Deck Clogging

[MBDiagMan]

A Cub Cadet deck clogging up? NO! NEVER!

Seriously, one of the reasons I baled out of my almost new Z Force was clogging in thick grass. The reason, I believe, is the bar across the bottom of the discharge chute. On my old 2145 it did the same thing and after that bar tore up, I welded some 1/4" outside gussets at the top corners of the discharge chute that reach to the bottom of the deck and I removed the remnants of the cross bar. This gives the same bracing without the restriction of the bar.

I know of someone else who has a Z-Force because he is in a wheel chair and the Z-Force was the easiest machine for him to get on and off of. He has to mow an orchard in high grass, but has now given up on the Z-Force because if it clogs it is a MAJOR project for him to clear it due to his handicap.

Before I bought my Z-Force replacement, I demo'd the unit in grass that was about 12" high at about 8:30AM to make sure there was no clogging. It shot grass out of there like a fire hose so it passed that test.

If you have an '05 Z-Force so that you don't have the disastrous B&S Intek engine, it would be worth removing the cross bar and welding on an external discharge chute brace.

BTW, whatever you do, don't pressure wash around the rear of the Z Force without removing the drive vent caps and sealing those vents TIGHT so that water does not pressure it's way into that delicate and expensive drive unit.


My $0.02 and best of luck,
Doc

 

[MrWiggles2]

Spring grass and fall grass not only have more moisure, they are building their root systems at that time of the year. So, they are photosynethesizing like mad to strengthen themselves. You'll find the grass really sticky then, it would stick to a Teflon coated deck.

Another issue with this is the deck chute. Make sure to keep it down or put a small stick to elevate if you get windrows. Keeping the chute up sucks in a lot of air which disturbes the flow, making the grass more likely to stick.

 

[HGM]

Guys, just an update... I purposly neglected to clean the underside of my deck last year to test the bedliner coating I put on last spring.. Here's a picture of the results.. We had a heavy cutting season, so heavy in fact that I had to buy a sweeper to get the cuttings off the grass, lots of rain and wet grass.. I will need to reapply, and will likely do a more professional job next time.. I didnt like the quality of the arosol can stuff, but a brush on should do better...

 

[HGM]

The build up was pretty severe the previous year, prompting me to try this... I'm happy with the results and recomend it..

 

[wojnaroski]

Thanks for the info.

Hard for me to tell from the pictures, did the liner come off in pieces or just wear off? How many cans did you use? How many coats of liner did you put on? Was it the rough or smooth liner? A lot of questions, I know.

Your answers are very much appreciated.

Thanks, Alan

 

[HGM]

I primed it with an "rust converter" that neutralizes any rust before painting.. I used 3 cans of the arrosol bedliner and yes it did rub off in places, mostly where the front edge of the deck may drag across the gravel drive.. The final product is nowhere near as thick or durable as the professional product.. The rust converter I used may have played a part in the adhesion(sp?) but I still believe the brush on or professional system would give a much better quality finish with more longevity.. Like I said, overall, I'm happy with the results.. I'll just use a different product next time. Hope that helps some.. BTW,clogging was mostly eliminated, the stuff that did build up comes off really easy....