Managing your landscaping business takes lots of organization and patience. However, not only do you have to hire employees who are properly skilled, you also need to make sure your equipment functions correctly. If you fail to conduct regular maintenance checks of your landscaping tools, your business could suffer greatly due to unsatisfied customers.

Now is a good time to read the owner’s manuals for each piece of equipment you use. Each manual will explain proper storage techniques and maintenance for the items. As long as you store the equipment correctly, you can trust that they will run promptly all the time.

Begin your maintenance routines by checking to see that your tools function properly and are safe for any employee to handle. Once you have a maintenance schedule and proper storage space, follow these tips so your equipment is ready to work for perfection:

• Wash the top and bottom of your mowers. Scrape off all debris, rinse the mower with a hose, and then scrub it with hot, soapy water to remove grease.
• Check fuel, air filters, and clean or replace them if necessary.
• Check tires and spark plugs and replace if necessary.
• Clean chainsaw chains and lightly coat any exposed metal surfaces with oil to prevent rust.
• Clean and sharpen all blades on your mowers, trimmers, and pruning shears.

At Ramey King Insurance, we hope you take these tips into consideration when maintaining your landscaping equipment. Another good idea is to have a “test day” for all of your outdoor power equipment. Then, you can inspect them for possible issues and make repairs if necessary. Landscaping is not an easy task. It takes a crew that is dedicated and hard-working to complete each job. You don’t want faulty tools to ruin your business, so keeping them efficient will help keep your employees and reputation safe from injuries.