Preparing Your Leaf Blower for Fall (and Getting It Started)

Fall is coming and the leaf blower has been sitting in the garage since spring. Classic result: it refuses to start, or runs poorly. A few restart steps avoid the trouble of pulling the cord twenty times. Here's how to prepare it.

Fuel: the number one culprit

On a gas-powered leaf blower, fuel left over the summer degrades: the ethanol in E10 attracts moisture and corrodes the system, especially on small 2-stroke engines. Before anything:

• Drain the old fuel and mix a fresh blend (at the correct ratio for a 2-stroke).
• If possible, run it until the old blend is consumed before storage next time.

Cold starting at the beginning of the season

After a long shutdown, the procedure: choke closed, a few priming pulses, then pull. As soon as it catches, open the choke. Don't pull 15 times with the choke closed: you'll flood the engine.

Quick checks

• Air filter: blow it out or replace it; a clogged filter starves the engine.
• Spark plug: color, gap; a fouled spark plug struggles to ignite when cold.
• Fuel filter (in the tank): change it if old.

Many of these steps are common with chainsaw maintenance (same family of 2-stroke engines).

Gas or battery?

If the starting ritual exhausts you every fall, a battery-powered leaf blower starts at the button — see the leaf blower comparison. For a well-maintained gas model, restart stays quick.

Describe your leaf blower to the mechanic AI: it'll give you the adapted restart procedure.