If you are new to mowing and this is your first season, you may not be aware of the term winterizing. Winterizing your mower is the process of protecting your lawn mower over the winter months while it is not in use. If you skip this process, you’ll likely have issues come spring when you try to start your lawn mower. So, how do you winterize a lawn mower? Let’s find out.
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How to Winterize a Lawn Mower (Overview)
The steps to winterize a lawn mower vary between gas and electric lawn mowers and different mower designs. However, regardless of which type of lawn mower you own, you should consider the following factors and take the appropriate action to ensure your lawn mower is protected over winter.
- Cleaning
- Lubrication
- Rust Protection
- Stabilize Fuel
- Battery Storage
- End-of-Year Servicing
- Coolant
- Tire Protection
- Belt Protection
- Correct Storage
- Mower Protection
Why Do You Winterize a Lawn Mower? (What is Winterizing?)
The main reason for winterizing a lawn mower is to protect it from corrosion and the harsh effects of the cold environment. Plus, many components can fail simply because the mower hasn’t been used for several months. So, to protect your lawn mower over the winter months, winterization is vital. Also, it will make getting your lawn mower ready for spring much easier.
What Happens if You Don’t Winterize Your Lawn Mower?
If you just push your lawn mower into the corner for the winter, then moisture will quickly begin to attack your mower. Moisture can lead to issues like corroded cables, connections, bearings, pulleys, metal structures, and electrical systems, just to name a few. Adding to this, if liquids such as fuel and coolants are not properly prepared for winter, your lawn mower engine can suffer extensive damage. A lot of the time, this type of damage can be so bad that your lawn mower will need extensive repairs.
Factors to Consider When Winterizing a Lawn Mower
There are 5 main factors to consider before winterizing your lawn mower. Let’s take a closer look and find out what these are.
When to Winterize a Lawn Mower
When should you winterize your lawn mower? Well, as soon as you have completed your last cut of the year. Now, I like to winterize my lawn mower as soon as possible after I know I won’t need to mow again. This is because I like to take my time and not be rushed. For example, if there are any parts I need to get hold of that are proving hard to get, I know I still have plenty of time before winter really hits. Also, with time on your side, you’ll be less likely to skip parts of the winterization process.
Where to Winterize a Lawn Mower
Next, you’ll want to figure out where you will store your lawn mower for the winter. My garage has plenty of room, so this isn’t a problem. But I still make sure that my push mower is tucked out of the way so that I don’t need to keep walking around it during winter. I also tuck my riding mower away to prevent my family from using it as a shelf or a place to stack random things that don’t have a proper home.
Lawn Mower Design
Depending on your lawn mower type, you’ll need to follow a specific wintering process. For example, a zero-turn lawn mower will need many more things taken care of than a walk-behind. So, using the right process that covers your lawn mower’s specific design is important.
Type of Power Your Lawn Mower Uses
Similar to the design, you’ll need to consider the type of power your lawn mower uses. For example, winterizing a gas push mower has different steps from an electric push mower. So, make sure to factor in which winterizing method you need to follow for your specific mower.
Will You Be Using the Lawn Mower Over Winter?
Winterizing is typically a term used for lawnmowers that will be put away for the winter and not used again until spring. Now, if you are like me and use your lawn mower for tasks other than just mowing, you’ll use a different method to winterize. I use my tractor-mower to pull a trailer and a leaf sweeper well after my lawn has stopped growing. Therefore, I don’t need to do all the winterizing steps for this mower.
How to Winterize a Lawn Mower (The Steps)
Now, let’s go over each individual step of winterizing. These are all the steps you’ll need to take care of before putting your lawn mower away for the winter.
Cleaning Your Lawn Mower
The first job is cleaning your lawn mower to remove dirt and grass clippings. Removing debris will give moisture less to stick to and prevent mold and fungus from growing on your lawn mower. Once your lawn mower is nice and clean, you’ll want to dry it thoroughly.
Here is my process on how to clean an electric lawn mower: Electric Lawn Mower Cleaning
Lubricate Moving Parts
Next, you’ll want to lubricate your mower’s moving parts. For example, many lawnmowers have spindles that need to be greased. So, by lubricating these parts, you’ll protect them from any potential corrosion and seizing over the winter.
Rust Protection
Any metal on your lawn mower will rust if not protected over the winter, including components such as electrical connections to the cutting deck. So, as part of lawn mower winterizing, you’ll want to give these parts some type of protective coating. I use a WD-40 original formula for things like bare metal and cables and a WD-40 contact cleaner for electrical connections. I find that by using these two products, I avoid most if not all, surface rust.
Stabilize Fuel
One thing to remember with gas lawnmowers is that gasoline will go bad after around 30 days. Therefore, if you leave unprotected gasoline in your lawn mower over the winter, you’ll face some real problems. Bad gas can cause problems like a clogged carburetor, a clogged fuel line, and a clogged fuel pump. All of these issues will take a while to repair when prepping your lawn mower for spring. So the best thing to do is add a fuel stabilizer such as Sta-Bil fuel stabilizer to your gas tank to preserve your fuel for up to 24 months. So, not only will the fuel still be usable, but it will also prevent any damage to the fuel system and engine.
Battery Storage
Depending on your lawn mower type, you might have a battery that starts or operates your lawn mower. You’ll need to winterize differently for each type. Let’s take a look at the two different designs.
Gas Lawn Mowers
If you leave the battery on your mower over the winter, you’ll probably find it dead come spring. This is usually due to the cold weather and the fact that lawnmowers can draw a tiny current even when not being used. So, you could disconnect your battery and store it in a warmer place. Alternatively, you could do what I do and connect a battery tender/trickle charger to the lawn mower to keep the battery fully charged over the winter. This method saves me from having to remove my battery and ensures that my mower is always ready to go.
Battery Lawn Mowers
When it comes to battery lawn mowers, all you need to do is remove the battery and store it inside over the winter. You won’t need extra chargers as you already have the standard charger that comes with your lawn mower.
End-of-Year Servicing
Again, this will all depend on your lawn mower, as servicing is completely different between gas and electric. So, let’s look at gas mowers first, as these are much more involved and have more tasks.
Servicing a Gas Mower
When servicing your lawn mower for winterization, it’s important to include the following items:
- Drain and change engine oil
- Replace the oil filter
- Clean or replace the air filter
- Change the fuel filter
- Locate and replace the spark plug
Servicing all these elements before winterization will ensure your lawn mower is stored in perfect working order.
Servicing an Electric Mower
The only thing a typical electric lawn mower needs to service is the brushes. These carbon brushes connect the static part of the electric motor to the rotating part. Depending on how worn the brushes are, you may or may not have to service them. If they still have plenty of life left, then there is no sense in swapping them out.
If you are not too familiar with carbon brushes and how to test them, then look at one of my previous articles: How to Replace Carbon Brushes on Electric Lawn Mowers. This blog will give you all the information and steps you’ll need for this part of winterizing an electric lawn mower.
Checking Coolant
If you have a big lawn mower like a zero-turn of a tractor mower, it’s likely water-cooled. This means you’ll need to ensure that the coolant inside the cooling system can handle the cold of winter. Water alone will freeze, potentially splitting the radiator and water hoses and even cracking the engine block. So, if you have a lawn mower like a John Deer x540, you’ll want to ensure that you use the right fluid, such as John Deere COOL-GARD II PRE-MIX coolant/antifreeze. This coolant will not only keep your mower cool during operation but will also protect your mower from freezing.
Tire Protection
I jack my mower off the ground to protect my tires over the winter and stop them from deforming from the mower’s weight. The last thing you want is for your tires to form a flat spot, which can make for a really bumpy ride in the spring. You don’t need to use anything fancy to ensure your mower is safe and stable. For example, a couple of pieces of 4×2 placed between your mower’s frame and the ground should be enough.
Belt Protection
Many lawnmowers these days have either deck belts or drive belts, which should be included in your winterizing process. This is to keep them supple and flexible. If your belts are left untreated over the winter, they are liable to crack, drastically reducing their life span. So apply belt dressing to all your belts with a product such as CRC belt dressing. This will protect your belts and ensure you get the maximum hours of usage.
Correct Storage
To protect your lawn mower, you want to store it inside if you can. I understand this isn’t possible for everyone and that outside storage might be the only option. So, for outside storage, place your lawn mower where nothing will land on it. You want to protect it from tree branches, rain, and, of course, snow. While keeping your mower outdoors during winter isn’t ideal, it should be okay if you follow the winterization steps, especially using a protective spray. Remember to get your mower off the ground and wrap it with a strong tarp.
Mower Protection
After winterizing your mower, you’ll want to protect it. This is a case of covering your lawn mower with a fabric dust cover. I wouldn’t recommend a tarp, as tarps can trap condensation and cause rust. But of course, if your lawn mower is outside, a tarp is your only option.
How to Winterize a Lawn Mower (My Check List)
Here is my checklist for both gas and electric lawnmowers. You can use this checklist to tick off each step as you work down the list. Now, if you don’t have certain elements as part of your lawn mower design, then just move on to the next item.
| TASK | GAS | ELECTRIC |
|---|---|---|
| Mower Cleaning | X | X |
| Lubrication (Grease Pulleys) | X | X |
| Rust Protection (Metal Surfaces & Connections) | X | X |
| Fuel Stabilizer | X | |
| Remove Batteries | X | |
| Trickle Charge Batteries | X | |
| Service – Oil | X | |
| Service – Oil Filter | X | |
| Service – Air Filter | X | |
| Service – Fuel Filter | X | |
| Service – Spark Plug | X | |
| Service – Carbon Brushes | X | |
| Service – Coolant | X | |
| Tire Protection (Raise Mower) | X | X |
| Belt Dressing | X | X |
| Cover Mower | X | X |
Lawn Mower Winterizing – FAQ
Here are the questions I get asked the most about winterizing a lawnmower. Hopefully, these points will answer any last questions you may have.
Can You Store a Lawn Mower Outside?
If you don’t have room to store your lawn mower inside and leaving it outside is your only option, then be extra careful protecting it. On top of following all the relevant winterization steps, I recommend giving your lawn mower an extra coating of protective spray and periodically checking your mower is covered well.
Can You Leave Gas in a Lawn Mower Over Winter?
You can leave treated gasoline in your lawn mower with no problem. In fact, I recommend it. Without gasoline in your lawn mower, the exposed metal, which would usually be coated in fuel, would now be exposed to air and moisture, which are the ingredients for rust.
Do You Remove the Battery When Winterizing?
You should always remove a battery from a battery lawn mower. For a gas lawn mower, you can either remove the battery or connect your lawn mower to a battery tender/trickle charger.
Do you Cover a Lawn Mower Over Winter?
If storing a lawn mower inside, then cover your mower using a breathable cloth. This will allow trapped moisture or condensation to escape. For lawn mowers stored outside, you should cover your lawn mower with a non-breathable cover. This will prevent rain and snow from reaching your lawn mower.
Do You Remove Mower Blades Over Winter?
There is no advantage in removing lawn mower blades over the winter. Whether your blades are left on or taken off will not affect winterizing.
Do You Service a Lawn Mower Before Winterizing?
Servicing a lawn mower before winterizing will help remove impurities within fluids, such as junk in old oil, to name one example. If this debris settles to the bottom of your engine over the winter, it can harden and reduce your lawnmower’s ability to lubricate once restarted in the spring, which will cause overheating.
Do You Clean a Lawn Mower Before Winterizing?
It is always best to clean a lawn mower before storing it for the winter. This will remove debris that could hold water and potentially rot/mold. Plus, dirt and clippings on your lawn mower will obstruct the protective coating, leaving some areas unprotected and vulnerable to rust.
Do You Sharpen a Lawn Mower Balde Before Winterizing?
Sharpened lawn mower blades have no bearing on winterizing. The only advantage of sharpening lawn mower blades is you will have a headstart come spring.
