Share Essential Tips for Winter Lawn Mower Storage
Getting your lawn mower ready for winter storage is an important job. It'll make sure your mower survives the cold and damp weather and is in good working order for the first cut of spring. This article offers tips and ideas on how to prepare your mower for storage, and gives some pointers on where to store it.
Topics:
- Preparing for Winter Storage
- Fuel System Maintenance
- Oil Change
- Spark Plug Maintenance
- Air Filter Cleaning
- Throttle Cable & Handle
- Blade Care
- Battery Storage
- Ideal Storage Spaces
- Outdoor Lawn Mower Storage
Preparations for Winter Storage
Before you even think about how or where you'll be storing a lawn mower, giving it a thorough clean and maintenance check is a must. The cold and damp winter months can wreak havoc on your mower and other garden power tools if they’re not thoroughly cleaned.
Fuel System Maintenance
For a petrol lawn mower, preparing the fuel system for winter storage is a priority. Leaving fuel in the tank during the winter months can lead to line clogging and engine problems. There are a couple of things that you can do to make sure bad fuel isn’t an issue when spring comes around.
Drain the Fuel
For petrol-powered mowers, run the engine dry to prevent the fuel from degrading and causing varnish deposits to build up. These deposits in the tank and lines can cause a major cleaning headache when you bring your mower out of storage in the spring.
Add a Fuel Stabiliser
If you’d rather leave petrol in your mower, then be sure to add a fuel stabiliser to prevent deterioration. Run the engine briefly after adding a stabiliser to circulate it through the fuel system.
Oil Change
For lawn mower storage, drain old engine oil and replace it with fresh oil suitable for your mower model. Changing the oil not only lubricates internal parts but also helps remove any collected contaminants. Always refer to your mower's manual for specific oil type recommendations.
Spark Plug Maintenance
Remove and inspect the spark plug. Brush away any carbon build-up and assess its condition. Replace if necessary with a new plug and apply a drop of engine oil to the cylinder before reinserting the plug to safeguard against winter condensation.
Air Filter Cleaning
Check and clean or replace the air filter. A clean filter helps maintain engine efficiency. Foam air filters can be washed and dried, while paper filters should be replaced. Make sure you replace like-for-like.
Throttle Cable and Handle
With petrol mowers inspect the throttle cable for fraying or damage along it complete length and replace if necessary.
For all mowers, inspect the handle for rust. Light rust can be removed using a medium-grit sandpaper, wet and dry, steel wool or a smaller wire brush – use touch-up paint or spray to finish any smoothed spots. For heavier rust, try a rust removal gel.
Double-check the handle adjustments. Ensure handle bolts are tightened securely to avoid issues when the mower is back in use. Lubricate any handles or pivot points to maintain smooth operation, preventing rust and stiffness developing while in storage.
Blade Care
Remove the mower blades for cleaning and inspection. Use a wire brush to remove any dry grass and grime. You could use a pressure washer if you have one. Pressure treated cleaning will help remove dried, caked grass and dirt from the blade.
If you spot any rust, treat in the same way as described above. You could also try soaking a rusted blade in white vinegar over night to loosen stubborn rust deposits.
Use a sharpening stone, tool file or dedicated rotary sharpening tool (not an angle grinder) to hone the blade’s cutting edge. Check out this video to find out more about sharpening lawn mower blades
When sharpened, be sure to apply a light coat of oil to the blade, such as camellia oil. This will help keep moisture away from the metal during winter storage so the newly sharpened blade will stay in tip top condition.
Battery Storage
Power tools including hedge trimmers, strimmers, power shears and chain saws should be cleaned and have their batteries removed – always replace the battery cover to stop dirt or dust getting into the battery slot.
While power tools can be stored in the shed or garage along with your manual tools, batteries should be brought indoors over the winter as they really don't like freezing and damp conditions.
Also, garden tool batteries should not be left to run down to zero, so a few times during the winter, give the battery a booster charge. Running down to nothing will significantly reduce a battery's ability to hold a charge, meaning your tool will need charging more often and the life of the battery could be compromised.
Ideal Storage Spaces
Choosing the right storage solution for your lawn mower is essential for preserving its condition. Depending on your available garden space, there are several options to consider for secure and effective lawn mower storage.
The Garage
If you have a garage, it offers a sheltered, milder environment for storing a lawn mower. Ensure that the storage area is clean and dry to help minimise damp and condensation.
Moisture Management
Condensation forms when very cold air comes into contact with less cold surfaces forming tiny water droplets. This increased moisture in your garage can cause problems for storing a lawn mower and other garden power tools, such as rust and mildew.
Condensation can be minimised by using a dehumidifier, or several for larger garages, on plug socket timers. Also ensuring your garage has brick air vents for better air circulation will help. Or install garage heating, but that can be expensive.
Wall Hangers
Wall mounting provides an excellent way to organise tools vertically, keeping them in easy access and off the floor. This can apply to lawn mowers too, especially for cordless and compact design mowers. You could fix hanging hooks directly into the garage wall or install racking.
Image Credit: BigDug
It's important to note that while storing a petrol lawn mower on the wall could be fine, you must consult with the manual or manufacturer to make sure that storing your mower in a vertical position would cause any problems with the engine, such as oil leaking.
Lawn Mower Shed
A garden shed presents similar issues to a garage in terms of low temperatures and damp air. In a shed, to minimise the effects of cold weather, ensure that your lawn mower and larger garden power tools are covered snuggly in a waterproof tarp. And you could include silica gel bags placed in and around the mower to help reduce moisture building up.
Outdoor Lawn Mower Storage
If you don’t have a garage or shed to store your mower, think about secure outdoor storage solutions such as large storage chests or a garden tool storage box. Outdoor storage chests and boxes can offer extra storage space if your garage or shed has limited space.
Also, ensure an outdoor storage area is secure against rodents and pests by sealing entry points and using deterrents, as they can cause damage through gnawing or nesting behaviours.
Image Credit: Garden Chic
Secure Storage
If you choose to store your mower and garden power tools outside, make sure they’re secure. Use heavy duty padlocks for chests and boxes, motion sensor garden lighting and a home security camera system to keep your garden and gardening equipment safe from theft.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’ve got a petrol lawn mower, ride on mower, compact cordless or hover mower, cleaning it and preparing it for winter storage is necessary to keep it in optimum condition, not just for when spring comes around, but to help extend its working life. All garden tools should be properly prepped for winter storage, from ride on mowers to manual hand tools.
We hope this article has given you some good ideas for prepping and storing your lawn mower and power tools safely and securely for winter. For more DIY and garden articles head over to the Hiatt Hardware Blog.
