Electric lawn mowers have made it much easier to maintain our lawns. However, with the start of winter, snowfall slows down the growth of grass. This eliminates the need for the lawnmower during this period, requiring it to be stored.
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How to store electric lawn mower for winter? Storing the lawnmower in a garage is ideal,or else if it is in open, cover it up properly. First, do a complete wash, disassemble all the removable parts, and disconnect the battery. Cover it up properly and attach a heavy object with it to prevent it from toppling.
Electric lawn mowers are machines that have a lot of moving parts and systems. These internal components are susceptible to external factors like moisture, snow and dust. Storing your lawn mower in a garage or somewhere indoors helps you control these external factors, prolonging the life of your machine.
However, garages are expensive affairs and not many people have the luxury of owning one. In such situations, cover your lawn mower with a heavy cloth or tarpaulin to keep snow and rain away. Or you can buy a small shed to store all the tools and accessories. But don’t leave your lawn mover in the open, snow and ice can damage it easily.
This is essential to protect your machine from damage and corrosion due to external weather factors. It also acts as a safeguard from thieves looking to steal valuable household items.
Having your tarp and lawn mower tied to a heavy object or the house will ensure that it does not tip over due to heavy winds. This may seem strange, but lawn mowers can be easily tipped over due to their relatively small wheels and high center of gravity. This could prove harmful to the internal mechanism and may cause damage to the external frame as well.
Is it Safe to Store a Lawn Mower In the House?
Yes, most lawn mowers have a compact foldable design that allows for indoor storage. However, it may seem quite out of place if you do not have a specific storage facility inside your house like a storeroom or basement.
If you choose to store the lawnmower indoors, do not neglect the preparation required to store your lawn mower to ensure the lifespan of your product is not shortened.
Do keep in mind not to store your lawn mower next to corrosive materials like fertilizers and salts. These materials affect the atmosphere around them and can degrade your machine if left together for extended periods of time in shared storage spaces.
Can I Store my Lawn Mower Outside in the Winter?
It is not ideal to keep your lawn mower outside during winter. However, if you have no other option, then you can store the lawn mower outside.
You will however have to ensure that your machine is properly covered from top to bottom with a heavy cloth or tarp to keep snow, insects and small animals away. From time to time, ensure that you shovel the snow accumulated around your machine to keep it in good shape.
And to store your lawn mower outside you have to make some preparations, like empty the gas tank, disconnect & clean the spark plugs, remove the blade, disconnect the battery connections, change the air filter to a new one, clean it properly and drain the engine oil.
And make sure the lawn mower is elevated from the ground to keep the water and ice away from the bottom part, to prevent any kind of rusting.
And cover it up with some thick cover to keep the snow and ice away from the body of the lawnmower, and tie the cover with something solid, so if cannot move from its place.
How to Store a Lawn Mower Properly?
Covering your lawn mower after regular use is a great practice for short term storage. This allows you to keep insects and dust away, while also helping you preserve the finish of your machine. It also prevents thieves and vandals from stealing or causing damage to your machine.
To store your lawn mower over long periods of time, put it in the garage. Ensure that the storage facility is temperature regulated and has sufficient moisture control to ensure your lawn mower does not degrade while in storage.
Clean and Replace all the important parts. If you have a gas-powered lawn mower then replace the air filter and clean the spark plugs, empty the gas tank and engine oil, and for an electric lawn mower, disconnect the battery and remove the blade and wash it properly.
If you do not have the luxury of a garage, build a small shed specifically for external storage. These sheds are easy to assemble and help you increase the storage space when required. They also do an effective job of keeping snow, rain, and other external factors away.
Our personal recommendation would be to use the Rubbermaid Slide Lid Garden Storage Shed. You can check out all the features and price of this product from here. The product has a durable double-walled construction, while the slide lids ensure easy access to the items being stored. This product is leak and dent-resistant, making it a great choice for year-round storage.
Periodic checks of the machine from time to time will also ensure that you spot any unforeseen consequences of your storage quickly before the damage is irreversible.
How can Snow and Ice Damage your Lawn Mower?
Water is one of the most unfavorable elements when it comes to machines with metal components. Be it snow, water, or moisture, they all have similar effects on metals. Snow and ice can cause corrosion of metal parts. The cold temperature can also severely degrade the lifespan and strength of the battery. Small insects also enter the lawn mower in search of warmth during the winters.
Snow and ice can corrode the exterior as well as internal components of the lawn mower. The chemical reactions between water and iron-based components cause rusting, which can degrade the quality and efficiency of parts severely if left unattended. The damage due to corrosion is irreversible, and you may have to completely replace parts beyond a point.
Batteries do not perform well in the cold, especially the liquid inside. When the volatility of the liquid changes, the battery loses strength and discharges very quickly. As a result, the battery may be completely drained and may not recharge even when connected to a trickle charger.
Snow and ice can force insects to move into the machine as they search for warmth. They can get in the way of moving components and cause damage to your product.
How Do You Prepare a Lawn Mower for Winter Storage?
You just cannot store your lawnmower in your garage, you have to take care of its different parts, and very few people know what to do to store it properly.
So, how do you prepare a lawn mower for winter storage? Read the manual of your lawn mowers thoroughly. Electric lawn mowers must be cleaned up and washed properly. Removable parts like blades and wheels must be detached from the mainframe.
The battery must be disconnected and stored indoors. In the case of gas-powered lawn mowers, you have to clean the spark plugs and empty the gas tank and engine oil, replace the old air filter and wash it properly.
Washing and cleaning your lawn mower is important to remove dirt, moisture, and insects from the machine. When in storage, these factors can have especially harmful consequences.
Moisture can speed up the rusting of internal components, while dirt can mix with the moisture and accumulate as gunk, which can then cause improper functioning of the internal mechanisms.
Insects on the other hand can creep into small spaces and nooks of the product in search of warmth during the winter. This can have a negative impact on your machine, especially when you turn it on after extended periods of storage.
However, avoid the use of hoses or pressure washers while doing so. This can cause water to accumulate on the inside and accelerate rusting.
Removing detachable parts like blades and wheels helps save storage space. They also allow you to carry out maintenance of these components separately, allowing you to inspect them for damages. This helps you prolong the life of your machine.
The battery must be stored indoors as it is the most susceptible to changes in temperature. The fluids in the battery lose their volatility as the temperature becomes colder, making the battery weaker.
As a result, the battery may not have sufficient charge to start up your lawn mower when the weather improves. However, ensure that your battery has at least a 40% charge and is stored in a dry place to prolong its life.
For further knowledge about cold weather storage, do read the product manual. Every company has a different design and tips regarding battery storage and component maintenance.
While they are similar, some companies require a couple more steps and precautions to ensure the longevity of your machine.
