The cheapest form of maintenance is none at all. In the short run! Its also the most expensive form of maintenance in the long run.
The cheapest form of
effective maintenance is cleaning. Yes, simple soap and water can save your hard earned money. Keeping equipment clean helps you catch problems early on. A small leak here, a little rust there, a nut loosening up a bit - its all easier to see when its not hidden under dirt and grime.
Dirt itself can be the problem. Take a look at this lawn mower:
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| Neglected mower - iPhone 4s |
The problem with it was that it had stopped self-propelling. Guess what? The pulley was full of old grass and the belt had jumped off. No surprise, as you can see. Had the customer spent five minutes with the garden hose after mowing the lawn this would never have happened, and they would never have had to pay me to fix it. Mind you, this is an expensive mower. I get if if you don´t care much for a cheap, rusty, smoking worn out mower that is barely hanging on. But a new, expensive one?
Grass traps moisture, is a bit acidic, and promotes corrosion. Old caked grass also disturbs the mulch and collecting functions, and can throw random clumps all over the lawn. I have found bugs and maggots in old grass. No, it did not smell nice scraping that deck clean. I´m sure they mowed more than grass with that one, by the smell of it...
Your mower deck will be corrosion-free much longer if you clean it. If its a ride mower, the bearing housings and the bearings themselves will last longer. All linkages, wires and joints will be happier too!
Don´t go crazy with a pressure washer however, as you may push water into bearings or other places you´re not supposed to water. Use common sense.
So. Spend some time cleaning your equipment, be it your tools, your lawn mower, trimmer, car or concrete mixer. They will work better, last longer, save you unnecessary repair bills - and look nicer, too!
