Lawn mower (tractor) maintenance - Anybody else do this?

[Fawteen]

Husqvarna TS354XD. Big lawn tractor or small garden tractor, depends on your point of view. 54" 3-blade deck.

Got the replacement blades in this afternoon and mowed 3/4 of an acre or so of grass. Green, but not wet.

Got done, hoisted it up with the mower lift and scraped most of a 5 gallon pail of clippings out from under the deck. I do it at least every other time I mow. My thinking is that wet, decomposing grass stuck to the steel deck is going to promote corrosion. Have done it for years and yes, it's a pain in the butt, but my last deck lasted 28 years and my grandson is still using that mower.

I tried hitting it with the pressure washer which worked, but created a slimy mess that was more trouble than just scraping it in the first place.

 

[JOCCO]

Yes i wash mine. I clean /scrape if i have to remove deck. Than in fall i clean it and prime it

 

[Alvin 41]

Husqvarna TS354XD. Big lawn tractor or small garden tractor, depends on your point of view. 54" 3-blade deck.

Got the replacement blades in this afternoon and mowed 3/4 of an acre or so of grass. Green, but not wet.

Got done, hoisted it up with the mower lift and scraped most of a 5 gallon pail of clippings out from under the deck. I do it at least every other time I mow. My thinking is that wet, decomposing grass stuck to the steel deck is going to promote corrosion. Have done it for years and yes, it's a pain in the butt, but my last deck lasted 28 years and my grandson is still using that mower.

I tried hitting it with the pressure washer which worked, but created a slimy mess that was more trouble than just scraping it in the first place.

I've got a 42" zoro turn . Mow 5 hours/week. Don't get a lot of build up .Tend to clean only when sharpening blades or fixing blade spindl bearings.

 

[Stephen Newell]

Husqvarna TS354XD. Big lawn tractor or small garden tractor, depends on your point of view. 54" 3-blade deck.

Got the replacement blades in this afternoon and mowed 3/4 of an acre or so of grass. Green, but not wet.

Got done, hoisted it up with the mower lift and scraped most of a 5 gallon pail of clippings out from under the deck. I do it at least every other time I mow. My thinking is that wet, decomposing grass stuck to the steel deck is going to promote corrosion. Have done it for years and yes, it's a pain in the butt, but my last deck lasted 28 years and my grandson is still using that mower.

I tried hitting it with the pressure washer which worked, but created a slimy mess that was more trouble than just scraping it in the first place.

Mine usually does that when the blades are dull. Last replacement blades I got, I had to sharpen them before putting them on the mower.

 

[Red Dave]

I'll admit that I do not clean out my deck very often. Maybe once or twice per year, but I've never had one last 28 years either.

I couldn't do it if I wanted to. My knees are both bad and getting down to clean out the deck is problematic, especially the part where I try to get back up again. Even with the lift, you still have to get on knees to get at the underside.

Last deck only lasted about 18 years, but it was one of those stamped sheet metal decks. Current mower had a constructed deck, which in theory should last longer. If I get 18 years out if it, I'll be happy. And also probably too old to care.

 

[RedMF40]

If I feel like there’s a heavy buildup I’ll do it before mowing. The dried grass comes off in big chunks and is easy to scrape off. Older Cub cadet, I think it’s a 48” deck with 3 blades.

 

[wh]

Clean under deck several times a season. Try to mow in afternoon when grass is dry. Cannot always do that.

 

[joeysmith]

After going to high lift blades mine doesn't pile up underneath unless its sopping wet.
No on top though it collects really bad wet or dry

 

[Fawteen]

I'll admit that I do not clean out my deck very often. Maybe once or twice per year, but I've never had one last 28 years either.

I couldn't do it if I wanted to. My knees are both bad and getting down to clean out the deck is problematic, especially the part where I try to get back up again. Even with the lift, you still have to get on knees to get at the underside.

Last deck only lasted about 18 years, but it was one of those stamped sheet metal decks. Current mower had a constructed deck, which in theory should last longer. If I get 18 years out if it, I'll be happy. And also probably too old to care.

I hear ya about the knees - and every other part that's supposed to bend. Notice I said "supposed to".

I lay down flat on an old rug, kneeling is not happening. Getting up IS an adventure and requires a bit of planning.

 

[wh]

I hear ya about the knees - and every other part that's supposed to bend. Notice I said "supposed to".

I lay down flat on an old rug, kneeling is not happening. Getting up IS an adventure and requires a bit of planning.

Ever since both knees replaced dr said to never again kneel. It is an adventure getting up.

 

[Charlie M]

I have rarely cleaned mine until I put it away in the fall but the results were after a lot of years the deck started to rust through. Scrapping off the green grass probably adds a lot of years to the mower.

 

[wh]

I will add that my mower was bought new in 2003. It is a John Deere x485. 62 inch deck with 26 ish hp. Has just under 1000 hours. Deck still good as new. It pays to keep blades sharp, mower/deck clean as possible, dry and out of the weather imho.

 

[Tony in SD]

I used to power wash my Landpride 84" finish mower after every mowing. But as I get older and it gets harder to lay down and get back up to power wash it, I have been rethinking "the effort vs benifites"

 

[Stan Coryell]

Husqvarna TS354XD. Big lawn tractor or small garden tractor, depends on your point of view. 54" 3-blade deck.

Got the replacement blades in this afternoon and mowed 3/4 of an acre or so of grass. Green, but not wet.

Got done, hoisted it up with the mower lift and scraped most of a 5 gallon pail of clippings out from under the deck. I do it at least every other time I mow. My thinking is that wet, decomposing grass stuck to the steel deck is going to promote corrosion. Have done it for years and yes, it's a pain in the butt, but my last deck lasted 28 years and my grandson is still using that mower.

I tried hitting it with the pressure washer which worked, but created a slimy mess that was more trouble than just scraping it in the first place.

I have a JD D130. The high lift blades get sharpened every 6 weeks or so, 6 hrs of cutting. Mostly the grass is dryish and I don't fertilize, so need to scrape the deck.

Maybe run sharper blades.

 

[da.bees]

My deck is not very old so it isn't likly to rust out before I die so I don't do more than replace belts,idlers,spindles and sharping blades as needed. When I have to do something to deck I'll give it a good cleaning. I throw small dead limbs near compost where I run over them with mower occasionally. I scoop chips up and throw into compost bin. There's always clippings mixed with chips. Sometimes I hear and feel a thump when a large chunk of clippings come loose while thrashing limbs.
About 10 years ago when I got where I couldn't stoop and I had to kneel, I'd just give thanks while I was there. Now I pray that I'll be able to get back to my feet. Most my gardening is in raised beds where I can lean on one hand while working with other. It takes one hand lifting vines and other pulling tomatoes so last week I crawled up into bed on my knees to get all fruits buried in vines. I knew I would have a bunch so I told wife we would take them church pantry. When I brought the harvest into mud room my wife commented there wasn't enough to justify driving to pantry. I told her the majority was rotten and I threw them in compost. Had I told her the truth she would have accused me of drinking too much beer. After crawling through bed I made it to my feet but suddenly felt I'd be hit in knee then shot in hip. When I finished stumbling and staggering (never fell) I had stepped in box crushing a bunch then kicked box over spilling the rest and stomping some of them.

 

[kevin110]

My 46 inch cut riding mower is a1995. I got it around 2008. Deck was slightly used as they had the garden tractor for mainly snow blowing.
I always scrape the deck after each use. I did sand and painted it about 16 years ago. Deck is solid.
I have seen rotten decks that are only 10-15 years old. Save the deck and you will continue to cut grass with it. kevin110

 

[ss55]

Husqvarna TS354XD. Big lawn tractor or small garden tractor, depends on your point of view. 54" 3-blade deck.

Got the replacement blades in this afternoon and mowed 3/4 of an acre or so of grass. Green, but not wet.

Got done, hoisted it up with the mower lift and scraped most of a 5 gallon pail of clippings out from under the deck. I do it at least every other time I mow. My thinking is that wet, decomposing grass stuck to the steel deck is going to promote corrosion. Have done it for years and yes, it's a pain in the butt, but my last deck lasted 28 years and my grandson is still using that mower.

I tried hitting it with the pressure washer which worked, but created a slimy mess that was more trouble than just scraping it in the first place.

I've had good luck brushing on a coat of graphite paint to the underside of mower decks and on the mower blades except for the sharp cutting edge. This is the same paint used on the inside of gravity boxes and snow blowers. Grass builds up far less and what does stick is much easier to remove, required maybe once or twice in a wet year. The graphite paint holds up for years, only a narrow ring at the height of the blades gets worn away, I do not worry about repainting that ring. Very little grass sticks at the blade level, maybe because it gets blasted off once the mower cuts dry grass again.

Mulching dry leaves in the fall is also a great way to blast clean the underside of mower decks.

Spray on paint only leaves a thin coat of graphite, the brush on version leaves a much thicker coat that works better for me. Yeah, brush painting is a pain, but it saves a lot of scrapping later. Frequent stirring while painting is required to keep the graphite suspended.

If rust has already started under the mower deck, apply a coat of rust stopper that has phosphoric acid before applying the graphite paint.

 

[Fawteen]

@ss55

Do you have a source/brand name/link for this graphite paint?

 

[ss55]

@ss55

Do you have a source/brand name for this graphite paint?

Last time I got it from Bomgaars. Similar products are available at hardware stores, Fleet Farm type stores, lumber yards, ag equipment dealers, etc.

https://www.bomgaars.com/oi-13922.html

Van Sickle EZ-SLIDE® Graphite-Based Coating, RB95124, 1 Quart​

 

[circus]

To heck with the deck underside, sounds like we need advice getting up.