If you have a lawnmower in the house, then you must know it needs maintenance once in a while, either to change the oil or some other technical difficulties. The maintenance can get hectic as this device is heavy to lift and can injure you if not handled properly.
Jacks and jack stands are a must whenever you are in need of maintenance for your lawnmower. But before using them, you must have some prior knowledge of how to use them. So, here are some ways of how to jack up a riding lawn mower.
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Tools You Required While Lifting Lawnmower
To jack up your lawnmower for any repair work, first get yourself these things to help you out:
- Jack
- Jack stand
- Floor jacks
- Plywood (¼ inch approx.)
- Wooden blocks
- Wheel chocks
You can also keep a car jack in case you need one. And having either wooden blocks or wheel chocks would be enough, but you can try out which one works better for your lawnmower by getting both of them. Now you are good to go for the procedure.
6 Steps To Jack Up A Lawn Mower
Now that you have gathered all the necessary tools let’s begin the procedure of jacking up your riding lawnmower using them.
Step 1. Parking the Lawn Mower
You need to park your lawnmower on an even or leveled surface. Make sure there are no bumps underneath it. Bumps and uneven surfaces would cause the lawnmower to fall down, and you might get injured.
For a leveled surface, your driveway or even your garage would work fine. Once you are done parking it, make sure to hit the parking brake it has.
Step 2. Blocking the Tires
Now, put some wooden blocks or wheel chocks on every tire before jacking it up. This is a very important step as the wheels might move when it gets external pressure.
But you can't work with the wheels getting displaced from time to time. The blocks or chocks would prevent it to happen. Wheel chocks are more reliable than wooden blocks as the wheel chocks have grips in their bodies to hold the tires firmly. But both work fine. To be on the safe side, you can use the wheel chocks.
Step 3. Making a Solid Base
Although it is not very important to give a base to the mower, it makes your task easier when there is a strong base underneath. So, to be on the safe side, slide in a piece of plywood under the lawnmower. This would provide a strong base for the jacks, and the jack stands. Make sure the length of the plywood board covers all the parts underneath your lawnmower.
Step 4. Positioning Floor Jacks
Now it's time to place the floor jacks before starting to work on the jack stand. You have to place the jacks depending on which side of the mower you are working on.
If you are wanting to work on the front part, then raise the front and put floor jacks on the front.
If you are raising the back, your jacks also go to the center back or drawbar. Some of the lawnmowers do not have drawbars, so you can use the transaxle of the lawnmower to place the floor jack in this case.
Step 5. Sliding Jack Stands
Once you are done positioning the floor jacks, slide in the jack stands. Try to place it as close to the tire as possible. Make sure that the saddle of the jack stand is placed correctly at the axle.
This positioning is very important for the mower as it prevents it from falling abruptly while lowering.
Now adjust the height of the jack stand to your desired height and lock its position firmly.
There should be a lock handle with the jack stand for securing the height.
Make sure to lock it tightly so that it does not lose its grip on the mower.
Step 6. Lowering the Jacks
Once the jack stand is settled properly, you can now lower the jacks and let them rest on the wooden blocks and the jack stand.
To do so, turn the handles of the floor jacks slowly in the clockwise direction. It would start losing its grip on the mower. Slowly lower it to the point where it rests on the wooden blocks/ wheel chocks and the jack stand.
Now you are done jacking it up. You can now work on your lawnmower safely without the risk of it falling down. But make sure the jack stands are properly secured and have no defects in them.
Safety Measures To follow While Jacking Up Riding Lawn Mower
Jacking up never sounds like a chilly job whether you do it to a car or a light mower. Not being careful about the slightest thing can lead you to massive mishaps. So why don't we erase the odds of any mishap once and for all? Just follow these simple safety measures and you will always be on the safe side during the whole process.
- Always keep children away from the lawnmower while jacking it up, or they might end up hurting themselves
- It is better to wear safety gloves while working to prevent yourself from getting cuts and bruises.
- Check the capacity of your jack and jack stands. It should always be more than three-fourths the weight of your riding lawnmower. If the jack or jack stand can’t handle the weight, the mower would fall down and get damaged and injure people.
- Make sure to empty the fuel tanks to prevent any dripping from them while working.
- Having a wide base would help prevent the mower from getting slipped, and it would also be easier for you to work on it.
- Although car jacks can be used to lift up your lawnmower, they often lack the ability to hold the weight. So, if you are thinking about using car jacks, make sure to check their capacity first.
- If you plan on changing the mower blades, do not forget to disconnect the plug first.
There is no alternative to an even surface for you to work. So, make sure you have a plain or flat surface to work on.
- If you plan on changing the mower blades, do not forget to disconnect the plug first.
- To check if your mower is secured properly or not, you can give it a little shake or jerk to see if its sturdy or not.
- While using the jack stands, remember to check if the rachets or the pole has a stable lock handle or not.
How Can You Lift Lawnmower Without A Jack?
If you don't have a jack, there's nothing to be upset about. A tool as simple as a dolly can lift your lawn mower, it's no biggie. But you must make sure that you're placing the dolly in the right place.
If you desire to lift the rear then place the dolly into the chain area on the back and push it to raise the mower. When you want the mower to come back in its place, just release the pressure and pull the dolly back, and you're done. The same process is eligible for lifting the front area. Anyway, the dolly you would be using, shouldn't be light duty.
Final Verdict
Although it is not a difficult job to do, you should consult a mechanic if you are learning how to jack up a riding lawn mower for the first time. Once you learn it correctly, you can try it alone and save a few extra bucks from not going to a maintenance shop.
And always remember that your safety is your concern, so handle the mower cautiously every time you work with it, be it on the ground or be it for a maintenance job where you need to jack it up to work.
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