Hello,

This is the first year I've used a gas mower. It's a Toro with a Briggs and Stratton engine.

According to Toro, for winter maintenance I should remove the spark plug and put oil in the hole where the spark plug used to be. When asked what kind of oil, I was told to use the same oil as for the engine.

I feel weird about putting any kind of oil in there. I'm sorry I'm not very technical.

If someone could please explain and confirm why I would do the above, that would be great.

Thanks and happy holidays!

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Track down a can of "Fogging oil"....almost any parts store

Follow directions on can.

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No expert here but I think they are telling you to do that to primarily retard any rust buildup. Personall, I never remove the spark plugs for off season storage. Maybe I've been lucky but if that's the case then I've been lucky for over 40 years.

me neither. Mower or snow blower I just leave the plug in, unhook the plug wire and when ready for the next season, remove the plug, put new one in.

Wait'll CC sees this, after all the harassment you give him
about seasonalizing all the scoots 'n stuff.

No wonder he hasn't time to remove the tree.....

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no no now back up the truck there kimosabe. When it comes to winterizing or summerizing that usually involves (from my VERY limited expertise which means what I do) is to get them ready to put away or get ready to use.

I did learn however that when putting away, to change the oil. I had usually left the oil in and changed when getting ready to use it. However it was said that tis better to change the oil and put in new oil when also putting away....

as for tree removal, I am staying out of that topic so don't include me in that arguement/debate

To the OP - Regular engine oil is just fine. The objective is to apply a light coating of oil on the cylinder walls to retard/prevent them from rusting when in storage. Most of us here just spray some fogging oil in, which does the same thing. (Really, ANY oil is fine...)

To the udders - THAT TREE is awaiting good ice down below it. Good enough that we can drive right up to where it's going to fall, and just cut it up right there on the lake.

More to the udders - Even though I wax prolific about the importance and methods for winterizing/summerizing, as implied in the tree comment, I have so many frigg'n motors to tend to that my own are usually neglectd in lieu of PAYING accounts'. Thusly, I often am wanting to use Toy Xa, only to find it's not running right, and have to switch to Toy Xb. Sheesh - and I'm gunna plead the 17th here as I've had 3-4 G&Ts, trying to kill the pain you see, but I THINK I own (in the gasser dept.) 2 ATVs, 5 sleds, 2 trucks, 2 scooters, 1 car (K's), 4 snowblowers, 2 chainsaws, 1 log splitter, 4 blowers, and 5 pontoons. Probably something else that I've forgotten, but you get the picture...

So CUT ME SOME SLACK!!!

(I need a bigger PMS Shelter.)

Plug out - 5 sec WD-40 spray - plug in - 3-4 pulls on the starter rope - DONE!

Slack is cut and piled....neatly piled too....

Now, may I state for the record I was NOT the one who started or brought up the tree thing...it was THAT GUY ------>

If you are so behind in engine preparation, I am sure betweem me and THAT GUY ------> we can help ya out. I mean he has nothing else to do now he has them gutter guards on

So just send both of us roundtrip airfare, a list of hotels to choose in which to stay and of course food and drink...we will be up there to prepare all your engine-like stuff...

you could be a borderline engine horder....intervention required

I am sure there are other requirements we have, we will get those to you later once you agree to the deal....

geeeesh, one darn tree and I get blamed....and no one mentions the trees at Able Dawgs project mini-hut

does PMS mean Pre-Minnesota Summer?

I don't bother fogging my engines.

My 2 cycles are choked out on the last run. Self fogging.

My 4 cycles, well I've never seen the need. None of them have been fogged in my ownership of them, several date to the '60's with no cylinder or ring troubles.

I would fog marine engines, iron cylindered engines and larger 2 cycles (like sno-mo's), but I don't see much point with utility engines.

J