How to Make Cheap Winter Lawnmower Cover

Have you ever been caught in that first snow storm and remembered that you left your lawnmower outside unprotected? ….but you really don’t have room in your garage or storage shed because you bought some new “stuff” that takes up its’ former storage area? Here’s a quick, easy way to store your lawnmower outside and put together a fast protective cover until you can build, next spring, the wood box cover described in this author’s other lawnmower protection article. You will need to find a level spot in a partially protected area like a fence corner or outside next to a building wall. Once you have the level area, which you can quickly do with a rake and hoe, you are ready to do this money saving project to protect your mower from the exterior elements. This article will show you how to easily get the materials you need and assemble them so you can make a temporary cheap cardboard box cover for your lawnmower. The author, being frugal, made one of these when he lived in Fairbanks, Alaska, before he made his wood box cover, and it could have lasted another season or two!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• ¾ “ exterior plywood scrap piece, 4ft x 4ft square (or to just fit outside your lawnmower’s widest dimensions- not counting handles!)
• box level for checking ground level
• concrete blocks for weighing down cardboard box
• garden tools for leveling ground fast
• box level
• Measuring tape and pencil for determining how big a cut out hole for lawnmower to fit inside box
• Pieces of brick or stone to hold down plastic bag cardboard box cover
• black plastic sheeting sized to cover cardboard box and flaps or could use trash bags duct taped together or painter's plastic drop cloth (cheap!)
• sharp scissors or box knife for cutting
• duct tape for splicing plastic or trash bags for cover
• eye protection if power cutting

1. 
   LARGE CARDBOARD BOX WITH FLAPS RETAINED

   ASSEMBLE THE THINGS YOU’LL NEED. Go to local area Grocery Store
   And get large cardboard box similar to toilet tissue or paper towel box. Go to Home Store like Lowe’s and look for damaged plywood sheets. If not available you could use smaller pieces of wood placed together to equal size you need for platform shown in sketches. Store will also have Contractor heavy black plastic, or painters heavy mil plastic drop cloth you can purchase or you can use trash bags. Duct tape is there also if you have no roll available. The concrete blocks can be scrounged or you can use bricks. You will need a box level for checking ground for levelness to receive and your plywood or wood platform.

2. 
   SNOW PILES UP VERTICALLY

   SELECT PARTIALLY PROTECTED AREA. Allow enough room to work around area location for cardboard box cutting work. Use garden tools to level ground, clear of all grass and debris, Use box level. To check final cleared ground to receive plywood platform

3. 
   USE UPSIDE DOWN BOX

   CHOOSE LARGE CARDBOARD BOX BIG ENOUGH FOR YOUR MOWER. Keep all flaps intact. You will turn upside down to use. See Sketch No. 1.

4. 
   CUT PLYWOOD SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN BOX

   PLACE PLYWOOD PLATFORM ON LEVEL GROUND. Check again for level and adjust if necessary.

5. 
   CHECK LEVEL OF WOOD PLATFORM

   CUT PLYWOOD FOR PLATFORM AND PLACE ON LEVEL SPOT TO CHECK. Note: If you have time, while you are clearing area and making box and platform, take your lawnmower to be serviced so it will be ready to start up in the spring. Bring it home when you have your box cover made. Set your lawnmower on the platform briefly to check level.

6. 
   CUT LAWNMOWER OPENING IN SIDE OF BOX

   CUT HOLE FOR LAWNMOWER ON ONE SIDE OF BOX. Box should be just a bit larger than lawnmower and your cut out hole should leave just a bit of cardboard on top and sides. When cutting out hole remove flap for this sied. See Sketch No. 2.

7. 
   CONCRETE BLOCKS ON FLAPS, MOWER INSIDE BOX

   USE CONCRETE BLOCKS TO HOLD DOWN FLAPS. Bricks can also be used. Place lawnmower inside box. Option: Remove lawnmower handles before placing in box and store handles inside garage. Don’t lose the nuts and bolts, tape them on handles so you will have them in the spring when you need to reattach to mower. See Sketch No. 3.

8. 
   HOLD DOWN PLASTIC SHEETING WITH BRICKS OR STONES ALL AROUND

   USE PLASTIC SHEETING OR TRASH BAGS TO MAKE COVER FOR BOX. Duct tape together for watertight cover and weigh down plastic with pieces of stone or brick. Cover should coveR all sides and top and be securely weighed down with bricks or stone. See Sketch No. 4. You have just completed your cheap winter lawnmower cover!

Tips & Warnings

• Measure and record dimensions of your lawnmower to take with you to grocery for box and Home Store for plywood or wood scraps!
• Be sure you get your lawnmower fully serviced before you put it in your storage box for the winter, then it is more likely to start in the spring!
• Be careful with power tools! If you decide to cut your own scrap plywood or wood!
• Use grounded electrical outlets and wear eye protection.

[femwriter]

on 9/14/2009 What a very good article on how to make cheap winter lawnmower cover, thanks for sharing. It truly deserves a 5* rating and recommendation!