Ask the Mower Guy from Carlsbad Small Engine: What should I do to store my mower for winter?As we head into the fall and we pull out the chainsaws and park the lawnmowers, stop fora moment and prepare both for the long winter’s slumber. If you don’t, I can almost guarantee they won’t work next year. Why, you ask? The gasolinein the tankis bad forgassmall engines.Funny but true!You need to add a fuel stabilizerto your fuel all the time, but runit throughat least the last tankat the end of the year. Taking the time to do a little preventative maintenance will make sure your equipment keeps running for a long time. We like the brand Seafoamas the additive. It helps the gas not to evaporate quite so fast, contains some cleaners and helps keep the carbon from depositing in the engine. It’s just good stuff we thinkand have had positive resultswith it at the shop. You add it to your main gas can and then distribute the gas to all your engines treated. That’s a good habit to get into. Add stabilizer at the pump and everything is always treated. For those of you who want to go the extra distance, loosen the bolt on the bottom of the bowl after turning off the fuel and drain out whats in there. Again,run it out of gastotally from the tank orturn off the fuel shutoff because when you pull that bolt, all the gas in the tank is coming out. While that will accomplish the goalof draining the gas, it will create a big mess.One important note, don’t take the bowl off the carburetor, just crack open the bolt to let the gas drip out. Even though you ran it out of gasof the tank, there will be a small amount in the bottom of the bowl. It needs to come out, and that’s how you do it. On the riding mowers, disconnect the wires into the fuel solenoidon the bottom of the fuel bowland drain the bowl by taking out the solenoid. It will tread out usually or has a couple screws holding it.Once the gas stops flowing put it back in. The gas on the bottom of the carburetor will cause the fuel solenoid to get stuck and stop working if it just sits in the gas all winter and it starts to have the gas go bad.For chain saws, dump out the fuel, add a little bit of 2 cycle that has fuel stabilizer in it pump the primer bulb till the fuel cycles back into the tank. Dump out the fuel and pump the primer dry. Replace the plug.If you thinkthe unit will be sitting a long while, pulloutthe spark plug. Thenhave someone turn over the motor and while you spraysome oil into the intake of the carbwhile its turning over to suck in a little oil. Stop when you will see it come out the spark plug holeafter a couple cycles. Put the plug back in and do it again for a couple seconds.That will help prevent rust, and any issues with dry start on the
valves or the rings.They don’t make them like they used too so its up to you to make sure you keep the equipment in tip top shape. Go ahead and change the oil, the spark plug and replace all the filters. If you know how, sharpen the blade. If not swing it by the shop Carlsbad Small Engine and we can do it for the mower or chainsaw chains. We sharpen while you wait.Bottom line, put away your small engine equipment ready to go in the spring. Swing by the shop with the parts, plugs and the old filters and we will get you the new ones you’ll need. If you have any questions feel free to text us at 575-616-2348, post a comment on Facebook
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