Problem with 62C deck (on X495)

[Gittyup]

My gauge wheels are 19 years old. Bearings are still good. Why? Grease grease grease. My tires are warn off. So, it's time for new ones now. Those wheels were neglected. As for rust on the deck, it's unavoidable and isn't really a big deal.

 

[JDTank]

My gauge wheels are 19 years old. Bearings are still good. Why? Grease grease grease. My tires are warn off. So, it's time for new ones now. Those wheels were neglected. As for rust on the deck, it's unavoidable and isn't really a big deal.

Your best bet to make your deck last a lifetime, is to power wash every fall, then paint it. I have a sandblasting attachment that fits onto my pressure washer. Right before winter storage I blast the underside of my deck to bare metal. Prime it, then paint it JD yellow again. Yes it's a lot of work, but this deck will last me 30 years with that kind of care. Since this is my first year of ownership, I have only done it once so far.

 

[Neandertaler]

Thanks for all the info on this. So to sum that up:

-the preowner probably did not grease and ran the deck low on the gauge wheels. So the wheels, axles and sealing rings are worn out.
-The rust is normal for the age of the deck.
-So 3 years and 170 hours seem reasonable for that deck

My main question right now is: schould i get new arms/axles or could i get by with just new wheel sets with rings and bushings. by the way: does anybody know what original size the rubber/copper sealing rings are? Perhaps i can get something similar somewhere....

I guess i will leave the rest of the deck like it is and invest some time next winter or later. As we have a metal workshop at my work, i could get the deck coated for no money. So one question is....: is there a point of no return regarding rust where problems occur wich are not easily fixed? Otherwiese I would postpone the disassembly and recoating for 2-3 years.....(on the other hand if a powder coating (like the original) gets so much rust after 3 seasons, it is perhaps not worth it......

@jdtank: do you use liquid paint or the rattle cans for that?

 

[Gittyup]

Your best bet to make your deck last a lifetime, is to power wash every fall, then paint it. I have a sandblasting attachment that fits onto my pressure washer. Right before winter storage I blast the underside of my deck to bare metal. Prime it, then paint it JD yellow again. Yes it's a lot of work, but this deck will last me 30 years with that kind of care. Since this is my first year of ownership, I have only done it once so far.

You might be right, but I won't do it. I'm at year 19 on the 425, and she easily has 10 years or more left without doing anything. I'm **** about some things, but mower deck rust isn't one of them. These decks are extremely heavy and that kind of TLC just isn't warranted.

 

[Yellowfever440]

Most decks especially the 425 54 inch deck rusts the front out behind the hooks that hook to the draft arm and it rips one of the hooks off the front. The 62c deck you are talking about it a good deck and they will last with some rust. When you clean the deck if it is just rust colors on the chunks you take out that's not bad but if their are rusty chunks of metal then it is a lot worse than you think. The axles is up to you if you want to spend the money on them. You could get by with out getting anything, even brand new axles and washers and wheels will not seal completely if you grease the wheels like you should.