Every spring, our service department is bombarded with a storm of broken lawnmowers. Many of these issues could be avoided with proper maintenance. For this reason, we keep mower storage high on our list of fall chores. We offer complete tune up kits, blades and many common parts on our website. Follow this checklist or consider visiting our service department.
Prepare the fuel system
- Add a fuel stabilizer like Seafoam to any remaining fuel.
- Start the engine and allow it to run for at least 5 minutes.
- Either stop the engine, allow it to cool, then drain the fuel; or simply, allow the engine to run until it dies.
- Attempt to restart the engine. Repeat this step until the engine no longer starts.
- Loosen the drain plug on the carburetor and drain all remaining fuel.
Maintain the cylinder
- Remove the spark plug.
- Add 1-2 teaspoons of oil to the cylinder.
- Slowly pull the recoil rope. This turns the cylinder and distributes the oil.
- Replace the spark plug. (If you plan to tune up your mower now is a great time to change the spark plug)
- Pull the recoil once more until you feel tension. This closes the cylinder and the oil will protect against corrosion during storage.
Check wearable parts for defects and wear
- Cables
- Recoil rope
- Handle knobs and bolts
- Wheel bolts, adjusters and knobs
- Wheel tread
Clean under lawn mower deck
- Turn mower on its side (make sure the air filter is up and the oil reservoir is facing down)
- Scrape all grass and debris from under deck and off lawnmower blade
- If you plan to tune up your mower, now is a great time to drain oil and change the blade
Clean mower
- Remove air filter cover and clean compartment.
- If you plan to tune up your mower, now is a great time to change the air filter.
Ready for Storage
- Properly cover the mower. A quality cover protects the appliance from dust and other airborne debris.
- Properly dispose of oil and gasoline
- Any fuel in your containers should be used at this point. Never store fuel longer than a few weeks.
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