Almost every new lawn mower comes with some form of warranty. However, as Consumer Reports highlights in this article, a warranty is no replacement for maintenance – in fact, a lack of maintenance may even invalidate the warranty.
Many companies are providing warranties that promise that engines will start on the first or second time – particularly, Toro mowers and Briggs and Stratton provide guarantees for their engines, up to five years in some cases.
What is included in the fine print of these warranties, which customers often overlook, is that maintenance-related failings are not covered by these warranties. The warranties themselves only cover defects in the materials used in making the engine, and the workmanship. What this doesn’t cover is things like the fuel system, spark plugs, oil system issues, and other problems that can be caused by a lack of maintenance.
The warranties may also have certain circumstances where they no longer apply – times of the year or certain situations. This includes when the mower has been left to sit for a prolonged amount of time, such as seasonal storage.
To ensure that you can make full use of the warranties that come with your equipment, what you will need to do is provide regular maintenance, and keep track of the maintenance you conduct. All lawn mower makers require detailed maintenance logs that can prove the warrantied needs are due to an inherent fault, and not a lack of care on the part of the owner.
Beyond the warranty, you should simply be conducting constant maintenance for your own sake, in order to avoid drastic losses of time due to poor performance. Proper maintenance is a good habit to get into, as even if you have to repair or replace your current mower under warranty, you will still need to maintain your equipment in the future.
