Easy tips for winterizing a lawnmower

Winterizing both the cheap and premium gas powered lawn mower is easy, inexpensive and only takes a few minutes.

The first step, read the owner’s manual. Ok, I understand, reading the small print, and finding the proper language is a pain. No matter how about start with giving the mower a good thorough cleaning, power washing underneath the deck will make the machine easier to push, and keep steel decks from rusting out. Cleaning the mower engine housing will help the mower engine keep its cool. Cleaning, lubricating, and inspecting for wear and damage the wheels and adjusters, will help keep everything working smoothly. Generally giving the mower a good cleaning will make servicing a mower much easier, and less of a messy operation.

Power washing not your thing, that’s Ok, although you really should understand and believe, dirt on the outside, will find its way into the inside of the lawn mower engine. Dirt inside the engine is a bad thing, shortening the serviceable life of the machine. 

First things first, what type and how much oil is required to keep a lawn mower engine running properly, is the single most important thing to know.

Forgetting to check the oil in the crankcase is the most overlooked thing required to keep a mower engine running properly. Not only first time operators make this mistake, oh no occasionally, the old pro, expert lawn mower user forgets and makes this catastrophic failure-causing mistake. Running the motor low on oil, or forgetting to fill the crankcase with fresh clean oil in a new gas powered engine before starting it for the first time. Will simply destroy the inner workings of any 4-cycle engine, which by the way, isn’t covered under the engine warranty, “read the owners’ manual” you will be glad you did.

For those that need clear step-by-step instructions on the care and repair of a gas lawn mower engine. Do yourself a favor, buy a copy of the Briggs & Stratton small engine care and repair manual pictured in this article, it will help you.

Just as a dull potato peeler makes peeling potatoes a laborious task, a dull lawn mower blade makes cutting grass stressful on both the mower engine, and the person pushing the mower through tough grass. Keeping this in mind when winterizing a lawn mower, paying special attention to sharpening a dull mower blade, or replacing bent, warn out mower blades important. After all, mowing grass in the spring when the grass is growing like crazy. Starting out with a dull mower blade will tear the grass clippings from the blades of grass, rather than cut cleanly leaving an ugly mess of our otherwise beautiful turf grasses.

Before removing the blade, refer to the owners’ manual for the proper instructions for your specific model gas powered lawn mower.

Depending on the engine type, model, and manufacture used on a particular gas-powered lawn mower you’re winterizing.  There are two materials used to manufacture the filter element, or elements used in two stage air cleaner systems. Both, pleated paper and foam filter elements. Manufactured to meet the harshest environmental demands found in different regions of the U.S, like the hot and humid Midwest and Southeast states, or, on the other hand there are the dry semi-arid and extremely dusty conditions common to the Great Plains and Southwest United States.

The thing we should keep in mind when selecting the best replacement air filter for a mower, these air filters come in several different shapes, and sizes designed to filter large particles of dirt, and fine dust. All fit the same model engine, only the environment requires a different level of air filtration to keep the lawn mower engine, starting and running properly.

*Oh, before I forget, please remember, always wear safety glasses when using compressed air to remove dust, regardless dusting computer keyboard, car dashboard, or lawn mower filter element.

Once everything is clean, lay out to dry, paying special attention to the foam filter, it must be completely dry. Do not dry in a microwave oven!

Before reassembling the filter assembly, the clean foam filter element requires a thin coat of oil over the entire surface to do its job of filtering small particles of dust, dirt and debris from the air before it enters the engine.

Use only ASE-30 Briggs & Stratton engine oil, I have included a link that will take you to where you can buy the specially formulated engine oil for use in all Briggs & Stratton engines. To help you make servicing your Briggs engines, pick-up a copy of the Briggs & Stratton small engine care and repair manual listed in this article it’s full of useful information you will use.

With the information contained in this article, I believe you now see. Winterizing a lawn mower is easy, affordable, and even fun for like-minded folks like you and me. With that said, let’s get to it then, winterize your mower this fall, remember pay now, or you will absolutely pay later. Let us dare not forget, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Before you leave this page, how about checking out the winterizing a lawn mower chat at the bottom of the page. Share your thoughts or simply ask a question it’s all good.

Enjoy your lawn and gardens, Mike