Startup of lawn mower that has been sitting

iahawkeye83

I have a gas lawn mower with a Honda motor that hasn’t been used since 2019. When the landlord moves out I am going to be taking over the lawn care and snow removal (and no I am NOT installing a lawn sprinkler system, not repeating that mistake). Will starting up a lawn mower that has been sitting that long be as simple as changing the oil, filter and spark plug along with fresh gas or will it need a little more work to get it going.

If I can’t get it started with basic troubleshooting I’ll junk it and buy a basic gas lawn mower on Amazon since my car is too small to transport such a large box. I don’t need the motor to explode and get a face full of shrapnel along with the associated fireball.

Guy54435

Look at it overall make sure blades are free of obstruction not a big hole in engine, pull rope see if spins, if it spins put gas in let it sit a few minutes with gas turned on then try to start it, if it starts great you know it runs. Now is the time to change the oil and plug ,filter as needed, get a new blade or sharpen existing one. IF you can get gas without corn juice in it, even if it is going out of your way to get it do it anyhow.

egeezer

Additionally, it’s possible that there may be varnish clogging the carburetor jets and filter screen. I had that problem with a tiller that had been sitting in the garden shed.

Rather than tearing the fuel system apart. I drained out what was left of the old gas, filled the tank halfway. I then put my mouth on the fill hole so I could blow in and pressurize the tank. After a few cycles of pressure, pull starter and repeat, I forced enough gas through to keep the engine running. The new gas flowing through dissolved the varnish.

DON’T put your mouth over the opening, press down like a trumpet player on the mouthpiece. Also thoroughly wipe off the parts you will contact before doing that.

Rich221976

egeezer

If that doesn’t work then you might need to have the lawn motor serviced. I have had a few lawn motors that the carbs were trashed. I tend to buy the push motors at a pawn shop so I didn’t put that much money to get it to begin with.

My last one, I got about 7 years worth of use. I have another push motor, but honestly I only use it to get the spots that the riding lawn motor can’t get. However, a weedeater will do a good job as well.

My weedeater is a cordless craftmen one. I normally would have using battery power lawn equipment but this one surprised me. Plus it came with a blower so I am able to blow the grass off of the road now instead of leaving it there.

I am over due for cutting the grass.

egeezer

Rich221976
I cut mine on Tuesday.

I bought an Echo battery powered hedge trimmer last year. It’s a beast, and cut my Taxus Yew hedge easily.
I bought an Echo leaf blower that uses the same batteries as the trimmer, and rotate the batteriesthe trimmer easily does my 60 feet of hedge on about ⅔ of a charge, and the blower clears grass from 200 feet of sidewalk on half a charge.

My Echo weedwhacker is gas powered, since I do lots of sidewalk edging and aroind plants, garden, house and driveway. It’s just too much for a battery trimmer. The same with my mulching/bagging lawn mower. If I had a little city yard, I’d probably own a battery mower.

Rich221976

egeezer

I do have extra batteries, since I have a drill that takes the same batteries. One battery for the weedeater will last the entire trimming that I need to do. I use a second battery for the blower. The drill has a much larger battery and can swap to that one if needed.

I will be doing the yard on Sunday, since I have to work today and tomorrow. I also gotta get some of the trash I put in the middle of the yard out to the curb. I will probably pull that stuff to the curb on Sunday and get a full cut.

I been pulling the stuff I am ripping out of the house and put it in the middle of the year since they don’t want that stuff put out until Thursday night.

egeezer

Rich221976 spring cleanup is a lot of work!
I have a compost heap that needs turning, and old tomato plants need pulled before tilling. I don’t compost those because the old plants can have mold that causes blossom rot in new plants on the same soil.

Dks01

iahawkeye83 It’s a Honda. It should start. If not, have it serviced. Costs me CAD$65 every year. Then it will start. I have an old Cub Cadet at my cottage with a Honda engine that I leave over winter. It starts every spring. My home mower is a Honda. It starts on two or three pulls every spring. I just took delivery of a Honda snowblower (to beat the tariffs) I expect it will be the same.

AMDUSER

Dks01 Otherwise some carb cleaner and new gas may help with it. Remove what is left of the old gas though.

Dks01

AMDUSER And replace the spark plug. Hondas have a gas tank shut off. If it was left open, new gas won’t make a lot of difference. The insides may be gummed up. Get it properly serviced and go from there.

egeezer

iahawkeye83 did you get your mower started?

lesmikesell

Get a spray can of ‘starter fluid’ which is basically ether. Pop off the air cleaner pad and spray a bit into the carburetor opening - and try to start immediately. Be sure you are outside with some space for air circulation around so you don’t inhale too much.

iahawkeye83

I just picked up a Jerry can and some Honda branded lawn mower oil today at Home Depot. I stopped at Costco and picked up an item I needed and then went to the gas station at Costco and refueled my car and filled the Jerry can.

I went home and put the lawn mower oil in the mower (I had drained it out when I pulled the mower out of the garage). I put gas in the mower and pulled the ripcord a few times and it wouldn’t start. I found out I had the fuel valve off. I turned on the fuel valve and pulled the ripcord a few more times and it started.

I’ll probably change the air filter as well.

egeezer

iahawkeye83
Thanks for the update, glad to see it worked out for you.

Now the fun begins, staying ahead of the grass, watching the wx forecast to schedule mowing when the grass is dry enough. 😄

iahawkeye83

I’ll have to source a replacement grass catcher bag because the original got lost in one of the moves. I’d like to bag the clippings. Out of the three lawns I’ve had in Western Mass this one is the best. The landlord ain’t getting lawn sprinklers though. I’m only installing those if I ever buy my own place (the ones that I had were already in place and I rehabbed the system). I’m not spending that money or effort on someone else’s property again lol.

If I need to water the lawn I’ll use my garden hose and an appropriate attachment from Home Depot.

Guy54435

iahawkeye83 I am glad your mower is running and was not a problem.

iahawkeye83

Guy54435 I’d like to see if I can get the other power equipment up and running that has been sitting (most of it is in my storage unit), particularly my generator. I have had more power outages at this place in the past few years than I have had in the 15 years I have lived in the duplex on the other end of town. I’ll use extension cords, no suic*de cord, no transfer switch. All I want to keep running is the refrigerator and a few other things.

Sparkchaser

iahawkeye83 picked up a Jerry can

Sorry, I have to ask. A real “Jerry Can” or just a mower gas can?
A jerry can is about 5 gal. I wouldn’t be having that much gas around my house.

I buy it about 1.5 gal at a time.

This year I finally got someone to mow the lawn. So, I have to get rid of the gas left over from the snowblower.

iahawkeye83

Sparkchaser This is what I bought.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Scepter-1-Gal-Smart-Control-Gas-Can-FR1G101/307375058

The child resistant nozzle is a real pain in the butt. I do like the fact that it doesn’t cause you to spill gas all over the place (which I have done before with other Jerry cans). I just call it a Jerry Can because it’s a catchy name.

Sparkchaser

iahawkeye83 The child resistant nozzle is a real pain in the butt.

Yes, similar to what I have. The nozzle are awful, I agree. I’ve always replaced them with something more user friendly. No children here for 20 years. Don’t use it enough to worry about environment.