Lawn Care Equipment Winter Maintenance: 6 Things to Tackle Before Spring

Once winter arrives with its snow and ice and cold winds, you stop thinking about your lawn mowers and pruning and weeding tools until spring. After all, you don’t really need them now. 

But just putting away your equipment after its last use and not thinking about it again would be a big mistake. Even though your grass is the furthest thing from your mind this season, that gorgeous, green lawn you love requires some special attention and tools – and winter is the time to make sure that equipment is properly stored and primed for the next season. 

You have to address some key checks and lawn care equipment maintenance to ensure that your machines and tools are ready again for the coming spring. 

Let’s talk about winterizing a lawn mower and other important tasks you shouldn't neglect to help extend the life of your equipment and get that healthy, green lawn you love.  

6 Lawn Care Equipment Maintenance Tips You Must Tackle Before Next Spring 

You want a great looking lawn in spring, right? This means taking care of your lawn care equipment maintenance in winter to ensure the machines are ready to go once that cold weather breaks. 

Follow these proper care tips to ensure you give your grass the best care possible once the growing season resumes. 

1. Service Your Equipment 

Part of lawn care equipment maintenance is servicing your mowing and trimming machines. 

Before storing your equipment, you want to drain and change the engine oil and safely dispose of the old oil. 

Also, service the air filter, and perform any other maintenance the owner’s manual recommends before storing the machines for a couple of months. 

If you aren’t confident doing these tasks yourself, you can always take your machine to a local dealer or small engine repair shop to receive service. 

2. Handle Fuel Correctly 

You don’t want to leave unused fuel in your mower’s gas tank over winter. It can become stale and potentially damage your equipment. 

Part of wintering a lawn mower is adding a fuel stabilizer to the gas tank and running the equipment to distribute it. Then after turning the engine off and allowing it to cool, restart the machine and run it until the gas tank is empty. 

Remember to check the owner’s manual and buy the recommended fuel no sooner than 30 days before you’re going to use your mower again. Typically, you want fuel with no more than 10% ethanol. 

If you have battery-operated equipment, remember to remove and fully charge batteries before storing them. Store batteries on plastic or wood shelves in a climate-controlled space. 

3. Store Lawn Care Equipment Properly 

You don’t want your mowers and trimmers to be exposed to the elements during winter. 

Store your equipment in a clean and dry place, such as a barn, shed, or garage, as part of your lawn care equipment maintenance. 

4. Keep An Eye On Your Lawn as Winter Comes to An End

 While this tip isn’t about winterizing lawn equipment, it’s an important one to remember as you get ready for the coming spring season. 

As winter starts winding down, you can do your lawn a favor by breaking up large piles of snow and ice on your lawn and spreading them out to ensure they melt away faster. 

This helps ensure diseases like snow mold don’t form on your lawn and that your lawn isn’t blocked from getting access to the sun’s warmth once spring arrives. 

5. Revive the Grass in Late Winter/Early Spring 

Your grass may look a bit rough once the snow clears. Winter is rough for all of us – your lawn included. And now that your lawn care equipment maintenance is taken care of, you must prep the lawn, too.

In early spring, you can help your lawn out by lightly raking the lawn to ensure the turf isn’t matted down and that any leftover fall leaves or dead grass are removed. 

Remember to do this when the soil is dry and not muddy to avoid overworking or damaging the grass. Be gentle. 

6. Work With Your Lawn Care Pro

When it comes to lawn care equipment maintenance, you can always get some great tips from your lawn care pro. It can be hard to figure out what to do during winter, and you certainly don’t want to do anything that can damage your lawn care machines. 

Companies like Turf Pride can help by giving you some advice and also looking out for your lawn come springtime. 

Are You Winterizing Lawn Equipment The Right Way?  

When you and your family are all cozy inside watching a movie or playing games by the fireplace, you want to make sure you’re not doing anything to jeopardize the health of your lawn. 
 
By making sure you get your lawn care equipment maintenance complete, you are doing what’s best for the life of your machines and for your lawn. Well-maintained machines will treat your lawn better in spring and summer.
 
Looking for some tips or advice? Need a lawn care partner to help deliver proper lawn care nutrients to your grass throughout the year? Give Turf Pride a call. We can create a program for your lawn so that your soil gets the nutrients it needs to create thick, green grass with fewer weeds. 

 Ready to learn why Turf Pride should be your choice for Northeast Ohio lawn care services? We can’t wait to learn more about you and help you have the best lawn on the block. Get started today with a free quote. Together, we can prepare a customized plan that is perfect for you and your lawn.