Lawn Mower Winter Maintenance

Depending on where you live in the world, it is either time, or the time is quickly approaching when you need to take care of your lawnmower for the winter.

We'll mostly focus on cleaning the gas out of your mower, as it's the top cause of shortening the life of your lawnmower, as it turns to a shellac if it's not removed from the gas tank of your mower for the winter.

Every lawnmower maintenance man I've talked to says the same thing, that the major cause of lawnmower failure is the failure to properly clean a gas tank out.

So in this article I'll tell you a simple way it can be done for someone that isn't sure how to do it. We'll also look quickly at removing oil from your lawnmower if you need to.

Most people reading this won't want to, or no how to empty gas by letting it escape through the gas line, so we won't get into that here.

I'm just mentioning it to let you know it's an option. Most people don't like to do it because it can easily become very messy and stinky.

To save yourself some big headaches, don't fill up your lawnmower gas tank too high with the final mowing you make. It's better to add a little at the end to finish the job than have a lot of gas in the tank.

That way when you're ready to clean it out you will only have a little left in the bottom to have to deal with.

The first step to take is to get an old cloth or two you don't mind discarding. Then get yourself a strong, small, straight branch that has fallen from a tree. You can use something solid and straight if you want to, like metal, but the stench from the gas makes it better to use something you can throw away when you're through.

For the branch, I used one about half an inch thick, which did the job fine. It was a little over a foot long.

Be sure the cloth or rag you use is the type that absorbs liquids good, as you are going to soak the gas out of the tank with it. Also be sure it's big enough to fill the tank when you push it in, as well as large enough to have some left over on the outside you can pull it out with a dry end.

What you do is push the cloth or rag into the gas tank opening; enough give it a good start. Then take the stick or small rod you have and push the cloth all the way into the tank.

From there, just push it around the bottom of the tank, moving it in a circular motion to touch all the spots. Remember, if you have a good, absorbent cloth, all you have to do is touch the liquid and it'll start absorbing into the cloth.

I do it a couple of times with two different cloths to make sure the gas tank is really clean.

Cleanup is quick and simple. Just put the gasoline-soaked cloth into a plastic bag and tie or secure the end so the smell doesn't escape when you dispose of it. You can also put the stick or whatever you used to push the cloth in, in the bag as well, so that hard-to-get-rid of gas smell doesn't become a secondary problem.

I prefer this method, as I don't think there's any better way to be sure all the gas is removed for the tank so you can ensure a long life for your lawnmower.

As for the oil, some think it's no problem to let it sit during the winter, as it's not likely to get bad over the relatively short period of time it's in storage.

That of course depends upon where you live, as some places have winters up to 8 months long.

The reason is is you're constantly adding fresh oil to the mower throughout the cutting season, so it's not the same oil as when you begin the year. And the oil you use is usually long-lasting, so it has an endurance factor to it.

Just check the color and thickness. If it's looking thicker or darker, be sure to empty it out and put fresh oil in.

For a push power, that's as simple as placing the mower on its side and emptying into a pan of some sort.

Again, the major cause of lawnmower failure before its time is the failure to properly remove your gasoline from the tank.

If you've already attempted to winterize your mower, it's easy to go back and be sure there's no gas in the bottom of the tank. Just running the mower until it stops isn't good enough, as there is always enough gas left in the tank to cause some damage.

If there is some gas in the bottom when you double check, just go through the steps above and it'll take care of it quickly.

For about a five minute job, you can have piece of mind and know your lawnmower will be ready to go in the spring.