Spring Checklist for Prepping Outdoor Equipment

Ensure that your outdoor equipment is in top condition for spring with our comprehensive checklist. From cleaning and maintenance tips to essential safety checks, follow these steps to get your gear ready for all your upcoming adventures. Don’t let a lack of preparation hold you back – use our guide to get ahead of the game and enjoy the season ahead!

Preparing Your Outdoor Equipment for Spring

Time to (literally) shake the dust off of those springtime tools. Make sure you take care of everything outlined below to ensure you’re properly storing your winter tools and getting the spring ones ready the right way!

Safety First!

When prepping any outdoor equipment, remember to do so safely. Have a plan in place for dealing with fuel disposal, and before performing any maintenance on your equipment, make sure that it is placed on a flat, stable surface and that the spark plug, battery, or power cord is disconnected. You should also be wearing protective gloves and, in some cases, safety glasses.

All geared up? Let’s go!

1. Review Your Manuals

If this is your first winter-to-spring rodeo with your lawn equipment, you may want to peruse the manual. Your specific make and model of equipment may require specific steps for spring prep that we don’t include in this guide.

2. Check and Charge Any Batteries

Give any equipment batteries a thorough inspection before you pop them back in. Look for signs of corrosion or damage, and if you see any, don’t use the battery! Look into safe and proper battery disposal in your area – many big box hardware stores will take them off your hands even if they’re leaking.

Be prepared to charge your batteries, as well, even if they were full when you put things away last fall. Batteries will slowly lose charge as they sit, so it’s natural they may not be full come spring.

3. Cleaning and Inspecting Your Equipment

If you already cleaned your lawnmower and other lawn equipment before putting it away last year, this shouldn’t be a big job. Give everything a thorough wipe-down and have your toolkit handy.

This is also a good way to spot early signs of damage. You may have already handled some of these items at the end of fall last year, but you’ll still want to keep an eye out for the following components:

• Clear out any old debris. You may find old leaves or grass clippings in cutter heads or under decks. Be sure to clear those out before you start using your equipment this year.
  
• Spark Plugs. Most manufacturers advise that spark plugs should be changed out annually. You can clean a spark plug, but if you know that a plug has seen 25 or more hours of use, it probably just needs to be replaced. AppliancePartsPros.com can help you out there, though. We have spark plugs for all major lawn equipment brands!
  
• Belts should be checked to make sure they haven’t slipped out of place and that they aren’t thinning or fraying. Replace these if you notice any signs of damage.
  
• Air filters will need to be checked for signs of damage. If you notice any tears or punctures, the air filter must be replaced. As far as dirt goes, paper or cardboard filters will need to be replaced if they’re excessively dirty. Other types of filters can be cleaned with warm soapy water. Just be sure to let them dry completely before you reinstall them.
  
• Tires should have their pressure checked. Fill them with air if they are low, and keep an eye out for damage that necessitates a plug or replacement.
  
• Check any cutting blades. Dents, cracks, fractures, or missing chunks from the blade mean it’s time for a replacement. If blades are just dull, you may be able to sharpen them. It should be obvious – the edge will be blunted, rather than sharp and angled. With the right tools, you can sharpen a mower blade yourself or have a professional sharpen the blade for you. If the blade has already been sharpened before, however, consider buying a replacement instead of sharpening it again.
  
• Pull cords should not be frayed and should automatically retract when released. A stuck pull cord is relatively easy to fix – sticking is usually caused by debris or tangles – but you’ll definitely want to replace a cord if it’s visibly damaged or fraying. Not sure how? We’ve got a guide for that on our blog!
  
• Have a look at the cutting head on your trimmer. Is the spool full, and is the wire in good shape?
  
• Check handles and make sure that they are secure and intact. Tightening down loose handles or straps should be easy, but if these components are damaged, you should replace them before using your equipment to avoid serious injury.
  
• Tighten down any nuts, bolts, or other hardware that may have come loose while your equipment was in storage.
  
• Have an appropriate lubricant handy to grease up components that need it.

4. Dealing with Oil

Time for an oil change! Before you use any outdoor equipment for the year, be sure to change out the oil. You’ll find the correct grade and amounts in your equipment’s manual, so be sure to consult it before you start maintenance.

5. Dealing with Fuel

You should have drained your equipment of fuel before putting it away. Fuel oxidizes as it ages, which can gum up crucial components like carburetors. If you didn’t drain the old gas from your equipment at the end of last year, you should do so now.

1. Consult with your local waste management services for how best to dispose of old fuel in your area. They may collect it for you or you may need to take it to a specific hazardous waste disposal location.
   
2. Ensure the spark plug wire is disconnected from your equipment before starting.
   
3. Drain gas or oil into an appropriate heavy-duty container with a siphoning pump.
   
4. Securely cap the gas canister and dispose of the gas per your local laws.
   
5. Before adding new fuel to your equipment, rev it up and let it run until it stops on its own to ensure all gas has been used up.

Once the tank is completely empty and the old fuel is disposed of, you can add fresh fuel and oil to your equipment per the manufacturer’s guidelines.

6. Properly Store Cases and Covers

Once everything’s out of storage, make sure any protective cases and covers you used this winter are properly put away in a space where they are protected from the elements.

Prepping Winter Equipment for Storage

While you can probably get away with tucking your snow shovel away in a corner of the garage, some of your other snowy weather tools will need a bit more TLC before they can go away for the year. Gas engines and mechanical parts need a bit of attention to keep them in good shape while they sit. Be sure to thoroughly clean and service your equipment before storage. Want to know how? Head on over to our winter tool care guide!

Troubleshooting: My Equipment Isn’t Working After Winter Storage!

Wheel your lawnmower out of the shed and can’t get it started? Don’t call it dead, yet. Check the following on any equipment that’s struggling to turn or stay on:

• Check the spark plug. First of all, is it properly connected? Make sure the boot Past that, how does the spark plug itself look? On most equipment, spark plugs should be replaced annually, so if you notice that it’s blackened or scorched, it may need to be swapped out.
  
• Is the battery charged? Is it dead? Make sure any electric batteries are properly charged. If one was accidentally left on a charger over winter, there’s a chance it’s damaged and will need to be replaced.
  
• How’s the fuel situation? Your equipment should be fueled up with fresh fuel. Gasoline and other fuels deteriorate as they age, making them less effective and also potentially gumming up internal parts. If the fuel in your equipment is more than 30 days old, safely drain and dispose of it and try starting your equipment up with some fresher fuel.
  
• If you know there’s sufficient fresh fuel and oil and your mower is struggling to start, it may be that the carburetor is flooded. Let your mower sit on a level surface for around fifteen minutes before trying again.
  
• Check the carburetor. If you’re still having issues, the carburetor may have become clogged or damaged. Thoroughly clean the carburetor with an appropriate cleaner first. If that doesn’t work, you may need to replace the part.

Wrapping Up

When it comes to readying the tools up for spring, there’s a lot to keep track of, and we hope this guide has helped you do it! Have questions that weren’t answered in today’s tutorial? Check out our blog for more guides or head on over to our main site to consult with one of our friendly experts. Whether you’re in the market for new parts to complete a repair or need some help performing maintenance on your equipment, AppliancePartsPros.com is here to help!