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Table of Contents

• How to Tune Up Your Outdoor Power Equipment
• Lawn Mower Winter Care
• Choosing a Trimmer
• Choosing a Pressure Washer

How to Tune Up Your Outdoor Power Equipment

An annual tune-up will extend the life of your mower while cutting polluting emissions by up to 50 percent.

Briggs & Stratton engines use one of three types of air filters - foam, paper, and a combination of foam and paper. Go to the type of filter you have to see how to change that filter.

For optimum performance, you should change the oil in your engine at least once per season or every 25 hours of use. Briggs & Stratton Maintenance Kits come with the correct oil for your engine. You can also purchase oil separately through our online store or through participating dealers and retailers.

Changing your spark plug is one of the easiest ways to ensure accurate and easy starting for your engine. This should be done every season. Briggs & Stratton Platinum Spark Plugs are pre-gapped, so all you need to do is remove the old spark plug and replace it with the new one. Our easy-to-use Maintenance Kits all include the Platinum Spark Plug.

Gasoline that's been standing for over a month can cause difficulty with your engine when you want to restart it later. Get into the habit of adding Briggs & Stratton's Fuel Stabilizer to your fuel tank to avoid these problems and you'll be ready to mow any time.

Spring is a great time to tune up your lawn mower before the heavy mowing season begins. Whenever you choose to tune up, be sure to do it once a year.

This article courtesy of B&S

Lawn Mower Winter Care

It's a beautiful spring day, the grass is green again, and you're thinking about pulling out the mower for the first cut of the season. Your lawnmower has other ideas. You yank and prime and swear and yank some more. Nothing happens. So you call the lawnmower shop and they tell you they can squeeze you in - next month. If you put your lawnmower away in the fall with a little preparation, starting your mower in the spring will be a lot easier.

Most people would rather have someone else tune up the lawnmower. A professional will do a thorough job. Just be sure to avoid the spring rush. Taking your mower in during the fall or winter saves you weeks of waiting, and the money you spend translates into easy mowing next spring.

Your owner's manual comes with instructions for maintenance, so be sure to look at it. If you've lost it, here are some general tips for what to do before you put away your lawnmower.

1. Fuel-System Maintenance.
   Add a fuel stabilizer to the fuel tank and run the motor for about 5 minutes to circulate the stabilizer through the system. Another option is to drain the fuel tank, start up the motor, and let it run until it stops.
2. Piston Care.
   If you have a 2-cycle motor, slowly pull on the starter rope until you feel some resistance. Slowly release the tension on the rope. This closes the intake and exhaust ports to keep air from corroding the cylinder. For a 4-cycle motor, remove the spark plug, and then add about a tablespoon of oil into the hole. Slowly rotate the engine several times using the starter rope or key starter to distribute oil. Put the spark plug back in, but do not connect the wire to it.
3. Tighten Fasteners as Needed
4. Service the air filter as described in your owner's manual.
   Cloggedair filters are a leading cause of starting problems.
5. Clean the mower thoroughly
6. Touch up all rusted or chipped paint surfaces
7. Battery (if applicable)
   Remove the battery from your mower and fully charge it before you store it.
8. Replace damaged or worn parts
9. Lubricate your mower where the owner's manual recommends.
10. Storage.

Make sure your engine is cool, then move your mower to a dry, clean location away from the reach of children, and cover it. Never store it in the house or near ignition sources.

Proper maintenance in the fall or winter makes starting your lawnmower in the spring a snap.

This article courtesy of Scotts

Choosing a Trimmer

A string trimmer will help you give your yard a well-groomed look around trees, fence posts and other landscape objects. Choose a quality trimmer that is comfortable to carry and use.

Purchase a string trimmer with a quality engine, designed for the job you expect it do. The Briggs & Stratton Fource™ 4-cycle engine can be found on several brands of string trimmers. Your Briggs & Stratton dealer can help you select a trimmer that is both comfortable to use and will get the job done. Find a Briggs Stratton dealer in your area.

You will need to choose between a string trimmer with a 2-cycle or 4-cycle engine. The 2-cycle engine runs on a mixture of gasoline and oil. This means you will have to mix the appropriate ratio of gasoline and oil and keep it on hand in a separate fuel container for your trimmer. The 4-cycle engine requires only gasoline, just like a typical lawn mower. The 4-cycle engine tends to be more powerful at lower speeds and runs cleaner, producing fewer emissions than a 2-cycle engine without a catalytic converter.