A sad sad day...R.I.P. 42SD deck

[RED-Z06 2,146]

Pulled the deck off my 416 to put the breaking plow on, and found the deck is pretty much rotten, severe sand thinning and rot through across the whole shell.

 

Id normally try to patch a deck like this but its so thin all over, pretty well no point.  This was a fantastic cutting deck, but 31 years has taken its toll.

[Treepep 456]

4 minutes ago, RED-Z06 said:

Pulled the deck off my 416 to put the breaking plow on, and found the deck is pretty much rotten, severe sand thinning and rot through across the whole shell.

 

Id normally try to patch a deck like this but its so thin all over, pretty well no point.  This was a fantastic cutting deck, but 31 years has taken its toll.

 

 

I found some for sale locally that are like that!  Paper and some rotten spindles.  HARD PASS!  Well it was a darn good run

[8ntruck 6,506]

Save the mechanical bits off of that deck.  They will help other deck live on.

[Wayne0 306]

I second that. When I scrapped my original rotted deck, I made enough off the spindles and other parts to buy another.

[Ed Kennell 36,163]

I've saved several decks like that by lining them with 1/16" steel.  ( cabinet doors left over  from a job)       I cut and bent the pieces, screwed them in place, then welded the seams.

 

A lot of work, but what else is more fun when you're retired ?     

 

[Pullstart 60,332]

1 hour ago, RED-Z06 said:

thinning

I did some work on a few 1 bottom plows last summer.  I was blown away how the ground had thinned them!

[Lane Ranger 10,593]

1 hour ago, Treepep said:

 

 

I found some for sale locally that are like that!  Paper and some rotten spindles.  HARD PASS!  Well it was a darn good run

I was very surprised to see how bad the sand in Florida damages the underside metal on Wheel Horse decks!  When I go to Florida Flywheelers and look at the way these mower decks are eaten away by the sand it is a big shock.  No coating is going to protect a deck from that kind of damage.  
 

Hopefully you have access to some other 42 inch decks.  There are still some good ones out there!

[Handy Don 10,789]

2 hours ago, RED-Z06 said:

This was a fantastic cutting deck, but 31 years has taken its toll.

FWIW, the 42” recycler insert for the 42 RD mows very well and adds a heavy duty “wear” shell inside the main shell of the deck. In your situation, it probably will become sacrificial but save the main shell of a good deck.

I overhauled one last year and after removing the insert found the main shell metal pristine.

[RED-Z06 2,146]

44 minutes ago, Lane Ranger said:

I was very surprised to see how bad the sand in Florida damages the underside metal on Wheel Horse decks!  When I go to Florida Flywheelers and look at the way these mower decks are eaten away by the sand it is a big shock.  No coating is going to protect a deck from that kind of damage.  
 

Hopefully you have access to some other 42 inch decks.  There are still some good ones out there!

Millenia ago, glaciers pushed quartz and sand out of the Appalachian Mountains and ice rivers washed it to the coastal areas, sadly the gulf coast as a result is very sandy.

[RED-Z06 2,146]

Id love to find a 48" deck, or a 42" Rear discharge.  Ive got another 42sd on my C100 but honestly it cuts absolutely terrible and id never use it on any grass i actually cared about.  

[Ed Kennell 36,163]

8 minutes ago, RED-Z06 said:

42sd on my C100 but honestly it cuts absolutely terrible

What is different on this one?

[Brockport Bill 1,409]

we took the 42 sd mower deck from a c165 we rescued a couple years ago that had been sitting outside for many years -- fortunately, the shell was still ok with no rust through holes -- but top of deck had some pitting from water sitting on it over time -- i've learned that getting almost any WH deck, as long as it does not have rust through holes, can be rehabbed with some considerable success - plus some hours of labor and some $ depending if needing spindle bearings or new pulleys etc - - the key of course is doing the rehab before it gets beyond repair. As to the Florida sand, I don't have a solution for that !! UGH !!

[Brockport Bill 1,409]

thinking about the Florida sand issue damaging the bottom of the deck shells, after you find a new deck I was wondering as a preventive strategy may be to try an application of pick up truck bed liner on underneath of shell -- its fairly durable - - they sell spray cans for self application -- but as you likely know you can go to a commerical pick up truck bed company who does commercial spray application of bed liner material - - its a bit expensive, but may be worth the $ to get some longevity years added to the deck shell ???

[RED-Z06 2,146]

3 hours ago, Ed Kennell said:

What is different on this one?

Same deck, the blades are even across, new blades, spindles are perfect, the rake is set correctly....it just cuts really badly, like something is bent.

[RED-Z06 2,146]

1 hour ago, Brockport Bill said:

thinking about the Florida sand issue damaging the bottom of the deck shells, after you find a new deck I was wondering as a preventive strategy may be to try an application of pick up truck bed liner on underneath of shell -- its fairly durable - - they sell spray cans for self application -- but as you likely know you can go to a commerical pick up truck bed company who does commercial spray application of bed liner material - - its a bit expensive, but may be worth the $ to get some longevity years added to the deck shell ???

It eats right through it, my neighbor 3 doors down has a rougher yard than i do, he had a Deere LT155 42" and he was getting 3 to 3.5 years out of a shell, it would literally cut about 1.5" off the deck like a lazer cutter, and by that time there was no metal where the blades overlapped.

 

My yard is nowhere near that bad, but almost every deck i have, has sand damage...i really thought I had a few more years with this deck because it only had 272 hours on the mower when i got it in 2004 and its got an honest 5 seasons of off and on mowing on it since then.

 

Edit- had it in the loader to take out to implement row to put on a pallet, the light shining through, that hurt.

Edited February 13 by RED-Z06

[daveoman1966 3,637]

In the mid-90s, I fashioned a Stainless Steel liner for my 48" deck.  To this day...30+years hence...NO RUST.  The deck shell was weakened from rust, similar to the 42" shown herein, but the STAINLESS STEEL liner I made took care of that problem.  

Take the spindles out and remove ALL the lift hardware---strip it to the bare shell.  Make a cardboard template of the deck shell bottom side...transfer that template to cut out a SS sheet.  Cut out the three spindle holes, 4 bolt mounting holes---and ALL the other bolt holes. Make a 5" wide apron for the front.  Perfect solution...less than a 'C' note.  ps..remount everything using SS bolts/nuts.  

 

 

Edited February 14 by daveoman1966

[peter lena 8,145]

@ RED - Z06 , never dealt with Florida sandy soil , but something I regularly do , IS BREAK THE GRUNGE CYCLE , decks are easy to drop and have a look see , the irony here , is you have the heat / dry , to absorb some lubrication into that metal . when I spray mine down , they are propped up to the sun , clean , and oil soaked , decks actually get hot and bake in the lubricant , leaving a black stained cover finish , my decks are also propped up now to wall studs , with screw in eye bolts and heavy spring to stay in place , till spring . all are soaked with heavy gear oil , zero rust / rot , done this for years . no sarcasm  or insults , just what I do  to solve the issue , pete

[RED-Z06 2,146]

This is a mulching blade after about 8-10 mows on 1/2acre on a customers mower.

 

Its spicy down here

[Brockport Bill 1,409]

41 minutes ago, peter lena said:

@ RED - Z06 , never dealt with Florida sandy soil , but something I regularly do , IS BREAK THE GRUNGE CYCLE , decks are easy to drop and have a look see , the irony here , is you have the heat / dry , to absorb some lubrication into that metal . when I spray mine down , they are propped up to the sun , clean , and oil soaked , decks actually get hot and bake in the lubricant , leaving a black stained cover finish , my decks are also propped up now to wall studs , with screw in eye bolts and heavy spring to stay in place , till spring . all are soaked with heavy gear oil , zero rust / rot , done this for years . no sarcasm  or insults , just what I do  to solve the issue , pete

took your advice Pete - very efficient use of space - - previously I tripped too many times climbing over them -- all serviced ready for next use

[peter lena 8,145]

@Brockport Bill   thats what i,m talking about ! good job on that .!  like the screw in eye hook , then make up a heavy wire hook to attach to spring , like  1/8 / 3/16  hard wire , open hook easily attaches to  many deck areas . down to 3 decks , pete

[Brockport Bill 1,409]

8 minutes ago, peter lena said:

@Brockport Bill   thats what i,m talking about ! good job on that .!  like the screw in eye hook , then make up a heavy wire hook to attach to spring , like  1/8 / 3/16  hard wire , open hook easily attaches to  many deck areas . down to 3 decks , pete

i've used a couple of the velcro type straps with eye hook on end - as well as used those heavy duty twisty ties - - had not tried the spring idea -  i like to use something i can easily apply while i'm holding up the deck while it wants to roll away on axle wheels - also use something that won't scar the paint on the deck where i attach to lift carriage cross bars

[Handy Don 10,789]

4 hours ago, RED-Z06 said:

Wow! That is some kinda wear.

I’ve gotta believe that the cutting height would make a difference--with higher kicking up less sand?

[RED-Z06 2,146]

27 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

Wow! That is some kinda wear.

I’ve gotta believe that the cutting height would make a difference--with higher kicking up less sand?

It can extend life some.  I keep a nice front yard and mainly use my Z mower to mow it, i can go all year and still have paint on the blades.  Back yard..its just mowing grass and sand 

[peter lena 8,145]

@Brockport Bill   just a collection of  various spring mounts , made up for issues , prefer the long  hooks , with a spring mount for mower deck  wall storage , wide open end , easily grabes a hold spot on a deck , note the smooth / fine double ended spring , those on that perforated stainless , is what I use on my choke/ throttle cables , dash levers moves with total ease , its always pulling it closed , so its always spring assisted , also super lube ,  the thin wire is s/s  tig wire, pete 

 

[kpinnc 11,057]

I've seen what a sandy environment does to mower deck parts. Like the wear on your blades, I've seen them worn completely in two in a single season. 

 

Mowing once in a sandy area is cool, because the deck gets sandblasted. More than that just eats them up!