How to Winterize, Maintain & Restore Your Lawn Mower Battery: A Complete Guide

Power - by Joe Weber - updated on 10/27/2025

As the lawn mowing season winds down and winter approaches, it's crucial to give your lawn mower—especially the battery—the care it deserves. Whether you're using a riding mower or a battery-powered push mower, proper winterization and maintenance can save you headaches (and money) come spring. In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through everything from winterizing your lawn mower to restoring a dead battery and ensuring peak performance all year long.

Step 1: Properly Winterize Your Lawn Mower

Winterizing your lawn mower ensures it stays in great condition during the off-season and is ready to roll when the grass starts growing again. The process varies slightly between gas-powered and battery-powered mowers.

For Gas-Powered Mowers:

1. Clean Your Mower Thoroughly:
   Start by disconnecting the spark plug to prevent accidental starts. Then, remove all grass clippings and debris from the mower deck, wheels, and engine area. Clean the battery terminals with a wire brush and terminal cleaner. This prevents corrosion and buildup that can affect performance.

   Consider investing in a terminal protection kit. The kit includes everything you need to keep your terminals clean and corrosion-free, including a corrosion preventative spray to keep future corrosion from forming. 

2. Empty the Fuel System:
   Add a fuel stabilizer to any remaining gas and run the mower for a few minutes to circulate the stabilizer through the system. Once done, drain the tank and carburetor to prevent stale fuel from clogging your system over the winter months.
3. Routine Maintenance Checks:
   • Change the oil
   • Replace the fuel filter every year
   • Replace or sharpen the blade
   • Inspect the air filter and spark plug (replace if necessary)
   • Lubricate moving parts like wheels and cables

For Battery-Powered Mowers:

1. Remove and Clean the Mower and Battery:
   Always remove the battery before cleaning the mower. Lithium batteries don't corrode like other types of batteries, but it's a good idea to clean them when you store them for the winter. You probably won't need to scrub them with a wire brush, like lead-acid battery terminals, but wipe them down to ensure they are clean and free from grease or grime.
2. Store the Battery Properly:
   Keep the battery in a cool, dry place—ideally in a battery box or storage case. If that is not an option, a garage workshop would do fine. Keep the batteries on a workbench or table. Extreme cold can shorten battery life; it's best to keep them at room temperature. An insulated garage or workshop is best.
3. Maintain Charge During Storage:
   Fully charge the battery before storing. Recharging lead-acid batteries every few weeks or keeping them connected to a battery maintainer is recommended. Lithium-ion batteries hold their charge longer but should still be checked monthly.

   The chargers that come with newer lithium lawn and garden tools shut down charging when the battery is fully charged, and should be used when you are done with the batteries for the season. Just insert your battery and let it go.

Step 2: Maintain Your Lawn Mower Battery Year-Round

Proper battery care doesn't stop once winter hits. Even during the off-season, small maintenance tasks can make a huge difference.

• Charge It Right:
  Use a charger that matches your battery's voltage and chemistry. For instance, the X2Power 2 Amp Charger is an ideal battery maintainer/charger that can keep your battery in optimal condition without overcharging it.

  For lithium lawn mowers like Ryobi, Greenworks, EGO, and others, use the charger that comes with the mower to keep the batteries charged.

• Watch for Signs of Trouble:
  If your mower struggles to start or doesn't hold a charge, the battery may be sulfated (especially in lead-acid types) or corroded. Early action can prevent permanent damage.
• Test Before You Toss:
  Don't be too quick to replace a non-starting battery. Test your battery with a multimeter or visit a Batteries Plus store, where they'll perform a free battery test and offer expert advice.

Step 3: Restore a Dead Lawn Mower Battery

If your riding lawnmower battery is completely dead after winter, don't panic—there's still hope.

How to Revive a Dead Lawn Mower Battery:

1. Charge It Properly:
   Connect it to a charger designed for your battery type and allow it to charge slowly. If it doesn't respond, it may need a jump-start.
2. Use a Jump Pack (Not Your Car):
   While you technically can jump a mower with a car battery, it's risky. Instead, opt for a safe, compact jump pack like the NOCO GB20 Genius Boost Sport. It's made for small engines and won't risk damaging your mower's electrical system.
3. Clean and Inspect the Battery:
   Remove any corrosion with a wire brush and a baking soda solution. Check for cracks or leaks—if you find any, the battery should be replaced.

Bonus Tips for Battery Longevity After Winter

• Keep terminals clean year-round
• Store batteries fully charged, and keep them charged until you use them again
• Label and date batteries so you can track their age and usage
• Replace lead-acid batteries every 3-5 years, lithium-ion ones every 5-7 years (depending on care)

When It's Time for a New Battery

If your battery just won't come back to life, it might be time for a replacement. Batteries Plus offers a wide range of lawn mower batteries, including high-performance AGM options for riding mowers and reliable lithium-ion replacements for electric mowers. Our trusted advisors can even help you identify the right size and chemistry for your specific model, ensuring you have the right battery for your mower.

Keep Your Mower Ready for Anything

With just a bit of effort before and after the mowing season, you can extend the life of your lawn mower and its battery. From winterizing and storage to troubleshooting and restoration, these tips will keep your mower ready to go whenever you need it.

Need help testing or replacing your battery? Stop by your nearest Batteries Plus, and let the experts help you solve your lawn and garden battery problems today!

For Landscaping Professionals & Commercial Fleets

Managing a fleet of mowers for a landscaping business presents unique challenges. Downtime isn't just an inconvenience—it's lost revenue. Here's how to scale up your battery maintenance for commercial use:

• Implement a Battery Rotation System: Label your batteries and create a "first-in, first-out" system. This ensures all batteries get used evenly, maximizing the lifespan of your entire fleet.
• Invest in Multi-Bay Chargers: Streamline your end-of-day process with chargers that can handle multiple batteries simultaneously. This guarantees every piece of equipment is ready to go in the morning.
• Keep Spares on Hand: Always have a few fully charged backup batteries in each truck. An unexpected battery failure on a job site can bring work to a halt. A spare turns a potential crisis into a minor swap.
• Perform Weekly Fleet Checks: Don't wait for the off-season. Designate one person to quickly inspect and clean all battery terminals and check charge levels on a weekly basis. This proactive approach catches problems before they cause downtime.
• Standardize Your Equipment: When possible, stick to a single battery platform for your handheld tools and mowers. This allows crews to swap batteries between tools easily, increasing flexibility and efficiency on the job.

To keep your operation running smoothly and take advantage of commercial pricing and local delivery, consider opening a free Batteries Plus business account today.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How often should I charge my lawn mower battery during winter?

A: For lead-acid batteries, it's best to recharge them every few weeks or keep them on a battery maintainer. For lithium-ion batteries, which hold their charge longer, checking and topping them up monthly is sufficient.

Q: Can I use my car to jump-start my riding mower?

A: It's highly discouraged. A car's alternator can produce too much power for a small mower battery, potentially damaging its electrical system. A safer alternative is to use a portable jump pack designed for small engines.

Q: Where is the best place to store my mower battery?

A: The ideal location is a cool, dry, insulated space like a garage or workshop, kept at room temperature. Avoid places with extreme cold or heat. Storing it in a battery box on a workbench is a great option.

Q: How do I know if my battery is dead or just needs a charge?

A: First, try charging it fully with the appropriate charger. If it still doesn't start the mower or hold a charge for long, test it with a multimeter to check its voltage. If the voltage is very low and won't increase with charging, it's likely time for a replacement.