How to Winterize Your Lawn Mower

A little maintenance before you put your lawn mower away for the winter will simplify start-up next spring.

To winterize your lawn mower for cold weather:

• Run the mower out of gas, or add the recommended amount of fuel stabilizer to the gas in the tank.
• Remove the spark plug wire for safety reasons before working on the mower.
• Clean any dirt and debris off the engine and top of the mower deck.
• Turn the mower on one side, and use a garden hose to clean the bottom of the mower deck.
• Clean or replace the air filter.
• Drain and replace the oil in the engine.
• Take out the spark plug, clean or replace it, and reinstall it in the engine.
• Remove the blade, sharpen it, and put it back on the mower.

Watch this video to find out more.

Further Information

• Lawn Mower Maintenance (article)
• How to Maintain a Lawn Mower (video)
• How to Sharpen a Lawn Mower Blade (video)
• How to Change a Lawn Mower Air Filter (article)
• How to Change a Lawn Mower Spark Plug (article)

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
A little maintenance before you put your lawn mower away for the winter will simplify start up next spring.

First, run the mower until the gas tank is empty. If this isn’t feasible, add some fuel stabilizer to the tank, so the gas won’t gum up the engine over the winter.

Next, remove the spark plug wire before cleaning grass and debris from the deck, both top and bottom. While you’re cleaning be sure to check the air filter. If it’s dirty, and they usually are, replace it or clean it if possible.

Now is also the time to drain and replace the engine’s oil. The drain plug will be underneath or on the side of the motor.

Next, with a deep well socket, remove the spark plug. A dirty one can be cleaned but it may be easier to replace it with a new one.

Finally, remove the blade and re-sharpen or replace it, so it’ll ready to cut when spring rolls back around.