Not a year goes by I don’t have problems with my lawn mower. I reckon the only people who don’t are those types that buy a new one every year or two. I wasn’t raised that way — I could afford it, but it would bother my conscience too much.

I think about those problems, though, and as a consequence, as the years have gone by I have fewer and fewer, because I’ve learned to practice preventative maintenance. An ounce of prevention, and all that. It really works.

Take the typical starting problem in the spring. Gas clogs the jets as it dries, and by spring none can flow through to the carburetor. Hence the engine doesn’t start. My solution is simple. At the end of the year, before putting the lawnmower away for the winter, I empty out the gas tank, then start it and let it idle to allow the little bit of fuel in the line burn up.

A lot of lawnmower problems are like that. If you just know what is needed, it is a simple matter to prevent the problem from ever developing. Clean out that air filter each month, and replace it when it begins looking ratty, and you won’t have dirt getting into the engine to muck it up. If a wheel begins to wobble a bit, check it out — see if it just needs tightening, or if it needs to be replaced — take action before a serious problem develops.

If your mower has pulleys, check that belt for cracks or fray, and replace it when it begins to show wear. You don’t want to wait for it to break. It would certainly choose the most inopportune time to come apart — Sunday when the shop is closed, just before the wife’s garden club is set to arrive.

Taking care of your machine to prevent lawnmower problems is not rocket science. Use a bit of common sense in diagnosing the problem, then figure out the original cause. If it is something that can be prevented, add that to your routine to maintain the mower.

The engine requires spark, air and gas to start, and the pistons need to move smoothly through their cycle to keep running. Check the spark-plug to see if it is firing. See if the carburetor is getting gas. If removing the air cleaner lets a balky engine start, then you know the filter is blocking more air than its filtering. Clean it up.

Make sure you have fresh fuel and that the engine has oil. Just like your car, you need to change the oil from time to time (the recommended schedule will be found in the manual), for optimal performance and long engine life. Do it, there is nothing difficult involved. Just pay attention to the details.

In his classic Zen And The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert Pirsig says:

And it occurred to me there is no manual that deals with the real business of motorcycle maintenance, the most important aspect of all. Caring about what you are doing is considered either unimportant or taken for granted.

That’s the key when you are dealing with lawnmower problems too — or trying to prevent them — care enough to do it right, and it won’t come back to haunt you later.