The best place to store your lawn mower is a garage or shed, but if you don’t have those you can get creative and still keep the mower safe.
You have to have a lawn mower to stay on top of your grass. But there just simply isn’t a good place for it. It won’t fit in your garage – can you leave it outside? Can you put it in a shed? Under a deck? INSIDE?!
Many people are so annoyed by trying to find a solid spot for their mower they just give up and hire a landscaper – losing thousands of dollars per year in the process.
But those of us that have been around a while know a few tricks. Thankfully, technology has changed, too. So let’s break down the best ways to store a lawn mower.
Jump ahead:
- Best place to store a lawn mower
- Best shed for lawn mowers
- Where to store a lawn mower outdoors
- Other lawn mower storage ideas
Lawn Mower Storage Ideas
Storing a lawn mower has several nuances. First, we need to examine the type of lawn and be realistic. If you have a massive zero-turn mower, this thing is going to need its own garage space or at the very least a well-protected carport. Many zero-turn mowers can be up to five feet across – and those are just the blades. You won’t find a good outdoor location for this and will want to keep it well protected from the elements. Most sheds won’t do either. Landscapers can get by with keeping them on the backs of trailers during the summer, but these need dedicated indoor space during the winter.
Lawn tractors have similar requirements, but can sometimes be stored between cars in a well-spaced out garage. Many folks with large yards also have a lot of garage space and can make use of it for stashing a 3 foot wide mower.
Push mowers are the trickiest. With smaller yards come fewer places to store things. But let’s see what we can do.
Best Place To Store A Lawn Mower
Hands down, the best place to store a lawn mower is in the garage. The garage offers a decently insulated, dry area for storage. While it’s a total luxury, it hands down will be the best way to keep your mower from rusting, fading, or exposing the plastic parts to extreme temperature volatility that would result in cracks.
Personally, I have mine in the garage in the back corner and pull my truck a few inches away from it each time. It is a tight squeeze, but I make it work to keep the mower protected.
If you don’t have the space for a mower to take up a portion of your garage, think again. There are many mowers these days (battery-powered) that allow for you to fold the mower in half and have it in a much smaller space in your garage.
The fact of the matter is that this will still take up at least 20-24 inches of width, with somewhere between 12-16 inches of length.
If you don’t have the space, then let’s move outdoors.
Sheds are great storage spots for lawn mowers
If you don’t have a garage, your next best location to store a lawn mower is in a shed. If you have one already, great. If not, we can help out. Here’s what to look for in a shed for storing lawn mowers.
- Well-insulated
- You want your shed to be able to keep out most of the elements. While it won’t do much to protect against temperature, having one that is waterproof will really help prevent rusting. It’s also important to keep the shed close to your house, in a shaded location. This will allow it to stay somewhat protected from the elements and keep it relatively cool.
- Secure
- Get a shed for your lawn mower that locks! Lawn mowers can cost upwards of $1,000 – don’t invite thieves by keeping it wide open for the whole world.
- Flush with the ground
- You will have a hard time getting your mower in and out of a shed if you have to lift it or somehow get it over a big lip in the entrance. I say this because you are pushing a machine with a blade. You don’t want the blade getting caught on ANYTHING. Get a shed that is flush to the ground that allows you to easily wheel it in and out.
- Something with rack space
- Don’t just get a lawn mower storage shed. Get a shed that you can use with a bunch of things. We recommend getting a storage rack for your other lawn tools to go with it.
So what’s the best shed for lawn mowers?
We found a lawn mower shed that has all the things you’re looking for. I did some annoyingly extensive research on sheds (you’d be surprised) and found one on Amazon that comes at a pretty great price point and has all the things I’ve mentioned.
The Rubbermaid Resin Weather Resistant Outdoor Storage Shed is pretty slick.
It comes in a ton of configurations, but honestly the 5 ft by 2 ft version will work for basically all push mowers. I’d say 95% of push mowers are below 22 inches, so the 2 ft version can easily accommodate them without taking up too much space.
Here’s what we like about it:
- Weather resistant
- It’s in the name. Has a pretty dang durable outer surface that provides serious protection but is also thin enough to not be bulky.
- Durable
- Not just to weather, but looks really durable and will avoid scratches. The big bad wolf will likely not be able to blow this house down.
- Well-designed
- Just about perfectly flush with the ground allowing you to roll the mower right in. Is not an eyesore in the backyard, either, with a decent design. It also has a nice spot for a lock, so keep the thieves at bay.
- Many functions
- Has a lot of different attachments you can add into the inside for whatever you want stored.
All-in-all, we think it is the best outdoor shed for lawn mowers. You can grab it on Amazon right now for a really good price – it looks like it stays on sale.
Best Place to Store Mower Outdoors
Okay – you don’t have a garage and a shed is out of the question right now – what do you do?
You still have options. Depending on where you live, you might be able to get away with outdoor storage as a temporary solution.
If you have to store your lawn mower outdoors, consider these things:
- Try to keep it dry
- Keep your lawn mower dry at all costs. Not only can you avoid rust, but also avoid water building up in places that it shouldn’t be.
- Tuck it close to your house, underneath your deck, on top of a patio, whatever – but make sure to keep it dry.
- Additionally (or alternatively), throw a tarp over that sucker. Obviously it doesn’t have to be big, but something to keep it from getting directly drenched will help.
- Try to keep it shaded
- Heat can do silly things to equipment – causing plastic parts to expand, the color to deteriorate, and overall wear down your mower.
- You can use the same methods of keeping it dry to keep it shaded.
- Keep it in a non-grassy area
- Sounds counterintuitive since the mower is used to being in the grass, but giving the blades some breathing room can help keep the blades sharpened and also prevent rusting.
- Move it onto a gravel or mulch section where something is not making constant contact with the blades.
Those are our tips. Good luck, Godspeed, and save up for a shed, please. Don’t have the money? Start mowing some lawns for money.
Alternative Storage Ideas for Lawn Mowers
Still looking? Seriously?
Okay, we’ve got some outside of the box and new ways to store lawn mowers that don’t involve garages, sheds, or the great outdoors.
We are talking about the great indoors.
Yep.
A lot of these electric mowers nowadays can fold in half like a dang lawn chair and weigh under 50 lbs.
No, you may not want to store it inside all the time, but during the winter – definitely.
Here’s how:
- Give it a nice and complete spray down. Not only do you want to get rid of any bugs, but you want to get all the caked on grass completely off of the blades of the mower.
- Hand dry the blades quickly after to prevent rusting (be careful).
- Fold it in half.
- Bring it inside for the winter.
Did we just blow your mind?
You can check out our electric mower guide here for some recommendations.
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As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something.