Mowing Care for underside of mower deck

[OkieG]

I like your Rhino liner idea. Line-X coated the footrests on my tractor 6 yrs. and 600 hrs ago. The liner material is holding up real well. I can see how coating the mower deck would protect. That sounds like a good plan for end of mowing season this year.

OkieG

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The liner material is holding up real well. )</font>
I've thought of that liner idea as well, but I wonder just how well it would hold up to the kinds of things that I run into all the time. Large limbs being banged into the sides, the occasional rock, the invariable piece of hidden metal. I would think that the lining would be pretty banged up in no time, and therefore may not be cost-effective. John

 

[Slamfire]

The neatest idea I've seen is a guy installed a single sprinkler head near his shed, he'd drive the mower over the sprinkler and turn on the water. Then he'd run the mower. The blade action spread the water and loosened the grass, etc. from the underside of the mower. This was in a Farm Show magazine, but isn't available on the web site.

 

[Mosey]

I tried Slip Plate/EZ Slide and was disappointed. I pressure washed it, wire brushed it (using a wire brush on an angle grinder), then brushed on 3 coats of Slip Plate/EZ Slide. I let it sit for a week to dry. The Slip Plate/EZ Slide started coming off within 2 hours of use and the grass buildup was less than before, but not a big difference. Now I spray it with WD40 (don't use the small cans, get a gallon and one of their pump sprayers and it will be much cheaper) and it works better than the Slip Plate/EZ Slide and is much cheaper and faster and a lot less work.

I agree that mowing dry grass helps a bunch, but in the spring around here there just isn't any choice sometimes or the grass will be knee high.

 

[44trxfun]

I spent several hours cleaning my deck this past weekend (between thundrstorms). I confess, I hadn't done a good job of it last fall when I put it away. So, I had that to contend with as well as tall, wet grasss from this year. I removed the deck from the tractor, put it in a vertical position on the carryall and spent hours scraping off the old crud with a kitchen spatula designed for non-stick pans. Worked great!

 

[Soundguy]

I try to hit my mower deck with some epoxy paint about once a season.. but next year may consider using that spray on rubberizing coating.

Between the paint and some silicone spray.. I've had no problems. I've even skipped the paint sometimes a year if it is holding up good. The epoxy paints ( like for washer / dryer touch up come in spray cans and are extremely tough and scratch resistant.. and hold up a gloss for a long time.. making it pretty slick.

My push mower was bought new in 93 and is still going strong.. with no signs of problems from the underside of the deck.

Soundguy

 

[slowrev]

I have a 1970's vintage Gravely 812 rider. I put a couple of coats of Rustoleum rusty metal primer on the deck and then a couple of coats of rustoleum color coat several years ago and have NO rust on it at all. I only clean it out if it gets jammed up with wet stuff or during my winter prep for the next season. During this past winters prep I decided that I would put another coat or two of color coat on it next winter. Color is scratched off some but the primer is still intact.
btw I mow about 2+ acres each week with this machine.

 

[OkieG]

Hmm. I kind of like the combination of your approach and Slowrev's.
Rustoleum primer, then epoxy paint. Something slick and tough is what is needed.

OkieG

 

[mowerswife]

I just want to say that I am printing all of your ideas and giving them to my husband for father's day. He grumbles every time he puts the tractor on ramps and washes the underside. At least today he is fishing and not mowing! Thanks in advance.