Each fall, once you’ve done your final mow for the year, you should winterize your lawn mower. With the correct care, your lawn mower will start perfectly each spring and last for several years. There are two popular ways to winterize your gas lawn mower, and all your gas powered tools.
The first way is to run the engine until the gas is gone, leaving it empty until the spring when you start it up again. This ensures that the gas will not gum up during the winter. Once you’ve done this, you should also drain the oil and refill with fresh oil.
The other popular way is to use fuel stabilizer. While this method is a little more hands-on than the first, it keeps your spark plugs clean and corrosion-free. First, fill the tank with gas and add the correct amount of fuel stabilizer. This will prevent any gum, varnish, and rust in the fuel system, as well as fuel deterioration. Once the tank is full, run the engine for a few minutes to circulate the additive through the system. Once you’ve turned the engine off, lubricate the rest of the engine and thoroughly clean the outside and bottom of the mower. If there is a battery, disconnect the negative cable, and be sure to disconnect the spark plug wire. Lubricate all moving parts and spray rust inhibitor on the blade and the unpainted metal parts.
In the spring, your mower will start up like a dream and run all summer. You can follow these same principles with your other gas powered tools, like your weedeater, hedge trimmer, chainsaw, and more.