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Grass collected under mower deck is not only an unsightly mess, but it also does not allow normal airflow to provide proper cutting when damp caked grass holds moisture against the steel. To prevent rust, ragged edges, and expensive deck repairs, a light scraping of accumulated caked earth using an all-purpose cleaner and warm water following mowing will help prevent damage.
You finish mowing your lawn and park the mower in the shed, feeling good about what you have accomplished. However, you’ve created an environment where the grass clippings left under your mower deck are slowly destroying it.
Underneath your mower’s beautiful shine resides a huge mass of sodden and compacted grass that will ferment into an acidic sludge, thereby destroying the factory paint and unprotected steel. So, cleaning is about more than just aesthetics; it protects an important financial investment. Let’s look at how to clean mower deck to protect your machine and what is the best lawn mower deck cleaner.
Grass left underneath your mower deck creates a rough, uneven surface, disrupting the aerodynamics needed for a proper cut. Your mower deck is designed to be a vacuum chamber as the motor spins the blade, drawing the grass vertically before slicing the grass.When you have a 20 mm layer of dry and crusty grass covering the underside of your mower deck, this airflow will stop. Instead of giving a clean cut, your mower will tear the grass, leaving brown edges on your lawn that can invite disease.Steel decks will oxidize, scale, and over time, rust completely out if you neglect cleaning lawn mower deck surfaces and allow wet grass clippings to trap moisture against them. A replacement deck can cost more than half the price of a brand-new mower.
Here is what you will need:
Safety Reminder:
Ramps, a mower lift, or jack stands rated for your machine’s weight are recommended for large riding/zero turn mowers.
If you are using a petrol mower, make sure that you disconnect the spark plug wire before working around the blade; however, with battery mowers, you need to remove the battery and safety key.
Robotic mowers should be off and disconnected from their charging station.Never use your bare hands to remove grass from around the blade. Your blade could cut you even without rotating.
If there’s a lot of built-up grass on your mower deck, there are many options for cleaning it off. This section describes the most effective ways to remove these huge clumps of grass, ensuring that your mower remains in good working order without being clogged.
Cleaning your mower is key to ensuring that it runs properly and lasts a long time. Here are the proper ways to clean manual reel mowers, petrol walk-behind mowers, corded or cordless electric mowers, riding and zero-turn mowers, and robotic mowers:
A manual reel mower does not have an engine, thereby making cleaning a simple task:
1. Place on a clean tarp.
2. Use a stiff-bristle brush to sweep off the reels and bed knife of any clippings.
3. Lightly oil the blades using a cloth lightly saturated with machine oil. Do NOT spray water into the bearings.
Follow these safety procedures before tilting your petrol walk-behind mower:
1. Disconnect the spark plug wire from the spark plug to eliminate any chance of the engine firing accidentally when turning the blade by hand.
2. Empty the fuel tank or place plastic wrap around the neck before removing the cap to avoid leaking.
3. Make sure you tilt the mower properly. Always tilt it so that the air filter and carburetor face up. If you tilt it downward, engine oil will flow into the air filter and destroy it.
4. Use a plastic putty knife to scrape off packed grass from inside the deck.
5. Use water on the outside of the deck and a cleaning solution to scrub it down, then rinse.
6. After cleaning, let both sides dry before placing the mower upright.
Corded and cordless electric mowers are very convenient but do NOT mix water and electricity.
1. Remove the battery pack completely or unplug from the extension cord.
2. Tilt the mower on its side to clean.
3. Do not use a pressure washer, as the high-pressure water will enter through the seals on the electric motor housing.
4. Use a plastic scraper to clean electric lawn mower deck to remove as much remaining debris as possible.
5. Use a damp microfibre cloth and a stiff bristle brush to remove the remainder of the debris.
Riding and zero-turn mowers can have very large decks, 100+ cm to over 140 cm, which results in a lot of grass being collected.
1. Park on a level surface, engage the parking brake, and remove the key from the ignition.
2. If you have a deck wash port, hook a garden hose to the port, sit on the seat, start the engine, and run for 2 minutes while engaging the blades.
3. Use service ramps or lift the front with a mower jack and scrape off as much grass as you can manually; then use spray and rinse as above, making sure to not direct the water at the spindle pulleys or belt cover when cleaning the underside.
Robotic lawn mowers contain delicate sensors and electrical components. Therefore, handle them with extra care.
1. Turn off the main power switch (or unplug if powered by wall outlet).
2. Flip the robot upside-down on something soft (like an old towel) so that you do not scratch the chassis.
3. Wear cut-resistant gloves because the small razor blades are very sharp.
4. Use a dry brush or plastic lawn mower deck scraper to remove all the clippings, and NEVER submerge or spray with a hose unless the manual states the mower has an IPX5 rating (can withstand low-pressure water jets).For instance, the Sunseeker S4features a superior IPX6 waterproof rating, allowing you to safely and gently rinse down its under-deck area to wash away wet clippings without effort.
Ideally, only mow when the grass is dry. If you must mow wet grass, clean the deck immediately afterward. Always ensure the blades are sharp before mowing; store your mower in a dry location. If your mower's manual states that grease, silicone, or deck spray can be applied after cleaning, you should apply it. For robotic mowers, check the underside weekly during peak grass-growing seasons.The Sunseeker V3features an incredibly lightweight 9.2 kg design, making it effortless to pick up and flip over for these quick weekly deck inspections.
In dry weather, scrape the mower deck clean after every third or fourth mows. If the last mowing of the season was done with wet grass, the deck must be cleaned on the same day as the last mowing. With robotic mowers, a light cleaning should be done weekly, and a thorough lawn mower deck cleaning once a month.At the end of the mowing season, perform a full cleaning of the mower (and all attached equipment) to prevent damage due to lack of cleaning after mowing heavily wet grass. You should dry your mower completely after the last mowing, examine the blades for wear, and add a rust preventative or other protectant to the exposed parts of your mower.
Keeping your mower clean is crucial. A dirty mower will slow you down, damage your grass, and shorten the life of your machine - meaning you'll have to replace it sooner than if you kept it clean. Cleaning your mower only takes 10 minutes or less. Make sure to tilt, scrape, and spray clean with good lawn mower deck cleaner. Don't allow your grass clippings to sit under the mower deck of your mower for extended periods; they will accelerate the deterioration of your investment. Clean and coat the deck with a protectant to ensure your mower operates properly.
A heavy-duty plastic putty knife and garden hose work well for basic cleaning; however, if your mower has a heavy accumulation of grease and/or grass sap, you should use a commercial-grade engine cleaner or an equivalent non-stick mower spray formulated to remove grease and sap from mower deck surfaces.
It is okay to use WD-40 on a clean and dry mower deck to temporarily displace water and prevent grass from sticking; however, the effect of this barrier wears off fairly quickly, and therefore, a commercial-grade or ceramic coating is a better alternative.
Do not rinse dried-on grass off your mower deck until you have gently removed the caked grass with a putty knife and/or wire brush. After breaking up the crust, use a degreaser, let it sit for 2-5 minutes, and rinse the remaining residuewith a high-pressure washer or pressure washing nozzle.
