this post was submitted on 15 Sep 2024
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Genuine question as I haven't actually thought about this, how does that work when you don't have a winter? Where I live it doesn't get below 40° ever, or above 85°. Those are literally the overnight low in Feb, and midday high in Aug/Sep. Do I still need to drain, or just treat it like changing the oil in my car? I.E.: Every 6 months or 3500 miles, whichever comes first.
Like u/possiblylinux127 said, any time you’re not going to use it for more than a month or two, it’s best to drain the fluids. Oil is less important than gas, and you can leave gas in it as well if you add a stabilizer to it.
Personally, I wouldn’t use gas stabilizer for more than one season, but I know many who use it every year with no problem. Just make sure you run the motor with the stabilizer for a few minutes before you store it so the gas in the carburetor doesn’t gum up.
As for oil, I tend to only change it when it looks darker than a piece of burnt toast I’d still be willing to eat. I know that’s vague, but it’s how I do it.
Ideally, you should be using nonoxygenated gas for your mower, in which case stabilizer is unnecessary. The ethanol is what gums up carbs.
I usually have to use starter fluid first time each year. I beat the shit out of it. Only changed the oil once, when I bought it second hand. I'm really waiting for it to fail to buy electric, but it's been 3 years and and still going strong.
My grass doesn't grow for like 5 months of the year. If you don't have winter, you don't need to store your mower for half the year.
If you don't need it there is no point in having fluids in it. It might not be necessary but it is good practice