By the time the first snow falls, most ride-on mowers, robotic lawnmowers and lawn mowers have done their duty for the season - unless the lawn tractor is also used to clear snow. The equipment then just stands around and frost, moisture, road salt and the dirt from summer and autumn can lead to long-term damage. In this blog post, you will therefore learn how to winterise your lawn mower or winterise your lawn tractor.
The most important thing: safety when winterising
Before you get started, you should make sure that the lawn mower or ride-on mower cannot accidentally start while you are working on the blades, for example! This means:
- For electric lawn mowers with cable: Pull out the plug.
- For lawn mowers and lawn tractors with a combustion engine: disconnect the spark plug lead.
- For cordless lawn mowers, ride-on mowers with battery and robotic lawn mowers: Remove the battery (if possible) or disconnect the circuit.
Pay attention to the safety instructions in the manual.
The following recommendations are only intended as general advice. Cleaning and maintenance of your lawn mower should always be carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions - i.e. the operating instructions.
General information on winterising lawn mowers
As the lawn mower, ride-on mower or robotic lawnmower stands around unchanged for a long time in winter, you should take the opportunity to clean it thoroughly. This will prevent moisture from collecting under the dirt and consequently rust from forming. Moving parts should then be greased or oiled.
Regardless of whether it is a lawn tractor, robotic lawnmower or lawnmower, the appliance should be stored in a cool, dry and dust-free place in winter.
Winterising lawn mowers with combustion engines
Both classic push lawn mowers with two-stroke engines and lawn tractors should be winterised before winter storage:
As the petrol in the tank and pipes can resinify if left standing for a long time, it should be completely removed. Alternatively, you can also use anti-resin additives.
If you are already working on the lawn mower anyway, you should check whether the spark plugs need to be replaced or cleaned. You may also need to change the oil. You should make sure that the engine is well oiled before storing the lawn mower for the winter.
As long as the starter battery is connected, you should expect the lawn tractor to consume small amounts of electricity. You should therefore disconnect the lawn mower battery. As batteries age more quickly due to frost, it is usually better to remove them completely and store them at room temperature. This can be done safely in a RETRON BOX.
Winterising lawn mowers with combustion engines:
Winterising cordless lawn mowers and robotic lawn mowers
The lithium-ion batteries in lawn mowers, lawn tractors and robotic lawn mowers are even more sensitive to frost than the lead-acid batteries used as starter batteries. It is therefore best to remove them before winter storage and store them indoors. If you are concerned about fire protection, you should store the battery in one of our fireproof boxes. If the battery cannot be removed, you can also store many devices completely in one of our safety containers.
Before winter storage, the lithium-ion battery should be about half charged. A fully charged battery increases the risk of fire and an empty battery could self-discharge. We therefore also recommend checking the charge status during longer periods of storage.
