Page 33 Fall Home & Garden | September 2023 Lincoln Daily News Keep your power equipment fit by putting them to bed properly for winter It’s important to winterize your lawnmower and power equipment before it sits idle for the winter months. Central Illinois winter is unpredictable and can come on quick. Follow the advice of HGTV to ensure your lawn equipment is in tip top shape when spring rolls around. Let’s start with the fuel If you are already using a fuel with a preservative or stabilizer added to it, then you’re ahead of the game. Gasoline is volatile and can spoil rapidly causing the interior parts of your equipment to deteriorate. You can also choose to siphon the gas left in the tank back into a proper receptacle. Do not tip the equipment on its side to drain the fuel or take the fuel line off the tank. If all else fails, you can just run the gas out of your equipment. Once you’ve emptied the tank its time for some routine maintenance. Clean the underside of the mower and sharpen the blades Always disconnect the spark plug wire and the battery before hosing off your equipment. Next, remove and sharpen the blades. You can choose to sharpen them yourself using an angle grinder or a hand file or you can contact your local dealer for help. Bees Cub Cadet and Farm and Home Supply in Lincoln are both local and offer lawn equipment maintenance. Bee’s Cub Cadet suggests starting your lawnmower once a month to keep your battery up and running. Store your equipment in a cool dry place. Moisture is an invitation for rust and corrosion. Bee’s also suggests putting sea foam in the tank to help with moisture. Finally, it’s a good idea, but not a necessity, to store your equipment off the ground 0n top of some pavers to prevent moisture from collecting underneath. Winterization protects your equipment from the effects of long-term storage ensuring each part is fully functional once the weather breaks. Rest assured, no matter how tedious the task, the results will be worth it in the end. [Lesleigh Bennett] Sources: Camping World October 6, 2021 How to Winterize your RV How to Winterize Your RV - Camping World Blog Gold Eagle.Com 2023 How to Winterize A Motorcycle Step by Step Guide To Winterize A Motorcycle | Gold Eagle Co HGTV How To Winterize a Lawn Mower Author: Derek Trimble How to Winterize a Lawn Mower | HGTV
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