Hard to Start Lawn Mowers

Sometimes lawn mowers are hard to start and there can be multiple reasons for this common problem. One of the most common problems is when you try to start a lawn mower after it has been sitting for a long time. Usually over the winter with old gas sitting in the gas tank. The gasoline becomes stale and usually gums up the gas tank. It gums up the filter in the gas tank as well as the carburetor. This means that your engine either does not get enough gasoline or enough air and runs rough or not at all.

They can be really difficult to start and when you finally get it running, the engine revolutions may cycle from running high to almost stalling due to lack of gasoline. If this happens to you then there is really no choice but cleaning the carb or replacing some of the smaller parts in the carb. You should also get rid of the old gasoline by taking it to a proper disposal site as well. Never dump this old gasoline.

Hard to Start Lawn Mowers – Avoiding the Problem

The easiest way to avoid this problem is to burn off all old gasoline in the fall. Let the engine run until it runs out of gas. Use new gasoline in the spring and should be fine. Many consumers will also use a gasoline additive to help keep the gasoline fresh. It helps to void the separation of components inside your gas tank.

In the spring another preparatory activity for your lawnmower is to remove the spark plug and clean it. Or replace it with a new one that is properly gapped. It is also a good idea to change the oil at the beginning of the season. Run your engine for several minutes to warm up the oil so that it flows smoothly. Drain the oil out of the engine reservoir.  Your engine will run much better with fresh gasoline, a new spark plug, or one that is cleaned and new engine oil. It will be much easier to start as well.