hawkeye08
Elite Member
Blades showed $18 each for my mower (need 3) and shipping was $17. I think I'll have a look at the local prices... I found them on Amazon for $13 each with free shipping (but have to pay sales tax).
62D Mower Deck - I'm tired of scraping it!
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Blades showed $18 each for my mower (need 3) and shipping was $17. I think I'll have a look at the local prices... I found them on Amazon for $13 each with free shipping (but have to pay sales tax).
OP
prosperity
Platinum Member
Thanks to everyone who replied and helped me here. As a result, I've come to a plan of sorts to try.
For one, after reading about the Gator blades for so many years, I finally ordered a set. Looking forward to trying them.
Another thing I noticed after my last mowing, is that I am cutting too short. Going to raise my deck height for the next mowing. For now, I am going to pull the deck again, scrape it down and power wash it. Then it is going to get a coat of Fluid Film. Then when the Gator blades arrive, will install them. Hopefully all this will help the situation.
Then this fall after mowing season, I will strip the deck, give it a good primer, and apply the graphite paint.
Who knows - maybe by raising my deck height and installing the Gator blades, that might alleviate most of the problem.
For one, after reading about the Gator blades for so many years, I finally ordered a set. Looking forward to trying them.
Another thing I noticed after my last mowing, is that I am cutting too short. Going to raise my deck height for the next mowing. For now, I am going to pull the deck again, scrape it down and power wash it. Then it is going to get a coat of Fluid Film. Then when the Gator blades arrive, will install them. Hopefully all this will help the situation.
Then this fall after mowing season, I will strip the deck, give it a good primer, and apply the graphite paint.
Who knows - maybe by raising my deck height and installing the Gator blades, that might alleviate most of the problem.
thatguy
Elite Member
i painted my 62D with graphite paint when i first got it.. Sadly, the high air flow areas wear everything down to bare metal every year.. some areas still have the graphite paint, but most areas dont..
I have never mow when the grass is wet, so I dont have to scrape it very often - but certain areas still build up between scrapings
Brian
OP
prosperity
Platinum Member
I've read about the graphite paint - most results were like yours Brian - it wears off after a while in high flow areas. I still want to try it though.
While I try to mow when it is dry, I have a couple areas that are constantly wet due to underground springs, plus being in the shade all day. Even if it looks dry, the grass has a lot of moisture in it.
Another reason I need to raise my deck - when I've been scraping the deck this season, it seems like there is a lot of dirt mixed in with the grass that is stuck. I am mowing with a heavy tractor (2520 w/ loaded industrial tires), and this has been a wet spring so I think part of it is basically the tractor running lower as it slightly sinking as I go along.
I ordered a set of Gator blades - then after looking some more there seems to be a few varieties for some reason. I looked on the Oregon site and they only show one for the M143504 which is the Oregon 396-771. I hope they work as I have high hopes with them!
thatguy
Elite Member
I live in VA where the summer are brutal on my grass - so I mow at about 4 to 4.25" (at the highest setting on the knob)..
If i had it to do over again (and the money) I think i would have taken the brand new MMM to someplace and let them surface coat it with something that would make it super slick..
The gator blades are great IMHO - the OEM blades left L-O-N-G clippings, where the gators make it much finer/smaller clippings..
BTW - the best tool i found to scrape the deck is a multi-tool vibrating like this
Makita’s New Multi-Tool | Imperial Blades
you dont even really have to push too hard and the grass just flies off..
good luck
Brian
Arrow1
Member
I'm interseted to see how these work out for you. I also noticed the major amount of build up on my 62D deck. I don't mow when the grass is wet and still have build up.
I mow my lawn at 4 inches and still had build up. I lowered it a half inch because I found the blades lift the packed down grass from the front tires better but I still have allot of build up. So raising the deck might not help.
I also noticed the that when I would drive over an area that doesn't have allot of grass or make a turn over the driveway the deck would pick up every spec of loose sand or small rocks and discharge it. The Kubota deck didn't do this. This may be all the gravel and stuff you see stuck under you deck. It may not be avoidable.
Keep us posted on the gators.
I mow my lawn at 4 inches and still had build up. I lowered it a half inch because I found the blades lift the packed down grass from the front tires better but I still have allot of build up. So raising the deck might not help.
I also noticed the that when I would drive over an area that doesn't have allot of grass or make a turn over the driveway the deck would pick up every spec of loose sand or small rocks and discharge it. The Kubota deck didn't do this. This may be all the gravel and stuff you see stuck under you deck. It may not be avoidable.
Keep us posted on the gators.
OP
prosperity
Platinum Member
I'm interseted to see how these work out for you. I also noticed the major amount of build up on my 62D deck. I don't mow when the grass is wet and still have build up.
I mow my lawn at 4 inches and still had build up. I lowered it a half inch because I found the blades lift the packed down grass from the front tires better but I still have allot of build up. So raising the deck might not help.
I also noticed the that when I would drive over an area that doesn't have allot of grass or make a turn over the driveway the deck would pick up every spec of loose sand or small rocks and discharge it. The Kubota deck didn't do this. This may be all the gravel and stuff you see stuck under you deck. It may not be avoidable.
Keep us posted on the gators.
Yeah, the dirt/sand seems to be the worst of the problem. If I wait a couple days to scrape it once it is hardened, it almost takes a chisel to get it off.
What is weird is this is the first season that I am really noticing this - that's why I'm trying to find a common denominator from just this season.
Oh how I miss the 7 Iron deck!
GGB
Gold Member
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2010
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- Location
- Kansas
- Tractor
- John Deere 2032R, John Deere Z930M, John Deere 455, John Deere XUV825i w/Deluxe Cab & Roll Down Windows, Snow Blade
I'm with you on the 7 Iron deck. I've got a 2210 with the 62D deck which I thought was about as good a cut as I'd ever seen, but then I bought a Z820 with the 7 Iron deck-what a great cut! I still use the 2210 around my ponds where the slope is not safe for the Z820, but use the Z820 for almost everything else.
I've also been spraying the underside of the deck with Fluid Film whenever I sharpen the blades and along with trying to wait till the grass is dry before cutting, it has really reduced the buildup under the deck. Before I got the Z820, I'd get antsy about the grass getting too tall to cut well with the 2210 (frequently would have to go over two or three times to break up the clumps of wet grass), but the Z820 gives me the ability to wait until it's dry even when it's taller than I like to normally cut. Even in wet grass, I usually only need to cut once-it handles taller grass with very little problem. The Z820's 7 Iron deck and the blade tip speed do most of the work to avoid buildup on that mower, and now that I'm using the 2210 less, I'm also getting less buildup with it.
Thanks for the tip about using a multi-tool to clean the deck-wish I'd thought of that.
I've wondered about having the decks bead blasted and powder coated, but question if that would hold up any better than other paint like the graphite paint previously mentioned.
I've also been spraying the underside of the deck with Fluid Film whenever I sharpen the blades and along with trying to wait till the grass is dry before cutting, it has really reduced the buildup under the deck. Before I got the Z820, I'd get antsy about the grass getting too tall to cut well with the 2210 (frequently would have to go over two or three times to break up the clumps of wet grass), but the Z820 gives me the ability to wait until it's dry even when it's taller than I like to normally cut. Even in wet grass, I usually only need to cut once-it handles taller grass with very little problem. The Z820's 7 Iron deck and the blade tip speed do most of the work to avoid buildup on that mower, and now that I'm using the 2210 less, I'm also getting less buildup with it.
Thanks for the tip about using a multi-tool to clean the deck-wish I'd thought of that.
I've wondered about having the decks bead blasted and powder coated, but question if that would hold up any better than other paint like the graphite paint previously mentioned.
OP
prosperity
Platinum Member
Yeah - the 7 Iron decks are phenomenal for sure. I used to cut soaking wet grass even during a rain and still made a great cut - even in those conditions had very little build up under the deck. You are right in that the design of the deck along with the high blade tip speed makes it work - great engineering!
Hopefully in the next couple weeks I will find the right combination for my 62D deck. I almost wish I never used the 7 Iron since then I wouldn't know how different it really is. If I had the money, I would even consider changing tractors or buying an additional zero turn just to have the deck again.
Hopefully in the next couple weeks I will find the right combination for my 62D deck. I almost wish I never used the 7 Iron since then I wouldn't know how different it really is. If I had the money, I would even consider changing tractors or buying an additional zero turn just to have the deck again.
smalltown
Gold Member
I thought the 62D was the same as a 7 iron deck?
