Power tools such as leaf blowers and mowers work as a great companion for your lawn care jobs and help you save a lot of time and efforts in return for getting the work done. However, compared to its primal predecessors like the rake (for instance), – to ensure longevity, you need to maintain the machine properly.

While you can easily replace your old rusted rake with a new one at a fair price, doing the same for your malfunctioning leaf blower won’t sound feasible. With some routine checks and maintenance though, you can always avoid such a scenario, and instead, keep the tool working as good as new.

Though caring for these machines often counts as a disadvantage compared to its counterparts, you still cannot overlook the superior power and extra portability benefits of a gas-powered leaf blower, and besides, its upkeep is not that typical after all. To help you out in fact, here are 6-essential things you need to understand about gas leaf blower maintenance.

It All Starts With The Manual

Most of the machines are pre-built as per manufacturer’s specifications, so there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution here. The routine jobs of upkeep may be the same for various gas-powered versions, but nothing explains it better than the documentation manual that comes along with these power tools. While the maintenance job can be generalized for any gas leaf blower, it’s always recommended following the pre-maintenance procedures before proceeding with cleaning, inspection and test runs.

Ensure Space Availability With Proper Aeration

Gas leaf blowers, being powered with gasoline engines, often come with a handful of components in cascade. Inspection and dismantling, thus demands sufficient space in order not to make it a mess and get things done with comfort. Besides, make sure the place is aerated to avoid any ill effects of fuel fumes and stay safe from the emissions.

Keep Other Basic Tools Ready

You will need some general tools like a screwdriver, socket wrench, cleaning brushes, oil container, and cloth pieces to wipe out any oil spills. While a few of the tools can be compensated, it is instead suggested to ensure ready availability of both dismantling and cleaning tools to keep the workplace ergonomic, and spruced up.

Understanding the Generalized Routine Maintenance Procedures

Even though the machine may differ in size and design (depending on the manufacturer), the components they consist of are usually the same, and the overall maintenance procedure consists of mainly inspecting the following components.

Cleaning the Filters

There are two types of filters that gas-powered leaf blowers carry, namely the air filter (for open airflow functioning as in any other leaf blower), and fuel filter (to deliver clean fuel to the engine). While air filters are part of any leaf blower as well, it’s usually suggested to clean them after 10 to 15 hours of use (or as specified by the manufacturer) and consider replacing it with a new one if it has been in use for long.

While air filters are easily accessible and can be quickly cleaned, fuel filters, on the other hand, can be a bit difficult to clean and replace. Usually, it’s recommended to replace your fuel filter with new ones annually, and if you find it too typical, try taking help from a professional for this case.

Oil Change With 4 Cycle Engines

If you own a 4 cycle engine gas leaf blower, don’t forget to drain out the used oil after routine run times and refill the reservoir with recommended engine oil. While doing so, make sure the o rings are adequately placed to avoid any leaks and spills.

Carburetor and Spark Plug Cleaning

It’s a good practice to ensure that your carburetor and spark plug is clean for a smooth start-up and operability. Carburetors cleaners are the best choices as they clean up the accumulated clogs and residue and restore the carburetor to proper functioning. Spark plugs, on the other hand, are most exposed to the fuel combustion, and due to this reason, its surface often corrodes with time. Replacing the plugs with spares after routine checks (or as specified in the manual) is a better choice for these components. While replacing, clean the corners of the plug area with a brush so that the first the dirt and the debris don’t fall in the engine.

Check Nozzle For Cracks

Much of the smooth functioning of leaf blowers depends on their nozzle and is made of a less durable material like plastic; they are more prone to damage and breakage. If your nozzle has a few minor cracks, you can always cover it up with reinforced duct tape; however, if the crack is large or too big, it’s best to replace them with new ones instead.

The Pre Use Inspections

There are a few prerequisites that you can always use to inspect the operationality of your leaf blowers. Rather than being some pro servicing tips, these are creative and common sense based methodology to check your machinery. To give you a hint, a few essentials are stated below:

• Check the tightening of screws & bolts and see if every component of the blower is at its correct position and intact.
• Check if the buttons are working or not.
• Make sure there aren’t any cracks or leaks when inspecting the machine.

A few components that are disassembled may require cleaning, so use the appropriate cleansing agent as a suggestion within the documentation of the machine rather than improvising it with something else.

Post Use Cleaning and Storage

Post use cleaning of your leaf blower is a good practice to ensure improved functioning of the machinery. Cleaning the nozzles and filters of any dust and debris will help in its upkeep and also save your time pre maintaining the next time you use it. Besides, it also prevents the dust and any such particles from deteriorating the components of the machine.

Another factor that can affect your blower machinery is the storage. Damp areas of storage and humidity tend to corrode the machine both externally and internally with time. So it’s best to store them in a dry place where there is no damping possibility.

Apart from this, always empty the fuel tank, if you are planning to store your blower for more than a month to protect the engine’s internal integrity.

And while you try your level best to maintain your product, they are not always invincible and often start underperforming with time. This might be due to the need for spare replacements, or damages. It is essential to assess everything thoroughly and then make the call whether to go for a repair or a replacement. Using already ill-functioning machinery not only makes the damages done to it irreparable, but it also puts your safety at stake, so try avoiding such.

About The Author: Andrea Julien is a content manager at Needforhome, where she manages the content of the company. Apart from her work she is a blogger and loves to write on Home Improvement and gardening.

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