Winter Equipment Care Tips

Follow these recommendations from the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute to safely store your equipment for the winter months ahead.

Published December 02, 2003

There’s no downside to proper care of your equipment this winter if you want to keep up your clients’ properties in tip-top shape for next summer.

According to the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), taking the time to store equipment properly can be beneficial in several ways. You can:

  • Keep equipment in safe, working order
  • Save the trouble of unexpected, and possibly costly, repairs
  • Extend the life of equipment
  • Keep engines running efficiently. And, incidentally, with the new low-emission engines that now run 70 percent cleaner than in previous years, proper storage will also help keep the air cleaner – for everyone.

    • So, when it comes time for your equipment to hibernate for the winter, here is what OPEI recommends that you do:

  • Drain the fuel tank completely by running the engine until all of the excess fuel is gone.
  • While the engine is still warm, drain the crankcase oil.
  • Fill it with fresh oil.
  • Lubricate all lubrication points.
  • Check all moving parts for damage.  Cover any bare metal parts with oil or rust preventive.
  • Clean caked-on grass and wipe debris from engine, deck and handle of mowers.  Clean debris from tillers, edgers and shredder housings
  • For battery-powered equipment, remove battery and fully charge before storing. Then, store equipment and any fuel can in a clean, dry, ventilated area and never near a pilot light, stove, or heat source of any kind.

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