Changing lawn mower oil before winter

I have always run a whole season on my lawn mower oil and changed it after the last cutting. The oil was always pretty dirty so this summer I changed it in August. I was going to change it again last week but it looked pretty clean on the dipstick and on my finger. I probably cut the lawn 10 times since the oil was changed.

Should I change it even though it looks clean? I know there must be some contaminants in it but nothing like it would have been had I not changed it a couple months ago.

 

I would....... like you said it might look clean, but can still be broken down by heat, contaminents, etc. As cheap as an oil change is why chance it? That way it'll be ready for next season. Later!

 

Preparing your lawn mower for winter storage is as equally important as maintaining the mower during the summer months. Many owners think that because the mower is not being used in the winter, it will be fine tucked away in the shed until the coming of spring. This is not the case! Wrongly preparing your mower for winter storage can cause the mower to not work when it is needed in the following spring. Follow these four steps for proper mower storage:

1. Angle the mower back so that the blades are exposed. Then use a knife to remove grass clippings and any other matter that has accumulated among the blades. You do not want this dirt to harden on the blades during the winter months.
2. Remove any gasoline that is still in the fuel tank after your last mow. You can do this by siphoning the gas from the fuel tank or by allowing the engine to run until it empties and the mower shuts off.
3. Drain the remaining oil into a pan from the oil drain plug in the crankcase.
4. Check the spark plug gap and make sure that it is the assigned distance as stated in your mower’s manual.

By following those four basic steps, the life of your mower will increase drastically. Caring for your lawn mower in the winter and summer is the most important way to get the most out of the money you spent on it.

 

Very good advise but I would put fresh oil back into engine after draining old oil out, so you don't forget and start engine in Spring without oil in engine. NO OIL--------DEAD ENGINE!!

 

Yeah, don't drain the oil and leave it out. If it's dirty, change it. If it's clean, leave it.