July is the perfect time to give your lawn mower a check-up. We outline the 6 steps to ensure your mower is running and grass is cut.

• Sharpen the blades! Sharpening at the beginning of the season is NOT enough! For most homeowners, sharpening or replacing the blades monthly is a good habit. A dull blade will cause excessive wear on the mower and leave the lawn vulnerable to disease. 
• Clean the deck. Over the last few months, wet grass has been accumulating and drying on the mower deck. If the mower is too clogged to throw the grass as it cuts, it’s going to create problems for the lawn and machine. 
• Replace your air filter. Do NOT use compressed air to “clean” a filter – this only causes tears in the filter that allow dirt into the engine. A small engine air filter is short money compared to a replacement engine.
• Check the oil. Your owner’s manual will specify how often the engine needs an oil change.  If you can’t recall the last time the oil was changed or debris can be seen in the oil, it’s time to change the oil.
• Check the wheels! On a push mower, make sure all 4 are set at the same height. For riding mowers, ensure all are properly inflated for a nice, level cut. 
• Blow off dust, grass, and other debris. If you own a handheld leaf blower, you’re in luck – it’s the perfect tool to quickly clear areas around the deck, belts, and controls. Plus, if storing in a garage, it’s an easy way to keep things inside clean.

Commercial landscapers know that looking up parts can be time consuming and frustrating. That’s why ProParts Direct has a couple features that will make ordering replacement parts, especially common wear items, super easy. 

- Create an account – when you log in and shop with ProParts Direct, your entire order history is easily viewable. If you order belts, blades, and filters every spring, you won’t have to dig through paperwork and see what you ordered last year. 

- At the end of a season – or the beginning of the next – you can easily see your order history. This makes it very easy to budget and take advantage of sales or part specials.   

- Buy in bulk – Our volume discount programs are easy to use. Parts that are eligible for quantity discounts are clearly displayed. In this example, once you buy 10 – the price drops. 

So, if you find this season is off to a slow start – spend some time and generate a parts list. Create an account and start saving! Questions? Don’t hesitate to give us a call!

Finding the correct replacement part for your mower or lawn care equipment can be challenging. Our website provides a few ways to find replacement parts, including our OEM Parts Diagrams, Catalog, and Category search functions. If those options don’t get you to the right part, our most powerful feature has always been our people.

When you call 800-305-9255, you speak with factory trained reps who have the experience to quickly find the right part. Our team works in a call center that only handles phone support for our customers across the country. These are some of the most qualified people in the industry. It is for this reason that many of the biggest commercial landscape companies in the country keep us on speed dial!

We don’t just take calls for hard to find parts, our Key Accounts Team manages the large orders for our commercial accounts. Need to get multiple landscape crews prepped for the upcoming season?  Save money and time by picking up the phone and giving us a call! 

Based in New England, our call center operates Monday – Friday: 7:00am – 7:00pm and Saturday 8am-4pm. 

Interested in our commercial landscaper programs? Hard to find parts?  If you'd like to learn more, Call Us!

If the winter of 2014/15 forced you into a new snowblower, take a few moments to properly store it and protect your investment! The most common repair problems are easily preventable and they can be completed now – NOT—in the days leading up to a snow storm. 

The single most important storage tip is removing the old gasoline. If you do nothing else, drain the gas!

High ethanol in gasoline will ruin your carburetor.

Drain the remaining fuel from your gas tank. Fuel that sits all summer will go bad and require an expensive carburetor replacement. It’s also unlikely that a carburetor replacement is covered under warranty when bad fuel is at fault! Start by draining the fuel, then:

- Use stabilizer in your fuel. Mix right at the pump with the BEST fuel available. 

- Add a small amount of the treated fuel to the snow blower, and start it up. Run the machine for a couple minutes and allow the treated fuel to run through the engine. 

- Turn the fuel shutoff knob to OFF and let the snow blower run out of gas. 

Finally, turn off the key switch. This step alone will go a long way to protecting the engine and ensure another season of use.

Completing a proper “summarization” involves a few additional steps, but there are maintenance kits available to make the job easy. Most kits will include oil, spark plugs, and fuel stabilizer. If the snow blower is stored outside, its not a bad idea to pick up a cover too!