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" No machine defines a homeowner like his mower. (Apartment dwellers, after all, don&amp;#039;t cut grass.) And few tools do as much work. When you consider how much dust and plant matter they stir up, it&amp;#039;s a wonder mowers last as long as they do. But they are workhorses, especially if you give them some routine maintenance. The good news is that most mowers are simple machines, so they&amp;#039;re easy to service. With about an hour of effort each year, and less than $20 in parts, you can keep a $300 mower running for 15 years or more. Here are the basics: Get Your Mower Running (In Four Simple Steps) Seasonal maintenance consists largely of cleaning and lubricating. Dirt on the inside is abrasive, while dirt on the outside traps heat--both increase wear and shorten service life. To avoid these problems, follow this four-step program, further detailed in the diagrams on the following pages. 1. Clean the underside of the deck whenever you see windrows of grass clippings on the lawn. These indicate a clogged deck. 2. Sharpen the blade at least once a year. A dull blade tears the grass instead of cutting it. 3. Install a new spark plug every year. A fouled plug and stale gas are the two leading causes of hard starts. 4. Change the oil and filter, and clean the fuel tank at least once a year. 1--CLEANING REMOVE LEFTOVER GAS from the tank before tipping up the mower. A siphon bulb, used for refilling batteries, works well. Attach the spark plug wire to the cylinder head to be certain it&amp;#039;s grounded.  TIP THE MOWER on its side and scrape away heavy accumulations of grass clippings with a putty knife. Spray the deck clean with a garden hose.  2--BLADE WORK LOOSEN THE BOLT that holds the cutting blade with a box-end wrench. Be sure to wear gloves while handling the blade.  SHARPEN THE BLADE with a file or a bench grinder. Follow the factory angle on the blade and remove the same amount of stock from both cutting ends.  Next Up, The Engine 3--SPARK PLUG PULL OFF THE PLUG WIRE and use a deep-socket plug wrench to remove the old spark plug.  THREAD the new plug into the engine carefully. (Don&amp;#039;t over-tighten.) Then press the plug wire onto the plug.  4--NEW OIL AND FILTER REMOVE THE ENGINE COVER SCREWS and lift off the cover. Then use a shop vac to remove any dust, dirt and grass clippings lodged in the top of the engine.  REMOVE THE OIL DIPSTICK, then tip the mower on its side and drain the oil into a pan. A warm engine makes the oil flow better.  REMOVE THE GAS TANK by lifting it off and disconnecting the rubber gas line. To clean the tank, add a small amount of fresh gas, swirl it several times and discard.  LOOSEN THE AIR FILTER cover by gently pulling it back--the filter may also come off. Slide a new filter onto the carburetor fitting, then reattach the cover. Congrats, you&amp;#039;re finished.  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/lawn-garden/how-to/a274/1645086/>