Winterizing Your Mower

You should take precautions at the end of the season to properly winterize your mower if you live in an area where cold weather is a problem.

Preparing a lawn mower for winter storage is easy to do with 7 simple steps. Not only will proper winterizing save you money and frustration, winter maintenance will also reduce emissions next spring. A lawn mower in good working condition is both safer and better for your lawn.

Winterizing mowers takes several steps, including draining the gas, cleaning the mower, replacing air filters, and changing the oil. When not properly maintained, lawn mowers can not only be frustrating and costly but also damaging to the environment and unsafe. Older mowers, especially those that haven’t been properly maintained, do not perform as well and may be dangerous.

Following these easy maintenance steps for your lawn mower this winter will save you time and frustration with lawn mower repairs next spring:
• Drain the gas out of the tank

• Clean the undercarriage with a brush and hot soapy water, making sure to rinse well

• Sharpen the blade and spray it with a light coating of WD40

• Replace the air filter

• Change the oil

• With the spark plug removed, apply a drop of oil into the sparkplug hole

• Lube the cables and throttle control

• Store your mower in a sheltered area

Next year, always check the undercarriage and in the discharge chute and bag for critters that may have decided to use your lawn mower as a winter get-away. It’ll save both you and the critters from a lot of discomfort.

This book is about lawn care, but part of having a beautiful lawn is having an aesthetically pleasing look in front of your house. In the next section, we’ll give you some tips on landscaping to enhance your lawn.