MTD Parts and Lawn Mower Service Tips

Walk-behind mowers and riding mowers have similar systems and parts, and maintenance procedures for both types of mowers are very similar.

That being said, riding mowers generally require a few more service checks and repairs than traditional mowers, if nothing else than because they are larger machines with more parts than their smaller cousins.

Companies like MTD and Murray manufacture lawn mowers of both types, and it's common for professionals and homeowners alike to own both a riding mower and a walk-behind mower for different applications.

To help with your seasonal riding mower and walk-behind mower maintenance, we've decided to list some of the most overlooked mower repair issues, as well as tips for getting the O.E.M. MTD parts and Murray mower parts you need to keep your machines cutting like pros.

Overlooked Safety Procedures:

• Remember to park your mower (of either type) on a flat surface and engage its brake–if it has one–before continuing maintenance.
• Remove the spark plug wire from the spark plug.
• Allow the engine to cool, unless you need it warm for an oil change.

Oil Changes and Fresh Fuel:

• Believe it or not, users often forget to change their mower's oil with seasonal tune-ups and other service.
• Over-filling oil can be just as bad for your mower engine as under-filling.
• Gasoline only keeps for 3 to 6 months. Fuel stored in your mower must be removed at the start of each season.

Siphon pumps are a great way to speed up an oil change or transfer of fuel from a mower to an appropriate container. Also, a pump like the one pictured below makes it possible to change your walk-behind mower's oil without having to remove its fuel and tip it.

Cleaning the Pre-Filter:

• Some mowers have a two filters in their air filtering systems: a main air filter usually made of pleated paper, and a pre-filter made of foam. Foam pre-filters can be cleaned with water and liquid detergent when lightly-to-moderately dirty.
  
• Allow the pre-filter to completely dry after cleaning and before re-installation.
• Replace excessively dirty pre-filters.

O.E.M. Replacement Mower Parts Only:

• After-market mower parts may look similar to manufacturer parts for both kinds of mowers, but after-market parts will be a different nonetheless, and the quality of their manufacture can not compare to that of genuine O.E.M. parts.
• This is especially true for the drive and transmission belts of riding mowers and lawn tractors.

eReplacementParts.com offers only genuine O.E.M. MTD lawn mower parts and Murray lawn mower parts, including engine belts.
Riding Mower and Lawn Tractor Service:

• Among other belts, make sure to give a riding mower's transmission belt an inspection every 25 hours of service or so. A bad transmission belt is also a likely cause of the mower starting but not moving.
• Lawn tractors and riding mowers may have more than one spark plug.
• These larger machines deserve a thorough inspection of their tires at least every season.

Visit our Murray lawn tractor parts page and our MTD lawn tractor parts page here at eReplacementParts.com for riding mower parts you need. Our specialized ordering service and website information are here to help you make sure nothing gets overlooked when it comes to your tools.