How To Properly Store Your Lawn Mower

Extend the life of your lawn mower by following these safe storage rules

For many of us, we don’t often think about our lawn mower. After all, it’s just a tool that does a job for us. We don’t lay awake at night dreaming of our next lawn mower purchase.  

It’s precisely because of its utilitarian use, that we should make sure that we are always taking the best care of our lawn mower. We should make sure that we are properly storing our lawn mower to ensure that it does its job the way it was intended for many, many years.  

That way you can spend your time – and your money – on things you do lie in bed dreaming of!

Storing your lawn mower safely can save money

Failing to properly store your lawn mower can be an expensive mistake. Like any piece of machinery, you need to take care of it for it to work properly.  

If you don’t store your lawn mower the right way it can:

• Rust
• Seize up
• Require replacement parts
• Not work when you need it
• Leak fluids
• Be dangerous to operate

Tips for proper lawn mower storage

Now that we understand the importance of proper lawn mower storage, how do we go about doing that? Here are some things to consider. ‍

Keep your lawn mower in a cool and dry location

Extreme weather is tough on anything mechanical, and your lawn mower is no different. So, look around for a place that is protected from rain, wind, and hot temperatures.

Cover it up!

Invest the money to buy a good cover that goes completely over the lawn mower when not in use. That will prevent weather, bugs, and animals from doing damage to it.  

No gas!

Many people ask if you should store a lawn mower with a full tank of gas. The answer to that is no! Leaving gas in the tank is a recipe for corrosion and other damage. So only put the amount of gas in that you need and make sure it is drained after each use.  

Remove the battery

The same principle applies to a battery-operated lawn mower.  Leaving the battery in will cause the battery to lose charge and will reduce the life of it. So, remove the battery and store it in a cold, dry space like a basement. This is especially important when you are storing your lawn mower over winter.  

How do I store my lawn mower over the winter?

Living in Canada, we know that we are going to have to store the lawn mower over the winter. For that, we will need to take extra care.  

Although the principles of how you store it in the summer and winter are the same, before you put your lawn mower in storage for the year you should do the following:  

1. Remove spark plugs

2. Drain the fuel, if it is a gas mower

3. If a battery mower, remove the batteries

4. Thoroughly clean the lawn mower

5. Inspect the blades and replace any that have chips in them.  

6. Sharpen any blades that you are not replacing

In terms of where to store the lawn mower, you should look for a place where it will be safe from winter weather. In parts of the country with milder winters, an outdoor shed or garage might provide ample protection. In other parts of the country, you will need to ensure that it is in a heated basement, or a self-storage locker.  

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