Regularly mowing your lawn keeps it clean and looking great, but it can take some of your time. Owners with bigger yards would like to have a fast mower to complete the job in less time. For this reason, many owners are switching to hydrostatic lawnmowers because of their speed benefits. Their quality of quick response has made them more popular among mower owners. But even a hydrostatic lawnmower is not always quick enough, or it can get ‘tired’ after regular use. This blog discusses some things you can do to make a hydrostatic lawnmower go faster and how some simple maintenance can make sure that it does not lose any speed over time.
How to Make a Hydrostatic Lawnmower Faster
- Replace small tires with bigger ones.
- Sharpen the blades. If your Lawnmower’s blades are old, dull, and worn out, replace them with new ones.
- Remove the governor. It limits the Lawnmower’s torque and speed.
- Replace the smaller pulley with a larger one.
- Remove Non-essential attachments
- Use more Powerful Fuel
Some simple maintenance routines will keep your hydrostatic mower in good shape and maintain its speed:
- Regularly check the air pressure of all tires. Similar air pressure will result in the best speed and less free-spinning wheels.
- Always use the correct fuel.
- All connections should be intact, free from damages and leaks. Regularly check all connections on your hydrostatic mower.
- Regularly check and clean the air filter.
- Maintain the correct oil level based on the specifications provided in the user manual.
- Clean The Underside Of The Lawnmower
Regular maintenance is not too difficult and has multiple benefits. It keeps your mower in good shape, thereby increasing speed and efficiency. Besides, you can do some replacements on your hydrostatic mower used for a long time and have become slow to enhance its speed. These modifications are not difficult either, but it would be best to know the most important basics about these procedures. This article will surely help you in this regard.
Contents
Hydrostatic Lawnmowers:
Unlike conventional lawn mowing machines that use belts and drives, hydrostatic lawnmowers use fluid pressure to run. In a hydrostatic mower, oil pressure is used to transmit power from the engine to the wheels, making these machines faster and smoother than conventional mowers. Owing to these qualities, hydrostatic mowers are becoming more popular every day.
Over an extended period of use, hydrostatic mowers can become slow due to internal damages in their system, or leaks, etc. A slow hydrostatic mower is like it has lost its most important features and is not a standout product anymore.
But regular maintenance and some modifications can help your hydrostatic mower keep its pace or even enhance it further.
Modifications to make a hydrostatic lawnmower to go faster:
If you want to increase your hydrostatic mower’s speed, the modifications mentioned below can help significantly.
● Bigger Tires:
Replacing the smaller tires that came with the mower with new ones that are slightly bigger can enhance your hydrostatic mower’s speed. Tires with a slightly bigger circumference can cover mower distance simultaneously and with the same engine power.
If you plan on replacing the tires on your mower, remember one thing: don’t use much bigger tires that make the deck too high. If your mower’s deck is too raised, it will not cut grass efficiently. Furthermore, raising the deck will raise the mower’s center of mass and create a risk of the mower bending over during turns, maneuvers, or climbing steep slopes.
● Use Sharp Blades:
A sharp blade cuts the grass neatly and quickly. Over a long period of use, the blades become dull and lose their cutting speed and efficiency. Regularly check the blades and if they seem dull, sharpen them with a grinder or a file. The blades of a hydrostatic mower should be sharpened at least twice a season.
Moving over rocks or hitting obstacles can damage the blades. Damaged blades don’t cut grass right and cause a reduction in cutting speed. If your hydrostatic mower’s blades become too blunt and damaged, replace them with new ones and check them regularly.
● Remove the Governor:
The governor installed in a lawnmower puts a limit on the engine torque and motor rpm. Removing the governor will increase engine torque and enhance your hydrostatic mower’s motor rpm and make it faster and more efficient. More info about the location and job of the governor can be found in the manufacturer’s manual.
● Use a Bigger Pulley:
Installing a bigger pulley in your hydrostatic mower can also increase its speed considerably. However, replacing the pulley is a bit trickier than the other modifications, especially on some models. Consulting the manufacturer’s model or a professional technician is recommended in this regard.
Keep two important points in mind before changing the pulley on your hydrostatic mower. Firstly, replace your pulley with one that has the correct hydrostatic transaxle model for compatibility. Secondly, don’t upgrade the pulley size by a substantial amount all at once. Instead, upgrade gradually. Upgrading from 3-inch size to 5 inches right away is not sensible. So, experiment with smaller changes first. Increasing size from 3 to 3.5 or 4 inches first and giving a test run would be the best practice.
● Remove Non-essential attachments:
Not all attachments that come with the mower are essential for its working. You can consult the manual for information about the purpose and job of each attachment. Non-essential attachments can increase the load and decrease speed, so they should be removed.
● Use more Powerful Fuel:
Some fuels, such as those with high octane numbers, are more powerful than others. Shifting to a more powerful fuel can also increase the speed of your hydrostatic mower.
● Blade Assembly:
Disconnecting blade assembly can give your mower a speed boost if you are planning for a mower race.
Maintenance Routines for a Hydrostatic Mower:
All machines ask for regular maintenance to stay in shape. Hydrostatic mowers are no exception. We recommend the following maintenance routines for your hydrostatic mower:
● Tire Maintenance:
The tire condition of a hydrostatic mower plays a big role in its speed. The same and correct air pressure in all tires is a must. If all tires don’t have the same air pressure, the mower won’t run smoothly and lose speed. To avoid such a situation, regularly check the air pressure on all tires of your hydrostatic mower.
● Correct Fuel:
The importance of using the correct fuel can be specified because hydrostatic mowers depend entirely on fuel for their operation. The proper fuel is essential for pace and smooth operation.
Always use the manufacturer’s recommended fuel in your hydrostatic mower. The correct information on fuel can be found in the manufacture’s manual.
● Leaks and Other Damages:
The connections in a hydrostatic mower are like wires of an electric circuit. If there is damage or leak, power will not be transmitted efficiently. In other words, your hydrostatic mower will be suffering from energy losses because of leaks and damages.
Regularly check all connections for leaks and damages to ensure that your mower is not losing power because of them. If you find out damage or leak, repair it yourself if you can or take help from a mechanic.
● Correct Oil Level:
The correct oil level is another essential for the best performance of your hydrostatic mower. Use the right oil for your hydrostatic mower and maintain a proper oil level at all times of use. If you see that the oil is getting dirty or has not been changed for some time, it may be a good time to do an oil change. You can consult the manual for all oil-related information about your mower.
● Air Filter:
If the mower doesn’t get the right amount of air, it will become slow. A dirty air filter blocks airflow and therefore contributes to performance reduction. Regularly check the air filter and keep it clean. Remove any dirt and debris, and if the air filter is defective beyond repair, replace it with a new one.
● Clean The Underside Of The Lawnmower
Make sure that the underside of the Lawnmower is clean of any dirt and debris. A clean bottom means that the blade can run more freely and needs less power from the engine. Particularly when mowing in wet or damp conditions, grass can stick together and form a hard layer that can get thicker over time. Make sure you remove this.
Final Remarks:
Lawn owners are switching to hydrostatic mower for their higher speed. But a hydrostatic mower can reduce its speed over time, which can be a source of anguish. But increasing the speed of a hydrostatic mower is possible and rather easy. Every time you use your mower, take some time to check its important components and keep them in good shape. Plus, some modifications can also help increase the speed of hydrostatic mowers.