Put a snowblower on the front and keep drivin' it.

Hello; One thing you might consider for the battery is a float charger. It is automatic. It will turn itself on and off to maintain the charge. When I store an auto outside, I fill the fuel tank (to avoid water condesation on the inside) and put a fuel stabilizer in it. Of course modern autos have a sealed fuel system and this may prevent moisture from getting in. Perhaps modern mowers have sealed systems as well. I would put boards under the wheels to keep it from sinking into the ground. I would also park it on a waterproof barrier (plastic; tarp; plywood) to keep moisture from underneath. They make breatheable car covers, so perhaps there is something like that for mowers.

Dooley: The Tarp is the answer , just don't hermetically seal the unit (Zip Lock Bag) lol . The worst case scenario is the rub marks from movement , so put some foam pieces on the chaff areas. Also a old piece of linoleum or plywood to
place under the mower wood be a good idea. As for the fuel ensure fresh fuel and add Stabil for storage and a few ounces of Lucus or duralube fuel conditioner upon start-up in the spring.
P.S. Hows the weather out west ? Starting to get the deep frosts here in N. Ontario .

Don't store it on the grass/sod. Park it on something that doesn't "breathe" moisture: asphalt, concrete, gravel, or even park it on a tarp (but that will kill the grass underneath). If you can, remove the deck, store in a dry place. That's where most of the the storage damage happens.

I always have mice in the tractor shed. Sometimes they chew on belts So I remove safety shields in the winter. Then the wild cats can keep the mice company. :)

Hello: I read on another thread about using mothballs to keep rodents (And perhaps other vermin) away from mowers. I have not tried it myself. The extreme cold in your area is also not within my experience. One additional note on the battery, it should be in a place that will not freeze if possible. A fully charged battery is less likely to freeze. Again the use of a float charger should help. I have seen them for around ten dollars at Harbor Freight. Of course there are more expensive units and they are available at most automotive stores and should be at Wal-Mart and Sears. I have an automatic unit for my trolling motor battery. In the past I have forgotten to use a manual trickle charger when needed and also to disconnect one in time to save a battery.

When rodents see your mower, they won't see Cub Cadet, they will see Holiday Inn. I would say you should definitely cover it, and keep it off the grass and preferably on blacktop or cement. You wamy also roll it on to some 2x4's or 4x8's to keep the ice off the wheels. Armor all the tires to keep them from cracking quickly. You really cannot do much more than this.

Good advice all. Just a note on the trap covers. The other day I went to Wally world and was standing there looking at some large grill covers they had on sale. It dawned on me that they were the exact sizes of my riding lawn mower. So I bought one and it fits like a glove. All I had to do was tie it down at the wheels to keep it from blowing off. Much cheaper than the $50 lawn mower covers.

Hello; Keep ewalk's post in mind. Car covers and perhaps expensive lawn mower covers have a soft lining that is less likely to scratch paint. A grill cover may not have this. Also the mower should be clean before the cover is put on as dirt will act as an abrasive. The wind will move the cover around rubbing places where it is tight. I had to leave a 1963 Oldsmobile with nice original paint outside for a while some years ago. I got the bright idea to cover it with a nylon tarp. It was only for a few weeks, but the roof paint was damaged to the point that I had to repaint it. Just a thought.

Txs for feed back.
What I ended up doing is , for this winter only , draping the plastic tarp over the mower and used snap-straps to anchor it so the wind wouldn't blow it off but left plenty of room for air to circulate throughout most of the mower (except of course the plastic hood the tarp is resting on).

That should do it for this year....

The less air movement the more the mice will like it. I would definitely use mothballs on top of the engine, behind the dash, under any i inspection covers etc. I had mice moving into my Cushman within weeks of moving it here - I put mothballs in/around and they were gone. Same thing with my shed, the mice like it. So I throw a few in each corner of the sheds and several at certain points of the tractor.

Check every mont or so - you will know they are moving in when you see nuts and stuff appearing. Catch it early (like I did last year) and it will be fine.

Rolf

Just a note of caution as to Moth Ball usage within Confined Areas . Naphthalene is a Recognized Carcinogen and the Principle Chemical Component of Moth Balls . Keep the Kids out of these areas do to inhalation and potential long term health issues . As for the Rodents , there on their own lol !

Just a note about moth balls. They are rather harsh and we still had some brave mice move in. Last year we tried something the manager of Ace Hardware in our area recommended. It was eco-friendly and safe for children and pets. Mouse Magic is the brand name and it is made of all natural ingredients - peppermint and spearmint oils which mice hate. Worked better than the moth balls and smelled great! The package said to replace the packets every few weeks but with the snow we received here in the northeast last year our shed was hard to get to. The original packets that we placed lasted the entire season! Good luck

I have found that clothes dryer sheets keep the varmints away from my lawn equipment over the winter. They don't like the smell. Everything started right up this spring, with no mouse nests in anything.

Rusty can't get anything past you can we lol ! Have been using bounce sheets for yrs at hunting and fishing camps as rodent repellent works great within the cupboards and linen cabinets and closets.

I would park it on some boards so that the tires aren't touching the ground and don't sink in or get frozen down, use sta-bil or something like it in the gas, and remove the battery to trickle charge inside. I've also read about changing the oil before storage so that the acidic exhaust blow-by doesn't eat at the metal, but I think the guy who advised that was a bit eccentric and I don't put much stock in that advice. When we battened down the hatches on my brother's car for an overseas deployment he read to cover the car (mower in this case) with some towels under the tarp so that there is breathing room beneath the tarp so that you don't end up with an algae coating in the spring. We also plugged the exhaust with steel wool to keep critters out.

That's all I can think of, I'm sure you'll be fine.

You could go buy a camping tent and park it under a (canvas) roof for the winter :)

"When rodents see your mower, they won't see Cub Cadet, they will see Holiday Inn." Just can't stop laughing!!!