Prevent grass sticking to Mower Deck?

[94legaleagle]

What product can be sprayed onto the bottom of a lawnmower deck to prevent grass from sticking / building up on the underside of the deck when you mow grass?

Years ago, I used some Conklin stuff (maybe Rust Bomb???) and it worked great - but I can't remember what I used - and I'm wondering if there is any newer / better product

 

[JimVonBaden]

Used motor oil!

Jim

 

[OldMechanik]

Pam Cooking spray or WD40 might work.

 

[JWC07]

Diesel fuel in a pump up sprayer

 

[mayday0017]

Always heard when you change the oil to clean the deck and apply the used oil to under side of deck. It keeps it from rusting and keeps grass from sticking.... Never tried this though cause my decks have always been made from a material that doesn't rust.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Pam. Cheap, easy, not as messy as a rag full of dirty oil. Put a LOT on.

 

[cashishift]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VYN71O/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[GGB]

A lot of good options out there, but my favorite is Fluid Film. It's a lanolin based lubricant that I ran across on another forum. I ordered a sample, and liked it so well that I use it here at home and at the farm. It has a pleasant smell (to me), and I even use it to clean the grease off my hands. It kind of reminds me of the old cosmoline (sp) that was used alot during WWII to protect parts being shipped from rusting. I know you can get it at some John Deere strores, but don't know where else to check.

I haven't found anything that I like better for mower decks. It really does a nice job of keeping them clean, and also works very well to prevent and keep rust from spreading, even when exposed to moisture. I just spray it on the underside of the deck when I sharpen the blades and before storing the mower deck in the winter. Also, it works well if I'm trying to unstick nuts and bolts if you can leave it overnight (I'll still vote for Pink Panther Pxss if I'm in a hurry). Wish I'd known about FF a long time ago, as the underside of my deck would now be in better shape.

GGB

 

[superduty59]

A lot of good options out there, but my favorite is Fluid Film.
GGB

I haven't used it on mower decks but it sounds good to me. I'm a generator tech and we use it all the time for everything. It works great on battery terminals. Big industrial units that are exposed to all kinds of weather, just spray a little on and come back in a year and it looks as good as new.

 

[ms fowler]

I used POR15 to paint the underside of the deck. Its a very hard, moisture -cured paint product that has a glass-like texture. Very smooth.

 

[east_tn_emc]

I have 4 commercial mowers (three Ferris and one Scag). I cut about 30 acres a week (not commercially, but we just have a lot of yard to cut )
I completely agree and recommend the Mo-Deck product. I use it and swear by it. I did an experiment when I first started using it...left one mower alone and pressure-washed the deck of another mower and then put a good heavy coat of Mo-Deck on it.


I was AMAZED at the difference after a month or two of use. I use it on all my mowers now!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VYN71O/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[djd99]

I used POR15 to paint the underside of the deck. Its a very hard, moisture -cured paint product that has a glass-like texture. Very smooth.

I did this as well, wire brushed the entire underside of my deck that was 2 years old, it had paint that was flaking off. I then coated it with por 15 and so far I'm not impressed the por 15 started flaking off just like the paint= Fail

 

[c39er]

I Clean my decks after the end of mowing season and smear with grease or cosmoline in a can. One deck on my Massey is still rust free after 35 years of mowing.

 

[Racecarl]

John Deere makes a slip plate spray-on graphite that several people think is awesome. I have not used it personally, so I can neither confirm or deny.

 

[MScott]

I did this as well, wire brushed the entire underside of my deck that was 2 years old, it had paint that was flaking off. I then coated it with por 15 and so far I'm not impressed the por 15 started flaking off just like the paint= Fail

Did you remove all the paint? If not, the original paint may be continuing to peel and taking the POR with it. Check some of the POR flakes to see if there is original paint on it.

 

[coby65]

I work for Toro mowers and I can tell you the best practice at the end or begining of the season drain the gas and oil and paint the underside with a high quality GLOSS paint. This is the best defence against rust building up and will alow grass clippings to move out of the deck more effectively.
Also check and make sure you are using the correct blade with the deck. We have found that some of the mulching blades work better on discharge decks than with standard blades and standard blades work better on mulching some types of grass.

 

[darkk]

I use PAM cooking spray. I also use PAM on my snowblower in the winter. Keeps the snow from sticking and clogging everything up.

 

[GOLF for LIFE]

I think I'll try the Pam spray. Also thought about silicone spray.

 

[Cougar]

I did this as well, wire brushed the entire underside of my deck that was 2 years old, it had paint that was flaking off. I then coated it with por 15 and so far I'm not impressed the por 15 started flaking off just like the paint= Fail

POR15 is pretty good stuff.
Did you use the metal ready before applying it.

 

[SuitorsGarage]

POR15 doesn't stick to paint very good.
I would paint the deck and then spray it with fluid film.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

I don't use anything on the deck-
It gets hosed off after every use. As long as the deck stays clean- and nothing is clinging to it for an extended period of time, rust is kept to a bare minimum and there's nothing for more grass clippings to attach too.

 

[Highbeam]

My mower deck is being abused. It is 42" wide and under the mower. How in the heck am I supposed to clean it every time I mow? It has a healthy layer of accumulated funk and junk and I'm sure it will live a shorter life than if I was able to keep it clean and coated.

Do you folks unbolt the deck, remove it from the mower, flip it over, and wash it? Regularly?

My last experience with POR15 was not good either. I bought the whole kit including the cleaner, the metal ready etcher, and the paint. I even topcoated with rust-oleum to prevent UV damage. The paint stuch but the rust returned. This on the surface of sheet metal and I coated both sides of the panel even though the rust had not eaten through. Heavy wire brushing before to remove any loose rust. I'll give it one more try before forever swearing off the product. So many people seem to love it.

 

[1jjpop]

The guy that lives next door to me, buys a new mower ,he waxes ever thing top & bottom with a paste wax. He says the grass doesn't become stuck to the bottom .

 

[cajunfirehawk]

Ask and yee shall receive:
http://www.mo-deck.com/MO-DECK-SPRAY-p/modeck.htm

http://www.fluid-film.com/applications/lawn_garden/

http://www.cleandeck.net/

http://www.mowerguard.com/

http://www.agspecialty.com/EZslide.htm

 

[buening]

John Deere makes a slip plate spray-on graphite that several people think is awesome. I have not used it personally, so I can neither confirm or deny.

AKA Slip Plate, which I believe is used on implement discs to prevent the soil from sticking to them when discing the fields. I've read mixed results. As with all kinds of coatings, it wears off like paint from abrasion.

 

[Jason B]

Ok, So what’s the consensus now on this? I found using sharp blades doesn’t let stuff collect on the bottom of the deck

 

[LS6 Tommy]

X2 on the sharp blades. I saw a big digfference in the buidup on the decks of the Toro Groundmaster mulchers we used in the schools. The guys that sharpened the blades frequently had less buildup. When the blades are dull, it makes a green paste out of the clippings.

Not letting the grass get too long and not having a crappy mower helps.
I've never had an issue with grass sticking to the bottom of the deck on small walk behind mowers. IDK if it has anything to do with your region or the variety of grass. Come to think of it, I don't ever remember even working on any single blade mowers that had grass stuck to the bottom of the deck, or even any that were rusted out.

Tommy

 

[Falcon67]

Nothing works on my Gravely. Have to pull the deck once in a while and scrape it down. It's like whatever they painted the deck with is a magnet for clippings. The old 33" mower I had, never treated the deck a almost nothing stuck to it. Go figure.

I've even stapled a spray bar to the ground, parked the mower over it, hit it with 50 PSI water and ran the blades to try and keep the muck down.

 

[SGKent]

fluid film sds

Chemical Name CAS No Weight-% Trade Secret Refined petroleum oil, hydrotreated heavy paraffinic 64742-54-7 40 -80* Petroleum gases, liquified, sweetened 68476-86-8 1 -25* Calcium petroleum sulfonate 61789-86-4 1 -10*

sounds a bit like watered down Cosemoline.

 

[TLCObsession]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005FY0TJ8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Slip-Plate - used on the leaf springs of my Cruiser before reassembly.

 

[astroracer]

You can forget ALL of the smoke and mirror stuff... All you need to do is spray the underside of the deck with regular old silicone spray. Get the cheap stuff at Dollar General or Walmart.

Clean the deck the first time, spray it with the silicone and you will never have to do a major scrapping again.
This is the underside of my cubby after a springs worth of mowing.

This is in the spring when the grass is growing fast, wet and heavy.... Sharpened the blades, cleaned it up a bit and resprayed the silicone. You will notice there is absolutely no rust and the grass you do see? It practically falls off with a light scrapping.
I just sharpened the blades on my '87 Cubby my daughter uses. A full year of cutting and it looked just like the other pics. Clean, no rust...
And CHEAP! I get two applications out of a $1.50 can...
Mark

 

[astroracer]

Nothing works on my Gravely. Have to pull the deck once in a while and scrape it down. It's like whatever they painted the deck with is a magnet for clippings. The old 33" mower I had, never treated the deck a almost nothing stuck to it. Go figure.

I've even stapled a spray bar to the ground, parked the mower over it, hit it with 50 PSI water and ran the blades to try and keep the muck down.

Spray it down with silicone the next time you clean it... It's cheap and it works...
Mark

 

[kelpaso1]

Geez The obvious solution is not cut the grass in the morning when it is wet with dew. Haven't cleaned my deck for ten years because I mow late afternoon or eve and there is nothing to clean.

 

[fluid power]

You can forget ALL of the smoke and mirror stuff... All you need to do is spray the underside of the deck with regular old silicone spray. Get the cheap stuff at Dollar General or Walmart.

Clean the deck the first time, spray it with the silicone and you will never have to do a major scrapping again.
This is the underside of my cubby after a springs worth of mowing.

This is in the spring when the grass is growing fast, wet and heavy.... Sharpened the blades, cleaned it up a bit and resprayed the silicone. You will notice there is absolutely no rust and the grass you do see? It practically falls off with a light scrapping.
I just sharpened the blades on my '87 Cubby my daughter uses. A full year of cutting and it looked just like the other pics. Clean, no rust...
And CHEAP! I get two applications out of a $1.50 can...
Mark

This works, I started spraying my mower deck after my experience racing motocross here in the mid-west. I spray the undersides of the fenders before riding and it makes washing bikes a breeze. If it is going to be a mudder, cover the rotors and go to town! Mud builds up to some degree, but not as bad if I didn't spray.

 

[Farmall450]

Graphite spray. Arnold makes a product as well.

 

[Alchase]

Nothing works on my Gravely. Have to pull the deck once in a while and scrape it down. It's like whatever they painted the deck with is a magnet for clippings. The old 33" mower I had, never treated the deck a almost nothing stuck to it. Go figure.

I've even stapled a spray bar to the ground, parked the mower over it, hit it with 50 PSI water and ran the blades to try and keep the muck down.

My Gravely 42 XT has a hose attachment on the top that you can use use to clean the bottom side of the deck. Living in OK, I have never had to use it. Though I imagine if further north or Washington where I came from, I would have to clean it once a month.

 

[kelpaso1]

My Gravely 42 XT has a hose attachment on the top that you can use use to clean the bottom side of the deck. Living in OK, I have never had to use it. Though I imagine if further north or Washington where I came from, I would have to clean it once a month.

Those things do absolutely nothing to clean the underside of the deck other than saturate the grass that is already stuck in there and rusting your deck even faster.

 

[jkeyser14]

I have only cleaned my 10 year old deck 2x, both times were this year. Once when I replaced spindles (hit a big rock and bent one), and once when the deck hanger weld broke. No signs of rust and minimum buildup. Just make sure you don't mow when the grass is still wet.

 

[Farmall450]

Those things do absolutely nothing to clean the underside of the deck other than saturate the grass that is already stuck in there and rusting your deck even faster.

Well, they do work -- if you use them every single time you mow.

 

[SGKent]

spray with a silicone based product and you'll never get paint to adhere again.