Proper mower care in the fall can save you hours of frustration in the spring.

The mowing season is just about done here in the Northeast United States, so it’s about time to put away the lawnmower until next spring. But if you want to save yourself a lot of money and headache next mowing season, follow some of these tips to assure that your mower will survive the winter and start up right away when you need it four or five months from now.

1. Fuel: Gas breaks down when it sits around for months and months and “bad gas” is probably one of the top reasons for mowers not starting up again in the spring. Either run your mower until all the gas is gone (only do this is you’re at the bottom of a tank), empty the gas from your mower (I use cheap turkey baster to siphon the gas out) or add a fuel stabalizer to the tank. Honestly, I haven’t had much luck with the stabalizers, so I always empty my tank entirely. Even after I’ve siphoned out the tank I still run the mower until it stops, just to empty the fuel lines.
2. Oil: Empty or syphon out all the oil as well. Dispose of the oil and fuel at a local service station that is qualifies to handle waste petroleum products.
3. Battery: If you have a battery it’s probably best to disconnect it and store it away from the mower if possible. Batteries will have to be checked again in the spring.
4. Sparkplug: Remove the sparkplug and replace it with a new one for next year. I generally squirt some oil into the sparkplug hole and try to crank the piston a couple times, just to get the inside lubricated for the winter.
5. Air Filter: Either clean or replace your air filter, depending on the type. Generally foam filters can be cleaned with soapy water while paper filters are just replaced.
6. Blades: Now is a good time to clean and remove the blades. Ideally you should sharpen them or have a professional sharpen them (ask at a local mower or hardware store) at least once a season. For some mowers buying new blades is about the same cost as sharpening them (about $20) so the choice is yours.
7. Tires: Check the tires of your mower. Most small mowers use solid rubber tires, but even they can get scraped up or worn in spots. If your tires are inflated, check them for leaks.
8. Clean the Outside: Finally, after you’ve done all the “messy” engine and replacement work, give your mower a good cleaning, removing all the dried grass and dirt from crevices and using a solvent like WD-40 to remove any oil or gas stains.
9. Storage: Store your mower in a dry, out of the way area where it won’t be exposed to water and as little moisture as possible.

Though it seems like a lot, this really only takes an hour or so of your time and may save you many hours of frustration in the spring as you try to figure out why your mower won’t start!