A power weeder works in the worst possible conditions for a machine: dust, grit, moisture and constant shock load through the rotor. Nothing about that is unusual, and none of it causes early failure if the machine is serviced. Almost every weeder we see rebuilt early was starved of oil or run on blunt blades.
Before every use
- Engine oil level. Check it, do not assume. These are small sumps and a small loss is a large percentage.
- Gear oil level in the transmission housing.
- Air filter. Dust is the enemy. Clean it daily in dry conditions.
- Blade bolts. Shock load loosens them. A blade that comes off at working speed is dangerous.
- Fuel. Fresh, and the correct type for your engine.
- Tyre pressure if the machine has transport wheels.
Engine oil
Use the grade the manual specifies. Air-cooled engines run hotter than a vehicle engine, and an oil that is too thin will not hold a film under that heat.
Change the oil early on a new machine — the first change carries away the fine metal from bedding in, and skipping it shortens engine life more than any later service. After that, follow the hour interval in the manual, and change it more often if you work in heavy dust.
Drain the oil when the engine is warm so it flows out carrying the sediment with it. Cold oil leaves the dirt behind.
Gear oil
This is the item most owners never touch, and the one whose failure is most expensive. The gearbox transmits engine power to the rotor through constant impact loading.
Check the level at the interval in your manual, and look at the condition of the oil when you do. Clean oil is fine. Milky oil means water has got in, usually past a failed oil seal, and the oil must be changed and the seal replaced. Metal glitter in the oil means something inside is wearing and needs inspection now, not next season.
Oil seals
Seals on the rotor shaft sit right in the mud and are a normal wear item. The signs of failure are oil weeping around the shaft, or water and soil getting into the gearbox.
Replace a seal as soon as you see it weeping. A leaking seal loses oil slowly and lets grit in continuously, and grit in the gearbox does far more damage than the low oil level does.
Blades
Rotary blades are consumables with a predictable life. As the leading edge rounds off:
- Working depth falls for the same effort.
- Fuel consumption rises.
- The gearbox and engine take more load.
- The soil is smeared rather than cut, which is worse for the seedbed.
Replace blades as a complete set, never one at a time, so the rotor stays balanced. Check that each blade is fitted the correct way round — they are handed, and a reversed blade neither cuts properly nor wears evenly. Torque the bolts properly and check them again after the first hour of work.
Air filter
In a dusty field a filter can go from clean to choked in a single day. A choked filter makes the engine run rich, which washes oil off the cylinder wall and accelerates wear.
Clean foam elements in soapy water, dry them completely and re-oil lightly if the manual calls for it. Replace paper elements — they cannot be washed. Never run the machine without the filter.
After every use
Clear soil and plant residue off the rotor, the gearbox housing and the engine cooling fins. Caked soil on a gearbox holds heat; blocked fins on an air-cooled engine cause overheating. Ten minutes with a scraper and a brush is worth more than any part you can buy.
End-of-season storage
- Clean the machine thoroughly, especially the rotor and gearbox.
- Change the engine oil before storage, not after.
- Drain the fuel tank and run the carburettor dry.
- Remove the spark plug, add a few drops of oil to the cylinder, pull the starter twice, refit the plug.
- Grease or lightly oil exposed metal so it does not rust.
- Store under cover, off the ground, with the blades clear of damp soil.
Keep a note of hours run and what was serviced. It removes the guesswork about what is due, and it tells you whether a problem is a genuine fault or simply a part reaching the end of its life. Spare blades and service items are under spare parts, and the machines themselves under power weeders and power tillers.