As the season transforms into colder weather and shorter days, it’s the perfect time to prepare your home and belongings to brave the icy air. Learning how to winterize a lawn mower will help prepare the system and keep it in great shape for the spring and summer months to come. 

Remove or stabilize the fuel

First, consult the owner’s manual of your lawn mower to see if you can easily remove the fuel or if using a fuel stabilizer would be more convenient. If gas is left untreated in the fuel tank, it may start gelling once the temperature drops low. 

This process can clog fuel lines and filters, which can ruin the system. If your mower can be easily drained or siphoned, the excess gas can be saved in a gas container or even your car. If it can’t be drained, running a bottle of stabilizer through the mower can protect the system. 

Check the oil filter before winter storage

Before putting your lawn mower away for the season, remove the old oil filter, use clean engine oil on the filter gasket and then replace it with a new filter.  

Preventive maintenance

To prevent the devices from accidentally starting up, remove the spark plug and then tip over to remove the blades. This will allow you to remove old grass pieces from the machine. These pieces of grass may still contain moisture, which can rust the machine if left unattended. 

Completing lawn mower storage before the colder seasons starts may be a hassle however, the hard work to prepare your mower for storage will pay off once warmer seasons roll in.