Winterizing Equipment

[pcs]

Hi everyone!

I finally finished up for the year today. I can't belive it lasted this long into the year. Last year we had a lot of snow by this time.

What do I need to do to winterize my equipment?

Thanks.

[Eric ELM]

First of all, shut it off. :D

The best thing to do is change oil, fill up the gas tank/tanks and put in stable. The full tanks prevents frost which prevents moisture build up. Let it run long enough to get the stablizer in the carb to prevent gumming it up.

Washing your equipment sure helps too.

I'm sure others will have more to add.

[dhicks]

In addition to what Eric said, I like to also lube the spindles and remove the blades and bolts for the winter. One year I forgot and I like to have never got the blades off that spring.

[odin00]

Put in little oil though the sprk plug hole and pull the start cord a few times to get the oil on the rings piston etc.I also take the time to change the sparkplugs

[dhicks]

Odin00 thanks for reminding me to add some oil in my two stroke equipment. I knew that I was forgetting something. Oh BTW, nice to have another GM man at LawnForums dot Com. With 75 that make 3 of us.:)

[65hoss]

What's winterizing?? We keep it running here. I only leave the trimmers at home this time of year.

[TurfKingLawn]

I run all the gas out, wash it up real clean like, drain oil, put oil in spark plug hole, and give it a good looking over. Don't forget to take batteries off your riders!

Hank

[Thelawnplumber]

This is the end of my first year and i never winterized equiptment before. What kind of oil do you suggest putting in the spark plug hole? After you put this oil in do you replace the spark plug or leave it out?
Thanks for your help.

Scott

[odin00]

lawnplummer

JUST use whatever oil you have in your machine 30w 10w 30 whatever. For 2 cycle put in 2 cycle oil
YES put the plugs back in.

[MOW ED]

I usually fog out all of my 2 cycle stuff and spray a little fogging oil in the cylinders. It seems to move around better as a spray and I seem to have quicker starts and not as much plug fouling in the spring.

[Alan]

I also put fogging oil down the carb, until it kills the engine on the two stroke stuff, turn the key off and spray untilt he engine stops turning on the bigger engines. That way you coat all the aluminum surfaces in the carb and don't get any of that white corrosion. Then I pull the plugs, spray inside the cylinders and turn it over with the plugs out to coat the walls completely. For what it's worth, I have never had a no start in the spring since I started doing that. This is all on top of a healthy dose of fuel stabilizer in the tank as a first step.

[Esby]

First we change oil and filter on the machines. Then we fill up the tanks, put the stablizer in them, let them run for 5 minutes to get the stablized gas into the carb and then shut off the fuel and let it burn out the gas. Dont forget to turn off the key! Next we disconnect the batteries, remove them, put them in the basement and charge them. We put a charge on them another 2 times during the winter just to keep them from losing charge. We put all of our mowers tires on pieces of wood, this is better for the rubber, instead of concrete. All the 2 stroke stuff: trimmers, blowers, hedge trimmers....ect gets stablizer put in the tank and run, then we store them in the basement. A good washing never hurt equipment either, but ours didn't get it this year, gonna have to wait til spring. Thats about it for us!