5 Signs Your Mower
Needs a Tune-Up

Don't Find Out in April

Every spring in Worcester, the same thing happens. Temperatures finally break, grass starts growing, and homeowners pull their mower out of the garage for the first time since October - only to discover it won't start, runs rough, or cuts like a butter knife. By then, any local repair shop worth using has a two-to-three-week backlog.

Winter is the best time to deal with mower problems. Check these five signs now, before the season starts, and you won't be pushing a broken mower around in May.

The 5 Red Flags

• 1
  It Won't Start After Sitting Over Winter

  This is the most common complaint we hear. If your mower sat in the garage with fuel in the carburetor from October to April, that old gasoline has varnished the carburetor jets. Modern ethanol-blended fuel (E10) goes stale fast - within 30 days without a stabilizer. The symptoms: engine cranks but won't catch, sputters and dies immediately, or runs rough for a few seconds then quits. The fix is a carburetor cleaning or rebuild. We see this constantly and can turn it around fast. See our mower repair service.

• 2
  The Cut Looks Ragged or Tearing Instead of Clean

  After mowing, take a close look at your grass tips. A clean cut produces a sharp, level edge. A dull blade tears the grass, leaving the tips frayed and white-gray a day later. This isn't just cosmetic - torn grass is more vulnerable to disease, browns out faster in heat, and makes your lawn look worse than before you mowed. Blades should be sharpened at least once per season, or every 25 hours of use. If you mow every week from May to October, that's about 3 sharpenings a year.

• 3
  Excessive Smoke or a Strong Oil Smell While Running

  A small puff of blue-gray smoke on startup can be normal after sitting over winter. But if your mower smokes continuously during operation, that's oil burning off in the combustion chamber - usually a sign of an oil leak into the cylinder, worn piston rings, or an overfull oil level. White smoke means water or a head gasket issue. Either way, don't ignore it. Running an engine with an oil problem will accelerate wear and eventually cause engine failure.

• 4
  It Runs Rough, Surges, or Loses Power Under Load

  If the engine surges (revs up and down rhythmically) or loses power when you hit thicker grass, you're looking at a fuel delivery problem. Most commonly: a partially clogged carburetor, a dirty air filter restricting airflow, or a failing fuel filter. An annual tune-up - fresh air filter, fuel filter, spark plug, and clean carburetor - fixes all of these. If you've never had a tune-up done, that's your answer right there.

• 5
  It Vibrates Excessively or Makes a New Noise

  Unusual vibration is almost always a blade problem: bent, out of balance, or loose. Even a minor bend from hitting a rock or root throws the blade significantly off-balance, which transmits vibration up through the deck and into the handles. Continued use with a bent or unbalanced blade damages the spindle bearings and crankshaft over time. New rattles, grinding sounds, or clunking noises deserve diagnosis before they become expensive repairs. The earlier you catch it, the cheaper the fix.

What a Full Tune-Up Includes

A proper annual tune-up covers:

• Oil drain and refill with fresh oil
• New oil filter (if equipped)
• New air filter
• New spark plug
• New fuel filter
• Carburetor inspection and cleaning if needed
• Blade removal, sharpening or replacement, and balance check
• Belt inspection (drive and blade engagement belts)
• Full operational test run

When Should You Repair vs. Replace?

If your mower is less than 10 years old and the repair cost is less than half the replacement cost of a comparable machine, repair makes sense. For a $400 walk-behind, a $150 carb job is a clear win. For a $300 mower with a blown engine, replacement is the smarter call.

We'll always give you a straight answer on repair vs. replace when you bring it in. We're not going to talk you into a repair that doesn't make financial sense.