From preventing lawn diseases, to ensuring your first cut goes smoothly to plan, there are good reasons to check over your cordless lawn mower before its first mow.
Before we get into the details of what you need to do for a proper check, there are a few things you should be aware of.
Before you start
Giving your lawn mower a thorough check before its first mow is simple enough and can be done at home in your own garden shed. That being said, you may come across some parts that need replacing during your check. These parts are:
- Mower blades
- Batteries
- Any other hardware like nuts and bolts
Particularly if you are checking an EGO battery lawn mower such as the LM2021E-SP self-propelled mower, any of the above parts will need replacing by a qualified repair person using identical parts.
What to check for on your cordless lawn mower
Before the first mow of the year, giving your battery lawn mower a thorough once-over is simple and straightforward.
Check the blades
Look for signs of wear and tear on your blades. Any scratches and minor dents are to be expected, however major chips in the cutting edge of the blades will impact cutting performance significantly. If you spot this, then you may need the blades replaced by a qualified technician.
Additionally, check the blades for sharpness. You can do this by wearing protective gloves and:
- Checking the blade for any nicks in the metal
- Visually assessing the blade - you can tell if a blade is sharp or blunt visually
Sharp blades will cut the grass evenly and cleanly, whereas blunt blades will rip the grass and leave your lawn more prone to diseases. To get your blades sharpened, take it to a qualified repair person.
Check the batteries
By storing your lawn mower properly over the winter, then your batteries should still be in great condition, however you will need to recharge them due to their self-discharge function. Still, you should still check your battery status before use. Here’s how you can check your battery status:
- Press the power button on the battery, and the LED indicator output will show the battery status. For example, 5-LED’s flashing red means the battery is depleted and needs to be recharged
- You can find the full LED indicator outputs in your manual
A faulty or wet battery will need to be taken to an EGO dealer and be inspected or possibly replaced by a qualified technician.
Check the electrical cables
After removing the battery, check any internal electrical cables. Prolonged storage over the winter could mean your mower has been subject to rodents who have chewed the cables. Check all around the internal cables, including underneath, and look for signs of visible damage.
Check for dirt and debris
Left over dirt and debris that is still stuck on your cordless lawn mower is a breeding ground for any bacteria or fungus. Failing to remove this will only increase the risk of spreading lawn diseases when you come to mow your lawn for the first time this year.
Therefore, check thoroughly all areas of your lawn mower, including the mower deck, and remove any dirt or debris and dispose of it away from your lawn or compost pile. Any debris that isn’t removed by a leaf blower can be removed by hand. Once the debris is disposed of:
- Make sure the battery is removed from your lawn mower, and is kept well away from the cleaning area
- Thoroughly clean the lawn mower with a brush to remove grass clippings
- Wipe the mower clean with a damp cloth
Cordless lawn mower maintenance
All EGO battery lawn mowers come with a manual that details how you can properly maintain your battery lawn mower. You can also find and download a manual for your EGO tool from the bottom of any of our product pages.
Alternatively, check out our blog on how to store your cordless lawn mower, so any future maintenance is made much easier.
All EGO lawn mowers come with at least 5 years warranty for domestic use, however this doesn’t cover faults caused by improper storage - all the more reason to keep your lawn mower maintained in accordance with our manuals.