Better clean that mower deck!

[wavinwayne]

Today I decided to clean the bottom side of the mower deck on my 2007 John Deere LA110. I had never dropped and cleaned the deck before. It was an absolute MESS! This is the after picture, which shows how much rust was caused by 4 years of caked on grass.

 

[JTK]

That doesn't look too awful for 4 years of no attention.

 

[Hallmark]

I would suspect that's normal once the paint is worn off. I have a provision on my deck for rinsing after each use, but the deck continues to rust away regardless since there's nothing to prevent it. Decks will last for 15+ years before becoming useless due to rust.

 

[ls1mike]

I am afraid to look at mine. I did have to change the belt this season, it was pretty easy.

 

[Chris B.]

Sand off the rust and clean it well. Prim it and then spray some rubber under coating on it. I did that to my Toro last year and so far it is holding up.

 

[simple_gifts]

If you don't maintain your OPE better, we have the authority to confiscate it and allocate it to a more responsible forum member, like myself for example. It is in the forum rules, you probably didn't read down that far....

 

[JTK]

I give mine a quick reach-under with a stick or scrap piece of wood after every use and then blow the whole machine off with my leaf blower. I've never had any luck with coatings. The main thing with mower decks like this is to keep them set so they don't ride the ground and get beat to pieces.

Joel

 

[BIGJ552000]

What i did last year was sand the deck down to bare metal, use brake cleaner to make sure NO residue is left any where, THEN I used the Herculiner bed liner applied with a brush and roll on liner. I layered it about 3 times and now all I have to do is rinse the bottom out or if I forget to it does'nt mater now as the deck is fully protected from rusting any further. BEST thing I have ever done!
Usually my motors last forever but the decks rot out way before. Looks like I don't have to worry about that any more.

 

[Mamala Bay]

When grass is wet it sticks. Dry grass doesn't stick will be easier on the mower with a cleaner cut over wet grass. Using a blower would be more optimal over using a water hose to clean off dust and grass.

Also dry grass will be harder on the air filtering over wet grass.

That deck looks like it's hard to get under to do some thorough cleaning.

 

[greystone]

They make mower deck coating. MowerGuard is one brand. It seals and also helps to keep the grass from sticking.

 

[crw]

I keep mowers for decades. In fact, in my entire life I've owned three mowers, and two of them I still own, a rider and a push mower. I'm 45.

I never clean under the deck, ever, unless I happened to need to mow when it was really wet and the gunk under the deck is preventing the mower from working right.

 

[Cutehumor]

I bought my first lawn mower this month, a toro recylcer. I've used it three times so far and use the washer port to rinse underneath. so I need to do more to keep this thing from rusting?

 

[Mamala Bay]

Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
I bought my first lawn mower this month, a toro recylcer. I've used it three times so far and use the washer port to rinse underneath. so I need to do more to keep this thing from rusting?


Best bet is to mow in dry condition. If mowing in wet conditions you need to hose if off with water. You don't want the grass to accumulate especially when left out in the sun as the grass will cake and bake onto the deck. Once caked and baked it will hold moisture when it gets wet causing premature rusting.

You can also look under the deck to see if it's caked up.

 

[Bror Jace]

Yes, you will also get better results from mowing in the driest conditions (usually late afternoons). Wet/damp grass gets matted down by the mower tires and does not get cut properly.

 

[Cutehumor]

I'll remember to cut when it's a dry as much as possible. lately, in April, it seems to be raining every other day or two. it's gotten hard to cut when grass is 100% hot/dry though.

 

[Craig in Canada]

IMO, more decks should be made from alloy. My Honda push mower deck is alloy and although I still clean it for mulching efficiency (reduce the buildup) I don't have to worry about corrosion on a costly investment.

 

[wavinwayne]

I don't plan to do anything special to the deck in the picture. From now on, I will drop it once or twice per season and clean it real good. I figure it'll be good for probably another 5-7 years, at which point I'll be wanting a new one anyway.

 

[Cujet]

Here in South Florida, there is no need to clean under the mower deck. Grass grows year round, and the sandy soil creates a clean, bare steel surface that never rusts. In other words, the mower is in constant use and perpetually sand blasted. Ha.


On the other hand, severe vibration means that one of the blades has eroded away and the other is hanging on by a thread. The result is a severe out of balance situation.

 

[Craig in Canada]

Originally Posted By: wavinwayne
Today I decided to clean the bottom side of the mower deck on my 2007 John Deere LA110. I had never dropped and cleaned the deck before. It was an absolute MESS! This is the after picture, which shows how much rust was caused by 4 years of caked on grass.


It just occurs to me - does that mean that you've never sharpened the blades before either? (since you've never seen the mess)

 

[wavinwayne]

Originally Posted By: Craig in Canada
Originally Posted By: wavinwayne
Today I decided to clean the bottom side of the mower deck on my 2007 John Deere LA110. I had never dropped and cleaned the deck before. It was an absolute MESS! This is the after picture, which shows how much rust was caused by 4 years of caked on grass.


It just occurs to me - does that mean that you've never sharpened the blades before either? (since you've never seen the mess)


Yes.