Fall and Winter Lawn Mower Maintenance Tips

The dropping temperatures of fall means more than sweatshirts and bonfires. It's almost time to put the lawn mower away for the season, but before you do that--there are a few things you should do to ensure it will be in good working order for the spring mowing season. Here are a few fall and winter lawn mower maintenance tips to help you out.

Early to Late Fall Maintenance
Sometime in October or November, depending upon the weather in your area, the mowing season will end. Before putting your mower away you should drain the gas out of the tank. The easiest way to do this is by running the mower until you use up all the gas. If you don't want to empty the tank, be sure to add a gas stabilizer. This will ensure the mower will start when you are ready to begin mowing again in the spring.

After the last mowing for the season, clean out the grass clippings and matted grass from underneath the deck and from the blades. Use a paint scraper to help remove the grass. This practice of removing grass accumulation should be done after every use.

Winter Maintenance
During the slow winter months is the perfect time to have your lawn mower checked by a mower repair shop. The season is much slower and you won't be waiting in the spring when mower repair shops are usually busy. December or January is a good time to take your mower in to have it checked out at your local lawn mower shop.

Late winter (around February or even into March) is a good time to change the oil in your lawn mower. You should change the oil every year--either in late winter or early spring before you start the new mowing season.

Other routine checks and maintenance that should be done in late winter (or even early spring) would be to change your lawn mower's air filter (see How to Replace a Foam Air Filter in Your Push Mower), replace the spark plug and replace the lawn mower blades. The recommendation is to replace the air filter when it is too dirty or clogged, replace the spark plug with every new mowing season and replace the mower blades every year or at least every two or three years.

Keep Your Mower in Good Condition
Doing routine maintenance on your lawn mower can ensure that it will continue running well from season to season and will help you keep your yard looking as neat and tidy as possible.