How to Make a Hydrostatic Lawn Mower Faster (8 Expert Tips)
You have a hydrostatic lawn mower, but it has become slow over time, right? To be honest, it happens with almost all mowers, and the good thing is we have solutions.
In this article, we’ll share how to make a hydrostatic mower faster.
You can make it faster by changing the tire, adjusting the hydro stick, replacing the pulley, using powerful fuel, cleaning the underside of the mower, removing the governor, and with proper maintenance.
To understand the answer to how to make a hydrostatic lawn mower faster in detail, scroll down the page and read our guide until the end. Let’s dive into the topic!
Why Lawn Mowers Become Slower Over Time?
Mowing the lawn is necessary for maintaining a beautiful landscape, and a powerful lawnmower is essential for making that chore easier.
Unfortunately, even the best-maintained mowers can start to slow down over time.
This is usually because of the parts that move and make the mower operate – they become worn down from countless cutting sessions, which causes the motor’s power to weaken with each use.
In addition, hardened grass blades and other debris can build up on mower decks, making it difficult for them to spin fast enough when cutting.
Insufficient maintenance can also contribute to slower lawnmowers as well.
So what can you do? The best way to make a mower faster is to do proper maintenance, but it’s a long process.
Hence, if you’re in a hurry, you can follow the tips below and instantly make your hydrostatic lawn mower faster.
Also Read: How to Make a Lawn Mower Faster! 6 Effective Tips
How to Make a Hydrostatic Lawn Mower Faster: 8 Expert Tips
Here are the eight tips to make the hydrostatic lawnmower faster. The first tip is related to maintenance, while all other seven tips can help in boosting the speed instantly.
Maintain Your Lawn Mower Properly
Taking care of a lawn mower can be daunting but not when you have a proper plan. Remember, maintenance depends on two things: the care for your exterior and the interior of the lawn mower.
Make sure the mower you have is clean from the outside including the underside of the deck and there’s no rusting issue.
You should also check the interior, like the engine, carburetor, change the oil, clean the air filter regularly, and so on.
You can also contact someone else for regular maintenance if you’re not an expert. But it would be better if you learn to do this task as it will save money.
Change the Small Tires of Mowers
If you instantly want to make your hydrostatic lawn mower faster, then the best solution is to change the small tires into big and new ones.
But before you go and select big tires, understand what we mean by “Big” here.
The tires should only be a few inches big compared to the ones that are installed in the mower.
If you select big-size tires, the deck will be unbalanced and rise high. That’s why select tires that are only a few inches big and don’t disturb the mower’s deck.
You can check the video below to understand how you can efficiently change the tires on a lawn mower.
Adjust Hydro Stick
You must have a hydro stick at the side of the mower. If you see the end of the hydro stick of your mower, there will be a big bolt at the bottom.
Thanks to this bolt, not only can you go faster by boosting the front speed but also the reverse speed.
The only thing you need to do is take a wrench, depending on the size of the bolt and loosen it.
Once you can see that it’s loosened up, move the bolt to the side instead of the center and tighten the bolt.
Note: You should also know the consequences of this action. If you boost the forward speed, the reverse speed will go low.
For a better understanding, watch the video below.
Replace the Pulley
The pulley of your lawn mower is used to transmit power from the engine to the cutting blades.
It uses a belt to transfer rotational force from the engine to the blades, which causes the blades to spin and cut the grass.
The size of the pulley can affect the speed at which the blades spin and the torque (rotational force) applied to the blades.
A larger pulley will cause the blades to spin more slowly but with more torque.
While a smaller pulley will cause the blades to spin more quickly but with less torque. The pulley size is typically chosen based on one important rule: you need a bigger pulley but not too big.
It should be only a few inches wide; otherwise, it will create issues. It would be better to ask advice from an expert about pulley size.
Sharpen the Blade of Mower
You must be thinking about the blade’s connection with the lawnmower speed.
The answer is if your mower blades are dull and don’t have sharp edges, they won’t work faster. As a result, you’ll face a lot of time mowing grass.
Hence, you should use sharp blades. The process is pretty easy; you can even sharpen the blades without removing them from the mower. But the balancing process won’t be easy.
How to Sharpen Lawn Mower Blades?
That’s why we’ll share the easiest process of sharpening the mower’s blade here.
- Get a blade sharpening tool file, stone, and so on.
- Then sharpen both sides with the help of the tool.
- After sharpening, use a balancer and check whether both sides are balanced.
- If they’re not balanced, sharpen the heavy side of the blade until both sides become balanced.
Use Powerful Fuel
If you want to make your lawnmowers faster but don’t want to go through the process of replacing engine components. We have an easier solution: use higher-quality fuel!
Sure, lower-grade fuel might be cheaper in the short run. However, when you carefully think about it, the little extra spent on better fuel can go a long way.
You can save the money that you’ll possibly spend on maintenance.
Not only will your lawn mower perform more efficiently, but it’ll run smoother and with greater power output – all of which will help you take care of your lawn faster and more effectively.
Pro Tip – When choosing the best fuel for lawnmowers, look for an octane rating of 89 or higher.
Clean the Underside of the Mower
Cleaning the underside of your lawn mower can have a major impact on your mowing routine.
This simple maintenance task helps to clear away grass, dirt, and debris that accumulates as you mow your lawn.
Not only does this make replacing your old blades easier, but it can also help increase the speed at which you mow! Luckily, it’s not as difficult as people usually think.
You can easily clean the underside by following the steps below.
How to Clean the Underside of the Mower Deck?
- Set the lawn mower deck level all the way down.
- If you have a mulch plug, put that on the deck.
- Get your garden hose, attach it to the wash port, and open the water tap at full capacity.
- Turn on your mower and its blades, and the mower will do the rest of the process automatically.
- Just wait for a maximum of 5 to 6 minutes, and the underside will be clean.
Remove the Governor
Removing the governor from your car can be a great way to increase its top speed and turn it into a real speed demon!
This step gives you more control over how the vehicle accelerates and how quickly it goes.
But remember, no doubt this process is high-rewarding, but it should be done with caution.
Removing your mower’s governor and taking it beyond what was once considered “the limit” can make driving dangerous.
Also Read: How to Fix Briggs and Stratton Governor Problems?
To understand how this process works, please watch this video.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is it safe to make hydrostatic mowers faster?
You can make your hydrostatic lawn mower faster, but it will be safe or not, depending on your action.
It would be safe if you don’t go overboard to increase the speed, but the systems can be damaged if exposed to the extra pressure of speed and torque.
How do I increase the power of my hydrostatic lawnmowers?
You can increase the power of your lawn mower by using good-quality fuel and changing the oil frequently.
Using high-octane fuel will energize the engine to deliver higher torque for fast-cutting grass.
While replacing the oil will ensure a smoother-running engine by minimizing friction and burning less fuel in the process.
Can you bypass the governor on a lawn mower?
Believe it or not, bypassing the governor on a lawn mower is possible.
Bypassing the governor can increase the performance of your lawn mower, but sometimes, it can also cause more damage due to an increased load on the engine.
Conclusion
If you’re still wondering about how to make a hydrostatic lawnmower faster because of safety concerns.
We suggest you stick with tips for the maintenance and cleaning of the deck underside.
Apart from the maintenance and cleaning option, all others need modifications in the mower, which can cause trouble in some cases.
The decision is completely yours if you want, you can contact any expert and ask for advice about the modifications.
