There are many chores that have to be done before winter makes working outdoors difficult. For some people, storm windows replace the screens that were there all summer. Lawns get that final mowing, leaves are raked on last time, lawn furniture gets put away, and any areas with peeling paint get painted before the temperature drops too far.
One of the biggest chores I face is to winterize the equipment I use all summer, and get my snow blower ready for clearing snow all winter long. I have three primary pieces of equipment, and I'm sure that my collection is similar to many other people. My riding mower, my rototiller, and my snow blower are necessary items for me. I know from experience that proper maintenance is vital to extending the useful life of any power equipment.
Let me share the steps I need to take to winterize my riding mower. First, wash the mower as well as you can. The grass clippings are quite corrosive and will rust out your mower deck and other parts long before they should rust out. If your owner manual shows you how, remove the deck and use a putty knife and screwdriver to scrape off built up grass from underneath the deck. Then, spray the belts with belt dressing. Replace any worn belts. Spray the pulleys with penetrating oil. Make sure the tires are full of air. Remove the battery and store it in a warm place. Change the oil, grease anywhere you can find grease fittings, and store the mower away from the weather. Put some Stabil in the gas tank to assure that the engine runs smoothly in the spring.
My rototiller requires similar maintenance, but there are some steps to take that are peculiar to rototillers. If the drive wheels are removable, take them off, clean the axle and the inside of the wheel. Coat them both with a liberal amount of grease and replace the wheels. Check the tiller tines for wear. If the ends are down to a point, they need to be replaced. If not, make sure the connecting bolts are tight. Remove the tine holders, clean them, apply grease, and replace them. Check all nuts and bolts on the tiller and tighten them as need be. Grease all grease fittings and spray cables and pulleys with penetrating oil. Adjust all belts according to your owner manual's specifications. Change the oil, add Stabil to the gas, and store it out of the weather. If you have electric start, remove the battery and store it indoors.
My snow blower has lasted me since 1994. It doesn't require much maintenance, but there are grease fittings that should be greased. Of course, the oil should be changed, and belts should be adjusted. Cables need to be sprayed with some kind of water dispersing liquid lubricant so that they don't freeze up from ice particles.
Try these winterizing tips and you'll be rewarded with easy starts in the spring and long life for your expensive machinery.
