As lawns once again green up, it’s time for consumers to tune-up their outdoor power equipment. So to be sure all lawn mowers and related equipment give top performances and run as clean as possible, the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) has a few suggestions for smart owners:

Refer to your owners manual for proper tune-up instructions for your specific equipment.

Change the spark plug if necessary.

Clean or replace the air filter.

Check safety devices to ensure that they are attached and working.

Change the engine oil.

Fill the gas tank carefully to avoid spilling.

If you are not comfortable doing your own tune-ups, contact your nearest outdoor power equipment service dealer.

And for tune-up information specific to different types of equipment, there’s seasonal maintenance calendar posted on Cyberlawn, OPEI's home page on the Internet. Remember: be good to your outdoor power equipment, and it will be good to you.