Give your lawn mower a winter MOT

Give it a clean and check over so it’s ready for action in spring

In many parts of the country lawns carried on growing until early winter because of the mild autumn, and even in December I’ve heard the occasional buzz of a mower in our village. Now that lawn-cu ing season is well and truly finished for the year, mowers can be stored away until the grass starts to grow again in early spring. Wet grass clippings are corrosive on metal, so make sure you clean the mower thoroughly before you put it away for winter. If you don’t, the acid in the grass will gradually eat into the metal, causing it to rust, which in turn shortens the life of the appliance.

You don’t need to service the mower yet, but it’s certainly a good idea to check it over so that come spring it’ll work. One reason petrol mowers are sometimes difficult to start after being stood for several months is because petrol has been left in the tank over winter. This petrol can go stale, and sediment from it can cause problems in the fuel line and carbure or. Even if the mower does start, the old petrol can cause the engine to run poorly instead of smoothly, so ideally run the engine dry now to avoid problems.