If you buy an electric mower, you never have to change the oil again. Or the spark plug. Or buy gas. Or clean the carburetor.
this post was submitted on 15 Sep 2024
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Showerthoughts
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And they're quieter! God I wish my neighbors all had electric mowers. Sometimes it seems like they're invited to all the zoom meetings I attend.
And when they're being used the engine doesn't have to spin all. the. time.
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If you never mow and grow insect friendly lawns...you wont ever have to buy a mower...fuck lawns.
I did this for years. I even got into the HOA board just to keep them off my back. It was so freeing to not have to mow.
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My next mower will probably be a lawn service
After spending several hours on Saturdays doing yardwork I didn't enjoy doing for years on end, I finally hired a gardener. Now I get to spend that time doing yardwork I do enjoy, like making landscaping improvements, or gardening.
IDK if it's the inner hispanic in me. But man do I love mowing lawns.
Jokes on you, I never did most of that anyway.
Also still got the gas can from pre covid.
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Mine burns a little oil, so I just keep adding it. That way it gets a perpetual oil change. guytappinghead.jpg
I've owned a car like that. Drove that thing for years until the driver's side door fell off and I parked it.
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A true shower thought
I thought two-stroke engines mix the oil and fuel together? Every time you refuel, you should also be topping up the oil. Am I wrong?
I'm not sure you can even buy a two stroke lawnmower. Snowblower, maybe.
Yes, you need to have oil mixed with the gasoline in a two stroke, because the area under the piston (where the crankshaft is) creates the vacuum on the upstroke to draw in the next fuel charge. Lubrication of the crankshaft bearings, then, must come from oil that is in the gasoline, either by premixing it, or from an oil injection system.
A four stroke, on the other hand, uses the top of the cylinder, above the piston, to draw in the next fuel charge through an intake valve, and the area underneath the piston is bathed with oil. Over time, that oil (including its additives) breaks down and loses its lubricity, and must be changed for fresh oil.
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Most lawn mowers are 4-stroke.
Never seen a two-stroke mower...
I knew some folks with a repair shop as a kid and got to use one of these.
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Only for some engines. Make sure you read the manual and the cap.
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I haven't pushed it anywhere near 10,000 km, so I should be good, right?
Right?
For the money you save by not doing the oil change you can probably afford a new mower every 10 years or so.
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Iβve had my current mower about 14-years.
I donβt think Iβve ever changed the oil.
I never changed the oil in my mower. Never had an issue, except with the power cord getting in the way.
The mower I got from my grandpa has never had an oil change and it still works as of last week. Your mower will almost certainly be fine.
Now my pressure washer... I forgot to empty the gas from my pressure washer before storing it for several years and it became mucky glorp inside.
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I got an ev mower. Solved.
I've changed the air filter on mine and I think that's all the maintenance I will ever do
Sharpen/replace the blade. It's cheap and easy to do, and it will cut like a brand new mower.
Also, this is a PSA that you should sharpen your shovel. Makes digging way easier.
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I got my lawnmower about 9 years ago secondhand and have never done any maintenance on it. I'm pretty sure that's how you're supposed to do it.
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My neighbor had a crazy old Montgomery Ward tiller, I'd guess from the late 60 or early 70s. I borrowed it once and decided to be nice and change the oil in it since I doubted he ever had. Could not for the life of me figure out how to drain the oil without flipping it over... It's ran for this long on old oil, it'll run for a bit longer!
Flipping it over is often the correct way to drain the oil.
Most mower engines are 2-strokes, they're designed to burn oil as lubrication basically, it's added to the gas. You don't need to change the oil. Unless it's a 4 stroke engine (unusual due to size/complexity), or you've got a transmission or some other motorized mechanical behavior.
I wouldnt say most are two stroke. In fact most mowers available for purchase at your local hardware store are going to be 4 stroke if not all of them. 2 stroke lawnmowers are a thing of the past. Everyone wants 4 stroke and self propelling now.
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Most mower engines are absolutely not 2 strokes⦠they are 99.99% 4 strokes.
Now strim trimmers are maybe 60/40 2s to 4s.
As a 2-stroke myself, I can confirm oil for lubrication is not required
Drain the fluids completely for Winter
Too hard! I just use it until it explodes. Still lasts about 10 years.
Genuine question as I haven't actually thought about this, how does that work when you don't have a winter? Where I live it doesn't get below 40Β° ever, or above 85Β°. Those are literally the overnight low in Feb, and midday high in Aug/Sep. Do I still need to drain, or just treat it like changing the oil in my car? I.E.: Every 6 months or 3500 miles, whichever comes first.
Like u/possiblylinux127 said, any time youβre not going to use it for more than a month or two, itβs best to drain the fluids. Oil is less important than gas, and you can leave gas in it as well if you add a stabilizer to it.
Personally, I wouldnβt use gas stabilizer for more than one season, but I know many who use it every year with no problem. Just make sure you run the motor with the stabilizer for a few minutes before you store it so the gas in the carburetor doesnβt gum up.
As for oil, I tend to only change it when it looks darker than a piece of burnt toast Iβd still be willing to eat. I know thatβs vague, but itβs how I do it.
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