Guide to Winterizing Lawn and Garden Equipment
Winterizing lawn and garden equipment is a common overlooked task. A little maintenance in the late fall will protect your equipment throughout winter and ensure it will start in spring.
- Drain gas or add fuel stabilizer.
- The easiest way to drain the gas is to let the equipment run until it is out of gas.
- If you prefer to add fuel stabilizer instead of draining the gas, just make sure you run the mower for a few minutes to distribute the fuel stabilizer throughout the engine. (The shelf life of gas is about 45 days. Then it starts to eat away at the seals and ruins the carburetor.)
- Don’t forget about treating the fuel in your gas cans.
- Inspect the oil.
- If the oil is relatively clean, you can leave it in the mower over the winter.
- Clean the air filter.
- Clean equipment.
- It will make it easier to identify visible problems with worn out parts.
- Prevent rust.
- Coat any exposed metal with a light oil like WD-40.
- Grease machine.
- Remove battery, fully charge it and store in cool, dry place.
- This will help lengthen the life of the battery. There’s nothing worse than getting ready or needing to mow only to find your lawnmower battery is dead.
- Protect machine from outdoor elements.
- Store inside if possible, otherwise cover securely.
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