Mower Deck Maintenance

[Racinbob 10,389]

This is a late 1970's 48" deck I purchased new right after I converted my B-80 to a B-160. It's seen extremely heavy usage and while I keep the blades sharp and the bearings lubed the only cleaning it gets during the season is I hoist the front of the tractor and scrape the clumped wet grass from underneath. Every fall when I put it up for the winter I do clean it off good and spray it with whatever lubricant I have on the shelf. This year Free All got the call. After nearly 50 years it still looks like this. 

 

 

[peter lena 8,103]

@Racinbob THATS WHAT I,M TALKING  ABOUT !  thats what I do , none of my decks have baffles , removed them , also regularly look over and under my decks , use a mirror  / light for a quick check , that metal / lubrication  feed is VITAL FOR DECK LIFE . also some lubricant is better than NONE ,I  also ,give mine a summer  check / drop , prop it up to the sun / minimal cleaning , deck gets hot , sucks in the  lubricant , decks also get a winter pre soak / after a light cleaning , up against the wall , spring to eye screw bolt , hold up . fine triangular  file for blade sharpening ,  minimal grass debris , just a black heavy oil stain , decks run quietly , no bearing whine , every related bearing , is  550 degree  Lucas protected , mule drive /  needle bearing , no screaming clutch , once you change over , your decks will live on ,  Pete 

[Racinbob 10,389]

I don't go that far Pete. They get a good cleaning and oil spray once a year before they go up for the winter. Other than that it's just a quick scrape the clumps off after each mowing.

There's been threads about different coatings to protect the underside and I did that to the other deck (42") I used POR-15 seven or eight years ago. It's holding up well but based on this old 48" I wouldn't coat another one. I'm also wondering if the POR-15 may start separating and allow moisture under it. I will give it a good  inspection when I remove it in a few weeks. 

[peter lena 8,103]

@Racinbob  .BOB, never used  POR , , used LUBRIPLATE , CHAIN AND CABLE SPRAY AND LUBRIPLATE  HEAVY DUTY OPEN GEAR SPRAY , and continue to use it today , no moisture , flaking , spider cracks / rot . it bakes on with the suns heat , stains the metal black . another thing , the grass , barely stays with it , don't have any clumps of grass  , R/D  decks , at highest setting .  once finding the complete redo set up , that works , applied it to my other 2 tractors .  all 3 set up the same way , for any corrective repetitive  failure . keep them solidly reliable , pete  

[Brockport Bill 1,402]

beautiful deck -- i want to cry when i see these older WH decks with huge holes and rust rot -- such a shame to see the lack of routine maintenance --- dads old saying -- "a piece of equipment will take care of you as well as you take care of it"