How to Store a Snow Blower for Summer
How to Store a Snow Blower for Summer
In This Guide
A snow blower spends more of the year in storage than in use, and how it is put away in spring decides whether it starts easily next winter. The off season routine is short, but each step prevents a specific problem: fuel handling stops varnish, fresh oil stops corrosion inside the engine, lubrication stops seized controls, and covering stops rust. This guide walks the full shutdown so the machine is ready when the first storm arrives. It pairs naturally with draining the fuel, which is the step most people get wrong.
Step One: Handle the Fuel
Old fuel is the number one enemy of stored snow blowers. Either drain the tank and run the carburetor dry, or fill the tank, add stabilizer and run the engine a few minutes so treated fuel reaches the carburetor. Our dedicated guide on draining the gas covers the drain path in detail. Whatever you choose, do not leave untreated fuel sitting all summer.
Step Two: Change the Oil
Store the machine on fresh oil, not the used oil full of combustion acids that eat at the engine over months of sitting. Warm the engine, drain the old oil, and refill with the correct cold weather grade. Our snow blower oil guide covers grades and capacity. Doing the oil change in spring means one less job in the fall rush.
Step Three: Lubricate Moving Parts
Grease or oil the auger shaft, the control cables, the chute rotation gear and any pivot points. Snow blowers sit in damp conditions, and unlubricated cables and gears seize over a humid summer. A few minutes with grease and a spray lubricant keeps everything moving freely next winter.
Step Four: Protect Against Rust Inside and Out
Step Five: Store It Right
Keep the machine in a dry garage or shed, up on a board or pallet rather than directly on concrete, which draws moisture. Cover it with a breathable cover, not a sealed plastic sheet that traps condensation. Keep it away from any appliance with a pilot light if there is any fuel left aboard. Come the first snow, a machine put away this way starts on the first or second pull.
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