How to "undercoat" mower deck.

[IndyJay]

It appears to be a liquid detractor. Everything the show on the video has something attached to liquid elements whether it'd be paint, mud, water, oil, etc. in order for it to repel stuff.
I guess you'll just have to mow the lawn when it's wet

Dry grass generally doesn't stick to the deck, it is usually the lush, green wet grass but I am guessing you are just kidding! The cement chute demo looked interesting. My main concern is durability. Not worth it if you have to reapply every couple of weeks. Read reviews, not much to go by as far as longevity.

 

[TractorGuy]

The idea behind under coating would be to prevent the sand blasting effect. That is what wears the paint and metal away. Eventually the bare metal becomes thin and rust holes form.

 

[bartjoebob]

My dealer recommends just cleaning the deck really well and spraying the underside down liberally with WD40. I am going on 5 years with zero rust

 

[wolc123]

I remove the decks from my mowers after the last cut and remove the blades, which are then sharpened. While they are off, I power wash the underside of the deck to remove all caked on grass.

When it dries, I use an old paint brush to liberally coat with used motor oil. Finally, I grease the fittings and install the sharp blades. The engine also gets an oil change and the chassis lubed at that time.

In the spring, everything is ready to go and rust on the deck has not been an issue. Odds are, if you leave that caked on grass mess on thru the winter, that is when most of your rust occurs. I learned that lesson the hard way, with my previous mower, which I serviced each spring and usually flaked off big chunks of rust and deck while scraping the grass off the underside.

I still applied the used oil when I did the service in the spring. Without having the whole winter to dry, a lot more grass would stick to it during the first few cuts. Fall service is definitely the way to go.

 

[5030]

I remove the decks from my mowers after the last cut and remove the blades, which are then sharpened. While they are off, I power wash the underside of the deck to remove all caked on grass.

When it dries, I use an old paint brush to liberally coat with used motor oil. Finally, I grease the fittings and install the sharp blades. The engine also gets an oil change and the chassis lubed at that time.

In the spring, everything is ready to go and rust on the deck has never been an issue. Odds are, if you leave that caked on grass mess on thru the winter, that is when most of your rust occurs. I learned that lesson the hard way, with my previous mower, which I serviced each spring and usually flaked off big chunks of rust and deck while scraping the grass off the underside.

I still applied the used oil when I did the service in the spring. Without having the whole winter to dry, a lot more grass would stick to it during the first few cuts. Fall service is definitely the way to go.

Same here but always new blades. I don't use motor oil, I spray the underside of both ZT's with WD40 in a spray bottle (I buy it in gallons). Never sharpened a blade, always new and of course everything gets greased too. Little tip, pull the spindles apart and remove the inner seal from the bearings so grease can get in them.

 

[JJZ 109]

I just pressure wash mine a few times per season and paint it with Fluid Film out of a 1 gallon can after it dries. I do the same just before storing it for the season.
I'm with the others who say that there probably isn't a great "permanent" solution.

 

[HEC]

There are some quality products such as rp-342 , fluid film , woolwax , etc, as they actually attack any rust and will not evaporate . Rp-342 is a great product and leaves a waxy dry surface .You can research these products on you tube , good luck . One thing to remember about new mower decks of this era is the steel may not be the quality of years ago as with US steel . Much of the steel comes from China and enough said about that . I have an old toro wheel horse mower and the deck on that is still in fine condition and all I do is clean it off each fall and store it in a dry place for the winter . I have spread some used motor oil on it for some winters . I have a new zero turn mower and will take extra good care of the deck on it for reasons mentioned above .

 

[Williy]

Rust-Oleum 274232 Never Wet Multi Purpose Kit $17.10 price reduced​

willy

 

[newbury]

Either rub some sheep on it or try Woolwax.

 

[LittleBill21]

Instead of starting a new thread, I am going to revive this one. Anyway, after spending quite some time scraping off the accumulated dirt and clumped up grass from under my 50-inch and 54-inch Mower decks. (at least three times a season) I was thinking about trying out this EZ-Slide Graphite coating as sold in Tractor Supply. It says it is a dry film lubricant. I know it will probably wear off just need to reapply every so often. If it helps keep the dirt from sticking, I figure clean-up will be easier. Just wondering if anyone out there has tried this for that purpose and what are your thoughts? Thanks.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/ez-slide-graphite-based-coating-1-gal?cm_vc=-10005

your going to waste your time...

 

[stevem5215]

I've used it. It does work for a while. Basically it's like anything else. You will need to reapply it every year.

 

[PILOON]

How abut GRAVEL GUARD as sold for rocker panels?
Should work I'd think.

I did my CUT fenders with it and no rust!
Mind you the velocity of grit would be higher on a mower deck but then gravel guard is kind of rubbery so grit might bounce off.
Worth a try!

 

[stevem5215]

I tried rubberized undercoating previously. Same result. Wears off. Maybe Titanium paint would work.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

^^^^^^ahh, yeah! You definitely have a park setting there for sure!

 

[spitter]

I tried the tsc Teflon paint on a plow blade didn't last the winter. I stick with whatever left over paint I have from projects I have done. Worked for the last 24 years hopefully the deck will last another 24.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I'm sure my method isn't for everyone, however - I have a wood chipper and leave a small pile of chips for cleaning my mower. Simply drive over the pile of wood chips, engage the mower blades, and viola! the underside of the deck is clean.

 

[5030]

All I do is, every fall I lift the ZTR's up with one of my FEL's and a chain and pressure wash the decks clean and give them a shot of Fluid Film and grease them and put them away for the winter (Marine Stabil in the full to the top gas tanks) and starting batteries removed and placed on a tender. Molding grass is acidic so it eats up exposed metal. 13 years on my 2 ZTR's and no appreciable deck corrosion.

So far, other than routine oil and filter changes and a couple valve adjustments, nothing major has befallen them.

 

[KennyG]

I'm sure my method isn't for everyone, however - I have a wood chipper and leave a small pile of chips for cleaning my mower. Simply drive over the pile of wood chips, engage the mower blades, and viola! the underside of the deck is clean.

I use my 62D deck in the fall to pick up leaves and acorns, etc with my Cyclone Rake. Afterwards, the deck is completely clean and I store it inside. No worries about coating or corrosion. Of course, my JD deck is several times thicker than a typical lawn mower deck.

 

[Hoobie]

I take pretty good care of my tractors and equipment. However the mower deck not so much. I have a 30 year old JD Lx188 with a 48 inch deck. I clean the old grass once or twice a year when I sharpen the blades. And I don't do a meticulous job at that. Nothing more. The deck is still sound as a nut.
Not that I recommend this....just sayin

 

[hslogger]

I might just as well chime in here. I have and have had upper tier JD riders. When it is damp or wet, I hose the decks out after every use. EVERY one. Sometimes I really push these mowers beyond their intended use, on a place like mine with moles and voles, ruts and nuts. tall and wet. Sometimes I have to do it half way through the mowing.

Later summer when it's dry to the bone, not always. But before I quit for the season I hose and or scrape the underside of the deck and spindle assemblies. My three point brush hog mower I do the same. My flail has duck feet and it balls up in tall green. I hose that out frequently.
I don't oil the undersides or treat them with anything, but I store all this stuff up off the ground and covered one way or another.

Back in the eighties I took a gig working for the local Parks Department during a timber downturn, survival job. After every day, back in the shop, we hosed out all the mowing devices, tractors, walk behinds, ZTR's , everything. It was the rule. It paid in dividends to keep the stuff cleaned out.
Decks with caked dirt and grass, don't operate as designed. It puts stress on the blades, deck, belts, pulleys', motor. It may be **** but it keeps stuff running as it should and easier to maintain a clean machine than a crusty one.

On of my best investments was a HF mower lift. Not German engineering, but it makes the deck cleaning EASY and complete. They are worth their weight in gold. A clean deck is a happy deck! anytime of year