Putting Your Mower To Bed For The Winter

Cover that mower

When winter approaches, and it’s time to store away your lawnmower, grass trimmer, scarifier or hedgetrimmer, don’t forget to do it carefully. A lawn mower can be a big investment and, like any machinery, should be looked after properly to make the best of it. 

Whether your equipment is petrol, electric or cordless battery powered, it needs a bit of TLC and proper storage.

We have seen our customers through many winters, so let us give you a few choice tips to make sure your precious mower, trimmer or tractor gives you as good service next season as it did this.

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All Machines: Cleaning

After your last use, give the machine a thorough clean. Any build up of organic debris can hold moisture which can corrode metal.

Make all blades are spotless and oiled. Lubricate moving parts, joints, hinges and engine parts.

If your machine is mains powered, check and clean contacts.

If it’s a battery powered machine, remove the battery, and clean contacts.

It is also a good idea to remove the battery from a petrol machine before storage and clean the terminals.

N.B. If you have a petrol machine, empty your fuel tank before you clean or tip the machine.

For more on lawn mower maintenance take a look at our MowHow pages.

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Petrol Machines: Fuel

Modern fuel usually contain ethanol which can spoil and do damage to your machine if left in the tank for long periods. So never leave raw, untreated fuel in your tank over the winter.

Some experts maintain that draining your tank and leaving it empty can also cause problems, as a few drops will always remain and can spoil. However, anything is better than leaving untreated fuel in your tank.

The best solution, once you have emptied the tank and cleaned the machine, is to mix fuel stabiliser with your fresh, unleaded fuel, following the stabiliser manufacturers instructions. This will keep the fuel from separating and make sure it is in good condition when you start up again.

Fill the tank with the fuel/stabiliser mix, and run the engine for a few minutes to allow the stabiliser to go through the system. This should keep the fuel fresh and stable for up to six months.

For more on oil and fuel, have a look at these articles on MowHow our knowledge base.

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All Machines: Storage

Whatever power it uses, your mower, scarifier or strimmer should always be stored somewhere completely dry, cool and sheltered like a shed, storeroom or outhouse.

Petrol machines should never be stored near a boiler, furnace or anything else with pilot lights or flames.

Mains Electric machines should be stored with handles foled down and knobs loosened, cables neatly looped and, possibly, secured with a cable tie or even some string.

Battery powered machines should be stored with the battery removed, wrapped and kept somewhere cool and dry. Do not store them in a very warm place as it can ‘age’ the battery and reduce performance.

Batteries should be stored at around half charge for full efficiency when you come to use them again. As a safety precaution, they should not be stored resting on metal.

If you can, cover and or wrap your garden machinery over winter, with a tarp, sacking or even an old sheet.

For more on Lithium-Ion battery maintenance see this MowHow article. 

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Just follow these simple tips and your garden machinery should be ready to go when the new season starts.

However, if you need any further information on keeping your mower or lawn tractor going, plus hundreds more articles and guides, pay a visit to our other pages on MowHow.

And if you need anything else, call us on 0345 4588 905. (Mon-Fri 9-5pm Sat 10-4pm) and one of our friendly product experts will be happy to help.

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