How to Winterize Your STIHL Mowers
As the seasons change and the weather turns colder, it’s time to start thinking about winterizing your STIHL landscaping equipment, including your STIHL mowers. Doing so will help ensure that your equipment will be ready for action once the weather warms back up and yard work begins again. Here are some tips on how to winterize your STIHL mowers.
General Winterizing Tips
Check your specific mower’s instruction manual for details about how to properly store your mower. Visit your local STIHL Dealer for tips or if you need help with mower maintenance.
Here are some general winterizing tips for STIHL mowers:
- All mowers should be stored in a cool, dry place—dust- and frost-free if possible.
- Batteries should be removed, cleaned, and stored away from anything flammable in a cool, dry place.
Remove fuel and store your mower dry.
- STIHL doesn’t recommend mowers be stored for long periods of time with fuel, even if a stabilizer is added.
- STIHL Moto4™ can be left in the machine during seasonal storage. It contains no ethanol and has a storage life of up to two years.
Clean your mower.
- Cover air cleaner and exhaust outlets to keep moisture, dirt, and insects out of the engine.
- Brush away mud, grass, and debris.
- For a walk-behind mower, gently tip and clean blades with a sprayer or a tool. Check the manual on how to clean the blades.
More specifically:
- The air filter, the cylinder fins, the spark plug, and the blades should be checked and cleaned.
- The spark arresting screen in the muffler should be cleaned or replaced with a new one.
- Apply paint or rust preventative to any areas where paint is chipped or damaged.
Winterizing Your Battery Mower
As the seasons and your mowing habits change, it’s important to take proper care and maintain your STIHL mower. Follow the steps below as you prepare to store your mower for the winter to ensure an easier start to the next mowing season. For more detailed instructions, see your mower’s instruction manual.
- Remove the battery and store. Here are some battery storage tips.
- Remove fuse key.
- Remove grass bag.
- Clean the machine.
- Lubricate moving parts with oil or grease.
- Store in a cool, dry place.
Winterizing Your STIHL Zero-Turn Mower
Owning a STIHL zero-turn mower is an investment in the long-term care of your lawn and landscape. Before retiring your STIHL zero-turn mower for the season, make sure you follow these steps and directions shared in your model’s instruction manual to ensure your zero-turn mower is ready for action next spring:
- Empty fuel from fuel tank and lines. Run mower to use up remaining fuel.
- Disengage the PTO, lock the ground speed control levers in neutral position, turn ignition switch to off, and remove key.
- Clean debris from the unit and engine compartment.
- Apply paint or rust preventative to any areas where paint is chipped or damaged.
- Change engine oil while the engine is still warm.
- Follow any model-specific storage instructions according to your instruction manual.
STIHL Mower Oils and Lubricants
Keep your mower’s engine in top working condition throughout the year by using a quality fuel from STIHL.
STIHL Moto4™ is a premium ethanol-free, high-octane fuel formulated for ultimate four-cycle engine performance.
Remove Stubborn Dirt
Check your tool to see if the cooling air slots are clean and, if necessary, clean them with a brush or compressed air. Proper functioning of the cooling air slots is important to protect the engine from overheating. Remove the sprocket cover and clean the area around the sprocket. Use a resin remover to remove particularly stubborn dirt.
