Yes, You Need to Replace Your Lawn Mower Air Filter—Here’s How

This essential task takes only a minute to complete, but it could extend the life of your mower.

Performing regular maintenance on your lawn equipment will help it last from season to season. Just like your car, your lawn mower occasionally needs maintenance in the form of new spark plugs, an oil change, new tires, and a new air filter. Replacing your lawn mower’s air filter is the simplest thing you can do to increase its lifespan. In fact, it takes less than a minute!

To help you keep up with your lawn mower maintenance, we’ve outlined the reasons why you should change your lawn mower’s air filter, as well as when you should do it. If you’re new to this task, don’t worry—we’re also providing simple steps for installing a new lawn mower air filter.

Related: The 7 Best Lawn Mowers of 2024 to Keep Your Yard Tidy, According to Testing

What Is a Lawn Mower Air Filter—And Where Is It?

Many mowers feature an inner and an outer air filter. The outer filter fits over the inner filter and stops the larger debris, while the inner filter stops the smaller particulate.

Nearly every mower’s air filter is located inside an air filter box on top of the engine. The air intake is typically located on top or at the side of the air box. To access the filter, you must take off the air box cover.

Warning

Never take an air filter off of an engine while the engine is running.

Why You Need to Change Your Lawn Mower’s Air Filter

Engines rely on fuel and air for combustion. A lawn mower’s fuel source is regularly replenished by filling the tank with gasoline. The source of air for a lawn mower engine is simple, as it’s pulled from the ambient air constantly around the mower.

As you can imagine, the ambient air around a lawn mower is incredibly dirty, filled with dust, dirt, and debris. To ensure this filth doesn’t reach the internals of the engine, an air filter is in place after the air intake. If the air filter gets too clogged with debris, it will decrease the airflow to the engine, manipulating the air-fuel ratio and causing the engine to run poorly. Specific signs of a dirty air filter may include excess fuel consumption, smoky exhaust, hard starting, and visible dirt and debris on the filter itself.

Related: What’s a Mulching Lawn Mower and Is It Better for Your Grass?

How Often to Change a Lawn Mower Air Filter

Different manufacturers and models will have specific guidelines for the frequency at which you should replace your lawn mower’s air filter, such as every 25, 50, or 100 hours. Beyond this, there are two specific factors you should consider to determine the appropriate air filter replacement interval.

Climate and conditions: Your location will determine how much use you can use an air filter before it becomes clogged. For instance, a dusty environment may clog an air filter sooner than normal.

Frequency of use: The frequency of use will also determine the lifespan of an air filter, as a lawn mower that is used once a week won’t need new air filters as often as one that’s used every day.

To determine when your lawn mower’s air filter needs to be changed, start by reading your manufacturer’s instructions and going from there. Factor in your climate and your use to help determine your air filter replacement interval.

Tip

As a base guideline, mowers that are used frequently might need an air filter once a month, while mowers used less frequently might only need a new air filter at the start of each mowing season.

How to Replace a Lawn Mower Air Filter

To replace your lawn mower air filter, follow the steps below.

1. Turn off the engine: To avoid engine damage and potential injury, turn off the lawn mower before attempting to replace the air filter.
2. Access the engine: Open the hood, remove covers, adjust safety bars, and do anything else necessary to access the engine on your specific model.
3. Locate the air filter box: The box holding the air filters will be a large plastic box with an air intake on top of it, usually fitted with a rain cover.
4. Locate the removable cover: On top or on the side of the air filter box will be a removable cover, usually held on with a few clips.
5. Remove the air filter box cover: Undo the clips and pull the cover off of the filter box.
6. Remove the air filters: Pull the filters out of the filter box. There are usually two filters, one inside the other, and they should pull out of the filter box with minimal effort.
7. Install new air filters: Install the air filters in the same manner as the old filters. Once installed, reinstall the cover and replace any hoods or covers over the engine.

Related: How to Sharpen Your Lawn Mower Blade for a Cleaner Cut

Tips for Maintaining Your Lawn Mower

Beyond changing your lawn mower’s air filter, there are some key things you should do to maintain your lawn mower.

Clean your mower after use: Cleaning the grass off of your mower after every use may seem excessive, but it can prevent rust and premature wear, helping your mower last years longer. This is especially important if you’re mowing wet grass.

Use a fuel stabilizer: If you’re storing your mower for long periods, use a fuel stabilizer to protect the gas in the tank.

Check the oil: While you likely already know you should change the oil and filter regularly, you should also check your engine oil level before mowing your yard. Mowers and other small engine equipment are prone to developing leaks and burning oil as they age and you should never operate an engine that is low on oil.

Store your lawn mower inside: Whether it be a shed, a barn, or the garage, storing your lawn mower inside out of the elements will add years to its life.

Related: The 7 Best Riding Mowers of 2024, According to Research and Testing

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