Learn about lawn mowers, chainsaws, trimmers, and other outdoor maintenance tools.
Chainsaw Chain Direction: Which Way Does the Chain Go? The chainsaw chain goes on so the cutting teeth face forward on the top of the bar — meaning when you look at the top of the bar, the sharp cutting edge of each tooth points toward the bar tip. On the bottom of the bar, …
Chainsaw Kickback Prevention: Causes, Risks, and How to Stay Safe Chainsaw kickback happens when the upper quadrant of the bar tip contacts material, causing the bar to rotate violently upward and toward the operator in a fraction of a second — faster than the human nervous system can react. Understanding exactly what triggers kickback and …
Chainsaw Bar Oil Type: What to Use and When Chainsaw bar oil is a specially formulated lubricant designed to stay on the bar and chain as they spin at high speed. The correct type is purpose-made bar and chain oil — a tacky, high-viscosity oil that clings to the chain instead of flinging off. The …
Chainsaw Smoking Fix: Why Your Chainsaw Is Smoking and How to Stop It A smoking chainsaw is telling you something is wrong — the smoke type and location tell you exactly what. Bar smoke (smoke rising from the bar) almost always means a lubrication or tension problem. Blue exhaust smoke usually means too much oil …
How to Use a Pole Saw Safely: Complete Guide for Homeowners A pole saw extends your reach to 8–16 feet for trimming overhead branches without a ladder — which is why it’s one of the safest tools for high-branch work. But overhead cutting introduces risks that ground-level cutting doesn’t: falling limbs, debris, and difficult saw …
The pole saw vs pruning saw question shows up the moment you stand under an overgrown tree and realize a regular handsaw won’t reach. The short answer: a pole saw extends your cut up to 8–16 feet overhead from solid ground, while a pruning saw is a compact hand tool for branches you can reach …
Lawn Mower Wheel Won’t Turn: Causes and Fixes for Self-Propel Problems When a lawn mower wheel won’t turn, the problem is almost always in the self-propel system — either a stretched or broken drive cable, worn wheel drive gears (pawls), a failed transmission, or a seized wheel from debris buildup. On non-self-propelled mowers, a wheel …
Lawn Mower Belt Replacement: Drive Belt and Blade Belt Guide Walk-behind lawn mowers typically have two belts: a blade belt (also called the deck belt) that drives the cutting blade, and on self-propelled models, a drive belt that powers the rear wheels through the transmission. Both belts wear out with use and require periodic replacement. …
The governor on a lawn mower engine maintains a consistent RPM under varying load — when the blade hits thick grass and slows down, the governor opens the throttle to compensate. When the governor is out of adjustment, you get engine surging (RPMs oscillating up and down), hunting (RPMs wildly fluctuating), or an engine that …
When a riding mower won’t move, the cause is almost always one of five things: the transmission bypass valve is open (a common post-storage mistake), the drive belt has broken, the hydrostatic transmission fluid is low or degraded, a brake interlock is engaged, or the transmission itself has failed. This guide walks through each cause …