5 Awesome techniques for storing lawn gear

Summer will be coming to an end soon and power equipment, such as lawn mowers, tillers, and chippers require additional winter preparations.

Always refer to the owner's manual for specific information. However, in general, the following steps can be taken to winterize lawnmowers.

1. Wipe the equipment to remove collected grease, dirt, and plant material. Theoretically, this should be done after each use.

2. Tighten loose screws and nuts.

3. Sharpen cutting edges and wipe with an oily rag if this wasn't done earlier. If your equipment has a four-cycle engine, change the oil by following instructions listed in your owner's manual.

4. Remove all gasoline from the tank by running the engine until it stops or remove most of the gasoline with a meat baster and run it until it stops.

5. Remove the spark plug and squirt a little oil into the cylinder head. Give the engine a turn or two to coat the cylinder walls with oil, and then replace the plug.

Two-cycle engines, or engines that run with a gas and oil mixture, also should have the oil-gas mixture removed for the winter. Run the engine with the choke open to remove fuel from the lines. Check the spark plug and replace if it is worn. Replace other worn or damaged parts as well.

Avoid storing gasoline over the winter. Old gasoline does not ignite easily, making the machines using it work harder.

At Laing Industries we are a trusted source for maintenance, repairs, winterizing small engine lawn equipment, Please call us at 607-775-9776 to schedule your equipment before summer is over!