Will my lawn die if I never bag the clippings?

Clippings scattered in the lawn will promote growth, since the grass will decay and all it’s nutrients will enrich the nearby soil.

Also, the purpose of oil is to help prevent the decay of moving parts by creating a thin layer of oil between them. Consider having the engine looked at by a mechanic, just in case.

Clippings are good for the lawn. I doubt you had no oil because it would have seized the engine. You were probably just low.

The mulching mower vs bagging is an age old argument. The greens of golf courses and bowls are bagged because the want completely smooth surface. But for your yard unless you have super thick grass and you can see the cuttings sitting on top of the lawn even after the mulching mower, then you might want to consider bagging while the growth is that lush.

And missingbite I think is correct, if the engine didn’t lock up and quit then you probably have not damaged it.

If I couldn’t get it started back up does that mean I might have damaged it? Of course that was without adding oil. What kind of oil should I put in it, just a 10 W 40?

Look on the oil cap for some oily language. My self-propelled mower uses SAE 40.

@Fred931 lurve for “oily language.”

Lol

What kind of mower is it? Brand name?

@SuperMouse I don’t know about lawn mowers but…you are close to 10k!!!

The clippings are good for the lawn.

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

I never bag the clippings.
The mower probably needs 30 or 40 weight oil and possibly a tuneup.

It’s been at least 30 years for my lawn and it’s still alive. Dammit.

It won’t die but it could get sickly by preventing air infiltration into the lower parts of the grass plant. Then other plants such as moss, clover and weeds would be able to thrive more easily.

@Makstarn would be correct if you didn’t have a mulching mower. What he is describing is when the grass clumps and sits on top of the lawn for days at a time.