"Winterize" your Gas Powered Equipment

What may be even more important than winterizing your turf is winterizing your small gas powered lawn equipment. Your equipment goes dormant just as soon as the grass does and it will be laying around receiving no use for the duration of winter which can be anywhere from a couple to several months out of the year depending on the climate of your region. With the introduction of ethanol blended gasoline it is even more important to properly store your equipment if you want it to start up again in the spring. Here are some things you should do before putting your equipment to rest for the winter.

• Use E-free gas to begin with - Gasoline that is mixed with 10% ethanol has became the standard at pumps over the past 10 years. They are even starting to produce a 15% ethanol gas blend. Gasoline that is blended with ethanol is especially harmful to small gasoline engines. It can pull water into the fuel and corrode parts of the carburetor and create gummy varnish deposits. Ethanol gas blends are most harmful when they sit in the engine for longer than 30 days.You can find your local gas station with E-free gas here, or by googling it.
• Clean your equipment - Although not the most crucial element to winter storage, it is a good idea to clean grass debris and other gunk that has built up on the exterior and inside of plastic housing components. 
• Change the oil (for 4 cycle engines only) - Old oil can contain acids, water, metal particles and other grime. It is better for this to not be sitting in the engine over winter where it can cause corrosion. 
•  Disconnect battery cables - If  you have a riding mower, or any type of equipment that uses a battery, it is best to disconnect the cables from the battery to eliminate energy loss from the battery.
• Properly manage the remaining gasoline - This is easily the most important aspect of properly storing gas powered equipment. When it comes to dealing with the gas at the end of the season there are two different approaches. One is to drain the gas, and then start the equipment and let it idle until all gas is burned off, the second is to add a fuel stabilizer and let it run through the fuel system and let the remaining gas stay in the tank. My suggestion: pick one of these methods and stick to it! The alternative, letting gas sit in the engine for several months, is much worse than either of these. Some people swear by burning off the gas while some people say that it is better to use a fuel stabilizer. This goes back to the first point about the ethanol gasoline. 
• Storage in a dry location - Keeping water off and out of your equipment will keep it happy and healthy for a much longer period of time. 

There you have it. For the lazy homeowner (like myself sometimes) who doesn't want to do all of this and just thinks this is what the people who are way to serious about there equipment do, I would tell you that you may be able to skimp on a few of these tasks, but if you skimp on the gasoline care, you will likely be making a trip to the mechanic in the spring. Following all of these guidelines will help keep your equipment in good condition and give it a longer life.