5 TIPS BEFORE STORING YOUR ECHO TOOLS THIS WINTER

With winter upon us, now is the time to prepare your ECHO tools ready for winter storage. If you just put your tools in a garage/shed without any sort of cleaning or servicing measures, you could affect the performance of your landscaping tools. To keep your equipment working at peak performance for years to come, follow these simple instructions to get your tools ready for winter storage.

The following steps will talk you through the basic measures you can take for a trimmer, power blower, and edger – three very crucial landscape tools that can last for years to come with proper maintenance.

Empty the Tanks

Before you can begin cleaning, polishing, or prepping the tools for storage, you will first want to empty the tanks of their fuel. You can do this by using each tool one final time to ensure the fuel is consumed or by emptying the fuel from thetank into an appropriate disposal tank. Emptying the fuel first will allow you to handle the equipment more easily, without worrying about spillage if you need to turn the tool on its side. Run each piece of equipment until it is empty, ensuring there is no more fuel in the lines.

Disconnect Spark Plugs

As an added safety measure, be sure to disconnect the spark plugs before beginning any maintenance. This will ensure they cannot start up. You will also want to inspect each plug, making sure corrosion has not occurred and to properly clean or replace each.

Cleaning

Leading into winter, your tools have probably worked just as hard as you have. And after months of hard work, these tools are probably loaded with more dirt, grass, and debris than you realise. Cleaning each can be the most time consuming but will also keep these tools running like new.

First remove major clumps or visible debris from the blades, guards, and exteriors. For your edger, remove the blade to remove trapped grass or debris. This will also allow you to clean, sharpen, and oil the blade. A wire brush will make short work out of clearing the months’ worth of dirt and grass. Similarly, clean out your trimmer by removing any caked on debris under the shield. Most blowers can be wiped down with a very lightly dampened cloth as they don’t usually have the same debris issues mowers or trimmers have.

Filter Cleaning

Your air filter has likely been working overtime if this is the first cleaning session you’ve given your tools. Be sure to clean these out and keep an eye out for any holes, tears, or signs of wear around the seals. Keeping your filters clean will keep each tool from working too hard. Use an air hose being careful not to clean too hard and puncture filters or replace as needed.

Storage

Finally, consider the space you keep these tools in. How much moisture gets into this space? Are other metal tools or equipment consistently rusting in there? Can you afford the space in a better sealed/ventilated garage to store your power equipment? While you may not want to pour too much money into fixing up a shed, look for anything you can do easily or cheaply to seal the shed, prevent moisture, or increase ventilation.
And just like that, your trimmer, edger, and power blowers have been made ready for winter storage. At the start of spring, you’ll be ready to put in some landscaping and your tools will function like new. Just be sure to give each piece of equipment ample fuel and warm up time after sitting all winter.