X739 48" Mower deck under side paint quality

[bgWI]

Gentlemen,

All input is very much appreciated and understood. I should clarify that I pressure wash at only 1,000 psi and hot water, with the deck off the tractor and not reinstalled until "dry." I use only compressed air to clean the tractor of dust. Our "lawn" is country, growing grass in clay with moist weeds populating some areas of the yard and woods areas being mowed. (Not country club for sure!) The moist weed and grass juices, mixed with the dust makes for a very sticky and then very hard accumulation - even when conditions are "dry".

I like JD Tank's suggestion on brush painting and the use of "fluid film" which I have to find out where its available. I grease after pressure washes and keep the water spray off the bearings. (grease is cheap)

I plan on using some rust reformer where the heat of the welds came through and began rusting since they were not painted by John Deere. Then prime and brush paint for the season. The 48 inch deck detaches much easier on the X739 than on our 425 AWS, which is still in the family.

Again, thank you for the inputs.....

Bill

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Fluid Film is available at NAPA, but is cheaper through Amazon. It's good stuff. It's my preferred lubricant - a million times better than WD40 (which really isn't a lubricant anyway).

 

[Gittyup]

Fluid Film is available at NAPA, but is cheaper through Amazon. It's good stuff. It's my preferred lubricant - a million times better than WD40 (which really isn't a lubricant anyway).

My JD dealer also sells it.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I do wash my Ferris deck underneath after each use. I use a leaf blower to blow off all the loose grass from top of deck and from the HST cooling fans, then use a water hose to remove all the grass build up and crawfish mound mud that has stuck underneath. If I happen to get into mud around my ponds, I hose it off of the upper portion of the mower also. The deck is about 3/16" thick and flat top and bottom which is unlike all the pressed decks that have pockets to hold water around the bearings. I blow dry it afterward with my leaf blower to remove all the water.
I think a clean deck without wet grass and mud stands a better chance of not rusting than a dirty one. Clean metal dries quickly so the moisture goes away pretty fast. I do store it in my heated by the sun totally enclosed storage shed right along side my 14 year old boat that still looks new. The only time my mowers or boat sees the sun is when in use and then they go right back in the dark shed.

The absolute worst thing you can do is store a mower outside or parked on the lawn with a tarp over it. Moisture from dirt of gravel surface will collect underneath and promote a rusted out deck in short time. I don't know how many mowers I have seen on craigslist that were obviously just parked next to the house wherever they finished mowing and look like a 50 year old mower after a couple of years with the seat ragged out, paint faded, deck rusted all over etc.

 

[ccsial]

Fluid Film is available at NAPA, but is cheaper through Amazon. It's good stuff. It's my preferred lubricant - a million times better than WD40 (which really isn't a lubricant anyway).

Fluid film is great stuff.

I drive up on ramps and scrape the bottom of my deck best I can after each use and blow off the deck and tractor. Underside is some paint and some bare metal, No rust. Never use water.