Lawn Mower Winter Storage Tips

With the cold season already here, it's important to know how to winterize your lawn mower. By storing the mower properly in the winter, you can guarantee a fresh start in the spring. Here are some of the things you need to do in order to winterize your lawn mower effectively:

Clean the deck

Cleaning the deck before winter prevents moisture in grass clippings from causing corrosion and rust to the deck's underside.

If the clippings are fresh, use a garden hose to remove them. If they're dry, an old bristled pot scrubber or plastic paint scraper will be handy.

When cleaning the deck, always put on heavy work gloves. They protect your hands from the mower's sharp blades.

Lastly, you can spray the deck's underside with silicon spray in order to prevent future build up.

Drain the fuel tank

Leaving the fuel inside the tank in the winter wreaks havoc on the mower's engine. Water from condensation combines with ethanol contained in the gas thus causing corrosion, clogs, and an array of other problems in the fuel system.

The best thing to do is to run the mower's tank dry. Use a siphon or turkey baster to empty larger fuel quantities.

Clean the battery terminal

Is your equipment battery powered? If yes, then you need to clean its battery terminals that tend to corrode during winter. A wire-bristle brush is an excellent tool for handling this.

You can then remove or connect the battery to its monitor. Doing so will keep it charged over the winter.

Sharpen the blades

Unfortunately, many people often neglect this maintenance activity in the winter. Forgetting to sharpen the blades can damage the lawn.

Sharp blades cut your turf cleanly and evenly. They also leave little wounds to the plant. Dull blades on the other hand shreds or tears the turf's leaf tips. The damaged tissue then dries out which gives the surface an ugly whitish appearance. Torn leaf tissues lose a lot of water and risk the probability of disease problems.

Change air filters

Dirty air filters prevent the engine from burning gas efficiently. They do this by restricting the air that's needed for combustion. Does your mower have a paper filter? If yes, you need to replace it with a brand new one. If it has an oil-soaked filter, you must remove it, wash it water and soap, dry it completely and add some clean oil. After that, you should clear the cooling fins of debris and dirt by using a stick or screwdriver.

Undertake the above measures if you want to enjoy a happy reunion with your lawn mower during spring.

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