As fall creeps in, you’ll want to start thinking about winterizing your walk-behind lawn mower. Simply packing the lawn mower away for the winter without a plan is a sure way to start the new season with a bunch of problems. So, before you push the mower into a corner of the garage, let’s look at what you should be doing first. Here’s everything you’ll need to know to successfully winterize your mower to ensure the next cutting season starts off on the right foot.
Why Winterizing Your Lawn Mower is Super Important
While your lawn mower is resting during the winter months, it’s still subject to new problems. The elements of nature and the fluids left inside of the mower can pose hazards. So, if you don’t plan ahead and forget to winterize your lawn mower, you’ll have to make some avoidable repairs come next cutting season. Let’s take a look at what is happening to the mower while it’s stored for the winter.
Untreated Gasoline & Fuel Gum/Varnish
Gasoline in your lawn mower during the cutting season doesn’t pose much of a problem. But, if it’s left in the lawn mower untreated for more than 30 days, the gas will end up going bad. As gasoline goes bad, it starts to form a varnish, a sticky gum-type substance. Not only is bad gas useless as fuel for the mower, but it also coats with fuel varnish anything it comes into contact with.
This can result in damaged and clogged fuel systems, damaged carburetors, and gummed-up cylinder heads, just to name a few. All of these problems take considerable time and money to repair and are avoidable by simply winterizing your lawn mower.
Untreated Gasoline & Moisture
Modern fuels that we use in our lawn mowers contain ethanol. One major downside to biofuel like the one we get from the gas station is that ethanol attracts water. If fuel is left too long or untreated, water will form in your gas mower.
Once the metal is exposed to water over a long period of time, such as over the winter months, you end up with rust. Rust can form anywhere metal containing iron is present. So basically, this means the engine and its internal components are at risk.
Metal Structure of the Lawn Mower
Pretty much most of the lawn mower is made of some type of metal. Any bare metal containing iron, such as steel, is prone to rust. This means that anything exposed to air and moisture is going to more than likely rust during winter. Areas like the cutting deck, the engine, and where paint has been chipped off are some of the worst hit places.
Old Engine Oil
By the time you get to the end of the cutting season, you will likely have old engine oil sitting in the engine’s sump. Old oil needs to be changed, especially before the mower is put away over the winter. If it isn’t changed, it will cause major issues.
As oil sits undisturbed for long periods, it loses its viscosity, and sludge forms in the base of the sump. If you try to use the mower in the spring with the same old oil from the previous season, you’ll face problems with overheating and poor performance.
Changing out the oil in the spring will help, but getting the sludge out is going to take several oil changes in quick succession. Adding an oil change to the winterizing process will save a lot of headaches come spring.
Leaving a Dirty Lawn Mower
Winterizing isn’t just for gas-powered lawn mowers; far from it. Battery mowers, corded mowers, and even fancy robot lawn mowers all need to be winterized to some degree. Any type of lawn mower gets dirty and must be cleaned before it’s put into storage.
Leaving dirt and grass all over the mower is an invitation for rust. It’s super important to clean all mowers before putting them away so that moisture can’t sit in the old clippings and dirt and rust the metalwork.
The Tools and Supplies You’ll Need to Winterize Your Mower
Winterizing your lawn mower covers those essential jobs that ensure your lawn mower doesn’t suffer any damage and is completely ready to go for the next cutting season. Let’s take a look at what tools and materials you’ll need to prepare your lawn mower for winter.
Tools and supplies you’ll need for those essential winterizing jobs.
All Lawn Mowers – Cleaning
- Silicone Spray
- Cleaning Cloths & Paintbrush
- Handheld Brush
- Scraper
- Cleaning Soap
- Bucket
- Water Hose
- Airline & Compressor/Leafblower
Gas-Powered Lawn Mowers
- Fuel Stabilizer
- Engine Oil
- Air Filter
- Fuel Filter
- Spark Plug
- Plug Wrench
- Oil Catch Pan
- Screwdriver
How to Winterize a Lawn Mower – The Main Steps
All lawn mowers share the fact that they get dirty. In this section, we’ll discuss the best approach to getting your mower cleaned and protected for winter.
Getting Off the Bulk of the Dirt & Clippings
First, you’ll want to remove as much of the big dirt as possible from the cutting deck. To do this, I like to use a scraper for the underside of the deck and scrape off as much dirt as possible. Next, I move on to using a handheld brush to remove the final bits.
Wash the Mower
With most of the dirt and grass removed, it’s time to wash the lawn mower. If you are cleaning an electric/battery mower, then instead of using a water hose, it’s best to use a damp cloth. Use a sponge, soap, and a bucket to give the whole mower a good cleaning, and then rinse it down with clean water.
Dry the Mower
The last step in cleaning the mower is making sure it is thoroughly dry before storing. I find that the quickest and easiest way is to use an airline on a compressor or a leafblower. Usually, the temperature is cooler during the time of year you winterize a lawn mower, so letting it air dry can take a while. But there’s nothing wrong with air dying; just make sure it is completely dry.
Protecting the Mower’s Metal
Before the mower is put away, you’ll want to protect the metal. This is going to stop any rust from forming over the winter. Silicone spray will form a barrier and protect the metal from any potential rusting. Make sure that you cover all of the metal, including the cutting deck’s metal underside and any paint chips. It’s also a good idea to give the engine a coat. For those with electric motors, do not spray any of the electrical parts, including the motor.
Extra Steps Needed to Winterize a Gas Mower
You guys with gas-powered lawn mowers will have to carry out specific steps for your combustion engine to ensure it’s winterized correctly.
Oil Change
Most modern push lawn mowers that use engine oil can have the oil tipped out of the oil filler cap. You might want to check your manual first if you are unsure. To do this, you need to tilt over the lawn mower so that the filler cap is pointing down and the air filter is pointing up.
Once you are in position, place an oil catch pan below the filler cap and then remove the cap. Once you remove the cap, the oil will begin to drain. Remove the dipstick to increase the flow. When the oil has completely drained, you can refill the mower with fresh motor oil as per your manufacturer’s recommended oil.
Protect the Fuel
Next, you’ll want to protect the fuel with a fuel stabilizer. You may hear that it’s best to drain the lawn mower of all its fuel for winterizing, but the downside to this is that it leaves the metal exposed to air and moisture. So, add a stabilizer to the fuel using the ratio provided with the product you choose to use.
Then, once the stabilizer has been added, run the lawn mower for 5 or so minutes. This will ensure that all of the unprotected gasoline in the fuel system has burned off.
Change the Spark Plug
Changing the spark plug will not protect the lawn mower during winter, but it’s one of those jobs you need to do so that the lawn mower comes out next season with all the maintenance completed.
So, remove the ignition cable from the spark plug, and then use your plug wrench to remove the old spark plug. Next, install a new plug and reattach the ignition cable.
Change the Air Filter
Again, this stage isn’t essential for wintering, but it is part of the servicing that should be carried out before the start of a new season. So, start by removing the cover of the air filter. If your cover is not clipped-on, you may need a screwdriver to get the cover off.
Once the cover has been removed, you can go ahead and remove the old filter/s. Next, take a cloth and give the inside of the filter housing a good wipe down. Finally, install a new filter and replace the filter cover.
Extra Steps Needed to Winterize a Battery/Cordless Mower
Battery/cordless lawn mowers have really simplified the winterizing process. The only extra item you should look at is the batteries. If you have a lawn mower with removable batteries, then it’s best to remove these before storing the lawn mower. This will prevent any power drain or corrosion between the power connectors.
When storing your batteries, do not store them inserted into the charger. Again, this can drain the power and potentially shorten the battery’s life.
Finally, if at all possible, take the batteries inside into a warmer environment. Cold winter temperatures in the shed or garage can damage batteries and shorten their lifespan.
Extra Steps Needed to Winterize a Corded Electric Mower
Corded electric mowers are similar to battery mowers in that they do not require much to winterize them. But before you store your mower, inspecting the cord and connection is a good idea.
Inspecting the Lawn Mower’s Cord
Electric corded lawn mowers’ main power cables can take a beating over the summer. They spend their whole time being dragged over lawns, pulled through flowerbeds, and scraped across driveways. So, unravel your cord and inspect the entire cable for damage. If you find that the outer cable sleeve is worn and the inner cables are visible, then this is the perfect time to order a new one.
Storing the Cable
When you are wrapping up the cable to put away, it’s best to wrap it loosely. This will reduce the cable twisting and putting the internal wires under strain. If you wrap a cable too tightly, it can get damaged and short-circuit the next time you use it. If you have a chance, get a velcro strap from the store and use it to keep the cable nice and tidy.
Inspecting the Cord Connector
The final job with the electrical side of your lawn mower is to check the connector between the mower and the cord. Here you’ll find the pins where the mower plugs in. It’s a good idea to give these connectors a spray with silicone spray. This is going to protect them from any moisture and stop them from rusting.
My Top Tips Based on Experience When Winterizing a Lawn Mower
If you follow all of my steps, your mower will run just as well when you get it back out as when you put it away. But here are a few extra ideas that will make next season’s first cut even better.
Cover Your Lawn Mower
If you want to winterize your lawn mower and have it look shiny and clean when you get it back out, then cover it. Most lawn mower manufacturers make covers for their specific lawn mowers. If not, there are generic brands that make covers to fit most lawn mowers. Not only will this keep your mower clean in storage, but it will also keep off the moisture. If you can’t find a cover, then an old blanket or tarp will work fine.
Sharpen Your Mower Blades
The last thing you want to do when spring comes around is sharpen your lawn mower blades. See if you can make time to sharpen your blades before your lawn mower is put into winter storage. This definitely makes the first cut of the year more enjoyable.
Starter Battery
If you are winterizing your gas lawn mower which has an electric start, then you might want to think about its battery. To make sure it’s going to work next year, you can disconnect it and take it inside to keep it out of the cold, or you could use a battery tender. There’s nothing worse than turning the key next spring, and nothing happens.
Dress the Belts
If your lawn mower uses belts on either a deck or drive, then give them a spray with a belt dressing. This is going to protect them from the environment over the winter. Also, if you can, pop the belts off the pulleys to remove all of the tension. This is going to stop any unwanted stretching during the winter.
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