Maintenance on Lawn Mower/Snow Blower
 

Back in 2004, I sold the house I owned and moved into an apartment. All of the items I used at the house but wouldn't need in an apartment were placed in an outdoor storage unit.

I'm buying a house at the end of this month. One of the first things I will need to use almost directly from the storage unit is my lawn mower. I'm not sure what being stored during the last four years has done to the machine and I'm looking for any helpful hints as to what I should do prior to using the mower. I'm looking for similar information regarding my snow blower which has also been in storage.

Both items are gas powered. I can't recall the brands and they are buried at the back of the storage unit at this time. I seem to recall emptying the gas from each item prior to storage but I don't recall draining the oil.

Is this as simple as adding fresh oil and gas or is there more things I should check prior to use?

I like storing power equipment by changing oil and filters (gas and oil when present), adding a gas stabilizer (Stabil), and fogging the cylinders with a lubricant sprayed in to the carb venturi while the engine is running until it chokes out. It should start up pretty good the next season. You'll get some smoke at first as you burn off the fog lubricant. Plugs and points (if present) are always a good yearly maintenance task, but not always necessary.

If you're starting for the first time and not sure how it was stored, try checking the fuel lines for sediment, then put a few drops of gas in the carb. Clean contacts or replace crusty spark plugs. Prime well with the fuel primer ... or slowly pull on the pull starter until you start getting some valve pressure. Let 'er rip. You may get some good exercise at first ... electric start with a good battery is usually much easier.

good luck!

biggest problem will likely be old gas in the carb/lines/tank

first try dumping any old gas and putting in new fresh but if that is no good you are likely looking at disassembling and cleaning your carburetor
It is not too hard a job; you just have to be careful

Four years in storage? Don't try to start it until you change gas, oil, filter, and spark plug, and do it outside so you don't have to worry too much about the mice that have taken up residence under any plastic cover they found.

I'm guessing the mice will take off once I try to load it into the truck...

Yeah, four years in storage is a long time but I always knew I wanted to get back into a house and didn't want the added expense of buying new equipment again. The lawn mower was only two years old at that point. The snowblower is older but still ran great.

Thanks for the advise so far. If anyone else has anything else to add, I'm still open to more suggestions.