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It only takes 10 steps to get your lawn edger ready for storage.
Step #1: Start your lawn edger/trimmer and let it run for a 4-5 minutes. Then turn your edger/trimmer off. (The purpose of this step is to get your oil warmed up so it can easily be drained.)
Step #2: Spray your edger/trimmer with a water hose to remove all the dust, dirt, and loose or clumped grass. (Pay particular attention to the inside of the blade guard where wet grass and dirt often become trapped.)
Step #3: Empty out all the gas from your edger/trimmer. Then start your edger/trimmer and let it run until all the remaining gas in the edger/trimmer is used up and the engine stops. (This should remove all the gas from the edger/trimmer's carburetor and prevent gummy deposits from forming.) NOTE: Do not refill the edger/trimmer with gas until you intend to use it again (e.g., in the Spring).
Step #4: Next, drain out the old oil in the edger/trimmer and refill the edger/trimmer with the recommended grade of oil. Be sure and refill the oil to the proper level.
Step #5: Remove the air filter and knock off all the loose dirt from it. If the air filter is really dirty, you may want to hand wash the filter in water and dish water soap (e.g., Ivory), rinse it thoroughly, and then let it dry completely before you put it back in the edger/trimmer.
Step #6: Remove the spark plug, inspect it for damage, and then either clean it or replace it with a new spark plug. Whether you replace it or clean it, make sure the spark plug has the correct gap. You can use a spark plug gap gauge to check the spark plug's gap size. (Your edger/trimmer's owner's or operator's manual will tell you both what the recommended spark plug is and also what the correct spark plug gap size should be.)
Step #7: Check the edger/trimmer blade and see if it is so worn down that you will need to replace it. If it is, replace the cutter blade with a new one.
Step #8: Check, and if needed, tighten all the nuts, bolts, and screws that might have become loosened during the operation of the edger/trimmer. In particular, check the cutterhead pulley guard (the cover over the end of the drive belt), the blade guard (the cover over part of the cutter blade), and the blade mounting nut (the large nut that keeps the cutter blade tight on the cutterhead shaft). Note: If you have just replaced your edger/trimmer blade, you have already tightened the blade mounting nut.
Step #9: Use a grease gun to lubricate (i.e., add grease) the cutterhead body through the one or two grease fittings that are located on it.
Step #10: Wipe down the outside of the edger/trimmer to remove any remaining dirt, oil, grease, or gas that might still be on the edger/trimmer
That's it!!! Your edger/trimmer is now ready for storage.
There is just something special about looking at a lawn that you have just mowed and edged. The smell of the freshly cut/trimmed grass! A personal feeling of pride! Just a combination of things that for that moment pushes all your other thoughts, worries, and concerns aside. Truly, a "feel good about yourself" time and a moment to savor! To help you enjoy that moment a little more, here are a few tips and reminders on using your McLane 101 Lawn Edger/Trimmer.
1. You will usually want to set the cutting depth of your edger blade so that the blade is cutting about 1" deep into the soil. Setting the depth at this level should allow you to reach and cut the roots of the grass.
2. If possible, do not edge your grass when it is wet. Wait until the grass is dry! Edging your grass when it is wet does not give you as neat and clean looking a cut. Additionally, edging wet grass has a tendency to clog up the edger's blade guard.
3. When edging along the outside (non-pole side) of a fence, set the edger's cutterhead angle so the cutter blade angles slightly toward and underneath the fence. Edge carefully so the cutter blade does not hit the fence itself.
4. For a professional looking cut along flower beds and gardens, set the cutter blade at a 15-20 degree angle so the lower part of the blade is angled toward the flower bed/garden.
5. When edging along driveways and sidewalks, push your McLane edger at your normal walking speed. (Note: When you edge your yard for the first time at the start of the edging/mowing season, I have found that pushing my edger in a forward 2 steps then back 1 step, then forward 2 steps and back 1 step, etc approach produces the best edging results. This 2 steps forward and then 1 step back approach does a good job of cleaning out the edger blade's cutting area along the driveway/sidewalk which has become filled with soil over the winter.
6. Reminder: With your McLane 101 edger, you do not need to mix oil with the gasoline.
7. As it is with any piece of equipment, it will be worth your time to read the 15 page McLane edger's operator's manual before you begin operating your edger the first time. (Actually, there are only about 7 1/2 pages of easy reading. The rest of the pages are cover page, pictures, a parts list, maintenance note pages, etc.)
8. When edging along curbs, you might want to try removing the spacer bar between the front wheels and then moving the right wheel up against the left wheel and then reinserting the spacer bar to the right of the side by side wheels. This should provide your edger with better balance as you cut along the curb. Important: Be sure you have your edger turned completely off before you ever begin to remove the spacer bar/move the front wheels.
9. Use a synthetic 5W-30 or 10W-30 SAE viscosity grade motor oil in your McLane 101 edger. This will provide you with the best temperature range for operating your edger. Many people use SAE 30 grade motor oil; but if you operate your edger using SAE 30 grade oil when the outdoor temperature is below 40 degrees, the edger may be harder to start.
10. A good habit to get into is to double check your edger's oil level each time before you use your edger.
I hope these tips and reminders will be helpful!
Lawn Mower Tires - The Essential Difference
The essential difference in replacing a car tire and flat tire of a lawn mower is,
* You do not carry a spare tire with you all the time when you move along with your lawn mower.
* Your equipments for replacing the tire like jack, spanners etc. are not with you, they are in your basement workshop.
* Your house is nearby so you can summon help from your family members.
* You may not be in a hurry to change the tire and you are not putting anyone to difficulty by leaving a vehicle with a flat tire on your premises, as you would if you leave your vehicle on a public road.
* You can change the tire at a more convenient time.
* Depending upon the size of tire, you may require some external help.
Changing the tire
A lawn mower works on an undulating surface too. Therefore if your tire has gone flat where not all the tires are on a level surface, do not try to change a flat tire at that place. Depending upon where the tire has gone flat, you can change the following procedure slightly, but ensure that the spirit of safety precautions is not violated.
If you have a portable air compressor with you, (even a foot operated one will do), try to inflate the tires and then shift your lawn tractor to a flat and level surface, it will be best for the tractor. If you do not have an air compressor and the flat area is nearby, take your tractor in, as is condition, to the flat surface. The lawn mower tires are a rugged lot. The tire will take this punishment without a murmur.
The procedure for changing the tire is as follows.
* You have already brought the tractor on a flat and level surface. Park it there. Shut off the engine. Pull the hand brake and remove the tractor keys in order to prevent accidental re-starting.
* Clean the tire to be replaced and the area around the tire with water. This will take away any dirt from the nuts holding the tires and reduce the work load on you while taking out the tire.
* Loosen the nuts holding the tire slightly. Make it a point to ensure that all the nuts are loosened slightly. Any one remaining to be loosened might give you a problem later on. Do not back off completely. Just loosen them and that is all. If you are not in a position to back off even a single nut, do not proceed further. Retighten the loosened nuts and ask for professional help.
* Fix up other wheels with a wheel lock or slip a wooden plank or a stone so that the wheel may not move. Do this to two wheels at least.
* Next slip a hydraulic jack or a crew jack at a convenient place on the chassis, (This place is usually indicated in the maintenance manual) and raise the wheel to be replaced).
* Back off all the nuts holding the wheel and take out the wheel. You may require some help in this as the lawn wheels are slightly larger than car wheels.
* After taking out the wheel, clean the brake drum (if you have one) and wash off all the dirt that has collected, remove anything lodged in there.
* Put a new wheel and get the other one repaired.
Safety Precautions
* Wear hand gloves all the time. This will prevent injuries to your hand.
* When loosening the nuts, give particular attention to slippage of spanners. They can cause serious injuries to hand or head as you will not be able to control your movement when spanner slips.
* NEVER EVER change a tire on an undulating surface. There are many cases when the jacks have slipped from their position due to this and deaths have resulted from persons being crushed beneath lawn mower.
As we all know (and most of us have learned the "hard way"), safety is very important when you are using any sort of tool - - - whether it is a hand tool or a power tool. Gas powered edgers are no exception! Here are a few safety suggestions for you to consider using when you are operating your edger.
1. Wear safety goggles or glasses when using your edger. Help protect your eyes! A spinning edger blade will occasionally kick up a small rock, stick, or clod of dirt that somehow finds its way past the edger's debris deflector.
2. Whenever you stop your edger, be sure and disengage your edger's cutter blade. Start doing this and very quickly it will become an automatic habit for you - - - (Stop the mower/Disengage the cutter blade). The reason for doing this is simply that a spinning metal cutter blade can cause serious harm to you, your child, your neighbor, your pet, etc if they should accidentally bump into it. If your present edger does not allow you to disengage its cutter blade, you need to get a different edger.
3. If you are going to leave your edger unattended, turn off the edger's engine. The sound of a running engine attracts kids! Enough said!
4. If you are going to put your hands anywhere near the cutter blade area, turn off your edger's engine. Fingers are no match against a metal blade! (I personally learned this the hard way when I cut off the very tip of one of my fingers while adjusting the grass bag on a rotary mower.)
5. Do not try to lubricate your edger with a grease gun or perform any other sort of maintenance on your edger unless you have turned off your edger.
6. Make sure all of your edger's safety shields (examples: the blade guard, the debris deflector, the belt/pulley guards) are undamaged and in place before you start to use your edger.
7. If you have been using your edger, the edger's muffler will be very hot. Wait until the muffler cools off before you try and touch it.
8. Slow down when using your edger on rough ground. Slowing down will increase the amount of control you have over the edger.
9. Periodically during the mowing season, check the nuts and screws on your edger to make sure they are tight, especially the nut that holds on the cutter blade and the nuts and bolts that hold on the blade guard and belt/pulley guards.
10. Keep alert when using your edger. Watch out for cars, trucks, kids, pets, neighbors, etc. It is very easy when you are edging to become focused solely on doing a great job. Try and maintain a dual attentiveness - - - a focus on your edging but also an awareness of what's going around you too.
Have a safe mowing season!!!
Safety Suggestions When Using Your Gas Powered Edger
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