Should You Store Yard Equipment Inside or Out?
If you’re like most homeowners, you remember shoving the lawn mower wherever it fit in the garage. While our garages haven’t grown, our cars and collections of gear certainly have. This creates a modern puzzle: where do you store your lawn tractor, mower, or snow blower?
The joy of having a yard comes with the job of taking care of it. You don’t want to be “that neighbor” with an unkempt lawn, which means you need bulky equipment that has to live somewhere.
A great yard comes with great responsibility.
It’s tempting to move equipment outside to free up garage space. Even a simple push mower takes up valuable real estate, making it a daily obstacle course. As the experts at Better Homes & Gardens point out, proper storage is key to preventing expensive damage and making your machines last longer.
However, leaving your equipment exposed to the weather is a terrible idea. Rain can corrode an electric mower’s battery, gas can go bad, and oil can turn to sludge. While some people leave their lawn tractors outside, it’s a risk that invites rust and theft.
On the other hand, a garage offers the best protection from the elements. As This Old House highlights, a garage keeps your gear dry and secure. Isn’t it funny how we often park our expensive cars outside in the rain while the lawn mower gets the prime indoor spot?
The Ultimate Solution: A Full-Sized Shed for Total Protection
Think of a shed as a separate, dedicated house just for your outdoor gear. If you have the yard space, a full-sized shed is one of the best investments you can make. It creates a safe haven for your machines, protecting them from rain, snow, and freezing temperatures.
For the best results, build the shed on a level surface. Using concrete pavers can create a stable and durable foundation. While it’s a bigger investment upfront, the payoff is huge. You can finally walk through your garage without tripping and protect your car from the elements.
A shed is also the perfect place to store toxic or flammable items like fertilizer and gasoline. Keeping these chemicals away from your home is a major safety advantage, a point often stressed by sources like Husqvarna.
A well-chosen shed also offers a home for your family’s bicycles and other outdoor gear. Plus, a sturdy, attractive shed can even improve your property value, making it a smart and practical choice.
A Practical Compromise: The Medium-Sized Shed
If you don’t need a massive shed, a medium-sized one offers a great balance. These structures can easily hold a lawn tractor, mower, or snow blower, often with room to spare for other tools. It’s the perfect middle-ground solution for storing your bigger pieces of yard equipment.
For example, a shed that’s about 52 inches wide by 72 inches deep inside gives you plenty of room for most large machines. As noted by the experts at Family Handyman, a medium shed is versatile enough to hold both a lawn tractor and a snow blower.
This leaves extra space for essentials like gas cans and fertilizers. Just remember the golden rule: store flammable materials safely and separately from your machinery to prevent any fire hazards.
When shopping, always check the interior dimensions to make sure your gear will fit. It’s also critical that the shed has proper ventilation. Without good airflow, moisture can build up, leading to mold and rust on your expensive equipment.
How Can a Mini Shed Free Up Garage Space?
For those with smaller yards and walk-behind mowers, a mini shed is a perfect space-saving solution. These are great for storing a standard push mower or a small snow blower, giving you back precious garage floor space without taking over your yard. A typical deck box won’t be tall enough, so be sure to choose a model designed for yard equipment.
You may even be able to store a modern folding mower in a very compact shed. For example, some Greenworks lawnmowers fold down to a much smaller size for storage. This feature is a lifesaver for tight spaces.
Always measure your machine in its folded, storage position, not its mowing position. Leave a little extra room in the shed for wheels, bags, and other parts that stick out. A helpful buying guide from a retailer like Lowe’s can help you pick the perfect size for your needs.
The All-Weather Option: A Fabric Garage from Shelter Logic
A fabric garage is a cleverly designed structure with a metal frame and a durable fabric cover. It offers more protection than a simple tent but isn’t as permanent as a shed. It’s an excellent choice for creating a protected space to store your lawn tractor or blower. For best results, always flatten the ground before you set it up.
These shelters include strong anchors to keep them from blowing away in high winds. A quality model will have a zipper door for full enclosure and UV-protective fabric to resist sun damage. The interior frame is built to handle snow, but as ShelterLogic advises, you should always clear heavy snow off promptly.
Many owners line the floor with a tarp and concrete blocks to create a more solid base. However, be aware that fabric shelters can collect condensation, which leads to mold. If the inside gets musty, a quick spray with a hose-based mold killer will freshen it up.
To reduce moisture, always clean grass clippings and snow off your mower before putting it away. This simple step keeps extra moisture out of the shelter and protects your investment from rust and mildew.
Need a Quick Fix? Try Canopies, Tarps, and Overhangs
Sometimes you just need a simple, low-cost way to shield your equipment from the weather. Canopies, tarps, and even the overhang of your house can provide a surprising amount of protection. A canopy is a portable, fabric shelter that guards against sun, rain, and hail—as long as it’s not blowing in sideways.
For more complete coverage, a simple tarp or a custom-fit cover is a great choice. A good cover will be waterproof but breathable, which prevents condensation that leads to rust. Most importantly, never place a cover on a hot engine, as it could melt the fabric or even start a fire.
You can also use your home’s architecture by tucking equipment under a deck or a deep eave. As Garden Design explains, an overhang offers minimal protection, but it’s a decent short-term solution. No matter which cover you choose, remember that open sides leave your equipment vulnerable to wind-driven rain and snow.
How to Reclaim Your Floor by Storing Smart
If moving your equipment out of the garage isn’t an option, you can still win back floor space with clever strategies. The goal is to get your lawn tractor or mower out of the main traffic areas. Unused corners and the space under heavy-duty wall shelves are perfect spots for storage.
Tucking a push mower under a workbench or shelving unit keeps it out of sight and out of the way. This prevents you from accidentally banging your car door on it. From experience, I can tell you that hitting a car door on a lawn tractor is a fast way to ruin your day.
As guides from This Old House stress, any garage storage solution must allow for easy access. You need enough room to get the machine in and out without a major struggle.
You might have to pull your car out of the garage to get to your mower, but that’s a small price to pay for a clear, organized floor. This simple trick can turn a cluttered garage into a functional space where everything has its own place.
Can You Go Vertical by Storing a Mower on a Shelf?
Some modern mowers are surprisingly lightweight and easy to lift. This opens up a fantastic storage opportunity: going vertical! You can store a lighter mower on a heavy-duty wall shelf, getting it completely off the garage floor.
For this to work, you’ll need robust shelving, like the FlexiMounts I covered in the Best Garage Fixed Wall Shelves article. These shelves are engineered to handle serious weight, giving you peace of mind.
However, always think a step ahead. It’s usually easier to lift a mower onto a shelf than it is to safely bring it back down. For this reason, it’s often best to store heavy items on lower shelves for safety and convenience.
According to storage experts at Fleximounts, this method works best with a collapsible or folding mower. Their compact shape makes them much easier and safer to place on a shelf than a bulky, full-sized machine.
Master the Wall Mount for “Vertical Storage” Mowers
Certain mowers are specifically designed for “vertical storage.” This lets you flip them on their end and store them flat against a wall. If you have one of these innovative models, you can use specialized wall hooks to hang your mower securely. It’s an incredible space-saver for tight garages.
To do this correctly, you’ll need heavy-duty straps or hooks made to hold the mower’s full weight. You must screw these directly and firmly into your garage’s wall studs, not just the drywall. There are no shortcuts here—proper installation is critical.
A crucial word of warning: do not try to store a regular mower this way. Tipping a standard mower on its end will cause oil and fuel to leak out of the engine.
This creates a dangerous mess, poses a fire hazard, and can permanently ruin the engine. Before you try to store your mower vertically, always check your manufacturer’s instructions to confirm it is designed for it.
Ceiling Hoists: An Overhead Option to Use with Caution
Lifting equipment to the ceiling can free up a huge amount of floor space, but you must be extremely careful. I’ll be honest: while a ceiling hoist is an option, it’s not my favorite for heavy, engine-powered equipment. The idea of a lawn mower dangling over my head or my car is more than a little unsettling.
You can find many DIY instructions online for installing a winch to lift a push mower. If you choose this route, you must follow all safety rules, weight limits, and secure mounting instructions perfectly.
I may be overly cautious, but I’d probably spend sleepless nights listening for the creak of ceiling joists or looking for new cracks in the drywall. The risk of failure, however small, is significant when a heavy object is hanging over your head.
While I trust ceiling hoists for lighter things like ladders and bikes, using one for a lawn mower is a different level of risk. My guide to The Best Ceiling Hoist Winch is better suited for those lighter-duty items.
The Safest Overhead Solution: Platform Lifts for Heavy Equipment
If you’re serious about overhead storage, there is a much safer and stronger alternative to simple hoists: the platform lift. It’s important to know there are two main types of garage lifts. One is for working on cars, and the other is specifically for storage.
A storage lift has a solid platform. You simply park your lawn tractor, ATV, or snow blower on it, and an electric motor raises the whole thing to the ceiling. This provides a secure, stable surface that avoids the risks of a pulley system.
Searching for a “garage car storage lift” will show you the right kind of product, though some may be too big for a mower. A better search might be for a “garage motorcycle storage lift,” which has great options perfectly sized to store a lawn tractor or blower.
For the ultimate garage upgrade, if you have an attic, you can install a platform elevator like the Versalift. This powerful system lifts hundreds of pounds right into your attic, completely clearing your garage. It’s a professional-grade solution for the serious home organizer.
My Seasonal Swap: A Real-World Yard Equipment Storage Strategy
So, where does all my equipment live? I use a mix of these methods to create a system that works for my garage and the seasons. My large lawn tractor has a permanent home in a Shelter Logic shed, where it stays protected and out of the garage year-round.
For my smaller machines, I do a seasonal swap. During the warmer months, my push mower sits in the garage between the cars for easy access. At the same time, my snow blower is tucked away under the stairs to my garage attic, completely out of the way.
When winter arrives, they trade places. The snow blower comes out and takes the mower’s spot between the cars, ready for the first storm. The mower then goes into hibernation under the stairs, waiting for spring.
This seasonal rotation is a practical approach recommended by both equipment manufacturers and experts at Family Handyman. It ensures the right tool is always ready when you need it, turning your garage from a cluttered mess into a highly efficient workspace.
