Rust converted mower deck, paint it or leave it?

[LeakySeals]

Grass stuck solid..



Pressure washed



Wire brush, hand sanded



Pressure wash again


One coat rust converter (still wet).



Starting to dry.



Would like it a little smoother, more slippery so it doesn't stick and clog as much. Should I paint over the converter, add another coat of converter to make it thicker, or just leave it as is, the smoothness under there doesn't matter?

 

[JC1]

I would leave it at the stage you have it at now. At the end of the season see if it's starting to rust again and decide if you need to paint it.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

I would put a top coat on it. Use something that has a high gloss to it and is very durable.

 

[gomes512]

I haven't had good luck with rust converter as a base for paint on mower decks. Seems to come off eventually. But maybe your luck will be different. I wire/sand it all, use phosphoric acid/naval jelly, and paint with a glossy farm and implement paint. The stuff from Rural King holds up real nice on my decks.

 

[demarpaint]

I'd brush paint it, with a high gloss alkyd industrial maintenance coating.

 

[Donald]

Is the stuff you used a converter like Extend or Naval Jelly?

 

[LeakySeals]

I have a few cans of silver mag wheel paint never used. But if this is gonna fail whats the point. Will make it harder to try another method. Unless mag wheel paint will make it last longer

 

[spasm3]

I've tried everything in the past,( epoxy paint,graphite paint,bedliner coating) nothing stays on there. I just did it anyway to not have it rust over the winter. The mower wore out before the deck anyway.

 

[larryinnewyork]

Good job cleaning under the deck.

The 'wet' grass is what's causing it to rust.
Any way to come up with a easy method to clean 90% of the grass off after each use ? ? ?
Using your Pressure Washer would be very effective.
Then park it where it will dry. Maybe spray with WD-40 after pressure washing.

As it is now, I would recoat with rust converter (if needed).
Edit: For treating rust, I like to use Phosphoric Acid.
As others have said, then brush on a GOOD coat of glossy paint.

It's going to be a Never-Ending-Job.
But if you make the effort, the Deck will last longer.

 

[LeakySeals]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Is the stuff you used a converter like Extend or Naval Jelly?


Rustoleum rust reformer ( the can with a rusty chair on it, not the other one with a brown circle ). According to some online tests this stuff is good. Beats corroseal and others. I been using it on the frame of my truck in splash areas. So far so good. Held up all winter. But time will tell

 

[Donald]

There is also a spray you can apply specifically to help with grass not sticking.

 

[bubbatime]

Youve done a good job so far. I would put several more coats on it. The more the merrier. Maybe it wont wear out as soon.

 

[stevejones]

IMHO, mulching decks accelerate their demise. I had it on mine, then went back to side discharge...

 

[NHGUY]

Maybe use Eastwood rust encapsulator and follow it up with 2K Chassis black...

 

[KingCake]

Paint it with Graphite coating so the grass won't stick. You can find it at tractor supply or amazon.

 

[svhanc]

Bed liner.
Once a year.

 

[PurpleT]

Keeping the under side of the deck clean and grass free is your best bet to prevent future rust. I ran a lawn company for a number of years and never lost a deck to rust. If we mowed in super wet grass the decks were scraped and/or washed clean at the end of the day.

 

[HangFire]

Originally Posted By: PurpleT
Keeping the under side of the deck clean and grass free is your best bet to prevent future rust. I ran a lawn company for a number of years and never lost a deck to rust. If we mowed in super wet grass the decks were scraped and/or washed clean at the end of the day.

This is good advice. A clean mower deck, properly stored, will dry off between weekly mows and rust less.

But I don't think I've ever seen a pro mower deck die from rust, unless it was 30 years later in a consumer's hands. With daily use throughout the mowing season, they die first from shot bearings, bending, ramming, other hourly wage earner abuse... but usually the motor goes first. Thin flimsy consumer decks, yes, sure.

 

[walterjay]

Paint it. Keep it clean. Re-do it again in the fall before storage. I have used the graphite coating and it did not seem to help any.

 

[69GTX]

Originally Posted By: NHGUY
Maybe use Eastwood rust encapsulator and follow it up with 2K Chassis black...


My choice too. Chassis black is like iron paint. I did a K frame with that once it was like iron...glossy finish too.
For the primer I'd use the Eastwood Corroless. Then the Chassis Block. I just used some Corroless on the underside of my bulkhead doors which I got tired of painting the normal way. Maybe that will hold up better.

5 years ago my lawn mower rusted out at one of the wheel mounts. That was my first incident with a mower rusting. And up to that point I was lazy with cleaning the underside off after every mowing. I recommend painting/sealing the underside of the mower when it's still brand new.