Hi Cooper. The most important thing is to get a copy of the owner's manual. It should include a service schedule for things like oil changes, air filter changes, blade adjustment and sharpening, etc. Some engines require valve lash adjustments and belt changes. Different engines require different maintenance schedules.

Follow the manual religiously and more than likely the mower will last a long time.

okay thank you. I tilted the mower on the side and when I started to smoke in black but it goes away after awhile. I think the oil leak into the engine. Will this damage the engine? should I check the engine?

Always tilt mowers to the exhaust side, never the air filter side. Like you said the oil will move around when the mower is tipped. Any oil draining to exhaust can burn off, if oil soaks the air filter, it needs to be replaced. Champ just finished a big maintenance project on his McLane, I'm sure he'll be around soon. He has some good reel sharpening threads if you search

washed the air filter and I mow this morning. It worked fine. The reel start to make loud screeching noise when I backup the mower or if the reel spinning and not cutting grass.

This is after I sharpened the mower. Also if I wet the reel and spin it manually then it sound alot better, when the reel is dry and I manually spin it, It also make a screeching sound.

Any ideas?

That's weird, maybe a bearing is going bad?