Yearly maintenance tips to make garden power tools last

Match the dollar investment you've made in your garden equipment with a few hours of maintenance every year, and you won't be frustrated by equipment that won't go when you need it to.

• Don't store gasoline-powered garden equipment in sunlight — even from a window.
• Repeated warming and cooling of the metal parts can cause water condensation inside the machine, which can lead to mechanical problems.
• The best storage place is cool and shaded. Barring that, toss a tarp over your machine.

• Moisture, heat, and sunlight can damage rubber. Store power equipment with rubber tires in a dry, cool place, away from sunlight.
• Place blocks under the equipment to raise it off the floor to promote air circulation around the tires and to prevent damage from moisture.
• If storing equipment outdoors, protect tires with a tarp and raise them off the ground.
• Do not store equipment where the tires will rest on heat-absorbent or reflective surfaces, such as asphalt, packed snow, or sand.

• Sharpen your mower blade regularly.
• Be sure to retain the same cutting-edge angle as the manufacturer (usually 30 degrees) and to remove equal amounts of metal from both sides of the blade.
• Check for blade balance by resting the blade's center on a dowel or marble.

It's a shame to dull a nice sharp chainsaw chain by using it to cut tree roots or for demolition work. Keep your old chains handy for such occasions.

• Many controls on outdoor power equipment are operated with cables that are not unlike bicycle cables.
• Take precautions against snapped cables by occasionally putting a drop or two of oil at the points at which the cable enters or exits the cable sheathing.

• Triggers and on-off switches in general are a frequent cause of an electric tool's demise.
• To avoid switch problems, avoid turning off a tool while the motor is working hard. This may cause arcing that can damage the switch's contacts.
• Instead, allow the tool to run a few seconds with no load and then switch off the tool.

• For homeowners who enjoy doing their own gardening chores, buying professional-quality tools is often a wise choice.
• They will last much longer, perform better, and make chores go quicker.
• In addition to costing more than homeowner-grade equipment, these tools will eventually require maintenance and service to keep them in top shape.
• Pro-quality electric tools, such as hedge trimmers, chain saws, and mowers, for example, have replaceable motor brushes.
• These carbon-block contacts press against the motor's armature and deliver current to the motor's electromagnets.
• If they wear too thin, the motor will run poorly or stop altogether. Replace them according to the instructions and schedule in your owner's manual.

• Even in this age of sealed self-lubricating joints, many riding mowers, garden tractors, snowblowers, tillers, and other outdoor power equipment require a regular squirt of grease to keep running smoothly.
• Check your owner's manual, and seek out the grease fittings (small metal nipples).
• Purchase a grease gun with a flexible hose to make the job easier.

• When cleaning or maintaining your lawn mower, don't tip it onto its side or you will risk contaminating the oil filter with fuel or oil.
• Tilt the machine over only enough to get beneath it with a hose or scraper.