Lawn mower service schedule
Engine makers give hours or months, whichever comes first. Say how long you mow and the calculator finds which one comes first for each job.
Your schedule
Change the oil every 6 months
- 1Change oilEvery 6 months · By dateHonda says every 50 hours or 6 months, whichever comes first; at 1 h a week the calendar comes first.
- 2Clean air filterEvery 6 months · By dateHonda says every 50 hours or 6 months, whichever comes first; at 1 h a week the calendar comes first.
- 2Replace air filterEvery 2 years · By date · OptionalHonda says every 150 hours or 2 years, whichever comes first; at 1 h a week the calendar comes first.
- 4Replace spark plugEvery 2 years · By date · OptionalHonda says every 150 hours or 2 years, whichever comes first; at 1 h a week the calendar comes first.
- 5Sharpen bladeEvery 5 months · By dateSTIHL sharpens a mower blade after 20 to 25 hours of use even when it looks fine: every 5 months of mowing at 1 h a week.
- New engine: Honda changes the oil after the first month or 5 hours, then follows the schedule.
- Before storing it for 3 months or more, Honda changes the oil.
- Toro inspects blades after about 8–10 hours and replaces them every one to three years.
- Hours only count in season: the blade countdown assumes your mowing weeks. Mark it done when you sharpen before the first cut.
Keep it on a countdown
GearKit counts down to every job and reminds you before it’s due. Open this schedule in the app and it adds the item with every job above.
Countdowns start the day you add it. Did a job recently? Mark it done in GearKit and set Completed on to that day.
Add at least one job with a title to make a link.
Built on this page. The schedule travels in the part of the link after the #, and our server never sees it.
How it works
Honda’s GCV owner’s manual: oil every 6 months or 50 hours (25 under heavy load or high temperatures), air filter cleaned every 6 months or 50 hours and replaced every 2 years or 150 hours, spark plug every 2 years or 150 hours. Briggs & Stratton: oil every 50 hours or once a year, air filter cleaned every 25 hours or once a year, air filter and spark plug replaced yearly. STIHL sharpens the blade after 20 to 25 hours.
Each job takes whichever comes first, the hours at your weekly mowing or the calendar limit. With an hour or two a week, the calendar usually wins.
Sources
- 1 HRS216SKA Owner's Manual (GCV160 engine), Maintenance Schedule Honda Power Equipment · Maker · Checked Oct 18, 2026
- 2 What is the best small engine maintenance schedule? Briggs & Stratton · Maker · Checked Oct 18, 2026
- 3 How do I check and change lawn mower oil? Briggs & Stratton · Maker · Checked Oct 18, 2026
- 4 How to sharpen a lawn mower blade STIHL · Maker · Checked Oct 18, 2026
- 5 The Complete Guide to Lawn Mower Blade Sharpness Toro · Maker · Checked Oct 18, 2026
Starting points from the makers’ manuals, not a substitute for yours. Where your manual says otherwise, it wins.