Reminder: Mower/small engine winter storage

PaulMys

PaulMys

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Hello, AGO!

Well, for us in the Northern 2/3 of the country it's about that time where we have used our riding/push mowers and weed whackers/edgers for last time. Or if not the last time, very soon.

I just want to remind everyone how BAD ethanol gas is for small engines, and to not store your expensive machines with any of that crap in the tanks or carburetors.

Ethanol attacks rubber fuel lines, carb seats, seals, 2-stroke fuel pump diaphragms, and attracts moisture into fuel tanks and carb bowls.

Before storing any of your stuff for the winter, treat any ethanol gas with fuel stabilizer (in fact you should treat it year-round), run the engine for 5-10 minutes, then empty any ethanol gas completely. You can do this by either running it until it runs out of fuel, or using an evac pump. (12v or handheld.) Then if possible, find the drain on the carb bowl, and empty that.

To go even further, (and this is what I do): After evacuating all the treated ethanol fuel, I'll add a non-ethanol fuel such as TruFuel. It is an engineered fuel sold at just about any hardware store. I'll add some of that, then run the machine to get it into the fuel system. (TruFuel is sold in both 4-stroke, and 40:1 or 50:1 2-stroke formulas. So make sure you buy the right one.)

If you follow these suggestions (and any and all instructions in your manuals), your machines will start with ease in the spring.

When you read bad reviews on mowers, trimmers, blowers, etc. 99% of the time it's from some Yahoo that left ethanol gas in his machine for 9 months, it went bad, and now he gets on social media and slams the company he bought it from.


Happy Winterizing! :)
 
Good advice!

I have a Troy Bilt chipper/shredder that doesn't get used all that often. After it's first use it sat for a year or so before I used it again. It wouldn't start. I had to disassemble and clean the carburetor before it would start. Ever since, I always run it out of fuel and drain the carb float bowl before storage and have not had a problem since.

Another yard tool of mine, a brand new gas trimmer, was toast after a single usage with ethanol laced fuel. The second time I went to use it all of the fuel lines and priming bulb were cracked. I never did fix that one... I went back to my corded electric one.
 
I double up on the stabil and use it year round. The lawnmower always sees use but when you have a mild winter, you may not use the snowblower much.
 
MisterSnoop said:
I double up on the stabil and use it year round. The lawnmower always sees use but when you have a mild winter, you may not use the snowblower much.
Click to expand...

Even with Stabil, ethanol gas will phase separate in a few months.

It's always best to keep the liquid corn (ethanol) out of the system.
 
You’re speaking jibberish to me Paul. In Northern California our winters are very mild. Only time we see snow is when we go to Lake Tahoe to play in it.
 
Thanks for the reminder and tips. I always use sta-bil gas treatment and then before storage I run dry and put away. All brands have fired back up without issue.
 
Done. Mower and trimmer are put away for the year. Both drained of gas. And cleaned before putting away.
 
For years i have ran E89 (non ethanol) gas in my tractor. And i run VP race fuels mix for my weed eater and leaf blower. I never have to worry about a thing.

Guess im fortunate a small gas station not far from me sells the E89.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
 
Unfortunately I have to mow more or less year round so my mower never really sees a break. I use a battery powered string trimmer for edging so at least I don’t have to worry about that.
 
I have not ever drained any of the small engined yard tools in my life. And they have lasted - the present lawnmower is 13 years old, replacing it's predecessor which went 25. The blower & trimmer (both Stihls) are 20+ years old. Maybe the gas in Michigan is corn free? I always buy the highest octane available for them & always treat with Stabil. Hell even the Snapper snowblower is over 15, though I didn't use it twice last year after starting right up in November. Am I just dumb lucky, or is the evil of ethanol a regional thing?
 
Stabil is a godsend! I use it in my two garage queens and I’m sure it saved me from fuel problems.
 
Thunderchicken said:
I have not ever drained any of the small engined yard tools in my life. And they have lasted - the present lawnmower is 13 years old, replacing it's predecessor which went 25. The blower & trimmer (both Stihls) are 20+ years old. Maybe the gas in Michigan is corn free? I always buy the highest octane available for them & always treat with Stabil. Hell even the Snapper snowblower is over 15, though I didn't use it twice last year after starting right up in November. Am I just dumb lucky, or is the evil of ethanol a regional thing?
Click to expand...

Ethanol is indeed a regional thing. There are still some places (usually more rural) that you can find non-ethanol gasoline. (Absolutely no place in the greater NY/NJ area where I live.):mad:

That being said, you mentioned that you stabilized your fuel. I mentioned in my OP that you should do this year-round. Just good practice.

Also, you mentioned older equipment. The older the machine, the better it can handle ethanol. (Although watch out for the rubber seats in the carbs).

So, you could live in a place with no ethanol, or the fuel Stabil is protecting it, or the older machines are dealing it with it better, or any combo of these.
 
I run my trio (Snow blower, lawn mower, and trimmer) on 91 non-oxy (no ethanol), plus I dope it with Redline Fuel System cleaner. Why the Redline? 'Cause I'm lazy and we have it on the shelf at work. :o

I store the snow blower full (metal tank - reduce exposed area to rust potential is my theory), and the trimmer/mower with whatever they had left at the end of the season. So far I've not had a lick of trouble at the start of the season.

I think this year I'm gonna bring the mower and snowblower "back home" to a Honda dealer and them serviced by someone who works on them all the time. While I fix cars by day, it's been a looong time since I've tinkered with small engine stuff. That and there are about a million other things I need to be doing at home...

I bought the snowblower used (8hp,28" tire model), and the carb has had a slow weep if you leave the fuel on since I bought it. Figure have them get that addressed and have the hydrostatic fluid change + whatever else it needs. I look at is as an investment considering how much they get for those things new...

Really is a great machine!
 
When it's winter in Tasmania we take the cutting deck off the ride on mower and give it a really good clean, Spray on some WD40 and maybe cut the lawn in winter 4 time's.

Spring time it's every 4 to 5 day's been getting rain then sun, then rain then sun,

Winter here you do not see any snow failing unless you head for the mountains
but we do have some of the coldest winter/summer in the state of Australia.
 
Was actually surprised to see ethanol free gas at the pump at a Wawa tonight.
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