WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Lawnmower winter maintenance

November 24, 2011

If you're done mowing your leaves it's time to put the lawnmower, rototiller to rest for the season. But before you put all of the power equipment to bed there are certain things you need to do.

For your lawnmower, of course you can take it to a lawnmower repair shop and they can do the maintenance for you. But if you want to do it yourself the first thing is take your lawnmower blade off. Remove the blade, clean it off, and sharpen it, so it's all ready to go in the spring.

Also, you want to take a look at your spark plug. Pull the contact off, unscrew the plug and inspect it. If it's really black and gunky, get a new one. Before you put it back in, drop a teaspoon of oil into the crankcase and pull the cord a few times just to work it into the guts of your lawnmower. 

Next, take a look at your air filter. Pull that out, and if it's all dusty and dirty, get a new one or just brush it clean.

Now is the time to do all these chores because if you try to wait until spring, you'll never have the time to get all of this stuff done with all the other yard chores that will be calling. The grass gets green and it's growing fast so you'll need to get out there and mow. If you prep the mower now, you'll be ready to go.

The last thing to do is either run the fuel dry or put a fuel stabilizer in the gas tank so you don't get water in your gas line. The last thing you want in the spring, is to be pulling that crank and have nothing happening.

By Charlie Nardozzi