Winterizing Your Outdoor Power Equipment

Learn how to winterize your outdoor power equipment to make it last as long as possible.

Purchasing outdoor power equipment can be a big investment. And winterizing your outdoor power equipment is an important step in preventing potentially expensive repairs when the spring comes around.

At Blain’s Farm & Fleet, we are proud to say that we service what we sell. When you purchase a piece of power equipment at our stores, we have technicians that are qualified to service it.

However, winterizing your outdoor power equipment can prevent the need for service. And it can lead to less headaches in the spring when you need your lawn equipment. That’s why Blain’s Farm & Fleet is here to show you how to winterize different types of outdoor equipment.

What does “winterize” mean?

“Winterizing” is simply preparing a piece of equipment for the winter months. After a long summer of use, winterizing is a good opportunity to clean off any dirt and deal with any wear or damage that may have occurred over the season.

The winter brings a different set of challenges compared to summer months. And failing to take steps to winterize can result in engine corrosion and deterioration. We will explore how this damage can occur, and steps you can take to avoid it.

Removing Fuel From Equipment

The single most important step you can take in winterizing outdoor power equipment is stabilizing or removing the fuel.

If your piece of power equipment sits outside with untreated fuel in it all winter, there’s a good chance it won’t start when the spring rolls around.

Allowing fuel to sit all winter causes several problems. Thankfully, you can prevent damage by removing the fuel or treating it with a fuel stabilizer.

The ethanol in the untreated fuel will separate. And the other chemical components in the fuel will degrade over the winter months, leading to potentially expensive maintenance costs or internal engine damage.

Beyond the fuel separating in the tank, the alcohol in the fuel also can damage and dissolve plastics and rubber parts that make up the fuel line system. The fuel can also damage the carburetor.

And it attracts moisture into the engine, which can accelerate the corrosion of metal parts inside your equipment. This will shorten its useful life.

Fuel Stabilizers

If you don’t want to go through the hassle of running your equipment dry or siphoning or draining the fuel, another great option to prevent damage is using a fuel stabilizer.

Fuel stabilizer works by preventing the gasoline from separating into different layers of ethanol and alcohol. This improves performance when starting the equipment after a long winter.

Additionally, fuel stabilizers also contain chemicals that prevent the gasoline from evaporating. This helps prevent the sticky resins that damage and ruin the carburetor and fuel system.

In general, you want to utilize a fuel stabilizer if you plan to not use a piece of equipment for longer than two months. This will prevent damage and make it more likely the piece of equipment will work when you try to start it next.

The shelf life of treated gasoline is between one to three years, depending on weather and storage conditions. So if you plan to not use a piece of equipment for longer than an entire year, you may want to go the route of removing the gasoline entirely. This will prevent separation and damage to the internal engine components.

It’s important to note that you want to use fuel stabilizer before the winter months. Putting fuel stabilizer into an engine in the spring won’t fix or undo the damage caused over the winter.

How to Use Fuel Stabilizer

To use fuel stabilizer, fill the engine with gasoline. Apply the fuel stabilizer to the tank using the instructions on the container.

After applying the fuel stabilizer to the tank, let the piece of equipment run for a few minutes. This will allow the treated gasoline to get into the carburetor. And then you are all set!

Winterizing Power Equipment Steps

The first thing you will want to determine when winterizing equipment is whether it has a two-stroke or a four-stroke engine.

The main difference between two-stroke and four-stroke engines is that two-stroke engines burn gasoline and oil as a mixture. Therefore, there is no oil to change before the winter.

However, four-stroke engines have internal engine oil that you will need to change periodically. And before the winter can be a great time to get in the habit of changing the oil.

It may also be a great idea to change any air filters at this time, as well.

Winterizing Two-Stroke Equipment

The most common type of two-stroke power equipment are string trimmers, chainsaws, and leaf-blowers. Here are the steps to make sure that your gas-powered, two-stroke equipment is ready for winter.

String Trimmer

The first step in winterizing your string trimmer is to remove the gasoline from the fuel tank. Or you can add fuel stabilizer to a full tank.

After treating the fuel or removing it, you can blow all the dust and debris off the trimmer. The caked on grass can increase the risk for rusting, so make sure to clean it thoroughly. And replace the string.

Chainsaws

Treat or remove the fuel from the chainsaw. And top off the chain oil reservoir to get your chainsaw ready for winter. Additionally, this is a great opportunity to look at the chain on your saw. Sharpen or adjust the blades, if needed.

Apply a chain guard for safety. And store the chainsaw in a dry place that is not exposed to the elements to maximize life.

Leaf Blowers

The main thing you need to do with a leaf blower is either remove the fuel or put fuel stabilizer in a full tank. Let it run for a few minutes to allow the treated fuel to reach the carburetor.

Make sure you store your leaf blower in a dry place to help maximize its life.

Winterizing Four-Stroke Equipment

Winterizing Four-Stroke equipment can be a bit more involved. Four-stroke engines typically have collections of oil that you can change as a part of winterizing your power equipment.

While you don’t have to change the oil before the winter, we still recommend it.

Walk-Behind Lawn Mowers

Check out the owner’s manual of your specific walk-behind mower for the oil type to replace the current oil with.

It is best practice to use a leaf blower or compressed air to clean out as much grass debris from the mower. The residual grass may speed up rusting and damage the metal if left on the mower over the winter.

After you blast the grass away, you can either fuel stabilizer or drain all the fuel out of the mower to prepare it for winter.

This may also be a good opportunity to check the blades. Make sure they are sharp for the spring. However, if you plan to inspect the blades, be sure to remove the spark plugs from the mower beforehand. This will prevent any accidental starting of the engine.

Replace or sharpen the blades if needed, and you are ready for spring.

Riding Lawn Mowers

The end of mowing season is a great time to change the oil on your riding lawn mower. Most riding lawn mowers have an oil filter to replace, as well. So consult your owner’s manual for more information about your specific oil filter.

After replacing the oil and oil filter, the next step will be either removing all the fuel from the fuel tank or applying fuel stabilizer.

It’s also a good idea to purchase fogging oil to squirt into the open carburetor as the engine is running. Fogging oil helps protect the walls of the cylinders and valves and prevents the corrosion that typically happens over winter.

After treating or removing the fuel, the next step is taking care of the battery. Leaving the battery exposed to the elements may lead to a mower that doesn’t want to start in the spring.

You can fix this by disconnecting the battery from the motor and bringing it indoors for periodic charging over the winter months.

The final steps are checking the tire pressure and giving the drive belts in the motor a quick inspection. If any of the belts have cracks or are frayed around the edges, it may be time to replace them to make sure the mower is in top shape come winter.

Tillers

Begin with an oil change, and consult the owner’s manual for more information about the correct oil for your tiller. Fogging the engine is also a good idea. And removing or treating the fuel will also winterize the piece of equipment.

Additionally, check the internal belts, and replace any belt that looks to be cracked or frayed. Finally, remove any caked-on dirt stuck to the tines of the machine.

Pressure Washers

Change the oil, and treat the fuel or remove it to prepare your pressure washer for winter. If you live in a place where the temperatures drop below freezing during the winter, you will also need to remove the water from the pump. This is so it doesn’t freeze and break the pump.

If you’re storing the pressure washer in an unheated area, fill its pump with pump defender or RV antifreeze. Do this until it runs out of the high pressure hose connector on the pump.

If you use a funnel and hose, fill the funnel with RV antifreeze. Pull the starter cord repeatedly to get the antifreeze into the pump.

Unfortunately, there usually isn’t a convenient way to do this. So your best bet is to first remove the spark plug. Then, use a hose and funnel to pour non-toxic plumbing anti-freeze into the pump. This will prevent freezing damages.

After you’ve removed the spark plugs, turn the engine over until the anti-freeze comes out the pump opening. And you are set!

For more tips and how-tos, check out our Outdoor Equipment & Tools Blog.