How To Use Your Ride On Mower

Your ride on mower has finally arrived! Before you jump on and roar off to mow your grass, take some time to understand how your ride on mower works and follow the operating instructions to make sure you enjoy a safe and effective mow.

I've set out a how to guide on how to use your ride on mower for the first time. With sharp cutting blades, Ride on mowers are more dangerous than your average moving vehicles.

They present a big safety challenge.

The answer to this is a methodical approach to make sure your experience is safe and fun and that the result on your lawn is excellent. As with learning to drive your car, you'll need to learn to properly control your ride on mower. Ride on mowers are very fun to operate, so let's keep it fun by educating ourselves on how to drive and maintain them and protect ourselves against unexpected accidents. Here's a system for you to follow that will make certain you experience safe operation, good performance and help in keeping your ride on mower nicely maintained.
1. Read the owner's manual completely.

If you bought your mower second hand, contact your local dealer or try the manufacturers website for a copy. Make sure you familiarize yourself with safety features such as engine and blade cut-off switches if you happen to leave your seat mid mow – it could save your life.
2. Wear the right clothes. Don't mow in bare feet! Closed-toed shoes and protective eye wear are a minimum.

Also think about protecting yourself against sun burn and wind factor. 3.

The last thing to do before you can jump onto the seat is to check the oil and fuel level.

These should be at the required level as indicated.
4. Get comfortable in the seat. Make sure the park brake is on. This will probably be on anyway as the ride on mower is stationary, but it's a good thing to know as many mowers won't start unless this is engaged. Check your manual for more details!
5. This step depends on the steering system your ride on mower has. For over the lap control levers, push the left and right steering levers outward.

The mower won't start unless the levers are in the outer position. For twin lever steer levers located between your legs, the levers need to be in the pushed back (towards the front) position. For traditional wheel steer ride on mowers, just make sure the wheels are straight.
6. Ensure that the blade engage button or lever is turned off. 7. Engage the choke lever. And push the throttle to it's max position. 8. Ladies and Gentleman. . . . start your engines! Once engine fires into life, reduce choke and peddle back the throttle. 9. Release the parking brake. Ease the ride on mower forward by pushing the steering lever, or levers, forward slowly.

If your mower has a steering wheel, then it will be equipped with a gas pedal, gently put pressure on it until the mower moves forward. Guide the mower to the part of the yard where you'll begin mowing. 10. Stop the mower when you've reached your starting point, and engage the blades using the blade button or lever. This engages the blades, so be certain there are no people or animals in your path. Once again, gently accelerate until you've reached a comfortable operating speed. 11. Make long, sweeping passes over the lawn. Avoid sharp turns. Unless your mower is designed for mowing on slopes, avoid traversing on the side on a hill.

Instead mow up and down a hill, moving from one side to the other. Most ride on mowers are tested on 11 degree slopes.

There are some available that are testing up to 17 degrees on the side mowing and 33 degrees when mowing up and down. 1
2. Again, watch out for potential hazards you could mow over and try to avoid doing this.

Impact from rocks, stumps, toys and more will blunt your blades and potentially damage your drive shaft.

If your mowing route leaves some areas inaccessible or unfinished you may need to finish these with a trimmer mower or a line trimmer or a hand mower. Examples of these include under bushes, fence lines, and right alongside walls and tanks. 1
3. Once you have finished mowing turn off your blades during transportation. 1
4. Finish the job off well by cleaning your ride on mower. Use a hose to wash the grass and build up from theunderside of the cutting deck. air filters and engine covers clear from dust and debris.

You can use an air compressor or blower for this, but never use water. Complete by one last oil and fuel check. 1
5. Plan a maintenance schedule with your outdoor power equipment dealer. Seasonally blades will need to be sharpened each new season and you will need to follow guidelines for maintaining your engine with regular oil changes.
Want to find out more about ride on mowers , then visit Mike Welch's site on how to choose the best ride on mower for your needs.

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