5 + 1: Tips to Get Your Lawn Mower in Running Condition

In his next life, Scott Youdris won’t even need to audition for an honorary role at the Indianapolis 500.

Already, he has the everyman’s pre-race call down pat: “Gentlemen, start your engines.”

Youdris, store manager of Kin-Ko Ace Hardware in Mokena, is calling for local folks to prepare their lawn mowers for the start of the warm-weather cutting season. “First things first,” Youdris said.

He offers these simple tips for do-it-yourselfers looking to get their lawn mower engines out of the garage or tool shed:

1. Drain old engine oil and replace with new oil.

2. Replace the old spark plug with a new spark plug.

3. Replace the air filter. “I don’t recommend trying to clean an old filter,” Youdris said. “Oil and dirt get trapped in there. There’s really no good way to get all of that gunk out.”

4. Sharpen or replace old cutting blades. “You might want to rebalance them, too,” Youdris said. “It’s a service we offer.”

5. Add a product called “Start Your Engines!” to the gas tank. “This will help with difficult-to-start engines and help clean the carburetor,” Youdris said. “And it will help the engine stay running over the long haul.”

One more thing?

6. Youdris recommends adding “Sta-bil” to your mower’s gas tank. He said the fuel stabilizer helps keep gas fresh and keeps it from gumming up the carburetor.

Check out Palos' two local hardware stores and leave your favorite a review. 

 - Palos Heights

 - Palos Hills