How to Use a Lawn Mower for Better Performance

Last Updated on January 5, 2023

A lawnmower is a lawn care tool that can cut grass to a certain height, making it easier for you to keep your lawn tidy and neat. Also, mowing your grass prevents the growth of weeds on your lawn.

Since lawnmowers are available in different designs, learning how to use a lawnmower might seem intimidating at first. Although operating a lawnmower may seem difficult, it is actually quite easy.

Instead of hiring a professional to cut your grass during the summer season, you can do it by yourself if you know how to use a lawnmower.

In this article, we are going to show you how to use a lawnmower. In order to make your lawn look gorgeous, we will also guide you through the various trimming methods and lawn maintenance tips.

Let’s dive in!

Step by Step Guide to Using a Lawn Mower to Cut Grass

Step 1: Wear Safety Gear

Start by wearing protective gear that will minimize the risk of injuries as you are mowing the lawn in your home.

• Wear protective glasses, which will safeguard you against any debris that may be thrown towards your eyes. Protective glasses can reduce the risk of eye injuries.
• Wear a pair of gloves to protect your hands as you cut the grass on your lawn.
• If your lawnmower is loud, you can wear a pair of earbuds to reduce the amount of noise that might be penetrating through your ears.
• Also, wear heavy and sturdy footwear (a pair of thick boots) to reduce the risk of any injuries that may occur while you are cutting grass.

Step 2: Set the Correct Lawn Mower Height Settings

Most lawn mowers come with a cutting height adjustment mechanism that lets you change the cutting height of the blades. Some have levers that raise or lower the deck, changing the cutting height of the blades. While most lawnmowers have height adjustment levers, such levers might be located in different positions based on the model/design of the lawnmower.

For instance, most petrol-powered lawnmowers feature a lever on each wheel, while electric lawn mowers come with a single lever for adjusting the height.

But the good thing is; lawnmowers come with a user manual that gives you some insight on different parts.

Moreover, lawnmowers have a specific calibration (numbers or inches) that guides you while changing the cutting height of the blades. Moving the lever to a higher inch or a higher number increases the mowing height of the blades.

To change the cutting height of the blades, do the following:

• Move the lever to your most preferred setting. If you adjust the cutting height in a petrol-powered lawnmower, set the same height on all the wheels.
• You should set the cutting height based on the rate of growth of the grass in your lawns. For instance, if the growth slows down during the summer season, change the cutting height to a higher setting.

Step 3: Prep Your Lawn Mower

You have to check whether all the parts are in good condition before you start using your lawnmower.

Lawnmowers are available in a wide range of different designs and may have a wide range of other parts. Due to this, we are going to show you how to prep lawnmowers:

Petrol Lawnmowers

As the name hints, these are lawnmowers that are powered by petrol.

1. Start by checking whether your lawnmower has any oil leakages or not. Make sure that your lawnmower has no oil leakages before you start using it.
2. Then, check whether you have enough fuel to cut the grass in your lawn/garden. If the fuel is below the average level, add some fuel.
3. Once you add some fuel to the petrol tank, prime the engine. Priming is the process of pumping some fuel to the carburettor to speed up combustion as you are starting the engine. It would help if you also used a dipstick to measure the oil levels.
4. Apart from that, you should check if the blade is sharp or not.

To start a petrol-powered lawnmower, you have to pull the start cord. You have to pull the cord four times or five times to start the engine in some models. However, the number of tries might differ from one lawnmower to another. Hold the safety lever/bar as you are pulling the start cord.

Electric Lawnmowers

Electric lawn mowers come with a motor powered by an electric current and are available in two different types – corded and cordless. If you are using a corded one, connect it to a power source and lay the cord on a dry surface. Also, place your cord in a tidy manner and get rid of any tangles that may form on the wire.

On the contrary, if you have a cordless lawnmower, charge it until it’s fully powered. A cordless lawnmower gets its electrical power from a battery.

Unlike petrol-powered lawnmowers, electric lawnmowers come with a start button that allows you to ignite the engine in a matter of minutes.

Riding Lawn Mowers

Just like petrol-powered lawnmowers, these lawnmowers are powered by petrol.

However, they have a different design. Riding lawn mowers are just like manual cars; they come with a clutch and a gas pedal that give you total control over the whole unit.

Before you start using a riding lawnmower, you have to counter-check if all the parts are in good condition. Also, check whether the lawnmower has enough fuel or not. If it doesn’t have enough fuel, refill the tank.

Step 4: Remove Some of the Objects That Might Get In Your Way

Get rid of some garden equipment and objects that might get in your way as you are cutting grass with a lawnmower. For example, rocks can damage the mower blades and make them blunt. Not to mention, rocks can be flung towards your body as you are mowing your turf and cause you injury.

Apart from that, move your garden furniture to a secure place. It helps you keep your garden furniture clean and tidy.

Check if your turf is wet or dry. If it is wet, you have to wait for it to dry completely before using the lawnmower. A lawnmower will be more effective if you use it on dry turf.

Afternoons are the best time of the day to mow the grass on your lawns. In the morning, your turf might be wet from morning dew. Damp grass clippings can damage your machine. You should avoid wet grass to prevent such scenarios. Moreover, you should cut your grass in warm weather. Cold and wet weather conditions can make the grass wet.

Step 5: Mow the Lawns

Start your petrol mower, then start cutting the grass. It is advisable to break your lawn into different sections to tackle the whole task easily.

Start with the sections that consume a lot of time. Examples of such areas include the lawn around shrubs, rocks, and buildings. Working on challenging sections at the start of your mowing session is much easier than doing it towards the end of your mowing session.

Also, make sure that you don’t cut the grass that is too close to particular objects such as rocks, pavements, trees, and flower beds. While you can use your lawnmower to cut grass close to such objects, you might damage it if it comes into contact with hard things. A lawnmower might get damaged if you use it on the edge of your lawn. Use a grass trimmer on the edge of a lawn.

Mow your lawn properly in straight rows and maintain the same pattern throughout your mowing session. Please keep it in a straight line while you are mowing. If you change the pattern while mowing, your lawn might have an uneven pattern.

However, you can try out different patterns in your next mowing session. For instance, If you want to have checkerboard stripes on your lawns, you have to mow grass properly in a perpendicular direction.

You can also mow grass to get light and dark stripes on your properties. If you are mowing grass on slopes, mow along the direction of the contours to get a high-quality cut. You can achieve even cuts by mowing along the contour.

Step 6: Mulch the Grass Clippings

Instead of getting rid of the grass clippings after you finish cutting grass on your lawn, you can leave them on your lawn. Mulching provides your lawn with different nutrients that would have been lost if you would have disposed of the grass cuttings. Not to mention, it saves you from the task of raking grass clippings. It also keeps your lawn from weeds.

Get Rid Of Grass if Your Mower Has a Bag

If your lawnmower comes with a grass bag, you have to get rid of the grass cuttings after you finish mowing your lawn. This is a maintenance procedure that lets you keep your lawnmower tidy. However, you have to turn off the lawnmower first before you carry on with this procedure.

Remove the grass bag from the lawnmower, then get rid of the grass clippings in the bag.

Step 7: Clean and Store It

Cleaning is a maintenance procedure that should be done after every mowing session. It helps you keep the blades sharp. It also improves the durability of a mower.

To clean a mower, follow these steps:

1. Empty the gas tank first.
2. Put the lawnmower in an upside-down position, then use a brush to get rid of the caked-on grime that might be stuck on the underside of the mower. A
3. Use a hose to spray off some of the dirt particles stuck on hard-to-reach places. You can also use soapy water to clean your lawnmower.
4. Once you get rid of every dirt particle that might be stuck on your lawnmower, you have to rinse the lawnmower and let it dry for a particular time.
5. Once it dries off, store it in a safe place. If you plan to keep your lawnmower for a long time, you have to empty the fuel tank before you store it. When petrol is stored for a long time, the petrol quality starts to degrade. However, if you plan to use the lawnmower regularly during the summer season, you can store it with petrol.

Get a Lawn Mower for Your Turf

Grass cutting is a maintenance procedure that should be carried out regularly to prevent the growth of weed plants on your lawn. Learn how to use a lawnmower to ensure you get the best results and improve your garden’s aesthetics!