Helpful Tips for Storing Lawn Equipment for the Offseason
With fall’s arrival our lawn care duties slow down and we can start packing up our lawn mowers and other lawn equipment for the year. Properly storing lawn equipment in the offseason ensures quick startup and smooth operation come spring. Good storage practices will help extend the life of your equipment, especially gas-powered machinery.
Prepare Your Equipment for Storage
For most people, a lawn mower and string trimmer are their primary pieces of lawn equipment, so we will focus on these, but this approach can be used on lots of lawn equipment. Before storing your mower and string trimmer, make sure you prep them and all other equipment for storage.
Lawn Mower Storage
- Clean your mower: Clippings and dirt hold moisture and invite rust and corrosion.
- Unplug the spark plug: Safety first!
- Tip the mower with the spark plug pointing up. This keeps engine oil from contaminating the air filter and other components.
- Remove any debris, clippings, and dirt from the underside of the deck, as well as the top of the deck and the engine. If you wash the mower, make sure it is completely dry after cleaning.
- Sharpen the blade(s).
- Change the oil. Old engine oil may contain moisture, which reduces engine efficiency and performance and reduces the life of the mower.
- Drain the fuel, run the tank dry, or add a fuel stabilizer to a full tank. If using a stabilizer, briefly run the engine to distribute the stabilizer. A full tank prevents condensation.
- Clean or replace the filters.
- Clean or replace spark plugs.
- Disconnect the battery. If your mower has a battery, disconnecting it will prevent corrosion and maintain the charge.
- Cover your mower. A simple step to prevent any rodents or pests from making a home in your mower, especially if it is a riding mower and cannot be stored inside. If storing outdoors, make sure your cover is waterproof.
- Do not store your lawn mower vertically. Oil and fuel can enter the combustion chamber, carburetor, and air filter, inhibiting function.
String Trimmer Storage
- Clean your string trimmer. Just like lawn mowers, cleaning your trimmer prevents rust and other corrosion.
- Unplug the spark plug.
- Remove any clippings and debris from the trimmer.
- Drain the fuel, run the tank dry, or add a fuel stabilizer to a full tank. If using a stabilizer, briefly run the engine to distribute the stabilizer. A full tank prevents condensation.
- Store your string trimmer vertically. Most manufacturers recommend storing gas-powered string trimmers vertically, preventing fluids from leaking.
- Remove the battery on any battery-powered string trimmers.
Where To Store Your Equipment
Tools and equipment should always be stored indoors whenever possible, in a clean, dry space. Never store any gas-powered equipment near a heat source. Lots of people store their mowers and other lawn care equipment in a garage or shed. If you don’t have a space like this to properly store your lawn care equipment, a Go Store It storage unit is the perfect place to keep these items over winter.
Benefits of Storing Lawn Equipment With Go Store It Storage Management
For some of us, our penchant for landscaping outsizes the storage space in our home. We may want to park our car in the garage during the cold months to protect it from harsh winter weather. Some equipment, like a riding lawn mower, may be too big to store indoors. A Go Store It storage unit is the perfect place to keep your lawn care equipment for every season of the year.
Lots of people store their lawn equipment in a garage, shed, or outbuilding, which is great during warm weather. However, these structures are not always climate controlled, and freezes can damage fuel lines and other components in your equipment. Instead of spending money on fuel stabilizers and time winterizing your machinery, a climate-controlled storage unit is a cost-efficient and time-efficient alternative to winterizing all your gear.
Just like lawns, everyone is different and has different storage needs. Go Store It facilities are here to provide you with a storage unit perfectly suited to meet all your storage needs. Rent or reserve your Go Store It unit today.