I've got a Screwfix own brand petrol lawnmower that's been sitting unused in my shed for about five years. Recently, I tried to revive it by putting petrol in, oiling the cutting blade, and checking the oil level, but it wouldn't start. The cutting blade is pretty rusty and definitely needs replacing. I'm wondering if it's worth it to invest in repairs or if I should just buy a new lawnmower. I'm considering switching to a battery-powered model, but I'm a bit skeptical about the sturdiness of the ones I've seen on offer at Screwfix, especially given that my front and back lawns are pretty big—about three car lengths long and two to three car widths wide.
2 Answers
You might want to think about what happened before. If you didn't fully drain it of petrol the last time, the old gas could have damaged the fuel line. It's not too expensive to replace the line if that's the issue, so it could make sense to repair rather than replace if you catch that. Plus, you wouldn’t want to get stuck with a flimsy new mower for such a big yard!
I would suggest cleaning the carburetor and spark plug first. You might be amazed at how much better things can run after just a good cleaning! You can find a ton of helpful YouTube tutorials on how to do this.
Carburetor? I'll definitely check YouTube for some videos, thanks!
Nope, there was no petrol left when I filled it today. I figured it had evaporated!