covering a lawn mower outside under some tarp?

Question

is that ok to do.will the weather still hurt it in any way.like moisture getting into it .
Thanks

Answer 1

I think it will tend to rust from condensate forming under that tarp. If you use a tarp you should take off the tarp on a sunny day and let the mower and the tarp dry out before re-covering it.

Answer 2

Push Lawn Mower Cover

Answer 3

I did this for 15 years before buying a house with a garage. It works pretty well - though not as well as a storage shed. My suggestion is to place the tarp on the ground. Place the lawn mover on half the tarp. Fold the other half of the tarp over the lawn mover. Use string or wire to tightly tie the tarp together through the grommet holes. If it is particularly windy, you might place a few bricks on the edges of the tarp as well. Check it after heavy rains to make sure there is no water pooling around the mower.

Answer 4

Till i can get my shed built, i use a large piece of plastic sheeting over my tractors first , then place a tarp over them- i dont put the plastic or tarp on them tightly, you want air to flow around. At least once a week i remove the covering and drive it around . I havent had any starting /running issues doing this. My neighbor on the other hand, has 3 tractors out back and never covers them - since we get alot of rain, he seems to have alot of mechanical issues with them.
If anything storing a tractor outside, get a large plastic garbage bag and cover the motor completely- water can get into the air cleaner assy and literally rust out the motor from the inside.
The suggestion of putting a table or something over the tractor, then a tarp is good - specially for over the wintertime,altho if possible park it on a concrete or ashphalt pad. The idea here is temporary storage, right? Not leaving it bundled up for years like this. Lawntractors need a fair amount of maintenence to keep them running in top shape, so rusting/seizing shouldnt be an issue, even sitting a winter it shouldnt rust.
Kidd

Answer 5

Sure, damp will still get to it, but at a much lower rate that if left out. They are designed to take a bit of moisture, but over the long haul spots of rust will still appear. Be careful too of things that make the underside of the tarp home, spiders and mice etc. Even a yard shed will allow moisture at the mower, an insulated garage is best, but we don't all have one or room in one if we do.

Answer 6

First answer makes a good point. It could cause some rust. If, it like those blue/silver tarps. You may be able to rig some Rubber straps to help hold the tarp on the mower, yet allow air to keep the moisture out. Like a Tent type thing.
This link you can read. The tarp have vents to help moisture dry out from under;
http://www.jackssmallengines.com/equipment_model.cfm?&product_id_number=399

Answer 7

It will absolutely collect moisture under there if it is touching the mower. One way that you can do it though is to use stakes at all four corners to keep the tarp off of the machine where moisture will collect. Build a little hut so to speak that is a little higher than the mower.

Answer 8

My husband did this a with me telling him it was not a good idea and guess what???? We had to get another lawn mower. He ruined a rider and a push mower that way. Needless to say, it was a very costly lesson learned.

Answer 9

Spindles, pulleys and idlers can seize up due to the moisture getting to them. You could eventually have trouble with the blades turning or the mower moving. Put it inside if you can. If you don't have any choice, then it's way better than letting it set out.

Answer 10

How about an old table and then drape the tarp over the table and down the sides. Be sure to weight the sides down in case of high winds.