it shouldn’t.
• Inspect the underside of the mower for any dried grass clippings that have built up. It is also a good idea to check the condition of the blades. Even if there is a small amount of debris on the mower deck, then you’ll want to give it a wash while you have easy access to it.
• Most walk-behind mowers come with a fitting to attach a garden hose to flush the deck. If not, you’ll want to turn your mower on its side and use gloved hands to remove the bulk of any grass, dirt, and debris.
• If your mower has a Hose fitting, turn the hose on, and then start the mower and let it run, allowing the water supply to clean the underside. After a few minutes, turn off the water and check the underside. Don’t turn on the mower if you have to have it on its side to clean the blades.
• Repeat the process if there is any debris remaining. It’s often a good idea to complete this cleaning task after each use before the grass clippings have a chance to dry and harden.
• Should the lawn mower‘s blades be a little blunt, then it might be time to replace them. Husqvarna does not recommend sharpening the blades on your mower. Check out Husqvarna’s Lawn Mower Blade Replacement Guide for an in-depth look at how to change the blades.
• Keep the air filter clean by removing it and giving it a blast with some compressed air (never use liquid to clean your air filter!).
• Also, check and replace the spark plugs. You’ll likely need to change the spark plugs every year or two, depending on use.

How to quickly clean a battery lawn mower

While many of the mower cleaning techniques will be similar between petrol and battery models, there are a few differences to be aware of. Here’s how to safely clean down your battery-powered lawn mower.

• Place your lawn mower on a solid and level surface, turning it onto its side to access the cutting deck.
• Make sure the battery has been removed to prevent any accidental starts.
• Using a gloved hand or a washing-up brush, run around the underside of the cutting deck to remove the bulk of the dry grass and debris.
• For hard-to-reach areas, use compressed air to remove any debris. DO NOT use water on a battery mower. especially from a hose or pressure washer.
• To clean the chassis and cutting deck, take a damp cloth and wipe everything down.
• Clean the blades with an old toothbrush or hard bristle brush. If the blades are showing signs of damage, it may be time to replace them.
• Allow everything to dry properly before replacing the battery.
• To clean the battery, use a dry microfiber cloth to wipe down all surfaces and connection points. the same with the charger.

How to clean Husqvarna Automower®

It is highly recommended to have Automower® professionally serviced and cleaned at your local Husqvarna dealer at the end of every season. In between professional servicing, you can give Automower® a bit of TLC as and when you want.

Taking just 10-minutes of your time, Automower® is easy to keep in tip-top condition. It’s important to note that you should never wash a robot or battery-powered mower with a pressure washer, running water or solvents. While designed to deal with surface water and rain, pressurised cleaning could force water into the electrics. which isn’t something you want to do.

Regular annual servicing not only enables Automower® to work its best but also maintains the mower warranty.

• Begin by turning the main power switch to off.
• Put on a pair of protective gloves to prevent any accidental injuries.
• Place Automower® upside down, preferably on a sheet on a level surface.
• Remove the bulk of any clippings and dirt using your fingertips.
• Take an old toothbrush and gently clean the wheels, skid plate, body, etc.
• Return Automower® to its original position, gently shaking out any debris.
• Wipe down the chassis and all external body parts with a damp cloth.
• Dry everything off with a microfibre cloth when done.
• Turn on the main power switch and Automower® is good to go.

Ride-On/Zero-Turn/Garden Tractor

Husqvarna’s range of Ride-On Front Mowers, Zero-Turn Mowers and Garden Tractors all have different servicing needs, and it’s recommended you leave the bulk of the servicing and maintenance to a professional. However, there are a few things that you can do on a regular basis to keep your mower in good condition.

For mowers with inflatable tyres, make sure the pressure is kept at 16psi at all times. Checking them before use is a good routine to keep. Check the air intake valve before use and give it a clean out if it appears to be clogged; debris in the air intake can lead to an overheating engine which can cause serious damage. Check the mower‘s fluid levels before use each time. This includes oil levels, the hydraulic reservoir and radiator fluid. Top up any fluids that are low.

Check the air filter regularly. If it’s noticeably dirty or the dust load indicator has turned red, you’ll need to replace it, as a dirty air filter can lead to serious damage. Ensure the fuel filter is replaced after 800 hours of operation (at most). If you’re noticing the engine stuttering or if the fuel supply seems to be an issue, it’s a good idea to change the filter sooner.

The Husqvarna Dealer Advantage

When it comes to keeping your lawn mower in top condition, regardless of what kind you have, taking advantage of your local Husqvarna dealer’s experience and services is your best course of action.

Contact your local Husqvarna dealer to find out how using Husqvarna products and dealer services can improve your productivity around the garden.

Mulching and Mower Decks

What is mulching? Why should I consider doing it? How will it make my lawn look better? Learn all about mulching now.

A John Deere exclusive. The MulchControl™ Kit with One-Touch Technology.

Grass mulch can help keep your lawn healthy and looking its best. It’s easy to do with our many lawn mower and mower deck offerings. Check out the tractor mower compatibility.

This is grass mulch.

The easy way to feed your lawn. To make grass mulch, grass is cut into easily absorbed grass clippings to help keep your lawn healthy and lush.

Mulch with the push of a button.

The John Deere MulchControl™ Kit with One-Touch Technology is the easy way to mulch. With the push of a button you can mulch when you want to.

Mulch mode.

Push the button and mulch. The chute closes and you have a dedicated mulching system. Perfect for regular, weekly, or bi-weekly mowing.

Side-discharge mow or bag mode.

Push the button again, or pull the lever, with your MulchControl™ System, the chute opens and you can side-discharge mow or bag. The choice is yours.

Eight things you need to know about mulch mowing.

Fertilizing your lawn just got easier. Just let your grass clippings do the job for you. Grass clipping mulch is the natural way to feed your lawn essential nutrients. Here are eight things you need to know:

Mulch mowing allows clippings to be cut finely enough so that they can’t be seen when redistributed into the lawn.

Make sure your blades are sharp. Sharp blades help ensure a precise, quality cut.

Mulching returns nitrogen-rich nutrients to your lawn. This feeds your lawn and can reduce the amount of fertilizer you need.

Follow the “one-third” rule when mulch mowing, taking no more off than the top third of the grass blade. Fast-growing conditions will warrant more frequent mowing.

Mulching works better when the grass is dry.

The MulchControl™ System from John Deere is the easy way to mulch while you mow.

If tall or wet grass conditions result in unsightly clumps, your MulchControl™ System should be used in side-discharge mode.

If conditions warrant using your MulchControl™ System in side-discharge mode, clippings are likely to be visible for a few days as they decay.

This exclusive technology is available with One-Touch Technology on the John Deere X350 Select Series Riding Lawn Tractor with a 42-in or 48-in Accel Deep™ Mower Deck and other Select Series mowers.

MulchControl™ Kits, with the pull-of-a-lever technology, are available on S240 Riding Mowers with Accel Deep™ Mower Decks, Select Series Mowers, Signature Series Mowers, and all Residential ZTrak™ Mowers.

All MulchControl™ Kits from John Deere include mulching blades for best grass mulching results.

The science behind mulching.

Who loves lugging a heavy bag of lawn clippings to the compost pile or yard waste bin, or endlessly raking leaves in the fall? Pretty much nobody, that’s who. Fortunately, for the sake of aching backs and nutrient-hungry lawns, it’s best to forgo the bag and opt to mulch lawn clippings and leaves instead.

Each little bit of plant material is full of nutrients, and being organic matter, when left in place, can improve the overall health of the soil which in turn, better supports the turf and potentially decreases inputs.

“In the lawncare industry, we’re realizing that rather than feed the lawn synthetically with fertilizers, we can choose to do it more organically by mulching grass clippings and leaving them on the lawn to sift in,” says Richard Hentschel, University of Illinois horticultural extension educator. “Leaving clippings on the lawn provides the equivalent of 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn. That’s nitrogen you didn’t have to buy and apply.” Removing the clippings means also removing those nutrients from the system.

Besides nutrients, clippings return carbon to the soil, which helps build soil organic matter by feeding the microflora that decomposes that organic matter. Soil organic matter (SOM) is measured as a percentage of organic matter in the soil and is the primary indicator of soil health, and therefore the health of the lawn growing in the soil. The higher the percentage of SOM, the more nutrients and water the soil can retain.

“Every 1 percent of SOM holds 1/3 gallon of water per cubic foot of soil,” Hentschel explains. “So, a soil with a fairly good measurement of 3 percent SOM can hold as much as 1 gallon of water per cubic foot.” The ability to hold more water means more of the water applied to the soil through irrigation or falling on the lawn as rain will stay put and turf will be more resistant to swings in temperature and drought conditions.

“SOM also is Mother Nature’s slow release fertilizer. It’s not just the usual nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium either, it’s all 16 of the nutrients essential for plant growth,” Hentschel says. Constantly removing lawn clippings and other organic matter results in decreasing levels of SOM, and lawns will become increasingly dependent on the application of synthetic fertilizers.

While lawns benefit from clippings, they don’t want to be smothered by them. Using best mowing practices can leave grass room to breathe and looking as clean as it would with bagging. The key is to mow with sharp blades and frequently enough that no more than 1/3 of the plant tissue is removed per cutting. This will result in less plant material for the lawn to reincorporate per pass.

“If you mow often with a sharp mower blade, even a conventional mower — as opposed to a mower designed specifically for mulching — will cut the grass up fine enough for it to sift back into the standing grass and break up quickly releasing nutrients to the soil and growing grass as it decomposes,” Hentschel says.

It may be a relatively simple task to stay ahead of grass to get a nice fine mulch that disappears quickly into the lawn, but what about leaves in the fall? Hentschel says to go ahead and mulch them, too. Leaves should be mowed frequently as they fall. To ensure finely parsed leaves that will move into the thatch layer more quickly, it may be necessary to make two or more passes with the lawnmower per mowing. When more leaves fall, simply keep making passes to chop up the material and help speed the composting process.

Hentschel says the leaf residue will work its way into the soil taking valuable nutrients with them and creating a barrier that can help control weeds. With multiple years of mulching leaves, which returns more nutrients to the soil through the extra organic matter, lawns may not need as much fertilizer in the spring. And because the leaf residue covers up bare spots where weeds can gain a foothold, it’s possible over time to see fewer dandelions and crabgrass issues after multiple years of mulching.

No raking, no lugging, less fertilizer, more efficient water use, and fewer weeds—for once, the easy choice is also the best choice. Go ahead and leave the mower bag in the shed if you’re so inclined, and leave the organic matter right where it belongs, on the lawn.