Winter Storage for Lawn Equipment

Well it’s time to be looking at storing all of that Lawn Equipment for the Winter Season and we can help you with that here at Alma Tractor Parts Department.
We want to help you find the New Holland and Bad Boy Lawn Mower Parts your need to get your mower ready for next year’s mowing season. We stock Oil, Filters, Blades and Belts and many other parts for many different Lawn Mowers.
We also have Online Parts stores to help you look-up the parts you need for your New Holland Lawn Mowers, or you can call our Parts Helpline at: 1-866-441-8193 and one of our Parts Techs will be glad to help you find your parts.
Below are some links to our Web Pages to help you with the Lawn Mower Parts and Lawn Equipment Parts you need.
New Holland Lawn Mower Parts Store: http://almatractor.com/parts/nhlawnmowers.htm
Bad Boy Mower Parts Web Page: http://almatractor.com/parts/badboy.htm
Shindaiwa Trimmer and Blower Parts Web Page: http://almatractor.com/parts/shindaiwa.htm
Aftermarket Mower Parts Online: http://almatractor.com/parts/a&i/a&iproducts.htm
It is amazing that we are already in the middle of fall and looking at the Holidays right around the corner.
If you are like me, lawn equipment is the furthest thing from your mind right now, but if we want an easy start to our mowing season next spring then this is the time to be properly storing that equipment.
There are many ways to help make your first mowing next year as simple as the first time you used your Lawn Mower. Below are just a few ideas to help you along.
Always check your owner’s manual for manufacturer recommendations on storage and maintenance.
My first suggestion is clean it up. The first thing I always think about is cleaning the equipment before storing. All the grass and dirt can cause premature rust and corrosion if left on the machine.
It is best to blow off the entire machine with high pressure air and I have also heard of using a leaf blower for this. Pay close attention to the top of the deck. Lots of weeds and sticks and such can get trapped on top of the deck around the pulleys and spindles.
Once you have got all you can with high pressure air or the leaf blower then you can wash it to get all of that deep down dirt off. Some people would laugh at this but, it is best to wax that mower once you get it all clean.
WAX a mower what are you thinking, you might ask. It doesn’t take long and it would make it easier to keep clean next year. It also helps to keep that New Mower look that we all like so well. Just a thought you don’t have to but it is something to think about. That is a large investment you have there.
IF your machine has a radiator on it BLOW it out with air, do not wash it with water. Water can actually pack the mud and dirt deep in the coils and promote the blockage of air flow. Once you blow it out good then you can run some water thru it if you absolutely have to. It is best to not use a pressure washer on your radiators, because you can actually damage the fins and coils if you do it wrong.
It is best to keep the engine free of dirt at all times. This helps the engine to run cooler. The dirtier an engine is the hotter it will run.
Don’t forget the business side of the deck, the underneath grass cutting side. To me this is one of the most important areas to attend to before storage.
Be sure to check your Owner’s Manual to make sure the exact procedures to safely service your Mowing Deck.
Raise the mower up or take the deck off, whichever applies to your machine, and clean all the grass and muck out from under your deck. While you are there check for any damage to the deck, top and bottom. By cleaning the deck and all that old grass and dirt off, you also eliminate those foul odors of decaying grass, and you have the peace of mind of knowing it is ready to go next spring.
This is also a good time to change or sharpen those blades, change your belts if needed, and grease every grease zerk on that deck. Properly greasing your mower is a major prevention of trouble down the road. It is a good idea to grease your mower at least every other time you mow.
Also, pay close attention to your blade bolts or nuts. If they are worn or rounded it is best to change them. This is a safety issue and if they are worn they should be changed. It is not fun to have a blade come off half way thru your first cut of the season because of a worn nut or bolt.
Obviously you want to look at your engine which is the life and strength of your whole mower. This is a good time to change the oil and oil filter, fuel filter, air filter and spark plugs on your mowers. Some people don’t use their mowers a lot in a year but, it is best to change the oil and filters at the very least once a year. Always refer to your owner’s manual for service intervals.
Don’t forget your tires. It can be very aggravating when you need to mow the first time and the mower has 3 flats on it. One of the best things to prevent this is to use a product designed to seal punctures up to a 1/8” in your tires. We stock a product that works really well for this.
Once you have your mower all clean and riding high on good tires, then make sure you have greased everything you can on that mower.
Take it for a test run just to make sure it is all ready to go.
The last step is very important. It is a good idea to run all the gas or diesel out of your mower or drain your fuel tank. It is best to not leave fuel in your tanks for long periods of non-use. This is especially a good idea with so much of our gas having some percentage of ethanol in it. Always make sure you use fresh fuel in all of your Lawn Equipment.
We are seeing more and more fuel related issues in all of the equipment we deal with nowadays, and the majority of the time it is not the machines fault it is bad fuel of some sort, so please do your homework on the fuel you use.
Be sure to remember to look at your Trimmers, Edgers, Hedge Trimmers, and Leaf Blowers to make sure they are ready for the next season.
Check your Owner’s Manual for exact procedures for storing your machine.
It is always best to clean them up before your store them and also drain the fuel mixture out of them.
This is a good time to clean or replace the air filters as needed, and also check that Spark Plug and replace as needed.
For those Straight Shaft Trimmers be sure to check and see if you need to add any grease in the gearbox on top of the head.
Just before you store that trimmer for the winter, you might as well fill up the head with fresh Trimmer Line so it is ready to go next year.
Are you having trouble with your 2 cycle or 4 cycle hybrid equipment running rough and or not starting?
Is your Primer bulb cracking and breaking?
Then you might want to think about the gasoline you are buying. Most all of the gas we buy today has ethanol in it and it wreaks havoc on the fuel systems of these units.
It is best to run a 2 cycle engine oil that is designed to combat ethanol in today’s gasoline.
Here at Alma Tractor we stock and use Red Armor brand 2 cycle oil made by Shindaiwa. This oil will help protect your new equipment from the build-up that ethanol leaves behind and it will help clean up the after effects of ethanol on your older 2 cycle equipment. It will also keep your Primer Bulbs from cracking and leaking.
If you are having trouble with your Lawn Mowers running poorly because of ethanol, you can also add the small bottle of Red Armor Oil to 5 gallons of gasoline and it will help clean the old gunk out of your fuel system so that your Mower can perform properly.
Red Armor can be mixed in your gasoline all thru the mowing season to help minimize the effects of ethanol on your mowers fuel system.
We hope this article helps you get your Lawn Equipment ready for Winter Storage.
We are here to help you at Alma Tractor Parts Department. We want to help you find the parts you need for your Mowers, and Lawn Equipment.
You can check out our Online Parts Stores at: http://almatractor.com/parts/index.htm
Or you can call our Parts Helpline at: 1-866-441-8193 if you need help and one of our Friendly and Experienced Parts Techs will be glad to assist you in your Parts Search.
Thank you very much for checking out this blog.