Wait for mower to cool down before putting back in garage

[Donald]

I have read 2 articles over the past few months where people pushed mower back to store and it caught fire and burned the house down. One under a deck and the other in attached garage. I leave mower maybe 10 feet from garage and push in into garage a few hours latter. Obviously with a lawn tractor it's harder to push.

I assume with engine running its cooling itself but when shutdown hot it must cause something to catch fire.

But I also only have metal safety gas can in attached garage. Some plastic ones in barn far from house.

 

[hemitom]

I would imagine dry grass clippings built up around the engine could be a fire hazard on a hot machine.
I would do as you and leave it outside for a couple of hours.

 

[Zee09]

A few of the cheaper Cub Cadets had an issue like that. My brothers burned to the ground outside several years back.
Was only 2 months old.
Its a good idea so you don't smell up your garage anyway ( as long as you push it in)
Plus clean off the grass to avoid a smelly garage too.

 

[totegoat]

Never had a hot mower start a fire. I don't let flammables build-up on them.

 

[LazyDog]

I let my mower cool down and rinse it w/ garden hose before putting back on the garage.

 

[Leo99]

I let my mower cool down and rinse it w/ garden hose before putting back on the garage.

My friend growing up mother was a bit OCD and they cleaned the mower before putting it away. It looked brand new after years of use. Their basement was spotless and only housed the lawn mower and a hose. They didn't have a garage. No clutter in their house.

 

[RazorsEdge]

I rinse the tractor off before it gets put back in the garage.

Empty all gas cans before storage.Being as it's colder in the garage during the winter and don't have much to do out there, I also shut the electricity off in the garage until I have a project that I can do, etc.

 

[CharlieJ]

I blow the mower, the driveway and sidewalk off with my leaf blower before pushing the mower in the garage. It cools off to warm by that time.

 

[Creekside]

My friend growing up mother was a bit OCD and they cleaned the mower before putting it away. It looked brand new after years of use. Their basement was spotless and only housed the lawn mower and a hose. They didn't have a garage. No clutter in their house.

I’m not that bad but mine gets completely blown out after each use. I also stream clean it a couple times a year with a steam pressure washer. That’s why I have a mower with almost 2900 hours that still works great

 

[odie]

Let JD 130 run out gas ( gauge reading low ) and put away for the winter . Disconnect battery and fill tires to max . The temp was in upper 40s' .

 

[RF Overlord]

Another vote for allowing the mower to cool first.

 

[OilReport99]

I do. First rinse, let it cool down a bit and in the garage, she goes.

 

[Lubener]

Upon finishing, I use a leaf blower to clean and then store the mower. It's still warm.

 

[RooflessVW]

If I interrupt a regen the DPF is 650°C when I park in my garage.

I think the mower is fine.

 

[ctechbob]

I let my mower cool down and rinse it w/ garden hose before putting back on the garage.

Yep, sometimes this, sometimes blow it off with the air gun, but mostly I'll idle it while I clean it and then push it into where one of my cars usually sits while I finish doing edging, weedeating, etc. Its plenty cool by the time I put it back in its parking space.

 

[AutoMechanic]

We always put it under the carport sometimes it cools off and sometimes it doesn’t. The gas sits right next to it.

 

[ragtoplvr]

I use my leaf blower to remove flammables from the mower after mowing.

I had a fried that caught his house on fire with a riding mower. He had a carb issue I fixed for him, the belt on the deck was running in tunnels of dry grass. I cleaned it, but he never did, Year later, poof.. Only a few blocks from fire station so house was saved.

 

[repairman54]

I'll add fuel your equipment outside not in the shed or garage. Local a few years ago had a static spark lite off his mower in the shed while fueling it . Lost the shed and everything in it. No other details on how or why, gas can, etc. but better off outside than in.
A ounce of prevention....

 

[scrowley]

Upon finishing, I use a leaf blower to clean and then store the mower. It's still warm.

I used to have to replace deck bearings every couple years,then I stopped washing the mower and just blew all debris off with a leaf blower.

 

[RyanY]

Never heard of the fire issue but I always use a leaf blower after mowing to remove extra crap and then put it in the garage. I never checked but sometimes it might still be hot.