Best method for cleaning cut grass off of the deck, machine and underside of F mower.

[JOHNTHOMAS]

John

It's nice to know after all my posts on this forum, one may of actually been helpful

I used the wand you gave me when I got your mower, but when I cleaned out the garage one month, I couldn't find it right away (wand), so I thought I'd give the leaf blower a try lol

Made me think though, I did mention this before:laughing:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/related-topics/319070-whats-your-best-worst-investment.html

Goes to show that a good tip or almost any information can be missed the first and even second and third time, how many times do you have to tell children to do or not do something. The reason I encourage people to keep posting good info because new people are joining daily that haven't read what was posted yesterday and some of us have to see/read it several times to "catch" it. I really thought I'd reached the pinnacle of grass removal methodology with the extended wand on the air compressor but alas I've discovered with your instructions a much better way with the leaf blower.:thumbsup:
Most people that are using compressor will continue to do so (you know, if it's working don't try anything new and different even if it may be much better:thumbdown but I for one am always hunting a better way to do things and especially if I can do it for a reasonable amount of money which in this case I did because I already had a leaf blower. I have ordered another one from Amazon for a bit over $50 (Black & Decker currently has $10 off $50 purchase) so my new B&D 250mph blower should be here Tuesday for the rental property.
Maybe a few adventurous souls out there hunting a "better" way that own a F with rear discharge deck will try the leaf blower method and be happily surprised at the major time savings and ease of use.:cool2: I never want to stop learning and trying and searching for a "better" way. I often times find ways that aren't "better" but I'll still try to learn more than I know now which leaves a vast field open for me.

 

[johncar]

Yes the leaf blower is the weapon of choice for me too. It lives beside the mowers. But yeah it keeps the whole machine clean, back blowing through your radiators and all.

 

[Hill Farmer]

I've always used the leaf blower to clean off my mower. It hangs at the back of my garage so my routine is to crank it up in the garage, clean garage floor, blow off mower, drive, sidewalks, and porches.
I always throw it in the back of the truck when I go to the farm to bush hog too. At the end of the day I blow all the crud off the top of the rotary cutter, blow out the radiator, and knock the dust off the windows and tractor. Grease everything and I'm ready to go the next time. The air compressor is best for blowing crud out of the radiator, but shop air isn't very handy out on the back 40.

 

[Dan W]

Hello oldballs, good question about the underside of the deck, seems to be a chore anyway you try to clean it...

Like everyone else I usually lift the deck to the it's vertical position and use 3000 PSI pressure washer to clean the underside. What I am going to try this summer is a water hose quick coupled to connectors installed in the top of the deck. This is not a new idea. I have seen water connectors factory installed a few times now. I plan to install three water hose couplers, one over each of the blades. Folks say this arrangement works very well. Turn the water on and run the mower full RPM, seems simple enough, we'll see. The water blast off the blades is supposed to clean the underside to 90%... has anybody else seen this set-up?

Dan

 

[TailDragon]

Have read it is a good way to get water in the spindle bearings.
The pressure washer you are controlling the spray.
I still use a stiff putty knife.

 

[oldballs]

It's been raining so much around here that one has to mow about every 4 days(if there is a window)....doing 3-6 acres at a time. Hand scraping the underside is really a chore that I can do, but really dislike. Most of the stuff comes off easily since it is so wet. I have a long handled scraper that gets most of it. Using a garden hose with a narrow nozzle can be used, but it's a mess and probably isn't good for the spindles, as already noted.

Oh well, such is life and I'm retired.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Got my new B&D 250mph Leaf Blower/Mulcher yesterday, turned it on and it blew me across the room. Going to have to have a helper hold me like firefighters do with big diameter water hoses.:laughing::cool2:

 

[Utopia Texas]

I now use my leaf blower to clean out the car and truck of dust, dirt, lost candy, old receipts and other spewage. Open all the doors and let her have it. Leaves that nice 2-cycle fragrance to the interior. More manly than that pine tree smell.

I also use a electric leaf blower to clean out my truck after my Labrador "Moby" goes for a ride. Open all 4 doors and blast away. I still have to vacuum some but the leaf blower gets 90% of the hair out!

 

[RTJ49]

Hi John,
I do the same. My leaf blower works great for cleaning grass off/under the deck. On my ZD it lets me clean the grass/junk of the air intake screens that are harder to reach, especially between the seat back and front of the engine cover.

 

[hslogger]

Years ago I took a summer job with a government agency that did parks and recreation maintenance. Every day we pulled clean up and grease duty on the mowers using air, water or both. Not pressure washing but water. People can get carried away with pressure washing and it does the fittings bearings no good. Sometimes we put them up on a rack and dug the crud off the bottom if necessary. It was time consuming but in the big picture worth doing. Too many don't figure daily maintenance on stuff and I have valued that experience and absolutely go over my riding mower and rotary mower. always on the look out for something amiss.