Mower Decks: Help Reducing Build Up

[Cdog]

I have a good sized yard, around 4 acres that I mow weekly this time of year.

Some of the yard is shaded, some doesn't drain well, some I don't know. Bottom line, to keep my 61" mower cutting properly I have to remove grass build up much more than I ever imagined. Hoping for all the dew and as much other moisture to evaporate, I wait till later in the day.

I've used wood to chisel in off, pressure washer to spray it out, etc. It's a chore to have to jack the mower up and clean it after almost every use. Then I have to clean the mess made while cleaning.

Any of you have suggestions on what may be done to make this less of pain? Teflon coatings, anything?

I tell myself, "Quit whinning, just do it." I ain't as convincing as I once was!

 

[NYlakesider]

I have a good sized yard, around 4 acres that I mow weekly this time of year.

Some of the yard is shaded, some doesn't drain well, some I don't know. Bottom line, to keep my 61" mower cutting properly I have to remove grass build up much more than I ever imagined. Hoping for all the dew and as much other moisture to evaporate, I wait till later in the day.

I've used wood to chisel in off, pressure washer to spray it out, etc. It's a chore to have to jack the mower up and clean it after almost every use. Then I have to clean the mess made while cleaning.

Any of you have suggestions on what may be done to make this less of pain? Teflon coatings, anything?

I tell myself, "Quit whinning, just do it." I ain't as convincing as I once was!

A lot of the smaller lawn mowers have hose ports attached to the top of the deck. What they do is hook up water hose, and start mower and let the blades blow the junk off. Takes only a couple easy minutes

Its possible that you could do that to your bigger mower. Go to a store that has the mower I described and check it out! Make up your own hose hook up.

 

[venomballistics]

I never thought to teflon coat a mower deck. not really sure it'd have any real effect.
But since it's your idea, harbor freight has a powder coating gun and all powder paints has some specialty teflon powders
all that remains is to figure out how to bake it on @400F for 15 - 20 min and you're golden

 

[WardenRoss]

I never liked the idea of spraying water around the spindle bearings.


,

 

[Cdog]

My mower, a Ferris 800 series has grease fittings on the spindles. There’s no wash out feature.

So far I’ve learned not to pressure wash the control panel area. The PTO switch does not play well with water.

Riding the mower ain’t too tiring, all the trim work I do with a walk behind does wear me down a lot quicker than it once did. I use round up, but still need to weedeat in places. I’m usually pretty tired by the time I’m jacking the mower up and firing up the pressure washer.

I enjoy yard work, but I simply run out of umph before work. I’m also one of those people that can’t not finish once I start.

Reckon I’ll eventually have to get someone to help me. If I were hiring out to do a yard like mine, I wouldn’t be able to afford myself!

 

[Puller]

My yard is a couple of acres and I try to mow in the afternoons when the yard is dry. Last time I mowed a damp yard and had deck build up and just let the mower sit out in the sun that afternoon and stuff kinda dried up and dropped off by itself.

 

[swsig]

I have absolutely no idea if this would work, but it wouldn't cost much. Spray some aerosol PAM cooking oil on the underside of your deck. The only downside is that if it works, you'd probably have to do it each time you mowed. And if it doesn't work, you could still use the remainder for actual cooking. A no-lose solution!

 

[Protocall_Design]

I had the same problem with my 42 inch deck. I got some NeverWet by Rust-Oleum, Step 1 Base Coat and Step 2 Top Coat. I took the deck off, took the blades off and cleaned it down to bare metal or bare paint, where there was any left. Cleaned it with solvent, and let that evaporate. Then applied the Base Coat and Top Coat according to directions. Let it all dry for a week. You don't have to wait a week, I just wanted it to be well cured before any use. It has worked really well. I never have to clean out the deck any more, even cutting wet grass, which used to really clog it up.

 

[prairieviper]

I am glad to say that I have never cleaned underneath the deck of our zero turn or any other riding mower until the end of the year when the mower gets serviced, cleaned up and stored for the winter.

Maybe if I didn't despise mowing, I would take more pride in the machine or maybe our grass here in cornfields and cows country just isn't the mower deck clogging kind.

 

[doublesharp]

No easy way - I use a long handled grill spatula, a putty knife and a windshield scraper and just get after it. I've found it sticks worse when wet so I cut in the late afternoon, early evening and I try not to let it get too high. Once the lush spring growth ceases it gets easier to keep the deck clean.

 

[Cdog]

No easy way - I use a long handled grill spatula, a putty knife and a windshield scraper and just get after it. I've found it sticks worse when wet so I cut in the late afternoon, early evening and I try not to let it get too high. Once the lush spring growth ceases it gets easier to keep the deck clean.

A much too familiar sight.

 

[Cdog]

I had the same problem with my 42 inch deck. I got some NeverWet by Rust-Oleum, Step 1 Base Coat and Step 2 Top Coat. I took the deck off, took the blades off and cleaned it down to bare metal or bare paint, where there was any left. Cleaned it with solvent, and let that evaporate. Then applied the Base Coat and Top Coat according to directions. Let it all dry for a week. You don't have to wait a week, I just wanted it to be well cured before any use. It has worked really well. I never have to clean out the deck any more, even cutting wet grass, which used to really clog it up.

Thank You Sir!

 

[Protocall_Design]

You're welcome, Cdog!

 

[6518John]

1. Find a good shade tree.
2. Have a good, comfortable lawn chair and big cooler of your favorite beverages.
3. Deploy your forces then drift off to sleep.

 

[Jessie]

Borrow your neighbor’s mower.

 

[mckenney99]

Years ago I was having the same issue. My work schedule created the issue where sometimes I just had to cut the grass when it was wet and long, no other choice. At times the grass would stick & build up under the decks of my riding mower and 6ft Woods finish mower and it would mold & mildew which drove my allergies crazy. At the local agg. store I found a product called SlipPlate that was made for lubricating various agg. equipment and the stuff I bought, was brushed onto the undersides of the decks after cleaning thm completely. It worked pretty well by not allowing the grass to adhere to the decks. Unfortunately it was not very long lasting and I did reapply a couple times a season and it worked pretty well.
SLIP Plate | Slippery When Dry | Dry Graphite Lubricant

 

[Squarebutt]

I use spray silicone on garden tools, snowblower running gear and the mower deck. It works pretty well. I buy it at Walmart and Tractor Supply for around $5, and a can lasts a while.

 

[MRB1]

My deck is removed every Fall for maintenance and gets pressure washed. Last Fall we had several inches of Oak leaves that normally take several days to rake up or mulch. This year I elected to mulch only, and when the riding mower deck was removed there was a spotless, bare metal deck looking at me. Even dry Spring growth grass will coat a deck, but not as bad later on in the season.

 

[wood714]

I bought a mulch thing for my little JD riding mower. It was a deck that bolted to the original deck, and came with mulching blades. I think it's called a tri deck?

Lat time I was cleaning the grass from my Honda push mower I figured I'd clean the JD too. It was spotless.

I usually start mowing at 7am in the summer and the glass is always still wet with dew.

 

[tops]

Any of you have suggestions on what may be done to make this less of pain? Teflon coatings, anything?

Don't do anything. My lawnmower is 19 yrs. old and my bush hog is 26 yrs. old and I have never cleaned out under the decks. Out of sight, out of mind. The junk underneath will eventually fall out. I blow the tops off with a blower. Larry