lawn equipment winterizing..

[SKIQUATTRO]

what do you all do when the last mow of the season is done, the last trim and the last leaf blown off the lawn...how do you winterize your lawn equipment?

 

[RootDKJ]

I really haven't. In the spring, I just change the oil in everything.

I guess a little fuel stabilizer couldn't hurt.

 

[Beetlenut]

Drain the gas out of the carberator bowl so it doesn't turn to sludge over the winter. Not a bad time to change the engine oil too. If the equipment has a two cycle engine, same as above, and empty the gas tank too. The oil will seperate out of the gas over the winter and leave a nice sludge in the bottom of the gas tank. That's about all I do.

 

[Warp Daddy]

Drain the gas out of the carberator bowl so it doesn't turn to sludge over the winter. Not a bad time to change the engine oil too. If the equipment has a two cycle engine, same as above, and empty the gas tank too. The oil will seperate out of the gas over the winter and leave a nice sludge in the bottom of the gas tank. That's about all I do.

What he said !!

 

[Glenn]

I use Sta-Bil in everything. The key is to add it, then run the engine for a bit. This will allow the stuff to get into the lines, carb bowl ect.

Ethanol is nasty $hit and does a number on fuel lines and plastic parts. Sta-Bil seems to mimize those things...IMHO.

 

[Greg]

I drain most of the gas out, then run the engine till all the gas left is burned, then change the oil and the oil filter on the on the tractor. That's about it. I don't think modern gasolines tend to leave a sludge like they used to.

 

[billski]

I just have a ride on mower, leaf blower and weed whacker. I run the gas out of all of them. I don't do anything else with the 2 cycles. With the rider, I put a trickle charger on the battery for the winter. Otherwise, I'll have a dead, non-rechargeable battery in the spring. If they don't start in the spring, I'll use a squirt or two of carbuerator cleaner or starter fluid to get it going again. I'm too lazy other than that, too busy gearing up for winter. I've done it that way for 15 years and never had a problem.

 

[Marc]

Drain the gas out of the carberator bowl so it doesn't turn to sludge over the winter. Not a bad time to change the engine oil too. If the equipment has a two cycle engine, same as above, and empty the gas tank too. The oil will seperate out of the gas over the winter and leave a nice sludge in the bottom of the gas tank. That's about all I do.

I'd add to make sure you drain the fuel tank or if there's a petcock/shutoff, turn that off before draining the bowl, otherwise the float will just let more fuel right back in, since almost all lawn tractors/mowers are gravity fed.

 

[Hawkshot99]

Drain the tank, and run it dry. Then I squirt some oil in the cylinder and pull it over a few times with the spark wire unplugged. Grease any zirks that are on the mower, and wash it down. Same for 2 strokes.

In the spring I fill the tank, squirt of started fluid in the cylinder and it is running good in 1 pull. Oil change and good to go.

 

[ccskier]

Put them in the garage and shut the door. Winterization complete.

 

[faceplant]

running the fuel out goes faster if you suck out as much gas as you can first with a turkey baster

I picked one up at the $ Store

just don't put it back in the kitchen after

 

[ALLSKIING]

I don't think modern gasolines tend to leave a sludge like they used to.

The shit gas they make now is even worse. It goes bad in less then 5 months. From what I was told we should all be using 89 octane in our lawn equipment.

 

[bigbog]

running the fuel out goes faster if you suck out as much gas as you can first with a turkey baster
I picked one up at the $ Store
just don't put it back in the kitchen after

...The turkey baster sure makes things easy.

 

[Hawkshot99]

The shit gas they make now is even worse. It goes bad in less then 5 months. From what I was told we should all be using 89 octane in our lawn equipment.

Yes the gas does go bad much faster, but there is no need to run 89. I have never ran anything but 87 from the cheapest place I can find, and never have I had a problem. And I run ALOT of gas through my engine.
My 2-strokes I do run 89 though. Get better performance out of them and less pinging.

 

[Marc]

Yes the gas does go bad much faster, but there is no need to run 89. I have never ran anything but 87 from the cheapest place I can find, and never have I had a problem. And I run ALOT of gas through my engine.
My 2-strokes I do run 89 though. Get better performance out of them and less pinging.

I agree, two strokes get 89... but lawn mower engines are low compression, low tolerance, fairly crude engines as far as modern standards go. 87 is fine. It's the ethanol content in the new gas that causes not to last as long as mbte gas did. Also, if you have a lawnmower more than 10 ish years old, you can expect to begin developing fuel leaks as the ethanol starts eating away at any rubber seals and gaskets in the fuel system. Seen it happen on three lawnmower this year alone. I'm actually thinking about putting a petcock in my gas line so I don't have to fool with replacing something else down the line.

 

[Glenn]

IIRC, Stihl recomends 89 or higher in all of their owner's manuals. I run 89 in my two stroke stuff. The mower can get away with 87. But I'll usually run 89 in that to be safe since it's an air cooled engine.

 

[campgottagopee]

WOW!!!!

My tractor I use year round so that's easy---mower deck off, blower, cab and salter on. But my push mower and weedeater just get thrown in the shop---am I really the only guy here who doesn't properly store such equiptment??

 

[ctenidae]

WOW!!!!

My tractor I use year round so that's easy---mower deck off, blower, cab and salter on. But my push mower and weedeater just get thrown in the shop---am I really the only guy here who doesn't properly store such equiptment??

I only have a push mower, and this will be the first winter I have one. I'm just planning on sticking it in the garage. If I think of it, I'll try ot run it as out of gas as possible on the last mow of the year, but certainly have no heroic plans regarding storage.

 

[wa-loaf]

I'm in the park it and hope it starts in the spring camp. Same for the snowblower. Hope it starts. Maybe I should give it a test run before the first snow storm ...