Winterizing and proper storage of your lawn mower, small engine, or other outdoor power equipment is basically performing a tune-up/routine maintenance (replacing filters, changing oil, lubing, sharpening, and leveling), cleaning it up, and treating/paying extra attention to the fuel system.

If your mower is equipped with a Briggs & Stratton engine, a Honda Engine, or a Kohler engine,as many are, the advice is straightforward. "There's no need to drain gasoline from the engine prior to winter storage if stabilizer is added to the fuel according to its directions," says Steve Lavender, the engine maker's senior director of engineering. Put the stabilizer in the gas can, add fuel, and then pour the fuel into the gas tank.

Problem solved? Not quite. A review of owner's manuals for other engines we've tested indicates a variety of methods for storage. The same manufacturer may have different recommendations depending on how long the machine is kept out of service. For example, one manufacturer advises storage from 30 to 90 days with fresh fuel in the tank, provided that stabilizer is added. The company advises running the engine so the fuel makes its way into the carburetor and then shutting down the engine and closing the fuel valve. Beyond 90 days, it recommends just the opposite: Empty the fuel tank or simply run the machine until it stops.

Some equipment manufacturers recommend running the engine dry and then draining what little fuel remains in the carburetor bowl. Finally, they advise pulling the recoil start handle to position the piston at the top of the cylinder in order to seal the combustion chamber. That will prevent any remaining fuel in the combustion chamber from turning into varnish.

Your owner's manual will also shed light on specifics that aren't related to fuel. Some manufacturers want you to spray fogging oil into the engine to lubricate the cylinder bore before storage. Others say to dribble as much as a half-ounce of clean engine oil into the cylinder through the spark plug hole, then pull the recoil handle several times without starting the engine to distribute the oil over the cylinder wall.

Manufacturers may differ on specifics, but these general tips will help keep all engines healthy.

(1) Clean any machine before storing it. This removes moisture-trapping debris and reduces the possibility that you'll get dirt in the gas tank.

(2) Use the gas-to-oil ratio recommended by the manufacturer for two-stroke equipment such as leaf blowers and chain saws. This reduces engine wear and will make the machine easier to start after storage.

(2) Use the gas-to-oil ratio recommended by the manufacturer for two-stroke equipment such as leaf blowers and chain saws. This reduces engine wear and will make the machine easier to start after storage.

(3) Never use E15 in your outdoor power equipment. If E10 is bad, E15 is worse. In fact, avoid filling your gas can at stations that dispense both through the same nozzle, because there can be E15 residue in the fuel line.

(4) Never store any machine with raw, unstabilized gas in it unless it's packaged fuel, which does not contain ethanol and is sold in steel cans at hardware stores, home centers, and outdoor-power-equipment dealerships.