Lawn Equipment Storage Tips
We all know how quickly our grass can grow during the warm, summer months of the growing season. Keeping it trimmed and neat can be a serious investment–especially for those of us with HOAs breathing down our necks. The lawn equipment that helps us keep grass looking spick and span can be very large and expensive. Storing it can be as much of a hassle as purchasing it!
So what do you do with your lawn equipment during the off season? The mower takes up a great amount of space in a garage, but leaving such a valuable tool outside in your driveway is definitely not the way to go. Lucky for you, self-storage may be a good option for you to keep your equipment safe from criminals and the elements. Here are some storage tips on how to keep lawn equipment in a self storage facility.
Lawn Equipment Storage Tips
Clean Your Lawn Equipment
As with everything you store, you want to give it a good head start before putting it in storage. Cleaning your equipment and removing all grass stains, dirt, and other contaminants from it will keep it in good condition. The less opportunity you give for pests, bacteria, rust, and other contaminants to manifest in your storage, the better your equipment will be when you take it out. Always make sure that your equipment is clean and dry before storing it.
Perform Maintenance Before Storage
If your lawn equipment needs any maintenance or upkeep to keep it running, ensure that you take care of this before storage. Leaving the equipment in storage with issues may lead to those issues being amplified when you take it out. Make sure any tires are full, hoses and lines have no leaks, air filters are replaced, and any components requiring lubrication are taken care of. This will make sure your lawne quipment stays in great shape the whole off season.
Disassemble and Cover Equipment
If you can take any of your lawn equipment apart, this may help it store more efficiently. It will also allow you to clean the pieces more effectively. Furthermore, keeping your equipment covered is another way of ensuring it stays cleaner and safer while you are storing it. This will also protect from pests that may manage to avoid pest control efforts and enter your storage unit. Taking your equipment apart and covering it will help you keep it protected while it’s in storage for the off season.
Drain or Stabilize the Fuel
Depending on where you choose to store your lawn equipment, you will likely have to drain the gas from the tank before storage. Some storage facilities do not allow storage of anything that could be explosive or flammable, which includes gasoline. Gasoline can also break down over time, which can cause damage to your equipment. So, even if you are storing with a facility that allows gasoline to remain in the tank, you should consider draining the tank of gasoline if you will be storing very long-term.
If you are planning on more short term storage or you will be regularly using the equipment while it’s stored, stabilize the gas. This will prevent the fuel from breaking down as quickly and save your equipment from damage it would cause. However, if you plan to do this, always make sure the facility you are using allows gasoline to be stored.
Consider Indoor or Outdoor Storage
If you plan to use your lawn equipment frequently while it’s in storage, outdoor drive up storage might be the best option for you. If not, indoor storage will provide more protection from climate, pests, and the elements, especially if you invest in climate-controlled storage. Indoor storage is also much more efficient for any chemical treatments you may be storing as they can be degraded by heat in outdoor storage unit. Just make sure your storage facility allows storage of these chemicals.
Organize Your Lawn Equipment
You may be storing just a lawn mower in your storage unit, in which case little organization is necessary. However, if you have a plethora of tools to keep your yard looking nice, you will need to organize them. Especially if you plan to access them regularly, sort your tools by the type of tool and make sure that each one is easily accessible.
Lawn equipment is certainly a costly investment, but proper storage can be an excellent way to preserve the longevity of your tools. If you need a little extra room in your garage this winter, consider investing in self storage for your tools.