Hi,
Has anyone ever come across anything or any way to keep the underside of a mowing deck (tractor in this case but same with my pushmower) clean of debris? I have lawn tractors that are 32,
24, and 3 years old respectively and only one is no longer functional - it barfed its guts all over my driveway one day when I was using the sweeper. The other two are in the Fair and Very Good categories respectively. But both have corrosion under the deck, which is always the first thing to go on a lawn tractor it seems.I do admit to having heavy use; about 1 1/2 acres weekly this summer at least, and 4 acres three times a season to keep it from going to brush, but it was 4 times this year.
It's not too hard to wash off the top of the deck, but the underside is never easy to get at and the grass likes to stick to it, no matter what Iv'e used to coat it with (paint wise). Without lifting it way up so it's completely visible and accessible, you just cannot completely remove the grass from it which results in a clump/s growing and eating the metal.
Please don't advise about only mowing late afternoon, low humidity, etc.; I know those things. I'm only interested in a finish/covering/method that will prevent grass collection damage under the deck. The best I've found so far is alk enamel, gloss, and mulching blades for the extra air movement, but it's far from a long term fix at best. Yes, I resharpen the blades three times a season.
I was reading some manuals at Sears the other day: Would you believe there are actually recommendations now to use ONLY compressed air for cleaning, because a hose might cause damage? They didn't say what to, but there was a vague mention of the electronic ignition. I don't think we'll see any improvements in the decks real soon. Most of the mfg's seem to think "12 Ga" is a special, extra thick metal; or so they'd like is to believe. Even John Deere, one of the best out there, has the same problem.
Regards,
Pop