Archive for the ‘Maintenance Tips’ Category

Exmark Mower Safety

Friday, August 13th, 2010

green_unitsGAAt Exmark, one of our top concerns is safety. Around the plant, at the dealership, during development and especially while on the mower itself. One thing you can always count on is that safety comes first. Always.

Everything we do goes into making each unit as safe as possible for operators, as well as how the machine works for the operator. Of course durability and quality are what we’re known for, but; at  Exmark, safety is essential to a great, successful unit.

To help you with keeping safety at the front of your mind as well, we’ve developed a series of videos for you on our YouTube channel. These videos detail:

  • Proper conditions for mowing
  • Proper care for and operation of the Lazer Z, as well as instructions for utilizing the rollover protection system
  • Exmark’s unique handling instructions, features and controls for full safety and performance
  • Proper maintenance, transport and storage that are crucial to performance
  • Care of your Exmark mower
  • General operation and safety instructions for the Vantage

Stop by the Exmark YouTube channel to catch all the videos and learn more about your Exmark.  Feel free to leave a comment or two along the way! We love hearing from you.

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Dealer-scheduled Maintenance is Key

Sunday, April 4th, 2010

This is the final post in Exmark’s ten part Service and Maintenance Series.

Even if you are a do-it-yourselfer, it is important to realize that the dealer is your best friend when it comes to extending the life of your mower.

Your local dealer knows the conditions you mow in, your local area, your machine and how you use your equipment to get the job done. Your local dealer can also recommend a customized maintenance routine for your unit that ties directly to how you use it, which is going to be better than any generic manufacturer maintenance program available.

It may save you money to do things yourself in the short run, but since dealers are factory-trained to fix and spot issues before they become serious problems, they could save you time and money in the end. Dealers are also aware of any out-of-the-ordinary maintenance routines or new and improved repair methods sent directly from the factory. Exmark recommends that even the do-it-yourselfers make the effort to find a dealer they trust. And then making that dealer their best friend.

Regular maintenance cycles are important for the longevity of your equipment. Whether you are a homeowner or a commercial landscaper, knowing the most important parts to check and what types of maintenance needs to happen regularly is key to having beautifully cut grass this spring and a successful landscaping season.

That concludes our maintenance series. Hope you found it helpful in getting ready for a positive and profitable mowing season. The series will be archived on this site so you can refer back to the posts at any time.

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Walk-behind Versus Riding Mower Maintenance

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

This is the ninth post in Exmark’s ten part Service and Maintenance Series.

While there aren’t major differences in the mower maintenance of walk-behind and riding lawn mowers, it makes sense to look through your individual unit’s manual for recommended maintenance schedules. The frequency and proper methods for maintenance will need to be a marriage of the manufacturer recommendations and your regular machine usage conditions. Typically, mowers differ in the hours needed between scheduled maintenance including oil changes, hydraulic fuel checks and greasing of the joints and connections.

Since your equipment may have been in hibernation for the last three to four months, it’s probably time for a bit of a refresher. After you run it for 50 hours into the season, try conducting another maintenance cycle to refresh the fluids and check the nuts and bolts. This will help your equipment last longer and kick-start your season successfully by getting the cobwebs off the machine.

Next we’ll be talking about dealer-scheduled maintenance, so check back soon.

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Fresh Air Filter

Monday, March 29th, 2010

This is the eighth post in Exmark’s ten part Service and Maintenance Series.

Your engine needs to breathe. It does so through air filters—preferably, clean air filters.

So just like the oil in your engine, you should check air filters on a daily basis. It’s essential to clear the filter of debris. If the filter gets clogged at some point, the engine will find other ways to breathe, through any available gap or crevice. Typically, these crevices don’t have filters and will allow the machine to suck in dirt, sand and debris to places where they really shouldn’t go. That’s why there’s a filter in the first place.

It’s also important to note that you should never clean your air filters with compressed air. This can cause holes to form in the filter and it will cease to keep unwanted particles out.

In the next post, we’ll discuss walk-behind versus riding mower maintenance, so please check back soon.

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When it Comes to a Quality Cut, It’s All About the Blades

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

 

This is the seventh post in Exmark’s ten part Service and Maintenance Series.

The purpose of the mower is to cut grass, and the whole process starts with the blade. A mower with dull blades has to work harder and usually results in shredded rather than cleanly cutting grass. Keeping your blades sharp and replacing worn blades will deliver a better quality of cut, resulting in happy customers.

The correct angle to sharpen a blade is 28 degrees. Users should sharpen blades and replace damaged blades after every eight to 10 hours of use, or even more frequently under certain conditions. As mentioned, a dull blade forces other parts of the mower to work harder, including the belts, bearings and engine. The harder those parts have to work, the more inefficient your machine becomes.

Having a balanced blade is also extremely important to the overall longevity of your machine. An out-of-balance blade can cost you more than the price of a new blade. That’s because unbalanced blades actually swivel and wobble, causing the solid metal of the deck to flex many times per second. Not surprisingly, unbalanced blades can take a toll on bearings, significantly reducing their life span. This will eventually lead to damaging the deck shell itself, which is one pretty expensive problem to resolve. Thankfully, there are inexpensive blade balancing tools out there, and you can remedy the blade balance before it turns into an even bigger issue.

Better yet, we recommend keeping several extra sets of sharp, balanced blades on hand. Having these blades available will save you fuel and money in the long run. It doesn’t take much to make a big difference in the overall performance of your blade. If you’re looking for more information on blade maintenance, visit our YouTube page here.

Our next post will cover air filters. Remember to come back soon.

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Oxygenated Fuels Gone Bad

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

This is the sixth post of Exmark’s ten part Service and Maintenance Series.

Milk. Parking meters. Unused gym memberships. Some things are meant to expire after a certain period of time. Fuel for your mower is included in that list.

Oxygenated fuels (fuels containing alcohol blends or MTBE—methyl tertiary butyl ether) have a shelf life of 30 days. This should prompt mower owners to mark the date on their gas cans when filling up. It is an easy step to ignore or forget when starting fresh with a new season. Using old fuel can contribute to poor engine performance and a decrease in horsepower, along with a string of other problems. Plain and simple, mark your cans and dispose of old fuel.

In addition, fuel should be checked to ensure that it does not contain over the maximum 10 percent alcohol or 15 percent MTBE. There are plenty of inexpensive testers out there, so make sure you pick one up.

Our next post will be about blades, so check back soon.

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The Nuts and Bolts of Dealing with Nuts and Bolts

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

This is the fifth part of Exmark’s ten part Service and Maintenance Series.

Hi again, David Martin, customer service manager for Exmark.

Before you start cutting grass this spring, make sure the connectors on your equipment are in working order. With most units, the number one connection to check is the castle nuts. These points are essential to test because if they become loose, your wheels could fall off the unit, and we can’t stress how dangerous a situation that can be. Problems with your wheels or castle nuts could also cause damage to the wheel motor—one of the more expensive parts on the equipment to repair.

It’s ideal to check the bolts after the first 100 hours of operating a machine; after that, every 500 hours is adequate. By doing this, you can proactively maintain the least expensive items on the machine before they lead to expensive, larger unit repairs.

The motion control dampers are items that should also be maintained regularly because the deterioration of this piece leads to problems with other, more expensive parts of the mower, like the wheel motor.

So keep an eye on your nuts and bolts for normal wear and tear, and replace them accordingly. It’ll help you save a lot more than money.

Up next in our series, storing your mower’s fuel, so come back soon for the latest post.

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Your Mower Doesn’t Need a Bath

Monday, March 15th, 2010

This is the fourth part of Exmark’s ten part Service and Maintenance Series.

As with many things in life, there is a right and a wrong way to clean your equipment. Mower owners should clean their units as often as possible but minimize the use of water, which is a natural enemy of metal. Using water and detergents can lead to corrosion problems.

Though power washing is a popular method to clean mowers, it’s not best for the longevity of the machine. By using those two cleaning agents, you force unnatural elements into places that can be detrimental to your mower. For example, if water sits on a bearing seal or an electrical connection, it can do more harm than good.

The proper way to clean your mower is to simply apply air pressure. A lawn or leaf blower will work perfectly for this. By cleaning with air, you will clear dirt and debris from the machine without causing damage.

It’s also important to check and clean the nooks and crannies of the machine—not just the areas you can see. Take off the cover plates, lift up the seat and scour any of the hard-to-reach areas you normally skip. This step is perhaps even more important than cleaning the areas in plain sight because if debris is hidden, it will restrict airflow to the hydraulic system, in turn, increasing heat and accelerating hydraulic oil breakdown.

Next in the series is checking your nuts and bolts. We’ll post the next tip real soon.

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Choosing the Right Oil

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

 

 

 

This post is part three in Exmark’s ten part Service and Maintenance Series.

Hey, David Martin again, customer service manager for Exmark.

Your choice of oil is just as important as lubricating your machine. Considering today’s economic climate, we all want to save a few bucks here and there. It’s understandable. But when it comes to your oil, going with a less expensive grease or generic brand of oil might actually cost you more in the long run.

As for appropriate types of oil and grease, many engine manufacturers recommend a certain grade of oil for various engines and equipment. Heeding this recommendation can make a big difference in oil consumption, as well as in the proper lubrication of the engine. It’s also important to note that all grease is not created equal. Using original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts could pay dividends if you have a problem with your mower.

In addition, most engine manufacturers do not recommend the use of full synthetic oils. The proper mineral-based oil lubricates the engine adequately.

Finally, depending on your wear points, you’ll also need to consider the lubrication of bearings. This information can be found in your maintenance guide or on Exmark’s YouTube channel by clicking here.

Next we’ll cover cleaning your equipment. Be sure to check back soon for the next tip.

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Lubrication, Lubrication, Lubrication

Monday, March 8th, 2010

 

This is the second post in Exmark’s ten part Service and Maintenance Series.

Hi there, David Martin here, customer service manager for Exmark.

We can’t stress it enough. Proper lubrication of your equipment is first and foremost in mower maintenance. Since this is a lengthy, not to mention significant, topic we’re breaking up the post into two parts. Here’s the first installation.

The most important oil change for your engine should happen after the first five hours of operating a new mower. Unfortunately, when you’re busy running your equipment, five hours can go by fairly quickly. But changing the oil at this time can increase the longevity of your engine. How? This “break-in oil” will typically break down quicker than normal, caused by the enormous amount of shearing force in the engine as parts begin to seat in the first few hours of operation. Ignoring this first important oil change can lead to expensive repairs down the road.

Your first hydraulic oil and filter change should be at 200 hours and then changed at maximum every 500 hours after that if you are using genuine Exmark Hydraulic Oil. For Mobil 1 oil, the maximum is 250 hours. This will provide the ultimate protection for your equipment to keep running smoothly throughout the season. Ignoring this recommendation will cause your equipment to work harder and run hotter.

Your mowing conditions should also help guide the maintenance schedule for your machine. If you regularly mow hills or run bagging equipment, consider changing both the hydraulic fluid and engine oil much more frequently than the manufacturer’s maximum recommendations.

Next, we’ll discuss your oil options, so please come back soon.

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