How to Clean Your Mower Deck and Repaint It to Slow Down Rust
Вставка
- Опубліковано 22 лип 2021
- In this video I will show you the steps I follow to clean my riding lawn mower deck thoroughly and then how to repaint it. This will help to slow down the rusting of your mower deck.
6-in-1 painter's tool I use in the video: amzn.to/3zry7pF
Pressure washer used in the video: amzn.to/3zxZL4x
Here is the link to my video on how to remove your deck and put it back on: • Troy-Bilt Pony | How t... - Навчання та стиль
I mow about 8 acres with a Troy-Bilt TB46 ... seriously! Sometimes the grass gets truly out of control, like 4-5 feet tall, or more. I have absolutely no rust under the deck. But the grass builds up very badly on top of the deck. You can't blow it out. It has to be pulled out by hand ... a complete pain. So it holds moisture and even starts turning into dirt up there. It's a recipe for corrosion. But below the deck is shiny metal. I take off the deck at least once per month, normally.
That's impressive for that mower!
Nice video! That "ounce of prevention" thing is real! Removing the spindle assemblies is easy, and refinishing those areas helps eliminate a common failure location - the area where the spindles attach to the deck. And removing the discharge chute allows easier access to clean and refinish that area.
Thanks and great point about the common failure area. Probably worth the time to remove!
Totally agree! I'm doing a push mower and debated removing the engine or not. Looking at the mounting surface once I did makes me glad I did!
@@pipsplay Probably save yourself some money down the road!
Good video, while I was repainting I came across a 'Teflon' type non-stick enamel paint to use for the top coat. I've found it really helps keep the junk from sticking and accumulating.
Thanks. That's a good little tip. You remember where you got it? Might have to try that next time.
@@fixitFlip Its called EZ-Slide, they call it a graphite based coating, friction reducing paint. I think I found it at a Tractor Supply, I don't see any kind of contact info for the company, VanSickle Paint Mfg. Co, the stock # on the spray can is RB9512. Seems to be good stuff.
@@fixitFlip ua-cam.com/video/Wjn-Vht6sSo/v-deo.html
@@bowman321123 Very interesting. Thanks again, Bowman. I love hearing little tricks like this people find. Nothing better than word of mouth.
@@brianreinhardt4050 Thanks for the link, Brian. That does seem to come off easier.
Before and after pictures are awesome on this!
Thanks, 508!
Nice job on the deck. I changed the blade by the discharge to a HI LIFT blade which helped to not have so muck grass clump up . The blades were also sanded and painted as well. Thanks, Great video !
Thank you. High lift blades are a great choice!
Looks great. Thanks for sharing your chore with us
No problem and thanks.
I really appreciate your videos and just making them plain simple to understand. Great job wearing eye protection. May I recommend a respirator while using the wire brush to get the rust off. You don't want to breathe in that dust. I know you were outside, but can't be too careful. Keep the great vids coming.
That's a good point, and thanks for the reminder! Thanks for watching.
Great vid! Thanks for posting. I know how time consuming these vids are to make. Appreciate you sharing your knowledge.
Thank you. This one was definitely time consuming! Took much longer than just doing the project without filming. Thanks for the kind words.
I need to do this soon! Great video flip!
Thanks, Brandon. Good to hear from you bud.
Good stuff! Saw horses are your friend tho! Great point on the spindles. When cutting, the spindles can reach a much higher temp than the surrounding steel deck. I wait 45 minutes for them to cool to the ambient teperature so the cold water won't be reacting with the warm spindle.
Good tip there on the spindles! Yeah, some sawhorses would be a good idea. My knees would thank me.
Try wrestling a 54" JD deck onto saw horses though.
Nice job. Get a longer 2x4 and simply let it wedge itself against the inside of the deck somewhere. Also, don't let the blade rest its edge against the steel c-clamp, rest it against the wood. Got a 54" deck and have to do this again this Spring. Gonna splurge and try using either a thicker brush on paint or that bed liner stuff.
Thanks. Let me know how it goes. I've heard mixed reviews about the bed liner stuff. Can let some moisture get through.
I have the exact same deck and mower. Great video, but here's a tip, the quickest way to attack it is with an angle grinder and a course flap disk. Now mind you my desk was near full on death when I got it for free, but luckily there were no structural rust throughs (only 1 small slit rust through). Unfortunately I have had to rebuild it from there however. All new everything. Please guys take his advice. Don't just let it sit and rust.
Good tip! That's the best thing to sharpen your blades with as well, never thought of hitting the deck with it!
@@fixitFlip I wouldn't have originally if it weren't for how much rust had to be removed from it (and it was cheap and easy to just buy 2 flap disks and if I found out during/after that the deck was just trash I wouldn't have been out much). But the metal is particularly tough and being a round circle it's fairly easy to get in the curved sufaces of the deck very well.
@@n78966969696896 Great thinking. And like you said you can get a couple cheap at Harbor Freight or somewhere like that.
Nice, clean, well done video. Would also be a good time to sharpen and balance the blades.
Thank you. And yes, a great time to do that!
Nice work!
Thank you!
Man o man what a difference. Bought a Toro Timecutter last year and am about to do this very thing. Or at least take the deck off and get a good look see what it looks like underneath. Thanks for the video.
That's a nice mower. I've been seeing those around. Seem like one of the only mowers in stock anywhere right now. And no problem. Good luck with it.
I don't even want to look under mine. I'm scared.
Thanks for the video!!! Take care
No problem and you as well!
My father taught me a long time ago to use roofing tar to coat the underside of a deck to preserve it...its tough and never chips off...once a thin layer ogf grass blades saturate the surface nothing sticks again....had mowre decks last 30 plus years before the engine gave up...a good cleaning of the rust and then coat it...stops rust in its track just like flashing on a roof
That's a pretty cool trick. Never heard of that one.
You just gave me an amazing idea. How about a spray treatment like they put on truck beds. Something like Line-X or Rhino? That stuff is tough as Hell!
@@gone2dmtns I've seen a lot of debate about that topic. Most spray in bed liners that I have seen have all been very rough and I would this would tend to cause the grass to stick and not discharge freely. You typically want to keep the deck as slick as possible underneath.
@@gone2dmtns bed liner doesn't work for shit. Still gets ate up after just a couple of mowes..
My 2008 Pony's deck smooth rusted away. A replacement was $500. I replaced all of the sealed bearings in the towers and idler pulleys. Works like new again.
They will keep ticking along if you take care of them, that's for sure.
Thank you very much for your vidéos...very useful 👍
Rémy from FRANCE
Glad I could help, Remy! Hope all is well across the pond!
Great video
Thank you
I know this is an older video but figured I would post anyway. There isn't any paint or powder coat that's going to stay on the metal in that environment, it will invariably get chipped and rust under the paint, then chip some more etc. The only thing that I've found that actually works is to grind the entire underdeck down to bare metal. After that hose it off after every single cutting, run it for a minute to dry it off and spray the whole underdeck with a dusting of WD-40. Every once in awhile (and going into winter) I also spray with Motorkote spray but I've found that WD-40 works fine. If you do that every time the grass will burnish the metal and mostly keep the rust knocked down.
Obviously this is MUCH easier with a walk-behind mower but you can just get in the habit of driving your tractor onto some car ramps so you can access the deck.
Yeah there is no perfect solution. That's why I just titled it "slow down" rust. You're never really going to stop it. And I have some homemade ramps that I use with my mowers for purposes like that: ua-cam.com/video/SJD6qVtz1uM/v-deo.html
I was thinking a silicone lubricant like Jig-A-Loo might work well.
In corrosion control school in the Navy they taught us about galvanic corrosion. Basically the same thing as to why they use zinc blocks on outboard engine motors. There is a hierarchy to how metals corrode. Not sure where to find that information now, but they had it in the school. I just clean my mower deck good once a year and spray linseed oil on it at the end of the season, to hopefully slow the corrosion down. Just also found out about a corrosion inhibitor called Corro Protect Rust Master, am going to read up on it. Thanks for the tips. FLY NAVY!!!
Thank you for your service and thanks for the input. Very interesting information
@@fixitFlip Thanks for your support but I just did my job. The corrosion table that spells out which metal corrodes before which was taught in corrosion control school. Maybe one day I will find it online somewhere. FLY NAVY!!!
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_series
Just Google "galvanic series", and you will find a ton of charts. The more electronegative metals are usually closer to the top of the chart. If two dissimilar metals are put together, the more electronegative one will be the anode, and will suffer the worst corrosion. The farther apart they are on the chart, the worse the corrosion will tend to be. Assuming moisture is present to serve as an electrolyte. A small piece of aluminum on a big piece of steel will get eaten up badly. A big piece of aluminum on a small piece of steel will be better. On a mower deck, the spindles are usually big aluminum castings, so the corrosion could be much worse. The spindles protect the deck, to a degree. It is the smaller items mounted on the deck that suffer the worst corrosion.
@@rstoertz Thanks I knew it was out there somewhere. FLY NAVY!!!
Thanks
No problem!
I use the product Slipe Plate No.3 to thoroughly coat the entire bottom of my 21", 48" and 60" decks, after a thorough cleaning and a coat of Magic Rust Kill 12oz. size spray can application. Slipe Plate can be sprayed on or brushed on ! . I buy the 1 gal. can at NAPA auto parts store in my home town.Slipe plate is also used in agriculture application once applied to soil engagement tillage equipment, to prevent soil, mud, wet vegetation from sticking or caking up in tight crevice parts / locations.
I'm not an affiliate for Slipe Plate and am not rewarded in any way, by Slipe Plate, for giving my experience or opinion concerning the use of this product. I am just a satisfied customer/user of this time saving, metal protection product !!!
Very cool product. Just looked it up. Doesn't trap dirt or anything. Thanks for the tip. Always welcome.
My rule of thumb. If the deck comes off I rotate for my second sharpened set of blades. Then sharpen the ones we removed at my leisure.
OP, it looks like you're running Oregon Gator G3 blades
Great tip rotating the blades like that. And yup, love my gator blades.
Now i found that it you raised the front of the deck higher than the back part of the deck, helps to keep grass cutting and stick out of your pullies and belts on the deck. Mine was set level to the ground. So i raised the front up, help save my belts from wearing out ~ Its the long pin with a nut on the front of the deck, get a crescent wrench and tighten her up and can see it raising up
Interesting, because normally the manuals say you want to back sitting a 1/4 inch higher or so. But whatever works for you. I have a video on that topic: ua-cam.com/video/Gu4fdaegaIA/v-deo.html
@@fixitFlip Yep front needs to be up. back of the deck down. Try it bro only takes a few seconds
@@426superbee4 Oh yeah super quick adjustment. I think I may give that a try.
@@fixitFlip I got the front deck up 2" higher in the front than the back / it pushes the sticks and grass under the deck and not on top of the deck wearing belts and things out> Those sticks and pine combs was killing my pully guards Breaking them off ect. Now i don't have that problems
@@426superbee4 I got ya man. Protects the pulleys and what not. Does it seem to cut as well as with the deck a little lower?
Good, Thx
No problem.
I did the same thing about 5 years ago and no top coat …still no rust…I used a paint called chassis saver…a bit pricey but a little goes a long way…I followed directions on the label …you leave it a bit rough to the touch…they are a bit anal on procedure but I’m still very pleased…just my two cents…😊
Thanks for the input. Always welcome.
HOT tip , Grow a Garden no/not grass LOL have you sceen the price of food and gas and paint?
You ain't lying! I have a 20 x 20 ft. garden. I eat way too much salsa to be guying that stuff in the store. I did a video about how I weed it last summer!
ua-cam.com/video/PlJ50BSQ8oU/v-deo.html
Use appliance epoxy paint for your topcoat last way longer just a suggestion I'm doing the same thing now to mine
Thanks for the input, Ray.
Gaiter blade's 100% best blades for lawnmower s . If you dont know what they are get them . They will change your life when mowing your yards
I use them and love them! Can never go back!
Good video but I would suggest a epoxy topcoat for chipping resistance
Thanks for the tip. Always welcome.
he hee remember i under coated mine on top and bottom of the deck. Well its holding up on top of the deck but the bottom is shiny metal. Knock it all off ! Yes cut grass dry. wet is to hard on the mower, cakes up under it and uses more fuel ~ Plus the belts getting wet from the wet grass causes them slip and wear out 👍
Ha! I do remember that. I think I remember you used that truck bed liner stuff. I've heard that is kind of porous and doesn't really keep water out. That's interesting it knocked it all off underneath.
@@fixitFlip Yep bed liner , knocked every bit of it off . it was shiny metal under it he hee i want do that again. Just top of the deck only
@@426superbee4 Yeah I'm sure it will hold up just fine on top.
Where i live i'm constantly running over fine sand so i don't think any paint will survive after a couple of mows. I'm thinking about washing it and coating it with motorcycle chain lube. That stuff prevents rust and sticks very well to the metal.
That's an interesting idea. Let me know how it works out!
Try PlowSlick next time. Look it up, hard slippery epoxy coating. Cleans up with a hose and nylon brush.
Thanks for the tip!
slip plate for final coat?
I repainted last winter with a rust-preventing paint. After the summer season, it did no good at all. When I scraped the paint off. Rust. My conclusion: You're GOING to have rust. Best to just clean the deck the best you can. Hint: I found vinegar to do a good job of softening the grass. Keep spraying vinegar on as you work.
Yep, it's impossible to prevent 100%. That's why I titled the video "slow down" rust. That's all you can hope to do really. And yes, frequent cleaning.
Great vid. Instead of using the rust oleum try slip plate. It’s a graphite based paint. You can thank me later
Just looked it up. You have me interested for sure.
I use ospho for the rust then paint it with rust oleum gloss black out of an automotive spray gun
Yeah I've heard good things about that ospho but I've never tried it.
Just a thought, I don't know - Does the color matter? Would orange show a spot where it is rusting through better? Would white make it easier to see?
That is an interesting idea. I mainly went black for looks reason just cover everything up. But that's a good thought.
I did this last spring, and |I just cleaned the deck and all the rust reformer and the new paint all came off with the grass. Too say I am a bit upset would be an understatement. It looked soo pretty, now it looks like crap again.
How well did you're job hold up?
Really?? Mine held up fine. I'm sorry to hear that. I've never had that happen. I wonder if you let the paint dry long enough before using? Rustoleum is normally a solid product!
@@fixitFlip I used the rust reformer first, then painted. I think this time around, I will let the coats maybe dry a lot longer. I cannot remember how long I let it dry, but the grass held on tight and would not let go without also stripping off both the rust reformer and the orange over coat.
Interesting. I've never had that happen before. @@billylacharity3443
This is a good thing to do, BUT it shouls be repainted with: POR 15 this will PREVENT any rust , after a few years recoat the POR 15 again,
Thanks
Henry Loos SR
Thanks for the input.
rhino liner for truck bed
Never tried it but heard it can be kind of porous and lead to rust.
I don't have the owners manual for my used Husqvarna riding mower, so I have checked youtube for a constant torque recommendation for the blades... Everything I'm finding is saying blades should be torqued between 45-55 foot pounds... So, I went with 50 foot pounds, and bumped it a couple times... I believe you recommended 70-90 foot pounds... I'm assuming that is per specs of your particular mower... Just thought I'd ask, or point that out, in case they are different based on model...
Yes, I'm going straight out of the manual on that number. You could find a manual for your model on the internet I'm sure.
Should have graphite sprayed the bottom of it after the final coat of paint cured, Keeps the grass from sticking.
Haven’t heard of the graphite spray. Is it a rubber coating?
Short/ concise
That other guy just yammers on...
I try to not waste people's time.
Could you do this same process on a 21 inch self propelled mower? Without taking the engine off?
Yes! Just make sure you tip it up the correct way !
@fixitFlip just got done. Used the rust reformer 1st and then the gloss enamel rustoleum. Looks great. Just has dimples from where I grinded the metal from the rust but epoxy spray should fix that. A job for another time lol. Thanks for the help!
@@mikeyspur2828 No problem. Glad to hear it went well for ya!
❤ As soon as I saw you use the 6in1, I knew you had good sense. That is my all time go to tool. If you keep the deck fairly clean, a nylon putty knife or a quick hose down will keep the rust away. I was a rental equipment technician for about 8 years and enjoy sharing skills like yours. Keep going. 👍
PS: I also am a Ryobi addict. 6 batteries with the multipurpose charger and about 10 different tools. The battery pressure washer is my favorite.
Just scrape the worst off then paint your old engine oil from the mower, which you should change once a year, straight over the old dry grass will hold it on. No rust no problem! Do this at the end of each season.
Interesting tip.
It’s best to do this when you first get your mower so you don’t have to chip all that grass out
Repaint it when you first get it?
time to go buy some tools lol
Ha ha, yep!
I don't know that its better but I pressure wash mine twice a year and coat it with drain oil that is laying around from servicing my equipment its a little more work because of doing it twice a year but youre not buying paint and I do it to my walk behinds also and I know it makes them last because the parts are getting hard to find they are that old, but then again so am I
Ha ha, I hear ya on that. Hey, whatever works for ya. I've heard all kinds of ideas when it comes to mower decks. Thanks for the idea, love hearing new stuff.
@@fixitFlip another advantage to it is the oil will soak through any remaining grass that won't wash off.
@@kevinhitt719 That is an added bonus.
Recycle your drain oil properly rather than spread it around . It’s actually hazardous waste, you know.
@@N-1951 Another good point.
You did not pant the top part?
Nope. I haven't had any rust on top. Not much grass accumulates there.
Utter waste of time. Grass clippings, flying at thousands of RPM, are abrasive. They essentially sandblast the paint off, including the rust! The key is to remove stuck-on grass immediately, and either dry or oil the metal between mowings.
Thanks for the input.
I do have a better way to do the blades, I'll let you it. 🤔😁🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Let’s hear it.
@@fixitFlip:
I have an easier way to do that.
You can do it it'll be easier for me. 🤔 😁 🤣 🤣.
@@reneelosie2644 Ha!! That's true, but who will do it for me lol
@@fixitFlip:
I will.
@@reneelosie2644 Now we're talking.
Just save your money & buy a new deck time is worth more money there is no solution to this issue the only thing your going to do is slow down the grass breaking up you have to fix the pitting & then get a fresh powder coating for a new deck shell fabricated it's around 1000 for a fabricated 50 Inch so if you want the best solution that is it less you want wash it every time after lololol😂 none of these basic aerosol costings will allow frictionless conductivity even close to powdered coatings honestly it's like you applied tar as enamel has a tendency to wear down very quickly the thing's that really break down powder coating is sand dirt sticks & other predominant abrasive debris that cause friction.