As the grass cutting season comes to an end, now is the perfect time to bring your Lawnmower in for it's winter service.
We recommend annual winter servicing to keep your equipment in tip-top condition and to avoid any issues when you come to use your machine again next year.
Is servicing necessary?
Annual servicing is important on all garden machinery, including lawnmowers, lawn tractors, chainsaws, brushcutters, strimmers, hedgecutters and leaf blowers. It helps to ensure that your equipment is in good shape and safe to use. Regular maintenance ensures that your machine is always working at it's best. Annual servicing allows us to identify and repair any issues before they become a problem and potentially cause further damage to your machine.
What do you do on a lawnmower service?
Our services are so much more than just a change of oil and a new spark plug. A typical lawnmower service will start with a jolly good clean. A clean lawnmower is much easier to service than a dirty one, it also makes it easier for us to see what's what. We then give the lawnmower the once over to identify any obvious issues. Provided it's safe, we start the mower up to make sure it all works. This allows us the opportunity to order any parts that are needed. If the initial check alerts to us to any significant issues that are likely to be costly, we will halt any further work until we have discussed it with you first.
For petrol engines, the service will include an oil change, new spark plug, check the air filter and drain and clean the fuel system. If the engine hasn't been running well, then we will pay extra attention to the fuel system. This could require an ultra-sonic carburettor clean, and if that doesn't work, then a new carburettor could be needed.
Moving on to the mower itself, we always sharpen (or replace) the blade, and treat metal decks with chassis paint to prevent premature rust or corrosion, prolonging the life of your lawnmower. On self propelled lawnmowers, we remove the belt covers to clear the accumulation of grass and debris from around the belt and gearbox. If the belt is worn, then we might replace it and we will check the pulleys and gearbox for damage. Self propelled wheels are removed to clean the accumulation of dirt and mud from between the teeth of the gears. The gears are greased and the shaft inspected before greasing the wheel bearings and re-fitting the wheels.
Handle bar knobs are greased and the pull cord inspected and replaced if necessary. The lawnmower is given a final clean and maybe a little spruce up with a touch of paint. We then fill the machine with Aspen 4 Fuel and oil before testing. When we run the mower, we check that the engine revs are set, adjusting if we need to. If we hear any irregularities in the engine, then we will tune the carburettor to help smooth it out. We also check the strength of the self propelled drive and adjust the cables if we need to. For variable speed lawnmowers, the walking speed is tested to make sure it is all as it should be.
We are a small, family business based in Colaton Raleigh and serving East Devon. All servicing and repair work is carried out by one of our experienced technicians Barrie, Kirby or Ben.
Do you offer a collection/delivery service?
Yes! We can collect Ride-on and pedestrian Lawnmowers from anywhere within East Devon. This service is free for residents of Colaton Raleigh. There is a small fee for collections and deliveries outside of the village.
We ask that smaller, handheld machinery be brought in by car, unless collected with an accompanying lawnmower.
How do I arrange a service or repair?
If you are able to bring your machines in yourself, then there's no need to ring ahead. Just pop along any time between 8.30-5 on weekdays or Saturday mornings 9-12. Once your machine is with us, it will join a queue. Turnaround times vary depending on the time of year and the availability of parts.
If you would like us to collect your lawnmower, then please either call us on 01395 567514 or email info@gardenkit.co.uk to arrange.