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Mower Winterizing Checklist

Pick the machine and how you want to handle the fuel. You get every step its maker publishes for putting it away, in order, with the maker’s own words under each one — and where two makers disagree, both of them.

What are you putting away?
The fuel over winter

The makers split on this one, so it is your call — each side is quoted in the answer. Only the routes a maker publishes for this machine are offered.

Where will it spend the winter?

It matters if there is fuel in it: a furnace, water heater or dryer has a flame.

Gas push mower · run it dry · in a detached shed or garage

16 steps before it goes awayHonda, Toro and STIHL publish this fuel route for a push mower. Briggs & Stratton publishes both routes. Both sides are quoted below, and the manual on your machine settles it.

    Engine off and cold before you touch fuel or a blade, spark plug wire off before your hands go under the deck, and fuel only outdoors in a container made for it. This list is what the makers publish — the manual that came with your machine outranks every line of it.

    Maker instructions checked 2026-09-25.

    Who says what about the fuel

    Publish this route

    Publish another

    • Briggs & Stratton: “Store your mower with a full tank of treated fuel. This helps prevent moisture from condensing inside the tank, which can lead to rust and clog the carburetor.” Briggs & Stratton — How To Properly Winterize Your Mower · checked 2026-09-25
    • STIHL: “STIHL MotoMix® contains no ethanol and has a storage life of up to two years. STIHL MotoMix® can be left in the machine during seasonal storage.” STIHL USA — Fuel FAQs · checked 2026-09-25

    The checklist

    Fuel

    • Briggs & Stratton — the original words

      Briggs & Stratton: “remove all fuel from the tank and run the engine until it stops from lack of fuel.” Briggs & Stratton — Storing Your Mower & Outdoor Power Equipment · checked 2026-09-25

    • Honda — the original words

      Honda: “Remove the carburetor drain bolt with a 10 mm wrench, and drain the carburetor bowl fuel into an approved container.” Honda HRJ196 lawn mower owner’s manual — Draining the Fuel Tank and Carburetor · checked 2026-09-25

    • Briggs & Stratton — the original words

      Briggs & Stratton: “If gasoline in the small engine has not been treated with a fuel stabilizer, it must be drained into an approved container. Run the engine until it stops from lack of fuel.” Briggs & Stratton — Fuel Recommendations · checked 2026-09-22

    Engine

    • Toro disagrees: “Certain lawn mower engines are engineered to not require an oil change, but some models will still need one.” Toro YardCare — How to Winterize Your Mower · checked 2026-09-25

      Briggs & Stratton — the original words

      Briggs & Stratton: “While the engine is still warm, change the oil and the oil filter (if equipped).” Briggs & Stratton — Storing Your Mower & Outdoor Power Equipment · checked 2026-09-25

    • Honda — the original words

      Honda: “Pour 5–10 cc of clean engine oil into the cylinder. Pull the starter grip several times to distribute the oil in the cylinder. Reinstall the spark plug. Pull the starter grip slowly until resistance is felt, then return the starter grip gently. This closes the valves so moisture cannot enter.” Honda HRJ196 lawn mower owner’s manual — Engine Cylinder · checked 2026-09-25

    • Briggs & Stratton — the original words

      Briggs & Stratton: “Check the air filter for dirt and debris. If it’s dirty, clean it according to the manufacturer’s instructions or replace it with a new one if necessary.” Briggs & Stratton — How To Properly Winterize Your Mower · checked 2026-09-25

    • STIHL — the original words

      STIHL: “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.” STIHL USA — How to Winterize Your STIHL Mowers · checked 2026-09-25

    Blade and deck

    • Honda — the original words

      Honda: “Disconnect the spark plug cap. … Wear heavy gloves to protect your hands from the blade.” Honda HRJ196 lawn mower owner’s manual — Cleaning · checked 2026-09-25

    • Toro — the original words

      Toro: “Spray the deck, remove and clean the blades, and if necessary, scrape off grass clumps and organic matter that won’t loosen with water.” Toro YardCare — How to Winterize Your Mower · checked 2026-09-25

    • Briggs & Stratton — the original words

      Briggs & Stratton: “Sharpen the blades using a file or a sharpening tool, or replace them if they are too worn.” Briggs & Stratton — How To Properly Winterize Your Mower · checked 2026-09-25

    • Honda — the original words

      Honda: “After the lawn mower is clean and dry, touch up any damaged paint, and coat other areas that may rust with a light film of oil.” Honda HRJ196 lawn mower owner’s manual — Cleaning · checked 2026-09-25

    Where it spends the winter

    • STIHL — the original words

      STIHL: “All mowers should be stored in a cool, dry place—dust- and frost-free if possible.” STIHL USA — How to Winterize Your STIHL Mowers · checked 2026-09-25

    • STIHL — the original words

      STIHL: “Cover air cleaner and exhaust outlets to keep moisture, dirt, and insects out of the engine.” STIHL USA — How to Winterize Your STIHL Mowers · checked 2026-09-25

    • Simplicity disagrees: “Cover the mower with a tarp.” Simplicity — Tractor & Riding Lawn Mower Storage: a How-to Guide · checked 2026-09-25

      Honda — the original words

      Honda: “With the engine and exhaust system cool, cover the mower to keep out dust. A hot engine and exhaust system can ignite or melt some materials. Do not use plastic sheet as a dust cover. A nonporous cover will trap moisture around the mower, promoting rust and corrosion.” Honda HRJ196 lawn mower owner’s manual — Storage Precautions · checked 2026-09-25

    In spring

    • Briggs & Stratton on E15: “This E15 product is not recommended or approved for use in small engines.” Briggs & Stratton — Fuel Recommendations · checked 2026-09-22

      Honda — the original words

      Honda: “If the fuel was drained during storage preparation, fill the tank with fresh gasoline. If you keep a container of gasoline for refueling, be sure that it contains only fresh gasoline.” Honda HRJ196 lawn mower owner’s manual — Removal From Storage · checked 2026-09-25

    • Honda — the original words

      Honda: “If the cylinder was coated with oil during storage preparation, the engine may smoke briefly at startup. This is normal.” Honda HRJ196 lawn mower owner’s manual — Removal From Storage · checked 2026-09-25

    Quick answer: deal with the fuel, change the oil while it is warm, clean and sharpen the blade with the spark plug wire off, take the battery out of a rider and charge it, and store the machine somewhere dry and away from any flame. The one real argument is the fuel. Honda, Toro and STIHL say to drain a push mower. Briggs & Stratton says a full tank of stabilized fuel on one page — and, on another, to drain it if the fuel contains alcohol, which almost all US pump gas does. Pick a route above and the checklist gives you that route’s steps, with the other side quoted next to it.

    How to use it

    Choose the machine, then the fuel route, then where it will spend the winter. The list rebuilds itself for that combination — a push mower gets Honda’s cylinder-oil step, a rider gets the battery and the tires, a pressure washer gets the pump. Each step is written in plain words, and under it, one tap away, are the maker’s own words and a link to the page they came from. Tick the steps off as you go; the ticks stay on this device only. When you are done, print it and tape it to the shed door for next year.

    Drain it or treat it? The makers do not agree

    This is the question that gets argued about in every garage, and the reason is simple: the makers really do say different things.

    • Drain it. Honda’s walk-behind manual says to drain the tank and the carburettor if the mower will sit more than 30 days. Toro’s own advice for walk-behinds is to empty the fuel. STIHL goes furthest — it does not recommend storing a mower with fuel in it “even if a stabilizer is added”, and says the same for its trimmers, blowers and saws: empty the tank and run the engine at idle until it stops.
    • Treat it and fill it. Briggs & Stratton’s winterizing page says to store the mower with a full tank of stabilized fuel, because a full tank leaves no room for damp air. Toro says the same for riding and zero-turn mowers.
    • Both. Simplicity says either route works. And Briggs & Stratton’s own storage checklist adds a condition the winterizing page leaves out: without their stabilizer, or with “fuel containing alcohol, such as gasohol”, remove all the fuel.

    So which is right? Both are right about different machines. A push mower’s tank is small and its carburettor bowl is tiny and quick to varnish; running it dry costs you nothing. A rider or a zero-turn holds gallons, has a fuel pump and lines, and a dry tank breathes damp air all winter. Whatever you choose, the one thing every maker agrees on is that old fuel is the problem — which is why the gas shelf-life calculator exists, and why “fresh” in spring means fresh.

    The steps people skip

    Changing the oil in autumn, not spring. Used oil carries acids and combustion leftovers, and they sit against the bearings all winter. Briggs & Stratton says to change it while the engine is still warm, when it drains properly. Toro’s note is fair: a few engines are built never to need an oil change, so check the manual before you go hunting for a drain plug that is not there. (We wrote about whether you can leave the oil in over winter separately.)

    The cylinder oil. Honda’s walk-behind manual adds a step most people have never heard of: spark plug out, 5–10 cc of clean engine oil into the cylinder, pull the cord to spread it, plug back in, then pull slowly until you feel resistance so the valves close. It keeps damp air off the cylinder wall. Expect a puff of smoke on the first start in spring — Honda says that is normal.

    The battery. A lead-acid battery left half-flat in a cold shed can freeze and crack. Charge it fully, take it out, and keep it somewhere cool and dry, away from the gas cans and the water heater. Toro says to recharge it again before the first start.

    The blade. Winter is the quiet time to take it off and sharpen or replace it — and the spark plug wire comes off before your hands go anywhere near it. That is not optional, on any machine, ever.

    Where it sleeps matters more than people think

    If there is fuel in the machine — the treat-and-fill route, or canned fuel — do not park it next to a furnace, a water heater or a clothes dryer. Honda’s manual is specific: store it “away from any appliance that operates with a flame”. Fuel vapour is heavier than air and pilot lights sit low. An attached garage with a water heater in the corner is exactly the place it should not go. If that is the only place you have, run it dry instead.

    On the cover, two makers disagree again. Honda says never to use a plastic sheet, because a non-porous cover traps moisture and rusts the thing you were protecting. Simplicity and Toro both mention a tarp. The honest middle: indoors, a breathable cover; outdoors, a tarp tucked under so the wind cannot take it, on paved ground, is still far better than nothing. We cover the garage question on its own in is it safe to store a gas lawn mower in the garage.

    Pressure washers are the ones that crack

    A mower that is put away badly starts hard in spring. A pressure washer put away with water in the pump can split its pump housing in the first hard frost. Briggs & Stratton’s procedure is the one to follow: flush the detergent out with clean water, release the pressure, drain the hoses and the wand, pull the cord about six times to push the last water out, then fill the pump with pump saver and pull twice more. In a climate with real frost, their page adds that an antifreeze flush may be worth doing too.

    In spring

    Fresh fuel — E10 or ethanol-free, and never E15, which Briggs & Stratton says “is not recommended or approved for use in small engines”. A charged battery. Tires back to running pressure. Then the pre-start checks in your manual. If it will not start after all that, the fuel that sat in the carburettor over the winter is the first suspect; should I store my lawn mower with gas covers why.

    What this does not cover

    Battery-powered mowers and robot mowers have their own storage rules — mostly about the battery’s charge level and temperature — and the maker’s manual is the only place to get them. Snowblowers go into storage in spring rather than autumn, but the fuel logic is the same: drain it, or treat it and fill it, per the maker. And anything under a raised machine gets blocked, never trusted to a jack.

    Common questions

    Should I drain the gas from my lawn mower for winter?
    For a push mower, most makers say yes: Honda says to drain the tank and carburettor if it will sit more than 30 days, Toro says to empty walk-behind mowers, and STIHL does not recommend storing a mower with fuel even with a stabilizer. Briggs & Stratton publishes both routes — a full tank of stabilized fuel, or, if the fuel contains alcohol, draining it.
    Is it better to store a mower with a full tank or an empty one?
    If you keep fuel in it, full. Briggs & Stratton and Toro both say a full tank of stabilized fuel leaves less room for damp air to condense. Toro’s guide for its professional equipment says a lower level is fine. An empty tank is the other route entirely — run it until it stops.
    Do I need to change the oil before winter storage?
    Briggs & Stratton and STIHL both say to change it while the engine is still warm before storage. Toro says to check the manual, because some engines are built not to need oil changes.
    Should I take the battery out of my riding mower for winter?
    Yes, unless you plan to start the mower during the winter. Disconnect the negative cable first, then the positive, charge the battery fully and store it somewhere cool and dry, away from heat sources like gas cans, water heaters and furnaces. Recharge it before the first start in spring.
    Can I store my lawn mower in the garage with gas in it?
    Not near anything with a flame. Honda’s manual says a mower stored with fuel in it should be kept in a well-ventilated area away from any appliance that operates with a flame, such as a furnace, water heater or clothes dryer. If your garage has one, run the mower dry before storing it there.
    How do I winterize a pressure washer?
    Briggs & Stratton’s steps: treat the fuel and run the engine two minutes, flush the detergent system with clean water, release the pressure, drain the hoses, gun and wand, pull the recoil about six times to empty the pump, then fill it with pump saver and pull twice more. Store it cool and dry.