Winterizing Your Lawn Equipment
Winter is setting in and you no longer need to use your lawn maintenance equipment. However, how you take care of lawn equipment now is important. You want to be able to start using all that equipment again next spring without any trouble. Here is what I do in early winter to make sure I have an easy time getting things working properly in the spring.
Lawnmower Gas
The lawn mower is one of the most important pieces of equipment for maintaining your lawn. If taken care of properly, it will last you for years. Right now, my lawn mower is over 15 years old. Each spring the engine starts very easily.
I should mention that I only mow my lawn with a self-propelled mower. I don’t have a riding mower. My lawn is approximately 15,000 square feet. My lawn has been landscaped so that it has slopes/hills that make it difficult to use a wide mower platform and still be able to cut the lawn evenly. I enjoy mowing and using the smaller walk behind mower allows me to better control the grass height and mow the various shapes of the lawn.
When I am done mowing for the year, I run the mower out of gas. I leave the gas tank empty throughout the winter. If I have gas left over in the gas can, I empty the can. I don’t want to have gas setting in the lawn mower or the can throughout the winter. The gas tends to break down with time and after a certain point you should not use it anymore. In addition, the lesser quality of the gas could harm the carburetor of the engine.
You can purchase a gas stabilizer that is designed to maintain the quality of the gas with time if you don’t want to empty the gas in the mower tank or gas can. However, this is extra cost. I tend to believe it is better just to empty the gas in the mower and the gas can.
Lawn Mower Oil
You should also change the oil in the mower. The mower has been used throughout the summer in hot conditions and with time the oil tends to degrade and lose it’s it ability to lubricate the parts of the engine. Change it now so you don’t have to do it in the spring
Lawn Mower Blade
Now is a good time to sharpen the blade. Remove it and take it to it a service shop to get it sharpened. Generally, they are not as busy in the fall as they are in the spring so you may even get a discount on the price to get it sharpened. More importantly, if you sharpen the blade now, you won’t get caught by surprise with an early spring and a dull blade!
Lawnmower Inspection/cleaning
Once you removed the gas, changed the oil and sharpened the blade, give your mower a good inspection. Make sure the cables are still in good working condition. Check the belts and make sure they are not worn. Check the tires for signs of wear.
Once I am satisfied that condition of the mower is in good shape, I like to give it a good washing with a mild detergent and water. Same as you would use to wash your car. I will clean the mower deck and engine housing. I will also clean under the mower getting rid of any grass clippings that may be there.
Depending on the type of cables, I will put a little WD-40 oil on the cables. Keeps then lubricated enough without attracting dust and dirt.
Lawn Sprinklers
I installed lawn sprinklers in my lawn to make it easier to water when I need to. The water lines need to be free of water to prevent freezing. The best way to do this is to blow air through the lines. Make sure you take the time to do this in the fall. If not, you may be digging up portions of your lawn to repair cracked water lines.
Garden Hoses
Remove all garden hoses from the water faucets on the outside of your house. A garden hose that is still connected the faucet could cause water to be trapped in the hose and faucet. This trapped water can then cause the faucet to freeze and crack and cause a major water leak inside or outside of your house. It could also cause the hose to freeze and split your hose.
Shovels, Rakes etc
Make sure all your shovels and garden tools are clean and dirt free. I will oil the shovel blades to keep them from rusting over the winter.
Summary
A little maintenance to your lawn maintenance tools in early winter will help prepare you for a trouble free start next spring when that lawn starts growing again.