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Mastering Lawn Mower Maintenance: How to Change the Oil

Nov. 26 2025 Maintenance By Southern States® Milford

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Maintaining your lawn mower is essential for ensuring its longevity and performance. Regularly changing the oil not only keeps your equipment running smoothly but also saves you from costly repairs down the line. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, this step-by-step guide will walk you through the process of changing the oil in your lawn mower—one of the most important maintenance tasks.

Preparing Your Lawnmower for an Oil Change

Before getting started with an oil change, a bit of preparation ensures safety and efficiency.

  • Safety First: Remove the spark plug wire to prevent any accidental starts.
  • Gather Tools: Have a wrench, oil drain pan, and shop towels ready.
  • Warm Up Engine: Run the mower for a few minutes to warm up the oil. This makes it easier to drain.

Draining Old Oil From Your Lawn Mower

Draining old oil is crucial for effective replacement and maintaining performance.

  • Position Mower Properly: Place the mower on a flat surface; this ensures complete drainage.
  • Locate Drain Plug: Consult your owner's manual if necessary. You’ll typically find it beneath or near the blade housing.
  • Catch Old Oil: Use an oil drain pan. Allow several minutes until no more drips appear.

Adding Fresh Oil to Your Lawn Equipment 

Once all old oil has been drained, it's time to refill with fresh oil specifically designed for lawn mowers. Avoid using car oils since they differ in composition.

  • Check Capacity: Refer to your lawn mower manual to determine how much new oil you'll need.
  • Use Proper Grade: Choose high-quality SAE 30 motor oil unless specified otherwise by manufacturer guidelines.
  • Fill Carefully: Pour using a funnel into designated fill tube without overfilling; check levels with dipstick if available.

For all lawn maintenance solutions or queries, visit Southern States® Milford, located in Milford, DE. We proudly serve customers from Dover and Harrington as well—your neighborhood experts are here to help extend equipment life through quality products and services at our dealership!