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It is easy to tune-up your tractor, lawn mower, or anything that uses a small gasoline engine. The procedure that is laid out here assumes that you have basic mechanical skills and the correct tools. Please read the disclaimer.

Lets start with a good clean-up. A little soap and water will make the job easier. If you have a pressure washer feel free to use it but, equipment manufacturers never though folks would have 1000+ PSI in their hands. Take care that you do not force dirt and water into bearings that were not designed to withstand that kind of pressure. The high pressure spray will also wash away any lubricant that it hits. After a good cleaning it would not hurt to wax the steel metal. Some small tractors cost more than the car I drive.

The next step is to inspect the deck, deck belts, hangers, and blades. If anything is broken or worn, replace it now. You can find belts, blades and deck parts here. A tip here is to grab the blade tips and see if you can rock the blades, any movement more than 1/8" should be investigated. Make sure you replace any guides that you remove or are missing. If you have the deck off or tractor jacked up, remove the blades and have them sharpened. You can get the blades off by blocking the blade with a Blade Lock and unscrewing the blade bolt or nut. Wearing gloves is a good idea especially when re-installing the sharpened or new blades. Its a good idea to replace belts that have any signs of wear or are 4 seasons old. That way you are guaranteed to get through the next cutting season without any downtime for a belt. They always brake when your doing that last minute cut before your wives lawn party.

Now is a good time to lube the tractor, especially if you have removed the deck. Use your owner's manual. Most owner's manuals will point out where, and what kind of lube should be applied. Check the air in the tires for correct pressure. Low tire pressure can affect the quality of cut that you tractor will give.

Lets stop here an change the oil. Check the oil level. If its ok, start the engine and allow it to warm up a little. This will make the oil easier to change and will also stir up the dirt that maybe in the oil pan so that it will come out with the used oil. Stop the engine. Spread some newspaper or have some Oil Sponge on hand. Now drain the oil into a receptacle. Here is clean easy way to remove used oil, the "Oil Pump". Don't forget to replace the drain plug before refilling. If your engine is equipped with a oil filter, change it now. Fill the new oil filter with enough oil to at least wet the paper material inside. This will prevent a dry engine start up. Refill the engine with the proper oil. Continued.....