Most Common Problems Encountered by Small Engine Repair Hopkinton Services

If you have got some trouble with your small engine equipment and thinking of troubleshooting the problem on own, this post will be of great use. Here you will read about some of the most common issues small engine machine repair services in Hopkinton fix every year. Let’s read on.

Engine isn’t running

Most households face this problem when they use their small engine equipment like a lawn mower, lawn trimmer and chainsaw first time after long winter storage. And some most common causes are mentioned below.

A Quick Tip: Read the user manual of your small engine equipment carefully before you start diagnosing, servicing or repairing the equipment on own. And don’t forget to unplug the spark plug. This is vital to avoid physical injury. And if you are uncertain of correct procedure, consult a small engine repair specialist in Hopkinton.

• Degraded Fuel: First of all, check if your small engine equipment is filled with the minimal required quantity of fuel. If it’s empty, top it up with fresh fuel and start the engine. If the equipment already contains fuel in the tank, you need to check if it is clean and fresh. If the fuel contains debris or if it is stale, it will prevent your equipment engine from starting. Using your small engine with contaminated fuel can also cause significant damage to the engine. This is why it is important to be aware of the correct methods of winter storing your outdoor power equipment. If DIY attempts doesn’t do any help, it is a good idea to visit your nearby small engine repair shop in Hopkinton immediately.
• Jammed carburetor: If the carburetor on your small engine machine is clogged up by debris or damaged, it can cause engine starting problem or severely impact engine’s performance. Sometimes, simply cleaning the carburetor can help you start your engine successfully. 
• Loose spark plug: Your small engine equipment may not get started if the spark plug is loose, clogged up or inappropriately gapped. Even fitting a wrong type of spark plug on your outdoor equipment can cause troubles starting its engine. Spark plug is a major component of your equipment’s ignition system. And thus any issue with the spark plug will stop the machine from running. You need to change spark plug after every 25 hours or at the beginning of the new season. Set the correct spark plug gap, as mentioned in the manufacturer given manual. 
• Leaking valve: The compression system of your small engine machine is made of two valves (intake valve and exhaust valve), piston, rings and cylinders that together control the fuel and air mixture passes through the engine. If there is a leakage in any one of the valves, it will keep your small engine from running.

Engine isn’t running properly

• Engine stalls and runs rough: Your engine starts but then stalls or run inefficiently. This can be an outcome of lack of standard maintenance. Get your equipment inspected by a pro at a local small engine repair shop in Hopkinton. A professional tune-up or repair service, if needed, will make your outdoor equipment run efficiently. 
• Stale fuel and oil: Never keep the gas or fuel stored in the equipment for longer time. Make use of fuel stabilizer to keep gas from breaking down for longer time.  Similarly, you also need to change oil at end of season or after 25 hours of usage. Make a habit of checking oil’s appearance and level before you use the equipment. 
• Dirty filter: First you can try cleaning the air filter and see if that fix your engine problem. If not, change the filter. This won’t cost you big. 
• Foul spark plug: Check if the plug isn’t disconnected. If required, you can try replacing the old plug with a new one and see if it addresses the problem.

Engine is overheating & smoking

Check the engine oil level if it isn’t too low. In some cases, simply removing the debris from fuel tank vent and cleaning other parts of the engine help stop engine overheating. If your engine is blowing blue or white smoke, it indicates the engine is burning oil. And if it is emitting black smoke, you need to check carburetor setting. If the problem persists, take your outdoor power equipment to a professional small engine repair service in Hopkinton.

Engine is knocking

Factors like faulty spark plug, loose flywheel and higher amount of carbon in combustion chamber of the engine can cause engine knocking problem. Unless you have ample experience and knowledge of repairing small engine equipments, it is recommended to let the small engine repair specialist look into the matter.

These are some of the most common problems fixed by small engine repair shops in Hopkinton. No matter what kind of problem your small engine machine has, a professional repair service has the right skills and tools to diagnose the exact cause of the problem and fix it in minimal time.

Source: http://metrowestlawn.tumblr.com/post/157520224642/most-common-problems-encountered-by-small-engine

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Riding lawn mowers for sale in Ashland: Grabbing Best Deal Is Easy with These Tips

This is the best time of the year to purchase your new riding lawn mower as most dealers put last year riding lawn mowers for sale in Ashland so they can create room for latest models. If you are planning to buy a lawn mower from this year sale season, we have got some useful tips for you.

5 tips every first-time riding lawn mower buyer should consider 

Choose a perfect riding lawn mower model for your garden

Whether you shop online or in retail, you will come across plenty of models and many different brands of riding lawn mowers. It is really important to choose a riding lawn mower that can easily navigate through the bushes and trees, if any, in your garden or yard. If your yard has a slope, pond or other obstacle, all these need to be taken into account to choose a right mower for your landscape.

Do your homework over the internet and find out the most reputed manufacturers of riding lawn mowers in the USA. All the riding lawn mowers for sale in Ashland can be primarily divided into three main categories: ZTR (Zero turn) mower, front drive and rear-drive handling.

Ask yourself how much speed matters when you are mowing

If your yard or garden has too many obstacles for your mower, you will need to reduce your mower speed quite frequently so as to ensure you accomplish even cutting pattern and have a perfect clean lawn.

On the contrary, if you have a very large yard area with minimal impediments, you may want to have a mower with better speed capacity so you can finish your mowing session quickly every time. However, buying a riding lawn mower for sale in Ashland with multi-speed setting can suit all types of yards’ mowing needs.

Look beyond the engine

Certainly it is the engine that determines the performance and power of your riding lawn mower or lawn tractor machine. But there are many other important systems on a riding lawn mower that hold equal importance and need your attention.

For example, it is very crucial for a good riding lawn mower to have a highly effective cooling system and oil filtering system; this can add to the lifespan of your outdoor power equipment. Now if you go shopping from riding lawn mowers for sale in Ashland, make sure you consider all other systems and features of the equipment.

Select the right deck size

It is the deck size of your lawn mower that will determine the width of the cut your mower will make in a single pass. Check out the riding lawn mowers for sale in Ashland and you will find mowers in different deck sizes. You can choose a right lawn mower considering your yard size.

½ to 1 Acre: 30 to 40 inch mowing deck size recommended
1 to 2 Acre: 42 to 46 inch mowing deck size recommended
3 Acre and larger: 48 to 61 inch mowing deck size recommended

Know about its maintenance needs

Regular professional tune-ups and good upkeep will ensure your mower keep running efficiently for maximum years, typically up to 6 years or more. It is always good idea to learn about the maintenance needs of your riding mower at the time of purchasing it. Find out what practices and timely maintenance checks will help you avoid repairs in your riding lawn mower equipment.

Every time you use your riding lawn mower, make sure you clean the deck removing dirt, debris and clippings at the end of each mowing session. Read the user manual of the mower to get more insight into its maintenance schedule. Never skip on oil change, filter change and blade sharpening.

No matter how much sincerely you look after your mowing machine, but it is same as other small engine machine and thus there is no way you can prevent aging-caused-damage to its parts. You will need to replace some parts in a timely manner. And you also need to ditch the old mower at the edge of its life-expectancy and get a new lawn mower with some advanced features. Many lawn mower repair shops in Ashland remind their regular customers about their scheduled mower maintenance throughout the year. Find your riding lawn mower repair and maintenance specialist in the neighborhood to ensure your mower remains in perfect working order year-round.

Final Words

Riding lawn mowers with a steering wheel are a most sought-after product these days. However, if you have a smaller yard with some more obstructions, a Zero Turn Mower is a great option. Try riding a few lawn mowers for sale in Ashland to get better idea of what makes a right product for your mowing needs. 

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Lawn mower repair Ashland – How to Change a Mower Blade

No doubt that lawn mower blade is of huge importance in overall cutting operation, like the mower engine itself. If your lawn mower has a dull blade, it won’t be able to cut grass evenly and properly. You will see more of uneven and torn grass in the yard, which is more vulnerable to disease. To prevent this, you may sharpen the blade or replace it. Whether you are a DIY enthusiast or will hire a lawn mower repair service in Ashland to change your mower blade, this post has got you covered.

Sharp lawn mower blade is a prerequisite to ensure clean lawn. Check the user manual of your lawn mower and you will find a step-by-step guideline on how to change and how to sharpen mower blade. But before you begin with the maintenance task, always remember to drain fuel and wear safety gears like hand gloves and eye goggles.

Safety management should be given utmost importance to avoid any kind of physical injury during lawn mower blade replacement or sharpening. You can easily find a mower blade at a very cheap cost in a local market. What’s important is to approach the process the correct way. If you have lack of skills and knowledge, it is wise to hire a suitable lawn mower repair shop in Ashland to do the job.

A 8-step guide to changing your lawn mower blade

• Go through the user manual of your lawn mower to get more clear idea of the correct steps to be followed. You can also check online videos and articles that show how to change a mower blade on own.
• First you need to remove the spark plug and battery. This will help prevent electric flare-up if oil or gas leakage occurs during the replacement procedure.
• You need to ensure the mower deck is cleaned properly. If not, clear all clippings and debris on the deck so you can reach out to cutting blade easily. You can use your garden’s water hose to clean lawn mower deck properly. 
• Tilt your lawn mower such that the carburetor and oil compartment doesn’t see a leakage. Check if the carburetor cap is tightly closed. You can use a wood block or some other type of weight to put it under the tilted side and fix its position while you remove the blade. Some DIY engineers also prefer draining out gas using a syphon hose to prevent gas spilling on grass or equipment body. 
• Next, unbolt the mower blade mounting bolt with a correct size of socket wrench; if you don’t have one, you can easily find one in your local hardware store. Do remember to check the blade’s position once before you remove it to avoid position related confusion while installing a new blade. 
• Once the blade is removed out of your mower, check if it has any sort of damage like a dent or a crack. If required, replace the blade with a new one. Or you can sharpen the same blade using a bench grinder or a file. 
• Mower’s blade sharpening isn’t a kid’s job. You need to have right skills and knowledge to do it the correct way; the blade shouldn’t be too thin, else it will be at high risk of damage while in use. 
• In case, you sharpen the blade instead of installing a new blade, don’t forget to cool down the blade in water before you mount it on the mower’s motor spindle. 

Now you are ready to run your mower again and you will see healthier and cleaner lawn. However, if you find dearth of time or skills, let the lawn mower repair Ashland specialists do the job.

Hiring a lawn mower repair expert

There are three basic factors you need to remember when looking for a reliable lawn mower repair shop in Ashland, regardless of the fact if you need mower blade maintenance or any other mower repair service. Let’s read on.

• Proximity from Your House
• Indeed this factor is worth considering. The closer the repair shop is located from your house, the lesser time it will take to reach the shop every time you need to. The faster, the better!
• Total Years of Experience in Lawn Mower Maintenance
• Find out if they have started the business recently or they are a well-established old repair shop with lots of regular customers in the neighborhood. This will make your decision-making process easier. You need ensure the mower maintenance shop you choose is expert in all sort of lawn mower repair jobs in Ashland. They should be capable of working with all makes and models of lawn mowers. The more you dig out about them online or offline through your family and friends, the more you will learn about their quality of service and market reputation.
• Cost Lastly, you need to compare if their charges are as per the niche trends. If the prices seem too high or low, avoid being ripped off and continue looking for a reliable lawn mower repair service in Ashland.

A professional lawn mower repair shop in Ashland can help you with routine servicing, replacements as well as emergency repairs of your mower for year-round, ensuring quality workmanship at the most competitive labor prices.

Source: http://metrowestlawn.tumblr.com/post/157227434672/lawn-mower-repair-ashland-how-to-change-a-mower

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What You Need to Know about oil and Fuel, Explains Top Small Engine Repair Specialists in Westborough

If you aren’t aware, a two-stroke engine demands a mix of oil and gas in correct proportion, while a four-stroke engine has separate storage of oil and fuel. Many households own multiple small engine machines in which some are two-stroke and some are four-stroke engines. If you are one of those households, it is very important for you to understand that both types of small engine equipments need different maintenance for fuel.

You can also meet your local small engine repair specialist in Westborough to understand the science of fuel mix or fresh fuel. Or just continue reading here. The exact oil to gas ratio is mentioned in the user manual of the machine. And sometimes, it is imprinted on the cap of the fuel tank.

Another important thing to remember is to choose correct oil for your small engine. For example, if your outdoor power equipment has two stroke engine, choose from two stroke engine oils only. Two-stroke engine oil needs to blend evenly with gasoline for effective lubrication. You can also check user manual of your product to see if there are any recommendation for engine oil. Or head down to a nearby small engine repair shop in Westborough to seek guidance.

Selecting wrong engine oil or incorrect oil to fuel ratio can dramatically impact the efficiency of your small engine. Knowing the fundamentals of oil and gas mix will save you a good amount of money and some visits to a repair store. Need no downtime? Choose engine oil wisely and know how to fill it right!

Save your small engine machine from the damage of stale fuel

Most of the small engine repair shops in Westborough have admitted that they repair hundreds of small engine machines every year that were mainly damaged due to use of stale gas. And surprisingly, such repairs are easiest to avoid. Old gas will prevent your engine from running and if not fixed immediately by a pro, it can cause further damage to the machine.

One of the best ways to prevent the unpleasant consequences of stale gas in your small engine machine is making use of a fuel stabilizer. This is the time of the year when all your small engine machines are in winter hibernation mode. Every year, you need to store all those household power equipments for several months. While winterizing these machines, you must know that fuel in the engine can automatically degrade in 30 days of being filled.

Now if you allow the degraded fuel to remain stored in the engine throughout the winter months, you are surely inviting a repair expense this spring. Stale fuel issues can happen any time of the year. And in order to avoid these problems, you just need to remember to add a fuel stabilizer to your gas immediately as you fill the fuel.

This approach will help you keep your fuel fresh and prevent those costlier engine repairs caused by degraded fuel. It is also a good idea to consult your local small engine repair specialist in Westborough to learn more about how to avoid fuel degradation for longer time, and learn the pros and cons of different fuel types.

Paying attention to little things truly pays off

As said earlier, you certainly don’t need a degree in mechanical engineering to understand the basic functioning of your small engine machines such as lawn mowers, snow blowers, lawn trimmers and chainsaws.  Simple care and some attention at these small engines in your every day routine will save you repetitive downtime and a considerable amount on small engine repair bills.

Whether you have recently purchased a first small engine equipment or you have been using many small engine machines for years now, things like changing oil, fuel mixing and cleaning filter can be easily performed on own. You can find out what are the things that can be done on own and what needs an expert’s assistance.

However, if time is a concern, you can look for a small repair shop in neighborhood which can look after regular servicing and maintenance of your small engine machine. Compared to those big showroom guys, these local mechanics have more expertise in repairing all different makes and models of small engines.

Your local small engine repair specialist in Westborough can send you early reminders for the routine maintenance tasks and servicing of your small engine machine. Timely repair and replacement of parts will keep your machine running at optimal performance for year-round, and will also add to its lifespan. Such small precautionary measures will prevent major damage to your small engine machines. Don’t wait for the next small engine repair emergency. Instead look for a trustworthy small engine repair shop in Westborough online today. 

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Riding lawn mowers for sale in Ashland: Tips to consider before you grab your deal!

If you have a large lawn area, using a riding lawn mower is much better alternative to push mower. It will add to your ease and convenience while mowing. However, here it is worth noting that there are many different styles of riding lawn mowers available in the market today. And you need to ensure to choose the right one for your lawn maintenance needs.

If you are planning to grab a best deal from riding lawn mowers for sale in Ashland, we recommend you to consider following tips before you make the purchase. 

Take into account your landscape size

The first thing you need to consider to shop the correct type of riding lawn mower from sale in Ashland is the size of your mowing area, or the lawn area. The more powerful mower you choose, the large cutting blades they will have which will enable you to mow large landscape speedily and efficiently. 

For a lawn area of ½ acre to 1 acre, a riding lawn mower with 14HP engine and cutting width of up to 42” is considered a right match. And for lawn area of 1-2 acre, choose from riding lawn mowers for sale Ashland that feature 18 - 24 HP engine and 46" - 54" deck area. For a yard area of 3 acres or larger, a lawn tractor with 18-24HP engine and 46”-54” deck is highly recommended. 

However, a homeowner or a landscaping professional can use a riding lawn mower for yard area of ½ acre or larger. And for lawn area smaller than this, you are recommended to consider buying a push mower. In addition to the size of your lawn area, you also need to consider all the obstructions like trees and terrain types to shop a right type of riding lawn mower. 

Learn about Zero Turn Radius Mowers

Briefly known as ZTR mowers, these Zero-Turn-radius mowers are best choice if you need to pass around many obstructions like flower bed, slope and trees while mowing your landscape. Mid-grade ZTR mowers provide you a perfect blend of features and quality deliverables that ensure you best value for money. Always read the product specification and check the deck size in particular before you purchase a zero turn riding mower. This will help you confirm if the mower will easily travel through your gate.

Remember, the larger is the deck size, the less passes you will need to make. But don’t confusion yourself thinking the bigger is always better. You need to find out the appropriate deck size and other specification suitable for your lawn area. Compared to lawn tractors, ZTR mowers have smaller wheels and thus they may find it a bit challenging to navigate the hilly area.

If maneuverability and speed are two main requirements, these zero turn mowers are indeed a perfect choice. You can easily navigate through obstacles and complete your mowing sessions in less time. If this is a first time you are buying a ZTR mower, you will certainly need a few days to get along with it. But once you become pals, you can mow large landscapes with plenty of obstacles quite speedily and efficiently. These riding mowers are faster than lawn tractors.

Different Transmission system you need to Know About

All riding mowers for sale in Ashland are available in three transmission systems: a manual transmission, an automatic transmission and a hydrostatic transmission. In manual transmission, you can select from a wide range of speed. Make sure the riding mower you choose allows you to move up or down without using a clutch or making a stop.

Automatic transmission system is same as the one you have in your car. You can quickly and easily change your speed; this can be really useful if you often have to stop or slow down while driving around obstacles. Riding lawn mowers with a hydrostatic transmission make use of fluid to generate power and transfer it to its four wheels. Amongst all three different transmission options, a hydrostatic transmission offers smoothest drive, need minimal maintenance and become your mowing friend for a really long time.

Consider other features or specifications

Before you choose your make and model in riding lawn mowers for sale in Ashland, remember to consider each and every feature as well as specifications of the machine. If you don’t understand any term, ask the retailer and mower specialist to give you explanation for the same. Features like engine horsepower (HP), engine displacement, cutting width, speed, automatic parking brakes, cruise control, engine torque, deck wheels, mulching and bagging, and turning radius are some of the most important things you need to take into account before making a purchase.

Some riding lawn mowers also come with extra-comfort features like extended leg space, a cup holder and rubber foot pads. Determine if you want bagging and mulching features in your riding mower. Some riding lawn mowers can help you maintain your yard for year-round, not just in summer.

Always go through manufacturer guideline on product specifications and maintenance needs before you shop your mower from riding lawn mower for sale inAshland. Once purchased, ensure regular maintenance to your machine and it will run efficiently every time you use it.

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