How Long Should A Lawn Mower Last? Before You Have To Replace It?

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Written By James
Updated July 26, 2021 by James

How Long Should A Lawn Mower Last? Before You Have To Replace It?

What Is The Lifespan Of a Mower & How To Extend It

No matter whether you buy an electric lawn mower or a gas-powered mower, both are a huge investment into keeping the garden grass tidy, and you would want to ensure naturally, this mower of choice will have a long lifespan so as it can be worth your money. 

On average, the longevity of mowers is around 7-10 years if you buy a brand new walk-behind mower that is maintained by the owner properly. However, this average number will change according to the quality of the model you buy and how much you use it. 

So as you can get a feeling as to how long your lawn mower engine will last and how to make it last longer, we've put together our best info-packed guide below full of tips and tricks for getting the most out of your mower. 

What Is The Average Lifespan Of a Mower? 

If you are wondering whether or not a lawn mower is worth the investment, these machines can last around ten years if you take care of them properly and buy the right mower. 

For electric mowers, they can still last up till the 7-10 year mark, and in cordless mowers, the electric mower battery may need to be replaced around 5 years of use. 

Some electric mowers or gas mower models lifespan might be measured in hours of service rather than years, for example, a standard mower by most manufacturers might suggest it can give 200 service hours, while other brands could potentially go up to 500 hours if your willing to spend more money.

Factors That Affect a Mowers Life-Span 

Many factors will impact how long your lawnmower will last you, some of the major ones are the quality of the lawnmower you buy, how often you use it, how long for and if you take care of it regularly with ongoing maintenance. 

We have explained this in more detail below. 

  • The quality of the mower - Even if the average mower is taken care of, if the build quality is poor, it will always have a shorter lifespan than a more expensive ideal mower machine. This is typical because higher-quality mowers are made with better components that are durable to grass such as a better lawnmower motor or fuel engine.
  • How much you use it & for how long - A mower life will be impacted on how often you use the machine, for people who use their mower only once a week rather than three times a week, their high-quality mower will last them longer, also, the taller and larger the grass you mow, then the more strain it has on the mowers life-span.
  • Maintenance - Once you buy a high-quality mower, how long it lasts is down to you and how well you take care of the garden machine, regular service such as a mower deck clean or changing the air filters can extend the standard lifespan of lawnmowers by a couple of years.

How Can I Extend The Lifespan Of My Lawn Mower 

As we touched on above, with proper maintenance you could potentially extend the lifespan of your lawn mower by a couple of years, electric mowers don't require as much maintenance as a gas-powered mower would, but still benefits from some care such as looking after the battery or cleaning the deck. 

Lawnmower maintenance should be performed after every 20-50 hours of use.

To help you out, we have listed our best ways to take care of your lawn mower below so as you can factor them into a regular maintenance schedule to help prolong your lawnmowers life. 

Change The Oil 

Making sure the oil in your mower is always clean and full is a must for your mower to be working properly. You should be changing the oil in your lawnmower after every 20-50 hours of use or when the oil starts to look black or discoloured. 

How To Do This 

You can change the oil in your mower by undoing the oil drain cap, you should have a container underneath to catch the drained oil, after doing this you can replace it with fresh oil up to the required measurement.

Always use high-quality oil in your lawnmower suggested by your manufacturer. 

Look After The Fuel 

Next up is the fuel inside of your mower. Use high-quality fuel to power your mower and remember to drain it when you store your mower, failure to do so can lead the fuel to go bad inside of your engine and build up gum and debris inside. 

How To Do This 

If you don't use your mower that often and don't want to waste fuel you can consider adding a stabiliser to the fuel to extend its lifespan and prevent it from going bad inside of your mower's engine. Choose the right fuel too for your fuel tank, it should not have more than 10% ethanol as this can degrade the inside of the engine fast.

Keep It Clean 

Cleaning your mower is part of proper maintenance and is one of the most important steps you can be doing if you want to keep your mower in good shape. 

Wet grass can accumulate around the lawn mower blade, and damp grass when left can get stuck and corrode your mower fast, leaving rust and all sorts of debris. 

How To Do This 

Most push mower models or self-propelled petrol mowers will have a wash port where you can connect to and wash the deck of the mower, if not you can wash the deck below and use a steel wire brush to get rid of any lingering damp grass clippings.

Buy a Trickle Charger 

This maintenance step is reserved for battery electric lawn mower models only, so if you have a petrol mower you can skip this step. 

Battery-powered lawn mowers when left empty for a while in your mower can go flat, therefore decreasing their overall life span when you next re-charge it. 

This means you should keep your electric lawn mower battery fully charged when possible as it is being stored.

How To Do This 

You can buy some devices such as a trickle charger which keep your mower's battery alive throughout storage, you can also just take the battery out and charge it a couple of times when not in use. 

Clean Filters 

Dirty air filters can put a strain on your lawnmower motor or engine, so it's essential to clean and replace these filters often depending on the type you use. 

On average, the pre-filter that surrounds the standard filter on your lawnmower should be cleaned after every 25 hours of use, while the paper filter itself should be replaced after every 300 hours or when it looks dirty. 

How To Do This 

Changing and cleaning the pre-filter on your mower is simple, simply unscrew the cover of your air filter which should be at the top of your engine and wash the foamy part in some warm water, the paper filter can be switched out with a new one and voila!

Take Care Of The Blade 

No matter if you have an electric lawn mower, robot lawn mowers or a manual lawn mower, the blad is very important to the running of the machine. 

You can take care of this blade by sharpening it regularly and replacing it when needed. 

How To Do This 

Sharpening your blade can be done at home with a file and should be done every 20-25 hours of use or when it starts to show signs of dullness, replacing your blades should be done as soon as the original blade is damaged or annually.

Change The Spark Plug 

Running your lawnmower with an old spark plug can damage the whole engine of the lawnmower, so you should be replacing your spark plug after every 100 hours of use or when it gets damaged, inspecting your plug for any wear and tear should be parts of your maintenance routine in general. 

How To Do This 

Buying spark plugs are very cheap, and fitting one is very simple too, all you need is a socket wrench for your spark plug and a gauge for tightening it up. Make sure the spark plug you choose is right for your mower as they are not universal.

Inspect Your Garden

Lastly, this step isn't directly related to your mower's engine but can help it last longer. Before mowing it is a great idea to do a quick check of your garden for any big stones or sharp objects which could potentially cause damage to your mower. 

Also, tall grass will put more strain on your lawnmower, so regular trimming could help solve this.

When Should I Replace My Lawn Mower? 

Now you know how to take care of your lawnmower properly for it to last longer, you might be wondering when you should either replace it or just keep repairing the mower.

Well, this does come down to personal judgement and cost, most mowers can just keep being repaired, but if the whole engine fails, you might be better off just buying a new mower as both would cost a similar price to replace. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Lawnmowers Lifespan 

How often should I be performing maintenance on my lawnmower? 

There is no set rule for how often you should be maintaining your mower but checking it at the start and end of each season is essential.

Does a riding mower have a long lifespan? 

Riding lawnmowers have an average lifespan of around 1500 hours plus or even 20 years if the model is of high-quality and well taken care of.

How many hours should a petrol mower last me? 

A petrol mower can last you anywhere from 200-300 hours depending on the model.

Final Words 

To conclude, a lawnmower can last you up to 10 years if it is taken care of properly and you buy a high-quality durable model, variable factors can affect the lifespan of your mower, but if you perform regular maintenance on the machine, you should be getting the most out of your investment. 

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James

My father, and his father before him, and his father; for the past 3 generations, my family have always been into gardening. The green fingers is a gift passed down to me and I thoroughly enjoy it! I also have worked in the manufacturing department for Bosch and DeWalt so I like to think I know a thing or two about tools and such!
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