Whatever you feel like thread.

[MossRoad]

I wonder what the underside of Arly's deck will look like after a season or two?

 

[5030]

Always keep in mind that 99% of mower manufacturers DON'T produce their own blades, they contract them out. There us an outfit on SR49 just inside Ohio that produces most all the blades for most every builder ands they produce ALL the Oregon branded blades. It takes large and expensive machinery to stamp out blades, not something maufacturers would be conducive to invest in. Back before I retired, I delivered many loads of steel strip to them.

 

[WinterDeere]

I wonder what the underside of Arly's deck will look like after a season or two?

I envy you guys who sandblast your decks and blades with dry sandy soil. Ours are always a crusty mess of rust scale and clumped grass, as our grass is nearly always very damp and high in water content, all spring and fall. Blades last forever in our environment, I honestly have had blades over 50 years old still in use, but steel decks rust.

 

[5030]

I wonder how long the stamped steel deck on the Ego mower will last before it rusts through? Most owners NEVER clean off the crud underneath and over the off season, that crud absorbs moisture and rusts the deck. Why I prefer a fabricated deck, not a stamped (sheet metal) one.

 

[WinterDeere]

The Ego deck is definitely noticeably thinner than the "7-Iron" deck on my Deere ZTrak. I assume "7-Iron" is Deere code for 7 gauge stamped steel.

My deck is stamped, but with tubing welded around the perimeter to reinforce, along with the usual assortment of welded and bolted-in baffels.

 

[DK35vince]

The Ego deck is definitely noticeably thinner than the "7-Iron" deck on my Deere ZTrak. I assume "7-Iron" is Deere code for 7 gauge stamped steel.

My deck is stamped, but with tubing welded around the perimeter to reinforce, along with the usual assortment of welded and bolted-in baffels.

Yes there is a definite difference between a 7 iron (7 gauge steel) and most other stamped decks

 

[5030]

So lo0ng as you keep the crud off the bottom in the off season, even the thin ones will last a good long time but you don't clean it in the off season, they will rust out. Grass cud under there is acidic.

The Deck on my Kubota is a weldment and it's heavy too. I believe about 400 pounds. All I know is I have to use a long wrecking bar under the edge to reposition the rear anti scalp wheels. Probably why there is a cast counterweight on the back as well. Positively loaded with grease fittings as well. In fact the entire machine is 'festooned' with grease fittings.

 

[WinterDeere]

Yeah, my deck is also several hundred pounds. I remember that even after I stripped all of spindles and running gear off it, just moving the bare pan around was an undertaking.

What was real fun was moving the mower with the deck removed. I could grab a front caster with just one hand and easily lift the machine into a total wheelie. Had to be careful driving it that way, as I could have easily flipped it onto its back.

This was all done to sandblast and repaint the deck last year. I do scrape it clean in the off-season, but usually not until after Christmas, which is usually a few weeks after the final mowing of the year.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I wonder how long the stamped steel deck on the Ego mower will last before it rusts through? Most owners NEVER clean off the crud underneath and over the off season, that crud absorbs moisture and rusts the deck. Why I prefer a fabricated deck, not a stamped (sheet metal) one.

My first mower, a HusquvarnaI Rider 155, came only with a stamped deck. My mowing needs increased, so I needed a second mower as well. also had reservations about buying another mower with a stamped deck, so I bought my second mower with a 7 ga fabricated deck. Unfortunately the second mower with the better 7 ga deck crapped out after 5 years. On the other hand, the Husqarna Rider with the stamped bio-clip deck has lasted 21 years, and still cuts beautifully. I does, however, has a couple of really thin spots that are rusting through; not so much as to allow clippings to fly, but those days are ahead.
In short, I think the stamped decks are better designed than the fabricated decks. My thinking is that if a stamed deck would hold up for >21 years, and still doing just fine, I would not opt for a fab deck at a higher cost again.

 

[ArlyA]

My first mower, a HusquvarnaI Rider 155, came only with a stamped deck. My mowing needs increased, so I needed a second mower as well. also had reservations about buying another mower with a stamped deck, so I bought my second mower with a 7 ga fabricated deck. Unfortunately the second mower with the better 7 ga deck crapped out after 5 years. On the other hand, the Husqarna Rider with the stamped bio-clip deck has lasted 21 years, and still cuts beautifully. I does, however, has a couple of really thin spots that are rusting through; not so much as to allow clippings to fly, but those days are ahead.
In short, I think the stamped decks are better designed than the fabricated decks. My thinking is that if a stamed deck would hold up for >21 years, and still doing just fine, I would not opt for a fab deck at a higher cost again.

good and thoughtful post.