Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): Rototiller, engine Storage

Question
I purchased a Sears rototiller years ago and used it once -stored for 7 years and didn't start.  Took it to Sears and had it repaired and now I am going to store it for the winter.  Someone told me that I need to empty all of the gas and oil - how do I do that? Please advise.
Thanks,
Carmen (please send answer to my email )

Answer
Hi Carmen,

The someone who advised you about winter storage was partly correct.

The part about running the engine dry of gasoline is correct.  You need to run the motor, [idle it] until all the gas is gone & the tank is completely emptied.  If you have a siphon then you can use it to remove most of the gas & then the rest will disappear after running the motor for a few minutes.

It is also not a bad idea to remove the spark plug and then pour a tablespoon of oil into the piston combustion chamber.  This will keep the cylinder well lubricated until you start it up again in Spring.  

As far as emptying all of the oil, I am not sure why you would want to do this.  Possibly, some time down the road you may want to change the oil, but there is no need to empty the oil.

Regards,

Howard