Winter prep

[Trev]

<font color=blue>How do others prepare for winter?</font color=blue>

Tractor preps are the easy part for me. I have a front blade, so I simply remove the lock pins and put on the skid shoes, to convert it from dirt digging to snow plowing duty.

I'll mow one final time sometime soon, and then till up next years garden and plant red clover for a winter crop. We need to do something about grubs too, but we haven't decided what.

Then the little things.. gas treatment for the little push mower, run it a bit, etc. Clean up the rear finish mower and replace the blades. Check the tiller for any cracked tines, etc., and get that ready for Spring.

Do the routine maint on the snowblower.. make sure it's running right.

Wait until it gets colder, and then swap the summer wheels/tires for the winter ones on both cars.

As others said, spray cans, etc., moved into the basement from the unheated garage.

Have the annual furnace check/cleaning done in the house.

I think that's about it. But I probably left something out. /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

 

[Hank]

<font color=blue>How do others prepare for winter</font color=blue>

This will be our first winter in our new home.

Let's see,

1. start on backlog of landscaping/tractor projects

2. fill up the swimming pool

3. get out the Bar-B-Que

/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Boondox]

Hank -- As a refugee from California, I've gotta admit I don't miss that boring weather one bit! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif It took me almost a year in Vermont before I noticed the sky. In San Diego it was so uniformly hazy/smoggy that I never looked up.

As for the BBQ, for the first two years of my marriage it rained or snowed every single time we planned on grilling...so we gave up. Now, if it rains or snows, we fire up the grill! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Pete

 

[frank_f15]

hey Pete: nice to know there is another deranged person out there, i often fire up the grill in the winter, and around here I MEAN WINTER/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif nothing like a steak and either shrimp or lobster talil done on the grill when it is snowing. oops think we might have gone off original topic.

 

[frank_f15]

nice to know i am not the only one who cleans and services thier equipment BEFORE i store. much easier that way and besides it makes me happy. hate to tackle that stuff when i need it./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

 

[LazyJ_Arabians]

Don't forget your sprayers.. pto, electric, backpacks, hand pumps

 

[tiltbed]

now thats a rough one...most of my equiptment is used year round...tillage is cleaned and put up after spring,bh is cleaned after last mowing {sept}...ok the main winter projects probably are...digging out the tree stands..dusting off the bow,oiling up the shotgun and getting some fat ran off the beagle...winters are almost as fun as summers...lol..Sid

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I remove my belly mower, pressure wash it, scrap the junk from underneath, and spray underneath with WD40 to resist rust, unhook the mower belt to relieve tension on it, grease the zerk fittings, and check the gear oil. Original belt is 10 years old (knock on wood). I then store it in the detached garage.

I also run my push mower out of gas. Sometimes I have to help it by emptying some of the fuel by turning the mower over, otherwise it will run for quite a long time. Of course I do that before I start it up and it gets hot. I remove the spark plug, a squirt or two of oil, and put the plug back in for use in the spring. I then disconnect the spark plug wire and pull on the cord once or twice. NEVER had a problem starting in the spring with more than two pulls on the cord. Works great! It will smoke a tiny bit in the spring as the oil burns off but this only lasts a few seconds. I also do this with the weedeater and gas blower.

Since I plow snow with the pickup now I don't put my scraper blade on anymore. Just sit in a warm pickup to plow my driveway and neighbors. I can use the Kubota front end loader to get real close to things and of course use the old shovel, if needed. Yuk.