Will Mowing Wet Grass Ruin Lawn Mower?

Lawnmower repairs don’t come cheap; therefore, you must be asking, “will mowing wet grass ruin lawnmower?” the answer is a resounding YES!

The moisture from the grass is problematic to the metal parts, fuel tank, and engine. If you don’t mix a stabilizer in the fuel tank, when moisture gets into the gasoline tank, it causes corrosion.

Moist grass clippings cake on the underside of the lawnmower leading to rust. The caked substances also make the engine work harder as they impede the motion of the cutting blade.

This not only results in the lawnmower consuming a lot of fuel, but it also reduces the lifespan of the lawn mowing machine.

Other reasons you shouldn’t cut the grass when it’s wet

In addition to damaging your lawnmower, wet grass also shreds easily. This prevents you from getting a clean cut giving your lawn an ugly look.

Mowing wet grass also causes clumping. When you have large clumps, they can kill certain areas of the lawn.

Cutting wet grass is also dangerous. If using an electric mower, you can easily get electrocuted as the damp grass completes the circuit. If you have a sloping lawn, you can easily slip and fall.

You can easily pull a muscle or even break a bone when you fall. The worst scenario is losing control of your body in the slippery conditions such that one of your limbs falls into the path of the rotating blades.

Mowing the lawn when it’s wet makes your work more difficult. This is because you have to make several cuts to attain the look you are looking for. Grass stains also get onto your shoes and clothes, making cleaning difficult.

If you must mow wet grass

If it keeps raining and you have to cut the grass, you don’t have any other way out other than to go ahead and mow the grass. For you to do it consider these tips:

• Don’t do lawn stripping. You can’t stripe the lawn properly when the grass is wet. Focus on giving your yard a good clean cut.
• Bag the clippings as soon as you cut them. This is to remove them from the wet lawn.
• Raise the lawnmower wheels at least one inch higher than you usually mow.
• When cutting the wet grass, overlap by only 50%. Don’t take significant bits as you will get the grass gummed up underneath the deck.
• Stay away from the sidewalks to avoid making grass marks. If possible, make a trim pass so that when you are making the turns, you turn wholly inside the lawn.
• Minimize tight turns as they increase damage to the grass that is already compromised.
• If the grass is too tall, mow over several days. On the first day, mow the grass high then slowly lower the deck on the subsequent days.
• After every few mows, check under the deck for grass that might be clogging the deck. If there is any grass, strap on a pair of work gloves, then use a putty knife to scrape out the grass.
• Add stabilizer to gasoline. This is to prevent rusting of the inside of the gasoline tank
• Don’t bag the grass as mulching doesn’t go well when the grass is wet. Instead of mulching, discharge the grass out the side chute.
• To reduce the amount of grass that cakes on the underside of the lawnmower, regularly clean the mowing machine.
• To have an easy time scraping the caked grass, spray silicone on the underside of the mower before you start mowing. The silicone will prevent the grass clippings from sticking to the lawnmower, so you have an easy time cleaning it up.
• For you to reduce the chances of grass shredding when mowing, ensure the blades are as sharp as possible.
• When sharpening the blades, keep them straight and balanced. You also should inspect them for nicks and scratches. If they have any defects, replace them.
• Move slowly when mowing. Since the mowing blades have to work harder to cut through wet grass, you need to give them enough time to cut through the damp grass.
• To make it possible, mow the lawn at a slower pace than normal. This means pushing the lawnmower 50% slower than you usually do. You also should consider going over the lawn two or more times to ensure you cut all the grass.
• Once you are done, use a grass rake to rake up the clippings and move them to your compost bin
• You also should clean the lawn mower deck and the rest of the mowing machine. Use a towel or rag to wipe the body of the lawnmower and a wire brush to remove excess grass from the wheels of your mowing machine.
• If there are any exposed cables, spray them with a lubricant, then apply rust-resistant oil on the blades.