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How to Change Your Lawn Mower’s Oil

Feb. 1 2023 Maintenance By Manor Home Center

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In order to ensure your lawn mower stays functional for every cut, you need to maintain it. For gasoline-powered lawn mower engines, one of the most crucial upkeep tasks you can perform is an oil change. Your owner’s manual will let you know at what intervals you need to change the oil; the guide below will tell you how to do it.

1. Gather Tools

First, gather together the tools you’ll need to perform the oil change. The process shouldn’t take more than ten to fifteen minutes. Here’s what to get:

  • Fresh oil for your make and model of engine
  • Newspapers or tarp to cover the working area
  • Pieces of wood or bricks to elevate the mower off the ground
  • A container to hold used oil
  • Socket wrench
  • Spark plug wrench
  • Work gloves
  • Oil filter
  • Funnel
  • Disposable cloths

2. Prepare the Engine

You should park your lawn mower on a concrete floor or pad in your garage or driveway. Make sure your working area has good ventilation and that the lawn mower is reasonably flat. Fuel up the mower and turn it on so that you can heat up the oil until it’s runny. Turn off the engine, then mount the mower on top of your bricks or pieces of wood. Take out the spark plug as an extra precaution.

3. Drain Old Oil

Put your container underneath the drain and remove the drainage nut that holds the oil in. Allow all the dirty oil to run into your container; you may need to tilt the mower to get it completely empty.

4. Remove Old Filter

Now you can remove the filter bolt with your wrench and take out the old filter. Use a disposable cloth to clean the gasket, then lubricate it with clean oil and put the new filter in before you tighten the bolt.

5. Add Fresh Oil & Clean Up

Now you can refill your reservoir with fresh, clean oil by using your funnel to dispense the required amount. Avoid overfilling the oil reservoir; check the levels using your dipstick.

Wipe up spills, check all the bolts and nuts for tightness, then put your spark plug back in. You should be done!

Need some assistance with maintaining your lawn mower? Contact the Manor Home Center service department to schedule your appointment with our team of professional mechanics.

Looking for a new mower? Stop by our Maryland dealership in Oakland today to view our current stock of new and used lawn mowers for sale. Manor Home Center serves Garrett County, MD, and Morgantown, WV.