A good mower is essential for a healthy, luscious lawn. The only drawback? These machines can take up a lot of space.
It's tempting to just roll your mower into any old corner of your garage and forget about it. However, storing a mower incorrectly is among the worst mistakes a gardener can make. Poor mower storage can stop a mower from working or break it beyond repair. It can even be a fire hazard.
I spoke to a lawn mower expert about the five most common lawnmower storage mistakes - and how you can avoid them.
1. Don't store a gas mower vertically or on its side
Firstly, one of the most common and damaging mistakes is to store a gas mower on one end or on its side. It seems totally harmless and an obvious solution to tricky garage or shed storage. You might have a gap between a workbench and a shelving unit that's the perfect fit for your mower if you tip it on its side or on one end.
This is fine if you use a battery mower. Mowing expert Steve Corcoran told me that there are even battery mowers designed to be stored vertically, such as the Craftsman V20, available at Lowe's.
But Steve warns that this isn't the case with gas mowers. 'Gas mowers, on the other hand, are almost never designed to be stored this way,' says Steve. 'If they are not fully drained, the risk of leaking is high, which is a major fire and safety hazard.'
Gas mowers should be stored on all four wheels because engine oil can leak into the air filter, clogging it up and stopping the engine from working. It's a leading cause of broken lawnmowers; if you've ever wondered why your gas mower won't start, it could be because you've stored your mower on its side.
'Some mowers are labeled as leak-proof, but even in those cases, it is risky,' adds Steve. 'Sometimes you can hang a gas mower vertically if it is fully drained, but since these kinds of mowers typically aren’t meant for this, it’s still generally not a great idea.'
2. Don't leave a mower outside
Lawn mowers seem like robust pieces of equipment, so it's tempting to store your mower outside rather than give up crucial storage space. However, this is a mistake.
In a pinch, you can store a gas riding mower in the yard under a tarp like this from Walmart. These steel-frame mowers are very hardy. You can even get away with leaving them outside without a tarp, but the seat will crack from exposure to sun and rain, and pests may nest in the lawnmower deck. It's also a security issue because the mower could be stolen.
However, push mowers cannot be stored outside. Gas mowers might survive a day or two, but rainwater in a spark plug means hours or days of drying before you can use it again. Cordless and corded mowers, however, cannot be stored outside. Like any piece of electric equipment, these can be damaged by water.
3. Never keep cordless batteries in a shed
If you use a cordless mower, you should never keep the batteries in a shed or uninsulated garage. Cold weather interferes with a battery's capacity - if you've ever been unable to use your cellphone in the cold you'll know this effect. If your batteries are stored in the cold, they'll lose capacity, so a battery that used to run for an hour might only run for 15 minutes.
The best way to keep cordless batteries running at their best is to store them in your home. This will prevent them from dropping below freezing. It's a little inconvenient to have to run between your home and your shed every time you want to mow, but it beats using batteries that aren't up to the task.
4. Don't forget to clean your mower before you store it
Another common mistake is to mow the lawn and roll the mower back into storage as soon as you're done. However, you need to remove dirt and grime after every use.
Steve Corcoran explains 'It is essential that you take good care of your mower’s blades and entire body so that it doesn’t incur damage. If debris gets caked on the blades, for example, and that gets left on there for the entirety of the fall-winter seasons, that can cause serious damage to the blades that is unable to be fixed, resulting in you having to buy all-new blades.'
Cleaning the mower doesn't have to be a hassle. You tip it on its side and use a pressure washer, hose, or brush to remove the worst of the mud and grass. With gas mowers, be careful how you tip your mower. Make sure the air filter is facing up so that you don't clog it with oil or gas.
5. Don't forget to maintain your mower before you store it
You should also keep on top of your mower maintenance as you use it. It's much more efficient to do a little maintenance at a time than to save it all up for when the mower breaks.
When storing a mower, see if it needs lubrication or sharpening, and in gas models, check the gas and oil levels. This will help to prevent issues further down the line and ensure you mower starts straight away every time.
Incorrect mower storage can cause a host of problems. If you've stored your mower on its side, you may need to learn how to troubleshoot a smoking lawnmower or a stuck mower pull cord to bring your mower back to its best.
