Though many lawn care tasks are over when the weather cools, that doesn’t mean all your tools will go into storage. You might still be using a chainsaw, for example, if you heat with wood or have an indoor fireplace you want to keep burning on cozy winter nights. If you’re in an area where it snows, snow blowers will see a lot of use to help keep the driveway and side walks clear. In locations where there’s very little snow and milder winters, you might be getting lawn equipment out to help take care of winter weeds.
Winter can also be a good time to take your other lawn equipment in for a yearly tune-up or for service that was neglected during the busier months of the year. You’ll get ahead of the spring rush, and be sure that your equipment is in working-order when lawn care tasks become more frequent as the weather warms.
Snow Blowers
You many have already been using your blowers for fall clean-up around the yard, but if you have a snowblower that haven’t been used since the previous year now’s the time to get it tuned-up for winter. Check the spark plug and filter and replace or clean them as needed. Before the first snowfall, change the oil and gas or re-fill the drained fuel tank.
Protect your blower during the times it’s sitting idle this winter by using a fuel stabilizer when you re-fuel. Since blowers are often used sporadically throughout the winter, you might not use-up all the fuel in the tank before it goes stale. If unstabilized fuel is left in equipment longer than 30 days, the ethanol will attract moisture and can cause engine damage.
Chainsaws
Chainsaws used for cutting wood in the winter require extra maintenance. If your chainsaw has a carburetor pre-heater system, switch the winter/summer shutter to “winter” mode once the temperature drops below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, drain the bar and chain oil and replace it with a thinner, winter-grade lubricant.
When cutting in the winter, keep a close eye out for snow and ice buildup on the chainsaw. The chain brake and sprocket cover will need more frequent cleaning in the winter, and you’ll also need to keep the air intake free from snow and frozen sawdust that could block airflow and make the engine overheat. You might also want to keep a spare chain on hand, since frozen wood is hard to cut and dulls saw chains quickly. When sharpening your chains in the winter, decrease the saw chain’s filing angle by five degrees to increase cutting performance and decrease wear and tear on the guide bar and cutting chain.
Winter Weeds
In locations where there isn’t much snow, winter weeds in the lawn can get out of control. You can keep winter weeds from taking over the yard by trimming them or spot-treating with an herbicide.
For most lawns, a small sprayer like the Stihl SG10 or Echo MS-221H is good for making precision applications of herbicide directly on the weeds while not killing surrounding grass. If you’ll be using your trimmers throughout the winter, remember to add a fuel stabilizer when filling up the gas tank. Just like in snowblowers, the stabilizer will help you avoid problems with fuel going bad because the equipment is used so infrequently in the winter months.
