Don't Wait Until Spring: Tune Ups For Your Lawn Mower To Make In The Fall

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When you stop mowing your lawn before winter, don't just leave your machine sitting in the garage until spring. There are some important tune-up and care tasks you can take care of in the fall to get it ready for storage. While you could leave some things until the next mowing season, taking care of them in autumn will lighten your spring workload and help you catch small issues before they turn into big problems by the end of winter. This fall, you'll want to clean your lawn mower, replace your spark plug and air filter, change your oil, and empty or stabilize the fuel.

Start your late-season lawn mower tune-up and maintenance routine by removing the spark plug, as this will prevent the motor from starting while you're working on it. Check your owner's manual or the manufacturer's website for replacement guidance specific to your lawn mower model. In general, you should swap your spark plugs after about 100 hours of use or once every year. Just remove the spark plug wire/cover, and loosen the plug with a wrench. When your other maintenance chores are complete, check the condition of the plug and replace it with a matching one if you find significant soot or oil buildup or visible damage.

Air filters have similar recommendations, although some manufacturers advise replacing them more often. If you mow frequently, your lawn mower will likely benefit from a new one by fall. Refer to your owner's manual to make sure the new air filter is a match for your mower. 

A fall cleaning is a simple way to help extend your lawn mower's life, as moisture from caked-on grass and mud can cause the blades and deck to rust over time. Carefully clean debris off the underside of the deck with a stiff brush, and wipe down the exterior. Then, focus on your oil and gas before installing a fresh spark plug and storing your mower.

Leaving old oil in your mower until spring can subject your engine to contaminants and cause corrosion, especially if you're in the habit of doing it year after year. Your lawn mower's oil should be changed at least once each year anyway, so fall is the perfect time for it. You don't need to wait until you pack it up for the year; just make sure it gets changed at some point in the fall before you stop mowing and store it. Make sure you're using the right oil for your model, and follow safe procedures for draining oil out of the lawn mower per your manufacturer's recommendations before refilling it.

Fuel also shouldn't be left in your mower after fall. It can break down during the out-of-service winter months, creating thick grime that will coat and clog engine parts and decrease performance. You have two tune-up options to address this. Towards the end of fall, when you're preparing to stop mowing, you could add a fuel stabilizer, such as Sta-Bil Storage Fuel Stabilizer, to your mower's tank to help preserve the fuel. Alternatively, you can empty your mower completely, using up the last of the gas during your final fall mowings and draining any remaining fuel if necessary.