Using primer under mower deck: Which one?

[4310]

I may be completely wasting my time but it just seems like the right thing to do. I realize that the paint will have a short life on the parts that gets pelted with high speed grass clippings as I mow but those parts are clean with no rust. The parts of the deck that I am trying to preserve are the low flow areas where grass clumps to and stays until it dries. Those parts are pitted with rust.

Here's my thinking. If I have two steel panels, one painted and the other unpainted. I put a glob of wet grass clipping on both. I then spray off just the painted panel shortly after with the garden hose. Which panel will rust faster? I'm betting the panel with no paint that has had a glob of grass setting on it until it has dried.

Also the reason I intend to spray it out with a garden hose after every mowing is because I feel like water will evaporate a LOT faster from the bottom of my mower deck than a glob of wet grass that has been left on there to dry out and fester.

 

[JRobyn]

I bought an older Cub Cadet lawn tractor. The deck was getting a bit rusty and had some places underneath with some significant pitting. I power wire brushed it (just the underside) totally down to clean steel and then used two coats of "EZ-Slide" graphite paint (available at TSC). I used two coats of the primer recommended by the EZ-Slide paint manufacturer (Van Sickle Paint Co. - I think I ordered it directly from them). The primer is very gray leading me to believe that it is zinc-rich. Van Sickle folks said it is suitable for bare steel. The EZ Slide top coat is quite "slick" when cured.

After one season, it seems to be holding up ok, but I have NOT yet pulled the deck and examined it closely. It did NOT completely prevent wet clippings from adhering and building up in places as I was hoping, but at least I have some peace of mind that there is some decent corrosion protection underneath the buildup.

- Jay

 

[Al Mac]

I have had great luck with Blue Steel Primer on the old mower deck (1983). Used it on the boat for years.
It looks like milk and drys a blackish color. It is a marine product and will stick to a clean rusty surface and very hard to get off.
Only pour out what you need as it should not be poured back into the jug when finished.

Al

 

[muddstopper]

I will say this about POR15. I sandblasted and patched the sides of my finn Hydroseeder tank, and then used the POR15 to coat the insides. After years of mixing wood fiber hydromulch, mixed with granular fertilizer and pulverized lime, you cant tell the inside of the tank has a scratch. Once on the metal, you need a grinder to cut the paint off. Pretty much the same if you get it on your skin or in your hair, it dont wash off, ask me how I know

 

[stevem5215]

I've used the ez slide product under a older craftsman deck this spring. Was recommended here to use. Will be interesting to see how it held up next spring on the checkout of the mower.

It was easy to apply and is very slippery to the grass after the first monitored use. After that one I haven't looked lately.

Steve