Late October is the window to store your lawn mower and outdoor power equipment for winter in Mid-Michigan. The first accumulating snow in Genesee County usually arrives in November, and once it does, the mower, leaf blower, and trimmer will sit idle for five months or more. How you put them away now determines how easily they start in April, so it is worth spending an hour on it before the cold settles in.
Handle the Fuel Before You Store Anything
The single most common reason a mower will not start in spring is stale fuel. Gasoline begins to degrade in roughly 30 days, and modern ethanol blends can gum up a carburetor over a winter in storage. The simplest approach is to run the mower until the tank is empty, then start it once more to burn fuel out of the carburetor. If you prefer to store it with fuel, fill the tank, add a fuel stabilizer such as Sta-Bil or Sea Foam according to the label, and run the engine for a few minutes so the treated fuel reaches the carburetor. Both fuel stabilizers and fresh two-cycle oil are easy to find at Ace Hardware at 12901 S. Saginaw St. in Grand Blanc or at the Gill-Roy's hardware stores around Genesee County.
Oil, Blade, and a Clean Deck
Change the oil if it is due, replace or clean the air filter, and sharpen the mower blade before storing. A sharp blade stored clean is ready for the first mow in spring, and many small engine shops take blade sharpening jobs over the winter when they are slow. Scrape grass clippings off the underside of the deck so rust does not set in, wipe down the machine, and store it in a garage or shed. If it must sit outside, use a cover, but a dry, covered spot is far better for seals and fuel lines.
Batteries and Small Equipment
Battery-powered equipment needs different care. Remove batteries from mowers, trimmers, leaf blowers, and chainsaws, and store them indoors at cool room temperature, roughly 40 to 70 degrees. Charge them to about 50 to 80 percent before storage, never store them fully empty, and check them every month or two through the winter. For gas trimmers and chainsaws, drain or stabilize the fuel and run the engine dry just as you would the mower.
The Snow Blower Is the Exception
The one machine you want ready instead of stored is the snow blower. Change the oil, replace the spark plug, check the shear pins and auger drive, and test-run it on fresh fuel before the first snow. Small engine shops across the region take snow blower tune-ups in October and early November. My 3 Sons Power Equipment at 6321 Wagner Ave. in Grand Blanc and Dave's Small Engine Repair at 4394 E. Atherton Rd. in Burton both service lawn mowers, snow blowers, and other outdoor equipment and can help with anything beyond a simple tune-up. Call ahead for current hours and seasonal pricing, since shops book up as the season approaches.
Why Storage Space Matters Around a Home
Garage and storage space is one of the details buyers notice most when they tour a home, and it shows up again every spring when it is time to pull the mower back out. As a Mid-Michigan REALTOR, I have watched homeowners enjoy a property more when the basics are handled, from winter-ready equipment to a home that is prepped for the season. For the buying and selling side of the conversation, Joyce's guides at joyceenglandrealtor.com cover it in detail.
Joyce England, REALTOR®
Keller Williams First · Mid-Michigan
Joyce England is a Mid-Michigan REALTOR serving homeowners across Genesee, Oakland, Livingston, Lapeer, Shiawassee, Saginaw, and Tuscola counties. She writes about seasonal home care and the outdoors to help families make the most of living in the region year-round.
