Deciding to purchase a new mower can be a big investment. So, knowing the life expectancy of a lawn mower engine is very important. This is also true if you are thinking about picking up a used lawn mower. The last thing you want to do is buy a used mower that only has a few hours left before it dies. So, how many hours does a lawn mower engine last? Let’s take a look.
Roughly…How Many Hours Does a Lawn Mower Engine Last? (The Short Answer)
Most small lawn mower engines, if serviced correctly and at the appropriate time, should last approximately 500 hours. Tractors and zero-turn lawn mowers have larger engines and will last considerably longer. You should expect to achieve over 2000 hours with these bigger engines.
Factors that Can Influence the Life Expectancy of a Lawn Mower Engine
If you are trying to get as many years out of your lawn mower as possible, then you’ll need to understand what influences the life expectancy of the engine. Here are several factors you’ll need to be aware of.
Scheduled Servicing
One of the most important factors that can influence the life expectancy of a lawn mower is servicing. If you read through your lawn mower’s manual, you’ll find that the manufacturer specifies a variety of tasks you should carry out at set intervals.
So, if we take a look at a John Deere 100 series lawn tractor for a moment, the manual states the following service items for the engine.
John Deere 100 Series Service Intervals
| Service Item | First 8h | Every 50h | Every 200h |
|---|---|---|---|
| Change the Oil | X | X | |
| Change the Oil Filter | X | ||
| Change the Pre-Air Filter | X | ||
| Change the Air Filter | X | ||
| Change the Fuel Filter | X | ||
| Clean the Cooling Fins | X | ||
| Change the Emission Filter | X | ||
| Check/Adjust the Valve Clearance | X |
Doing Maintenance When Needed
Maintenance goes hand in hand with servicing. If you do one without the other, then your lawn mower will be shedding years off unnecessarily. For example, if there is a faulty part in the engine, then it will more than likely cause additional damage.
Broken cooling fins on the flywheel will cause the engine to overheat, this will, in turn, cause the engine to heat beyond the oil’s lubricating ability, and the engine will suffer avoidable wear. So, replacing the oil at the right time doesn’t prevent overheating due to broken cooling fins.
How the Engine Has Been Stored
Next on my list is where you store your lawn mower. If a lawn mower is left out in all weather, including the beating sun and rain, then it will experience a whole variety of damage. I have seen mowers with carburetor and fuel line problems because they were left out in the sun all summer.
Also, I’ve seen lawn mowers covered in rust and even with water in the fuel tanks and cylinder heads because they were stored outside without any protection. So, correctly storing your lawn mower is very important if you want to extend its lifespan.
How the Engine Has Been Used
I asked one of the mechanics at my local lawn mower store, which is worse, not servicing your lawn mower or using a lawn mower engine too hard? He said he would put his money on using a lawn mower too hard. I kind of agree.
So, if you took a brand new lawn mower and tried to mow some very long grass, grass which is way too high for the lawn mower, then I’m pretty sure you could burn the engine out within the first hour of use. Therefore, being gentle with your lawn mower will keep it happy and make it last longer.
Cutting Time Per Cut
The next item on my list is cutting time per cut. By this I mean how long does it take to mow your lawn? A lawn mower that is used, say, one hour a week could do fifty hours in a year, whereas professional lawn guys could put this many hours on their lawn mower in a couple of weeks if not a week.
So, which lawn mower is going to be in better condition, the lawn mower that does fifty hours in a week or the mower that does fifty in a year? Well, I’d say that the lawn guy’s mower would look better because the mower hasn’t been sitting around for a year. But because the engine is subjected to long periods of operation, it works at continuous high temps.
This comes back to how the lawn mower was treated. I’d say the lawn mower had to do a lot of hard work.
Keeping the Blades Sharp
I compare a mower blade to a steak knife. If I sit down to cut into a steak with just a regular knife, my arms are going to get tired, and I’ll be heading back to the kitchen pretty quickly for a sharp knife.
It’s a strange analogy, I know, but good steaks and lawn mowers are two of my favorite things. So, a dull blade is going to tire out your mower and make it work much harder to mow the lawn.
Tips to Get The Max Number of Hours Out of Your Lawn Mower Engine
As you can probably tell, I love both my lawn and my lawn mower. In fact, I actually have more than one mower. So, the last thing I want to happen is for one of my lawn mowers to die because I wasn’t doing something right. Here’s what I do to keep my lawn mower engine in the best possible shape.
Service Schedule & Parts Available
The first thing I do when it comes to servicing is make sure that I have all the parts I need on hand. So, I have all my filters, spark plugs, and oil ready to go. This means I can’t use the excuse of doing it next week once I pick up the parts.
Now, most manufacturers actually produce service kits that include everything that you need in one box. So, you can order it online and have a service kit delivered for your specific lawn mower. This really takes all the guesswork out of getting the right parts you need.
Next, I work out when my lawn mower will need to be serviced and write it on the service kit box, then leave it on a shelf in my shed. Simple preparation for timely servicing.
Make Repairs ASAP
On to repairs. Now I know not everybody is as enthusiastic about repairs as I am, but I’ve found that if you repair a lawn mower immediately, you’ll get more life out of it, even up to a couple more years.
So, if your lawn mower is making a strange sound, or even if it’s just not working like it normally would, then switch off the engine and see what’s going on. The lawn can definitely wait to be cut, but the lawn mower probably can’t wait to be fixed.
Use Your Lawn Mower Wisely
Now, a lawn mower is called a lawn mower for a reason. I’ve seen a few people in the past think their lawn mower can cut anything. Knee-high grass, tall weeds, bushes, I’ve even seen a video of a guy trimming his hedge with a lawn mower. So, if you stick to just mowing your lawn with your mower, you’ll certainly get more life out of your engine than these other people.
Pick the Right Lawn Mower & Engine
I took a quick look at the prices on the Toro price list and discovered that a residential push mower starts at just under $500, and the smallest commercial push mower is nearly $2000.
Now, I know that the different grade lawn mowers come with different types of warranties, and of course, this has value. But there is definitely a big difference in build quality and engine strength between them. So, if you have a big lawn that’s going to need a powerful lawn mower, then try to get the best engine for the job.
Protect Your Mower
We’ve already covered that you don’t want to store your lawn mower under a leaking gutter or in full sun if you want to get as many years out of your lawn mower’s engine as possible. So you’ll want to find the best place for it. My mowers are tucked neatly in my shed, away from any weather that could cause a problem.
If you need to store your lawn mower outside, then just make sure you protect it well enough to avoid any damage. Also, if you can’t store a stinky gas engine in your home, then an electric/battery lawn mower could be an alternative type of lawn mower engine.
Keep Your Blade Sharpened
The last thing I want to mention is keeping your blades sharpened. With a few simple tools like a vise and a metal file, you’ll be able to sharpen your own lawn mower blades. This is really going to help your lawn mower engine work easier and not overheat from the stress of dull blades. So, here are a few things to remember if you are going to sharpen your own blades.
- Use an Appropriate Method to Sharpen Your Lawn Mower Blades
- Sharpen Your Lawn ower Blades to the Correct Angle
- Sharpen Your Lawn Mowers Blades Regularly
Also, if for some reason you can’t get the blade off your lawn mower, there is a method to sharpen your lawn mower blade without removing it. Finally, if this all seems like too much, then there are places that will sharpen your lawn mower blades for you.
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