What maintenance should I perform on the lawn mower before storing it away?

Question: What maintenance should I perform on the lawn mower before storing it away?

Answer: Drain out the lawn mower's gas in late fall. You'll be glad that you did, next spring, when you go to start up the lawn mower again. Letting the old gas sit around in the lawn mower all winter and get gummy is not conducive to having easy lawn mower maintenance next spring, when you begin mowing again -- the lawn mower won't start up easily.

Note: Thanks to Jim Hagon of CTE Engineers for his input in this answer. It must be emphasized that it is the gas that you should drain out of your lawn mower, not the oil! Oil is serving a function in lawn mower maintenance even when the lawn mower is in storage. Gas, by contrast, serves no such function.

Back to > Late Season Tips FAQ Index

Back to > Index to All FAQs