A lot of people usually complain that their mower developed a fault after storing it outside for a very long time. Either the tire went completely flat, the gas in the tank became old and bad, or the spark plugs stopped working completely. I use to face these problems in the past until I decided to find solutions to some of these problems.
I now effectively store my lawnmower outside without a shed sometimes. Here’s how I stored my lawnmower outside:
1. Add a Fuel Stabilizer or Drain the Tank
When storing your mower, it is very important to either add a fuel stabilizer if you would want to leave the fuel in the tank or to completely drain the tank if you do not have a fuel stabilizer. The importance of doing this is because fuel has the potential to degrade if left for a long period, and this can wreak havoc on the fuel tank and the carburetor.
2. Stop the Mower form Kick-Starting
Always remove the spark plug before cleaning the lawnmower when preparing to store it. Doing this will help in preventing the mower from being accidentally triggered. This is a very vital step you cannot afford to underestimate.
3. Drain or Change Oil
It is very important to drain or change the mower’s oil at the end of the mowing season before storing it. The first thing to do is to confirm if you have a four-cylinder or a two-cylinder lawnmower. This is because the oil and fuel tank is the same for the two-cylinder lawnmower, unlike the four-cylinder mower.
4. Clean the Undercarriage and the Deck
This would be a lot easier if you always clean out the grass after every mowing session. You can make use of a pressure washer to clean the mower deck. Ensure that you always remove every grass that may have been crushed and dried onto the metal. You can make use of a knife for this purpose. Use a silicone spray for the undercarriage to prevent build-up during storage and also to preserve the mower.
5. Remove and Sharpen the Blade
It is also important to remove and sharpen the blade before storing especially if you would be storing it at the end of a mowing season. There are different methods of doing this, all of which can be done with ease.
6. Cover the Mower
This is the last thing to do when storing a lawnmower outside. It is important to cover the lawnmower so as to protect all the interior components from damage. You can make use of a tarp if you do not have a cover.
Storing my lawnmower is something I do not have to worry about anymore because these steps make the whole process very easy and also ensure that my mower functions effectively whenever I need to make use of it.
