How Long Should a Lawnmower Last? 10 Things You Should Know

Investing in an expensive machine can be a responsible investment when it lasts many years. Also, when buying a lawnmower, the life span is a major deciding factor. Good quality lawnmowers are more expensive, but they are more sturdy and last longer. If you purchase some of the cheaper brands, you can not expect them to have the same quality, performance, and life expectancy. But, spending a lot of money on a good quality brand does not necessarily guarantee a long machine life. You also need to take good care of your mower through regular maintenance. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the average life expectancy of lawnmowers and the factors that affect a lawnmower’s life. To improve its life span, we also discuss some vital maintenance routines.

How long should a lawnmower last:

The life expectancy of a lawnmower depends on several factors like operating hours, quality, maintenance. With proper maintenance, a good quality lawnmower can last for over ten years. If you use it in an environmentally challenging location that makes the mower rust more quickly, or the mower uses less sturdy material, it will last less than 10 years. If proper care is neglected, this can be reduced by half. If the same mower is abused, it might not last longer than two years.

Most manufacturers provide a life expectancy rating in hours. Based on your particular hours of use per week or month, you can calculate your lawnmower’s life expectancy in the number of years. For example, if a lawnmower has a life expectancy rating of 200 hours and is used two hours each week, equaling 60 hours per year, it will last for three to four years. If the same lawnmower operates for only one hour per week, its life expectancy will double.

The life of a lawnmower overall does not reflect on the life of each of its components. You can replace several lawnmower components multiple times over the working life. Thus, how the individual components are treated is an important factor for the mower’s overall life.

Factors that Determine the Life expectancy of a Lawnmower:

Factors that affect a lawnmower’s life span include the lawnmower quality, environmental conditions, amount of use, intensity of operation, and maintenance.

● Lawnmower quality:

When shopping for a lawnmower, there are always cheaper options that can save some money. Good quality durable machines from reliable manufacturers often cost more than products from less durable brands. A good quality mower is made of a stronger material and uses stronger components.

But it does not always mean that the more expensive lawnmower will last longer. There are many examples where cheaper ones last as long. More expensive does not always mean better quality. For some, you pay for the brand and the marketing. Try to find a balance between quality and price and select the most suited mower to your requirements, even if it costs a bit more.

We would recommend you do proper research before making the decision. Comparing specs and prices always helps. It is good to check reviews or visit a knowledgeable dealer. The best approach is to make a well-informed decision.

● Environmental conditions:

If you use your mower in a more environmentally challenging location, it can significantly influence its lifespan. If you use it very close to the sea, the salt can make it rust much more quickly. If you live in a wetter area, it can also lead to more rust. In general, storing your lawnmower outside is not a good idea. If it rains, your mower will get wet. If it is sunny, certain plastic parts can wear much more quickly. Storing your mower in a protected location will help to improve its life span.

● Amount of use:

Amount of use is one of the vital factors that decide the life of a lawnmower. Most lawnmower manufacturers measure and rate the lifespan of their products in hours of usage. These usage hours can be converted into life expectancy in years based on the particular usage hours per week for different customers. This means that the life expectancy of a certain lawnmower model in years would be smaller for users who use their mowers more frequently than users who use their mowers less frequently.

As a general rule, the more you use your mower, the earlier it will reach the end of its life, keeping other factors constant.

● The intensity of operation:

● Maintenance:

The intensity of operation is also an important variable to determine the life expectancy of a lawnmower. Lawnmowers that are regularly used to cut thick and long grass have to work harder than mowers that regularly cut short and less dense grass.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that you should use your mower for the application it is made for. If your lawnmower is smaller and has a lower horsepower rating, you should not use it for huge yards, especially with rough, uneven terrain. When shopping for a lawnmower, pick the one that is best suited to your needs. In this regard, consult the manufacturer or people who have adequate knowledge of lawnmowers.

The lifespan of its components does not define the life of a lawnmower overall. For example, when the spark plug on your mower is not working correctly, it doesn’t mean the whole mower is bad. Small individual components can be repaired or replaced easily to keep the mower running smoothly. This is why maintenance is such an essential part of a machine’s life. If a lawnmower is not adequately maintained, its major components, such as the engine, will fail earlier than expected, and the mower will reach its end earlier.

Maintenance is easy and inexpensive if done regularly. If you keep procrastinating on maintenance, several faults will add up and either severely damage the mower or become more difficult and costly to repair.

The manufacturer’s manuals usually contain information and guidelines about maintenance and how often servicing should be done. Follow these guidelines to increase the life span of your lawnmowers.

Other Important Factors that Affect a Lawnmower’s Life:

Besides the factors mentioned in the section above, several other variables affect life and performance. Let’s look into some such variables:

● Fuel:

Lawnmowers with gas engines work best on the correct fuel type. Using gas that suited to your mower’s engine is more important than you think. Try to avoid poor-quality gas. Better quality gas might cost more, but it will enhance your mower’s lifespan for sure.

Regarding gas, there are some important things to know:

• Ethanol: Regulating authorities have implemented ethanol in gasoline to reduce its negative impact on the environment. Ethanol is added to gasoline in relatively small ratios, but ethanol-blended fuel can damage various parts of your lawnmower, especially those made of plastic and rubber. Most lawnmower providers recommend the use of E10 fuel. E10 gasoline has 10% ethanol. Ethanol-blended gasoline with more than 10% ethanol is generally not recommended and must be avoided.
• Storing gas: You must never store your lawnmower for a long period with gas sitting in the tank. Gas sitting in the tank for a long period (generally more than 30 days) will go bad because of evaporation and oxidation and produces a gummy substance accumulated at various locations in the fuel system. A clogged fuel system is bad for engine health and needs to be cleaned. Ethanol-blended gas goes bad earlier. When storing the mower for more than 30 days, drain the gas and use fresh gas when you intend to use the mower again.
• Stabilizer: Adding fuel stabilizers to gasoline is generally considered a good practice. Fuel stabilizer prevents the gas from going bad. Lawnmower users should use the fuel stabilizer recommended by their manufacturer in the recommended quantity.

● Oil:

Oil is the second most important variable that massively affects the life of a lawnmower. There are many moving components inside the lawnmower engine that require proper lubrication, or else they will get severely damaged by friction. Using the wrong oil or running the mower with too little oil can cause engine overheating, which is undesirable.

You should use the right oil for your lawnmower. Most manufacturer manuals contain oil-related guidelines. Grades categorize engine oils based on their properties, such as viscosity. Use the oil grade most suited to your engine.

Secondly, you should ensure that the engine oil you’re using is clean and of good quality. You should check and change the oil regularly. If your mower is older, it will start to use more oil. Try to check the level before each mowing session.

Another important thing to maintain is the greasing of external moving parts. Lawnmowers should be regularly greased to avoid wear and tear.

● Battery and Spark Plug:

Using the correct battery with the proper voltage and charge is also very important. The battery contacts must be kept clean. Owners of electric lawnmowers are advised to charge the battery a few times in the winter when the mower is stored or use a trickle charger. This will increase the life span of the battery.

Using the right spark plug is necessary. The spark plug specs should match the criteria recommended by the manufacturer. It would help if you regularly check and clean the spark plug. Also, the spark plug lead should be kept clean. If a spark plug becomes so bad that it can’t be cleaned or repaired anymore, replace it. Most experts recommend lawnmower spark plugs be changed every 100 hours of use.

● Fuel System and Filters:

Among other components, you should regularly service the fuel system. A clean fuel system is crucial for engine health and performance. Fuel line, fuel filter, fuel tank, carburetor, and other fuel system components should be regularly checked, cleaned, or replaced when necessary.

● Blades:

Lawnmower blades lose their health over time. Users should regularly sharpen them for optimal cutting results.

When blades are sharped several times and become too thin, or they are chipped or dented, they should be replaced. Ensure that the blade is well balanced after sharpening. If not, it can increase the wear and tear of some of the lawnmower components.

Gas Mowers vs. Electric Mowers:

The lifespan of gas mowers is generally shorter than that of electric mowers. On average, an electric lawnmower can last for 7-13 years based on the level of care, whereas a gas mower lasts for 6-10 years on average. However, an electric lawnmower battery will probably need to be replaced one or more times over the mower’s life span. The life of the battery depends heavily on the number of times it is charged. The more times it is charged, the less energy it can store. This means you can cut less than before and have to recharge it even often.

Final Remarks:

Lifespans of different mowers can differ significantly depending on many factors. Good quality mowers are usually expensive, so you would expect a costly mower to last longer. But the price is not the only factor at play. As for any machine, the level of care given and the way you use it also heavily affect its life. So, if you want to enjoy your lawnmower longer, you should take good care of it and provide proper maintenance.