Winterizing Your Lawn Mower

With Winter almost upon us, now is the time to prepare your lawn tractor, and other small engine powered equipment, for storage. Armed with just a few hand tools and some basic mechanical knowledge, just about anyone can tackle this project in a couple of hours. You'll thank yourself next spring when the equipment is ready to go without a bunch of fiddling around in the Spring.

The first thing you'll want to do is give everything a thorough cleaning. A pressure washer will produce the best results, although it may be overkill in this instance. Give everything a good bath without getting too much over-spray on the ignition and other electrical components. Special attention must be given to the underside of the mower deck on lawn cutting equipment. A putty knife and wire brush will help dislodge any dried clumps of grass (which may seem more like cement). Thoroughly cleaning the mower deck will improve the life of the bearings, and limit the spreading of weed seeds and disease.

While you are cleaning the underside of the mower deck take a look at the blade. Does the leading edge have a sharp edge, or a well polished rounded edge? If the edge is rounded now is a good time to sharpen the blade, or replace it. When removing the blade, be mindful of the direction of the cutting edge, you will need to install the new blade in the same direction.

Now that the mower is clean and likely somewhat dry, take time to look over any seals, belts and bearings. These items give clues before their failure. Are any seals leaking fluid? Are the belts cracked and weathered?

The next item you'll need to take care of is the fuel. Gasoline has a much shorter shelf life than it did a decade or so ago. This is due to the government mandated Ethanol content in modern fuel. Which begs the question why we pay so much more for fuel with less potential energy as compared to the fuel of a few years ago, we really are getting less for more. With the additional Ethanol, today's fuel must either be removed, or stabilized. Start with replacing the fuel filter, if applicable. When replacing the fuel filter, always replace the fuel line running between the filter and the carburetor. Condensation can cause some serious problems in an empty fuel system, so stabilization would be the preferred method. Ask the clerk at your local hardware store for a bottle of fuel stabilizer and they will know exactly what you are looking for (you do shop at locally owned and operated businesses, right?) Follow the directions on the product to add the stabilizer to the fuel. Once the fuel has been mixed, run the engine for several minutes to work the treated fuel through the system. It may be worth noting that if the equipment needs fuel added, that you should add quality fuel. Contrary to what many people think, all fuel is not created equal. Also, if you can locate Ethanol free fuel, you can fill the tank with pure gasoline and avoid the stabilizer entirely.

The next step in winterizing your small engine powered equipment is to change the oil. Some will likely wonder why you'd change the oil before Winter and not in the Spring. The reason for changing the oil before storage is to remove any acids produced by the combustion process from the crankcase. We will want that removed before the engine sits for an extended period of time. If your small engine is equipped with an oil filter, now is the time to change it.

Now is also the time to service the air filter and replace the spark plug. Paper air filters should be replaced, while foam filters should be cleaned and re-oiled. After removing the spark plug, pour about a teaspoon of engine oil into the spark plug hole. If possible, roll the engine over by hand until you encounter resistance. This resistance is the compression stroke, and will ensure the valves are closed, thus keeping any moisture out of the combustion chamber. When replacing the spark plug be sure to check the gap before installing, and do not over-tighten! Just snug is all you need.

If the equipment is equipped with a battery you will want to disconnect the cables before storage. If you have a warmer place available to store the battery it is advisable to remove the battery and place it in the warmer location. Periodically charge the battery during the Winter, or use a battery tender to make your life easier. This will prolong the life of the battery and save some frustration next Spring.

The final step in winterizing your yard equipment is to place some moth balls near the engine. Mice love wiring, and hopefully the moth balls will deter them from chewing all the wiring on your equipment. I've personally had to replace the ignition coil on a small engine after a mouse chewed the wiring. An inexpensive box of moth balls would have saved me a fifty dollar part and a half hour of time. I've also had good luck with Bounce dryer sheets as a pest deterrent, but your mileage may vary.

Following these tips should put you ahead of the game in Spring. By the time your neighbor gets his mower running (who didn't winterize his mower), you'll be sipping lemonade looking at your freshly cut lawn. Here's hoping your Winter passes quickly, and that the next season is a good one.