How to Store a Weed Eater in 10 Easy Ways (All Seasons)

Knowing how to store a weed eater correctly is an important aspect of upholding the overall longevity of this commonly used gardening tool.

There are a couple of different storage methods, but the best way by far is by hanging it up vertically; regardless of whether electric, cordless battery powered, or even combustible fuel like gas, they need to be stored properly to avoid some unwanted headaches.

Gas fuelled trimmers need to be treated with the most care as they risk leaking, which can become a fire or even explosive hazard.

In this article, we’ll go through all the different storage methods and any preparations required before doing so. Let’s dive in, shall we?

How to Store a Weed Eater Safely?

It’s super easy to rip your weed eater off after spending 2 hours using it and then throw it on a pile in the shed without care. However, this type of storage will only lead to long term issues.

Firstly, it’s a clutter hazard. If all tools and equipment were treated the same way, you’d end up with a whole pile of junk, and you wouldn’t be able to find anything when the time comes.

Furthermore, weed eaters need to be maintained, and leaving them in this condition will make it difficult to know the condition when you need them most. There are a handful of worthy storage methods that can be used, but only 2 of them stand out. These include:

Hanging it on the wall

Hanging your weed eater vertically on the wall is the most effective storage method, especially for gas powered models. There are a few reasons why doing so works best.

Firstly, it saves space by simply not lying on the floor and can be conveniently tucked away without being too much of an eyesore. Equally, hanging vertically prevents gas leaks.

The gas tanks of these weed trimming devices are manufactured to be stored upright, as that’s also how they are used. You walk around holding the trimming end to the ground and the tank upright.

The gas caps are generally on the upper portion of the tank to reduce leakage. Finally, hanging your weed eater will help to prevent the fragile parts of the trimmer end from becoming damaged.

Laying it flat on the floor of the garage

Laying the weed eater flat on a garage or shed floor is the next best option. More so because these structures offer shelter from the sun, rain, wind, and/or snow.

One important thing to consider is ensuring that there is no debris lying around near the equipment that can catch on fire if leakage occurs.

This issue relates more to gas fueled trimmers. Otherwise, try to keep them easily accessible and free of any walkways. 

Things to Do Even Before Storage

It’s all well and good to store your weed eater when you finish using it, but a few minor maintenance procedures should be performed before doing so.

These simple tasks will ensure that your gardening equipment stays in good condition for the long term. These practices include the following:

For Electric Weed Eater

1. Remove debris: After a long session with these pieces of equipment, it’s quite common for them to become clogged up with dirt, small rocks, grass, and even bugs. Use a blunt knife or screwdriver to gently scrape and clear away anything you can see. Try to clean the head where the line is attached as much as possible. This is essentially where all the action happens. 
2. Parts check: Check out the condition of the spark plug, air filter, cables, handle, and even your safety equipment which may include gloves, goggles/glasses, and earmuffs. If anything feels loose or damaged, fix it now, so you don’t have to think about it when starting your next trim run around your yard. 
3. Check the electrics: Once it’s had the chance to cool down, plug the trimmer back in and test that to see that it works. This sounds stupid, but you’d be surprised how many tools burn out at the end of their usage. Press all the buttons to ensure that everything functions as it should. This includes the throttle, the trimmer head, the choke, etc. 
4. Spool/Thread Check: The nylon trimmer ‘thread’ is one of the main parts of the tool. Make sure to have a good look at its condition and if it is getting close to running out and may need to be replaced. 

For Gas-powered Weed Eater

1. Oil drain: This is not essential, but some people choose to drain their oil if they aren’t planning on using the weed eater for an extended period, especially during the winter when snow may be present and prevent usage. The oil can be reused when the weather begins to warm up again. Furthermore, doing this will prevent any unwanted leakage.
2. Fuel drain: Similar to oil, the fuel can also be completely drained to minimize leakage and reduce the risk of possible combustion issues. It’s not essential, but much safer to do so than not. 
3. Remove Debris: All weed eaters should be cleaned up after each use, especially the head. This ensures a clean slate when it comes time to work with them again. Remove any dirt, small rocks, grass, and even bugs.
4. General maintenance: As with the electrical type, check all your safety equipment (earmuffs, goggles/glasses, gloves, etc.) and the spark plug, air filter, cables, handle, etc.
5. Spool/Thread check: Check the condition of the thread and the spool to make sure it is functioning smoothly. Stock up on new bread if supplies are getting low. There’s nothing worse than running out halfway through a job!

Storing Different Types of Weed Eaters Explained

There are 3 main types of weed eaters. Each of them has a different power system which makes them unique. They also have quite specific pros and cons.

Therefore they must be stored a little differently from each other. Let’s look at each type and the best way to store them to maximize their lifespan.

How to Store a Corded Electric Weed Eater?

Electric weed eaters run on electricity enabled by plugging in extension cables and moving them around as you work around your yard. They can become a bit irritating depending on the work area. You may need to keep moving them around obstacles such as trees, swimming pools, and even buildings.

Furthermore, once you run out of cable in one direction, you will have to go back to the powerpoint and take another route to the same area to continue where you left off. The beauty of this power source, though, is that you don’t need to go out and purchase gas or recharge batteries. 

Electric weed eaters are generally the easiest of the 3 to store. Simply disconnect the power cable and wipe it down before looping it up. Then take your weed eater, do the same, and give it a good clean, especially the spool. Go over all of the moving parts and check their condition.

Replace anything that needs replacing. Spark plugs, air filters, cables, buttons, handle, hang straps, etc. Once all checks are complete, hang it vertically on a wall with the spool facing downwards or lay it flat on a garage floor. 

How to Store a Gas Powered Weed Eater?

Gas weed eaters are super convenient as you can just keep going about your work and only stop to refuel or re-thread the spool. They generally have more power than the other variants and last longer. 

Storing them can be done similarly to any weed eater. Switch it off and drain the oil and gas if need be. (Some swear by this, but I rarely do unless it’s winter).

Complete all maintenance checks, including spark plugs, air filters, cables, buttons, gas tank, plug, handle, hang straps, etc.

Proceed to hang the weed eater vertically or lay it flat on a garage floor. Hanging it is the better option as it prevents flooding the engine.

Keep in mind to remove any debris that can catch on fire if the equipment accidentally leaks and a spark enters the area. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

How to Store a Gas Battery Weed Eater?

Battery powered weed eaters are a bottom tier alternative. On the one hand, they are portable, which means no messy cables, but they just don’t have the same power as a gas or electric powered variant.

Furthermore, they require constant battery changeovers, so it’s a good idea to have at least two batteries so you can alternate. 

Storing a battery powered weed eater can be performed just like the other 2 variants. The only difference is that the batteries should be placed on the charger and charged fully before being removed to ensure they have full power before working with them again.

Leaving the batteries on the trimmer will degrade them over time. Finally, complete the standard maintenance. These include checking the spark plugs, air filters, cables, buttons, handles, hang straps, etc.

Once these have been ticked off, hang the trimmer vertically on the wall or lay it flat on the garage floor. 

How to Store Your Weed Eater for the winter?

Storing your weed eater over the winter may require you to perform a few extra tweaks to the maintenance routine before doing so. These include:

Gas and oil drain

These types of machine fuels and lubricants can, unfortunately, degrade over time, especially during the winter when they sit around unused. Not only that, but they are a precious commodity that can just as well sit in a good quality storage container until the time comes for them to be used again.

You can drain both tanks by either using a siphon or by simply pouring them out one by one into a funnel which leads to an appropriate storage container.

Another upside to going through this procedure is that you can then go on to use them for something else, like your snow plow, a bonfire, or something of the like. 

Carburetor cleans out

When fuel sits in a weed eater’s system for long periods, it can deteriorate, especially during winter. It’s impossible to drain away every last drop of gas from the tank, fuel lines, and carburetor; however, you can burn out any remaining fuel in the latter.

This task can be performed by turning the trimmer on and letting it run out of fuel. Leave it on until it stops working. This may take a while, but you can be sure that all the fuel is removed, which will keep it in good condition over winter and spring.

Complete maintenance

If you’re not so mechanically savvy, it’s okay to tackle the main parts. These include checking the spark plugs, air filters, cables, buttons, handles, hang straps, gas line, tank, etc.

Otherwise, you can pull the whole machine apart and clean it, replace any damaged parts, tighten bolts and screws, etc. You can use brake parts cleaner to give it a real thorough clean.

How to Store: Vertical Or Horizontal?

The best two methods of storing a weed eater are either vertically or horizontally. Let’s look at their pros, cons, and best use cases.

Vertical

All 3 trimmer types are best stored hanging up vertically as it just makes sense. That may just be the OCD in me, but it feels much better walking into a shed to all of your equipment in a clean, ordered manner. They can simply be tucked away in the corner, out of site.

Furthermore, gas fueled trimmers suit hanging storage better as they have the added risk of leaking fuel. They are designed in such a way that their tanks should always be facing upright. Therefore, hanging them up will allow them to be stored as they were designed to be used. 

Horizontal

The other storage option is lying down flat. This option is better suited to battery and electric operated weed eaters. They can simply be laid in an area where you know that you don’t need to be or have access to.

Gas fueled weed eaters shouldn’t be left in this position, as they can leak. If debris, including wood chips, paper, or even hair, is lying around, they can easily set a light once doused in fuel.

Best Storage Solutions for Weed Eaters

Aside from laying your weed eater on the ground, the hanging option offers some pretty nifty solutions. The best examples include the following:

Brackets & Hooks

The beauty of brackets and hooks is their availability and reasonably inexpensive price tag. You can find them at your local home depot, gardening supplies, or an online store like Amazon. Furthermore, they are extremely customizable; you aren’t restricted by how to set them up.

Shelving Wooden Rack

Shelves or wooden racks are another great way to store your weed eater vertically. These types of furniture can either be purchased for a pretty reasonable price from home depot or online or made by yourself. You’d be surprised how simple a rack is to put together yourself. A simple variant can be constructed by doing the following:

1. Measure the area you wish to hang your weed eater(s). Don’t forget to allow space above the shelf so the trimmer fits between the shelf and the roof. 
2. Cut 2 lengths of timber to suit the span of the area. 
3. On one length, measure where you would like your trimmer to sit and notch out an indent or a series of indents where your equipment will hang.
4. Screw or bolt the first length flat (horizontally) to the wall 
5. Screw or bolt the second length (with the indents) vertically to the first length 
6. Add in your weed eater to test for size and make any adjustments if necessary.

A Few Additional Tips

Storing your weed eater is easy; doing the actual job can get a bit tiring. A few quick tips that we find help make the overall job both safer and easier are:

• Always use protective safety gear. This includes gloves, goggles or glasses, and earmuffs. Using pieces of equipment such as trimmers can be quite dangerous. It’s super easy for small rocks, pieces of wood, or debris to flick up and cause real damage.  
• Do an area check before you begin your work. This is especially important when valuables such as cars, windows, other humans, animals, and combustible products are present. It’s always a good idea to take a quick walk around and ensure you know what’s around. It’s easy to get into a zen state when working and forget about your surroundings. 
• Stock up on repair parts and fuel. The last thing you want is for pieces of your equipment to break down when you are halfway through a job. So it’s a good idea to have a gas container full at all times, new spark plugs, spool thread, etc. All ready to go when the time comes. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Conclusion:

Storing your weed eater should be done by following a few simple principles. These include doing maintenance before storing, which helps make them last longer.

Additionally, the tools themselves are best when stored hanging vertically. Apart from that, the rest is just usage. We hope this article on how to store a weed eater has been helpful, and we look forward to seeing you next. Happy growing!