over60pirate 24 #1 Posted June 19, 2013 Just wondering how many people cut the grass when it's wet? The reason I ask, is, I've read a number of posts, about coatings to keep grass from sticking to the underside of the deck. I never cut wet grass, and never have anything stick to the deck. I get a lot of grass on top of it, but not any under it. It's a RD 42" deck on a 414-8 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
leeave96 487 #2 Posted June 19, 2013 I've cut a lot of grass when it's wet. I also have a 42 inch RD deck - great for mowing and sweeping at the same time, wet or dry grass. The best deal, IMHO, is to mow when it's dry. I try to coat my deck underside every year with slip plate to hold down the build-up and keep a painted surface under the deck. For the top, I blow off the deck with a leaf blower. However, there are places in my yard where it is still damp long after other yards have turned brown from the August drought and heat. I guess the water table is just close to the surface in those places. Also, sometimes when you get home from the salt mine, just as you pull into the driveway, a thunderstorm hits and gets everything wet. Late evening brings dew, so again, you got wet clippings. I know a lot of folks wash out their decks, but I don't - just don't have time and my back in it's older age, ain't ready to wrestle off a deck and scrape it but once a year. So what I do is - first, mow when it's dry if I can. I coat the deck with slip plate over the winter and here lately I've been trying to stock up on some spare decks. If you are going to rust out a deck - as I believe I will do, then I feel the need to have a spare or two on hand. Good luck, Bill 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hydro 130 #3 Posted June 19, 2013 I have a 48" SD. I do not have the luxury of always being able to cut dry grass. I used to have a 42" RD but with an acre and a half I opted for a bigger tractor and a wider cut. Grass holds up underneath. Like Bill I'm not into taking the deck off everytime I use it. I try to drive the tractor up on something so I can get under it with a wrecking bar and scrape the lumps away cleaning off the spindle housings. I do this after every 2-3 cuts. You can see the difference it make in the discharge. I usually pull the deck mid summer for service and a real good cleaning. I also oil it with used oil in the fall, spring and mid summer during the service. It's a 97 with 400+ hours and still in really great shape. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dsholler 54 #4 Posted June 19, 2013 Every time I change the oil, I take the deck off, scrape the old clippings off, and paint the bottom of the deck with the used motor oil. (and run a file over the blades, just for fun)... I mow whenever I have the time, wet or dry, so there is usually some stuff stuck there. Service interval is about 4 mowings. The bottom is never clean, but heck, it is a lawnmower, that is what it is supposed to do. I do know that some of the newer decks on other brands have a hose fitting on the top that you can attach a garden hose to and engage the deck, so the water splashes all around under there and cleans it out... I think I recall a thread here from a while ago where someone had done this to a WH deck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DoctorHfuhruhurr 132 #5 Posted June 19, 2013 I put a fan near it to dry it out and cool it down and/or use an air compressor wand to blast out clippings. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
over60pirate 24 #6 Posted June 19, 2013 I think I will keep mowing just dry grass, as my deck looks new on the bottom. Of course I only have to mow 1/2 acre of grass, so I can stop if it starts to rain. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 9,975 #7 Posted June 19, 2013 Dry grass? I'm in the north of England. What's dry grass? I remove and clean my deck after every cut and coat the underside with old engine oil. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RMCIII 838 #8 Posted June 19, 2013 Wet or dry, clippings will still accumulate unless you do some treating or washing to the underside of the deck. Myself, I wax the underside, at least twice a season, and also use a product called Mo-Deck.. It does keep down the buildup and you will see a difference in how the clippings exit the deck with a side discharge deck. If the underside is not kept clean, it does reduce the "lift", in wet or dry, that the air creates under the deck. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RMCIII 838 #9 Posted June 19, 2013 I am sure others have very clean decks also, but here is a deck, that is 18 years old. Has been on this tractor since 1998. So, if you look to keep a clean, long lasting deck, wash, wax, polish and it may last 40 years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qd-16 14 #10 Posted June 20, 2013 What works for me is a "mo-jack" lift. This makes it easy to scrape and blow out the underside of the deck after every use. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
953 nut 51,721 #11 Posted June 20, 2013 A few years back I sand blasted and primed the under side of one of my decks. I then sprayed "Plasti Dip Protective Coating" and nothing will stick to it. This product is made to coat tools such as pliers but it works well for too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tankman 3,515 #12 Posted June 20, 2013 I always use my backpack blower after each use, to get loose grass. Always try to mow when dry. I have ramps that I drive up on and power wash the underside when required. Don't need it too often mowing dry. I vac the air screens after every use. Winters the decks come off, plows go on for winter duty. At times, I use the plow during the summer to level some stone in my driveway. Deck is oiled and cleaned thoroughly when the deck is off. A clean machine is a mean machine. :smile: 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hydro 130 #13 Posted June 20, 2013 Bottom line...don't leave the deck dirty for a prolonged period of time. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
specialwheelhorse 174 #14 Posted June 25, 2013 I use Slip plate hookey gookey works good so far. I just turned a deck over to replace Woodruff key on a forty year old deck I coated with SP two years ago and it looked like the day I coated it No need to do anything to that, just one LITTLE wad of grass in the front middle. Save a lot of work and do it right to begin with !! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dsholler 54 #15 Posted June 25, 2013 I use Slip plate hookey gookey works good so far. I just turned a deck over to replace Woodruff key on a forty year old deck I coated with SP two years ago and it looked like the day I coated it No need to do anything to that, just one LITTLE wad of grass in the front middle. Save a lot of work and do it right to begin with !! How long do you think it would take me to clean up a rather dirty 48 inch deck with some rust pitting on the bottom? (Just trying to figure out if i have to wait until fall to do this) ... also, did you use the regular slip plate, or the mowerguard stuff? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
specialwheelhorse 174 #16 Posted June 25, 2013 DS : I can't recall how long it took to clean up that bugger but it wasn't easy And I just used the regular stuff from TSC and now that it's kind of coming back to me It seems I gave it 2 or 3 coats and if I were to do it again I would probably use the mower guard stuff if its by the same company, maybe only need 1 good sloppy coat that way. I need another quart now, I've coated 4 or 5 other decks I've rebuilt and have on the shelf now. The deck I've mentioned was a pitted gear drive 32 rear discharge. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeff-C175 7,195 #17 Posted June 26, 2013 How long do you think it would take me to clean up a rather dirty 48 inch deck with some rust pitting on the bottom? Have ya got a pressure washer and old clothes and safety glasses or face shield? About 15 minutes if you do! (pretend that's a pressure washer!) 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dsholler 54 #18 Posted June 26, 2013 I have the old clothes, but do not own a pressure washer. I am thinking a cheapo HF grinder and a cupped wire brush... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
over60pirate 24 #19 Posted June 26, 2013 Wow!! scraping, grinding, coating. I'm sure lucky that my 42" deck on my 1987, 424-8, was spotless, when I bought it 7? years ago. I will be sure to never cut wet grass with it. I know, once rust starts, it's almost impossible to keep it from coming back. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites