Friday, August 9, 2013

Lessons From The Lawn Mower

Awhile back I happened to be over at Desert Greens Equipment here in Albuquerque, picking up some parts for my lawnmower.   I saw the owner and took a few minutes to visit with him.  I’m in there a couple of times a year it seems like for one reason or another.  He asked me about my mower and how it was running.  I told him it was running great.  He asked me how old it was.  I told him “18 years.”  He was impressed.  He told me that most owners (it’s a John Deere lawn tractor) get about 8-9 years of use from their lawn tractor before they die. 

I reminded him that I was with Jiffy Lube and I specifically bought a model that had an oil filter knowing that it would help keep the engine oil cleaner longer than a regular mower engine without an oil filter.  But more importantly, I actually change the oil and the filter just as the owner’s manual recommends.  My friend at
Desert Greens replied “ah, that’s the difference, most people really neglect the oil and filter change service.”  I also change the spark plug, the air filter and the fuel filter regularly as well.   I also grease all the lube points.   I would take it to one of our Jiffy Lube locations if I had a trailer to haul it around in.  But I don’t so I just service it myself at home. 

The message here for all of us is that taking care of your equipment; i.e. your car or truck, lawn mower, roto tiller, electric generator, etc.,  will prolong its life substantially.   Which will save everyone a lot of money over a period of time.  We had a customer tell us one time “it isn’t cheap to get all the services done that your car needs…but it’s a whole lot cheaper than a car payment every month!”

And this isn’t my first rodeo so to speak with lawn mower longevity.  The first push mower my wife and I bought as a young married couple was a bright and shiny new Snapper.   It had a small engine on it so it didn’t have an oil filter, but I changed the oil regularly on it as well.  I believe we had it for 16-17 years or so. 

Regular maintenance is a proven winner whether we’re talking lawn mowers or that SUV you just spent $70k on.  Take care of it - and it will take care of you.  

Lubricar Inc. dba Jiffy Lube

No comments:

Post a Comment