Cleaning Under Zero-Turn Deck After Every Session: Really Necessary?

[Suburban Plowboy]

I am still struggling to find a used diesel zero-turn to replace my aging JD 430. I wanted a Kubota ZD because they have built-in jacks, but good ones don't pop up often at realistic prices. Right now, I can get an okay deal ($8900 asking) on a Gravely Pro Turn 460 with a Kubota engine. A younger ZD326 that looks good has materialized at a better price, but the seller can't show it to me until Friday, and in situations like this, a pushy buyer usually shoves his way in and beats me to the deal.

The Gravely looks good, but I have two issues with it. First, the spindle bearings are sealed, so sooner or later, I will have to replace them. Kubotas have zerks, so I expect the spindle bearings to last longer. Second, the Gravely has no jack, so if I want to get under the deck, I have to drag out a floor jack, a two-by-four, and jackstands.

I have been told that if I want a deck to last, I have to raise it and clean it every time I use it. Is that realistic advice? If it is, I really need a Kubota, because there is no way I'm going to drag a bunch of junk out of the shop every Saturday so I can clean under the Gravely's deck.

 

[mjonesnh]

I am still struggling to find a used diesel zero-turn to replace my aging JD 430. I wanted a Kubota ZD because they have built-in jacks, but good ones don't pop up often at realistic prices. Right now, I can get an okay deal ($8900 asking) on a Gravely Pro Turn 460 with a Kubota engine. A younger ZD326 that looks good has materialized at a better price, but the seller can't show it to me until Friday, and in situations like this, a pushy buyer usually shoves his way in and beats me to the deal.

The Gravely looks good, but I have two issues with it. First, the spindle bearings are sealed, so sooner or later, I will have to replace them. Kubotas have zerks, so I expect the spindle bearings to last longer. Second, the Gravely has no jack, so if I want to get under the deck, I have to drag out a floor jack, a two-by-four, and jackstands.

I have been told that if I want a deck to last, I have to raise it and clean it every time I use it. Is that realistic advice? If it is, I really need a Kubota, because there is no way I'm going to drag a bunch of junk out of the shop every Saturday so I can clean under the Gravely's deck.

Have a 2005 Cub Cadet Z-Force. Deck gets cleaned when I change blades and if I have to mow wet grass. Change blades 1 or 2 times during mowing season, try not to mow wet but sometimes not avoidable. Maybe clean deck 2-3 times during mowing season, certainly not after every mowing. Deck 20years old and still going

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

Thanks. How are you cleaning the deck? Seems like a hose would just encourage rust. I have blowers and a big compressor.

 

[mjonesnh]

Thanks. How are you cleaning the deck? Seems like a hose would just encourage rust. I have blowers and a big compressor.

I have a chain that I pick up front end with loader and then put a jack stand under deck and let it pivot on rear wheels while leaving tractor chained to mower. Gives me ample room to get impact on spindle nuts to swap blades and give deck a good scrapping. Use an old butcher knife from years ago and putty knife

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

Geez. Knives? You must have some serious crud up there in Tennessee. I have never noticed much of anything stuck to my deck here in sizzling Northern Florida.

 

[RayIN]

I am still struggling to find a used diesel zero-turn to replace my aging JD 430. I wanted a Kubota ZD because they have built-in jacks, but good ones don't pop up often at realistic prices. Right now, I can get an okay deal ($8900 asking) on a Gravely Pro Turn 460 with a Kubota engine. A younger ZD326 that looks good has materialized at a better price, but the seller can't show it to me until Friday, and in situations like this, a pushy buyer usually shoves his way in and beats me to the deal.

The Gravely looks good, but I have two issues with it. First, the spindle bearings are sealed, so sooner or later, I will have to replace them. Kubotas have zerks, so I expect the spindle bearings to last longer. Second, the Gravely has no jack, so if I want to get under the deck, I have to drag out a floor jack, a two-by-four, and jackstands.

I have been told that if I want a deck to last, I have to raise it and clean it every time I use it. Is that realistic advice? If it is, I really need a Kubota, because there is no way I'm going to drag a bunch of junk out of the shop every Saturday so I can clean under the Gravely's deck.

Unless the deck is stamped steel sheet no cleaning is required, I only clean mine when I get time, which is normally 2X yr.
My Hustler deck is welded together 1/4" sheet steel W/steel strap bracing around the edge of the deck. I bought that Hustler in 2002, it still has the original sealed spindles. My yard is 1.5A plus I mow the roadsides in front of my property and inside my fence lines at least 1X Wk.
The caveat is, it's always stored in my garage and never wet unless I wash the machine, then I blow-dry it with a leaf blower.

 

[mjonesnh]

Geez. Knives? You must have some serious crud up there in Tennessee. I have never noticed much of anything stuck to my deck here in sizzling Northern Florida.

Just something I use as sometimes it is thick in places on occasions. I currently use Oregon gator blades and they have a little more lift than OEM blades. If you mow before 1pm here more than likely your tire will get wet, so much humidity in air this time of year. Would think in Florida it would be very humid also which tends to make grass stick to deck when wet.

 

[Bronco82]

HA. After every season beats after every mow!

Recent thread about cleaning after each mow

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

I would expect real grass to stick to my deck a lot more, but this stuff is like whatever the devil has in his yard in hell. Long, stringy, tough grass that looks great from 100 yards but is actually extremely thin up close.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

I wouldn't worry too much about the sealed bearings or the missing jack. Gravely mowers are big here with commercial guys and they wouldn't run them if the spindles were failing with any frequency. I have always heard that commercial mowers are generally good for around 1,000 hours before anything of any expense needs addressed, other than fluids, blades, and belts. If you are not having trouble with wet grass getting caked on currently then you won't have any need in getting under the deck more often than your preferred blade maintenance interval. I have very seldom used a floor jack during blade maintenance. I usually either pull part way up on a trailer if one happens to be handy, oil change ramps, or a chain on my front end loader. I do have a ZD1211 with the built in jack now, which is nice, but it has not been any type of game changer for me.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

Web thinks both of these mowers have 7-gauge decks.

The Gravely seller is asking $2400 more than the Kubota guy, so if I can manage to get to the Kubota before someone else, I will take it. Says I can see it Friday after lunch.

 

[mjonesnh]

Web thinks both of these mowers have 7-gauge decks.

The Gravely seller is asking $2400 more than the Kubota guy, so if I can manage to get to the Kubota before someone else, I will take it. Says I can see it Friday after lunch.

That sounds like a very heavy duty deck. Mine has been trouble free for 20 years but sure that it is nowhere near that gauge, should wear the mower and engine out before deck a problem due to rust and corrasion

 

[Carl_NH]

Putty knife once a year as needed - mow when its dry and usually in the fall the deck gets cleaned just with the leaves. I use my hyd jack under front frame and jack stands just in case.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

Now I'm reading that the Kubota doesn't have enough manliness to power a mulching kit. If so, Gravely it is, I guess. I cannot survive without mulching to get rid of these oak leaves.

 

[Carl_NH]

If you want the Kubota tell the seller if everything is what they represent, you will take it and bring cash and get the commitment they wont sell it out from under you.

 

[oldnslo]

I clean my deck whenever sharpen blades or cut when grass is wet and gummy. I can hear when deck is clogged it gives off a strange whup , whup sound.

Always scape them off in fall for winter storage.

 

[Carl_NH]

Get Gator blades - they mulch up leaves, and I can't believe the Kubota doesn't have the HP to run a mulching kit? They put mulching kits on the standard ZT all the time.

We have 15 large red and white oak trees and lots of leaves - I mulch into windrows then vac them up.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

I'm seeing complaints that the Kubota bogs down with a mulching kit. The Gravely has a stronger engine, though.

 

[kozal01]

It completely depends on mowing conditions (wet vs dry) and grass type. Sometimes I have to scrape daily, sometimes I can go weeks. Either way it takes me about 5 minutes to do it if its really caked on. As for sealed bearings, I would worry less about them than the ones with grease fittings, especially if buying used. Often times people don't clean the grease fittings good enough and they pump dirt into the bearings, or they just don't grease them at all. I complained to my Exmark dealer when I bought my Exmark that it didn't have greaseable spindles and he said he replaces far more greaseable spindles than sealed ones due to improper maintenance. I'm at 10 years and several hundred hours on it now with only one spindle that needed new bearing a year or so ago, it cost me $12 for a set of Timkin bearings and a few minutes to press them out and back in.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

I don't know why a Kubota with 25 horses would bog when a JD with 20 does all right. The Gravely may have a 30-horse Kubota, but it's possible it has a 25-horse job, which means the Kubota is no worse. I will have to confirm the Gravely's specs with the dealer.

I wonder if a zero-turn delivers power to the deck in a way that sucks more energy than a garden tractor like my John Deere.