How to clean an aluminum mower deck?

[tpolley]

I've never owned an aluminum mower before. In the past with steel decks I've wire brushed the under carriage with a 4 1/2" angle grinder. I'm afraid the wire brush would destroy the aluminum after a while.

I meant to post this in free parking

 

[Garage5.9]

Pressure washer

 

[AMCguy]

I've been in the lawn maintenance business for twenty seven years.

Get a small garden trowel. Grind the point off to a nice round spoon shape. Keep it handy for cleaning out the bottom if it builds up with grass. In the fall, clean it very well with a pressure washer, let it dry and coat it with WD-40.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Pressure washer

Once a year maybe twice.

The rest of the time, I just turn it up on it side and hit with the garden hose. Anything really stuck on I chip off with a stiff putty knife.

 

[CNGsaves]

One of my LawnBoy push mowers over the years was aluminum and I either washed it out with garden hose, or used a putty knife.

Over time it will oxidize no matter what you do. Thus, the paint will peel off in various spots.

Best bet to avoid needing to scrape or clean out underside is mow the grass when it's dry. and not too tall. This helps mower chop up and mulch clippings better anyway. Never mow early in morning when the grass is wet. Also, shut off your sprinkler system the day you plan on mowing.

Sharp blade and dry grass are best friends to finely mulched clippings.

 

[jvitez]

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/15in-scraper-plastic/982502

Works great, and if it breaks it's really cheap. I primed and painted the underside of my Lawn-Boy's aluminum deck: it lasted one season. Now I just scrape, pressure wash before putting it away in the fall and spraying whatever lubricant I have available when I can.

 

[Randy in Maine]

After cleaning and when it is dry, this stuff works pretty well to help prevent the aluminum from oxidizing....

http://www.gibbsbrandlubricant.com/

 

[rharman]

I've heard about using a kitchen non-stick spray like PAM on this. I've tried it and it works OK.

Or.....
http://www.mowersdirect.com/lawn/lawn-mower-non-stick-spray.html

 

[cad70]

I use a 2"x1" wood stake cut at an angle on occasion.

 

[NOZZLEMAN]

We had an old Kee mower when I was a kid in Flordia; and we just flipped it over in the winter when the mowing season was slowing down and pressure washed it. That thing was nuclear though and the deck was at least 3/8" thick casting. Good Luck