Mowing Care for underside of mower deck

coachgrd · Mar 7, 2004

Just wondering if all of you could share your strategies for prolonging the life of your mower deck. I've just bought a JD 455 and the previous owner apparently used to spray used engine oil on the underside. Just wondering if I should continue this or one of you have something better. Thanks!

The sun is shining in NW Pa...spring can be far behind a few more snowstorms...

Gary

Bird · Mar 7, 2004

Gary, I kept a gallon jug with one quart of new motor oil and 3 quarts of diesel, and had a spray rig that put out a very fine mist. That's what I sprayed the bottom of my deck with; kept the grass, dirt, etc. from sticking so bad and made it easy to wash with the garden hose when finished. I used so little of the stuff that a gallon would last 2 or 3 years.

dmftoy1 · Mar 7, 2004

Last year I tried to only cut when it was dry and still ended up with a major cleanup job at the end of the summer. This year I'm going to try something different. I bought a cheapo electric power washer, and I'm going to just drive the tractor up on my oil change ramps and hit it with the powerwasher after every cutting. I figure it'll take me 5-10 minutes tops. I figure that as long as I'm greasing the deck regularly this shouldn't be a problem. ???

Have a good one,
Dave

755inNY · Mar 7, 2004

Gary,

There have been several threads on TBN regarding treatments for the underside of mower decks. All have had mixed results. Any thin coating you spray on the underside of the deck will be quickly removed during mowing. Think of all the bits of grass striking the underside over an over. A thicker coating may change the airflow under the deck or create more drag to the clippings.

Instead of coating your deck, the best advice is to perform periodic cleaning during the mowing season. Removing any grass build up will make the mower perform better as well as last longer. This includes sharpening the blades and lubricating bearings. Don't forget the top side of the deck.

At the end of the mowing season, store the deck in a dry place after cleaning it thoroughly. This might be the time to spray the underside with a light weight oil.

The above is based on 16 years with same mower deck. No underside coatings ever. Typically cleaned once during the mowing season. Tractor is parked outside with no cover. Deck is stored inside during the off season. Deck still has many, many years of life left in it.

Jeff

JayC · Mar 7, 2004

After every cutting I use the air compressor to blow the top of the deck off. It works really well. About mid-way through the cutting season I will take the deck off to scrape off any clippings from the underside. At the end of the season I will clean it off again.

JDgreen227 · Mar 7, 2004

I posted this in another forum but can't recall where. Back about 1996 I bought a Coleman Powermare gas power washer from Builder's Square, one of the attachments they sold was a angle wand that fitted into the spray gun, it was about 28 inches long with a 90 degree bend at the end that was about 3 inches long. When hooked to a powerful washer it is the best tool for cleaning mower decks and vehicle undersides I ever found.

It's good practice to pull the belt shields off the top of the mower deck now and then to clean the debris out, on my JD the rear wheels tend to throw small pebbles and sand onto the MMM and some of the stuff works down near the belt.
If a lot of grit builds up you will end up replacing that expensive belt more often than you should. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Glenn9643 · Mar 7, 2004

I know you'll enjoy the JD 455. I just checked the hours on ours this afternoon thinking it might be time for the 50-hour oil change... 1381.
We have never coated or oiled the deck but have no problem with it yet. If the grass is wet or tender and fast-growing it will mat up underneath quicker, and if cutting something like that we clean it with a putty knife or pressure washer after cutting. I have a chain hoist under one of my sheds that I hook to the front of the mower and raise it enough that I can get to the underside of the deck for cleaning or blade changing. Any time you put water on the deck you need to take the inspection plates off the top and be sure you get all the grass out from around the pulleys, belt, etc. as the moisture will setup and cause problems.

Soundguy · Mar 7, 2004

I primed and painted the underside of the deck on my murray, and craftsman mowers.. my little push mower too. it is now 15 years old.. starts on the first pull and has no rust.. Use the ruberizing truck bed liner paints.. etc..

I'm not a fan of using diesel, or motor oil ( new or used ) as a deck protectant...probably all those environmental science classes during CE college.. ( Point source pollution is the easiest to control.. and we should.. thats all I'll say.. lest we revive the used motor oil protectant thread that went 'jihad' status a year or so ago...)

Soundguy

frank_f15 · Mar 7, 2004

i find the best thing is to just keep it clean. scrape it clean of wet grass especially before storing for the winter. cleaning not only protects it but u will get a better cut.

RedHawkRidge · Mar 7, 2004

I'll add my vote to the commentors who say it's better to maintain the underside than to coat it. I have tried commercial graphite loaded coatings on my X595 54" mower deck for 2 mowing seasons. At those points where the cuttings tend to flow against the deck, the coating wears off quickly. In other words where you need/want it the most is the first place it disappears from. It isn't so much the grass clippings but the inevitable dirt, sand, twigs, pop-tops, cartridge casings, arrowheads, etc. that you suck up during mowing. Biggest enemy is buildups of wet clippings that change the airflow and promote ruts.
jim