[Packick]

I live in the Pacific Northwest and this time of year (Spring) the grass is growing like mad. No matter how many days I wait to mow in-between rain storms, the grass is wet, if not on the surface then the moisture inside the grass itself. Yesterday I spent about 3 hours scrapping about 3"-deep moldy grass from under the mower. I have tried spraying the deck with John Deere's Mo-Deck Non-Stick Spray and Dupont's Non-Stick Dry Film Lubricant and both seem to do nothing to prevent the build-up.

Anybody have a remedy for this (other than moving to Arizona)?

Thanks.

 

[coaltrain]

the grass is wet, if not on the surface then the moisture inside the grass itself.

I have the exact same issue. My only solutions is to run Gator blades and run the engine at full speed.

It’s going to take some cleaning underneath no matter what you try.

I was to the point of cleaning the deck after every mowing but that got really old quickly. Now I try not to think about it.

 

[MTB98]

 

[myrna]

What kind of mower are you using, and what kind of deck are you mowing with? It makes a difference on how to clean it.

 

[TyBoo]

A fiend of mine swears by using PAM cooking spray after cleaning the deck. I tried it once and figured the guy must have been sniffing the fumes or something because it didn’t help a bit. So don’t fall for that one.

I am in the NW also and know what you mean by wet grass even when it is dry. I have gator blades with the turned up back edge that helps the air flow and a Power Flow blower to move the clippings up the chute so it isn’t too bad but it still makes a mess. I can’t imagine how plugged it would get if I tried mulching instead of bagging.

Air flow is the key. Keep the debris moving out from underneath and the buildup will slow. I usually only clean the underside of my deck (54hc on an X754) once a season with a pressure washer. I have tried the wash down hose connection on the deck a couple times but I wasn’t too impressed with how it did and don’t like the water running with the blades spinning. It seems like asking for bearing trouble.

 

[Fuzzy]

Mowing shorter lengths of grass helps a little, which would require more frequent mowings. The worst part of cleaning the deck for me was safely accessing the bottom. I started this mowing season off with the load-n-go drive on deck ramps. I also bought my first pressure washer. Westinghouse, gas powered, 3200 psi. It's dandelion season here, so after mowing 4 acres, the bottom of my 60" deck was packed solid. Up with the deck to vertical position and 15 minutes later, it was spotless underneath. As others posted, there's no magic solution to keep the deck clean if the grass is damp, but how you access and clean it can make it both safer and easier. If load-n-go is available for your tractor and you have an fel, I highly recommend a set.

I've seen flip up decks on certain zero turn mowers thinking how much I'd like to have that feature. For $250, I got my wish. Great investment.

 

[JDLTG]

We too, live in NW Oregon and mow 2.5 acres with our X380 and X570. Both have the Accel Deep 54” decks. The X380 has the Deere mulch kit on it with Deere mulch blades and we leave it in mulch mode all the time. The X570 has standard Deere blades. Neither deck clogs up at all. Every year we put 300# per acre of 16-16-16 fertilizer so it really grows thick. I pull the decks every year to service them and there is never any real buildup that isn’t easily knocked off. And yes the hose connection on the top of the deck is a joke.

Before the X570 we had a D170 with a 54” Edge deck. It always clogged up after every mow. It‘s now at my FIL‘s and it’s the same story there constant clogging and cleaning. His acre and a half yard has lots weeds and we do not fertilize because he can’t mow any more and it’s us that has to do it. So, it sometimes gets a little long before we do it.

 

[Packick]

Myrna - I have two mowers, an X584 with a 48" Accel deck, and an X354 with a 42" Accel deck. Both have the standard blades.

I forgot to mention that I have tried to use the wash port on top of both decks after mowing and that method is pretty much worthless. In fact, I was told by a lawn mower shop that if you don't run the mower a bit after washing via the deck port, the bearings will rust. That makes sense as the water will collect in and around the bearings if you just turn off the mower and let it sit.

I often wondered if John Deere could coat the underside of its mower decks with the same material you see advertised on TV for non-stick skillets. But I guess the dirt and rocks would wear that coating off pretty quickly.

Maybe the major cause of the problem is what I am mowing. All of the mowing I do is mostly broad-leaf weeds mixed in with grass. Maybe the weeds contain more moisture that straight grass (like a golf course)?

 

[coaltrain]

I have gator blades with the turned up back edge that helps the air flow and a Power Flow blower to move the clippings up the chute so it isn’t too bad but it still makes a mess.

I couldn’t imagine trying to use a bagger with grass like that.

 

[bkeller500]

year #2 with my X590 48" deck and MOD kit. Had this problem last spring and I had to invest in a MoJack so I could scrape the deck after each1.5 acre mowing. Tried late afternoon, dry grass & taking very little off and still had build up MOD or side discharge ...no difference, Changed out the JD mulch blades to Gator G-5 mulch blades but not much different results. It got better during summer and fall as the grass dried out and slowed growth. This year I took off the MOD kit and so far the buildup is horrible again. It must be the Spring Grass. Now thinking I might order Standard blades and side discharge to see if a non-mulching blade works better. Not sure mulching or mulching blades are even beneficial if I have to take such a small cut anyway. And if I am getting such a build up and needing to scrape after each mowing, the grass is not being returned to the soil..it ends up in my garbage bags.

 

[TyBoo]

I couldn’t imagine trying to use a bagger with grass like that.

It works. My old shoulders don't like handling the heavy bags anymore so I have a dump from seat hopper on order.

Just to keep this thread on topic for the gentleman who is seeking help I should point out that even though I only have to clean the deck once per season it is pretty grody by the time I do and it really should be done more often. But I think in my case what sticks to it sticks right away and the extra buildup beyond that isn't too bad so even cleaning every time wouldn't help me all that much.

 

[farmer52]

I have the same issue in PA. When done mowing...remove the deck and scrape the underside with a plastic scraper. The worst part is cleaning the power low head.

 

[x738]

Anybody tried JD Graphite on a mower deck?

John Deere Graphite Lubricant - TY25797

www.greenpartstore.com

John Deere Graphite Lubricant - TY25797
Part Number: TY25797v

2 Review(s)



Click to expand
John Deere Graphite Lubricant - TY25797

Usually available
Brand John Deere
Note: See parts catalog for usage
Choose Options and Quantity
Choose a size *
Choose a size 12-oz Aerosol Quart [+$11.58] Gallon [+$51.25]

Description
John Deere Graphite Lubricant
John Deere Graphite Lubricant is ideal for solving sticking and friction problems. It also provides long-lasting lubrication without dirt and grit build-up.

Features and benefits:

• Dries to a tack-free film 60-90 minutes after application, leaving a protective, non-stick coating
• Lasts longer than oil and grease
• Frees sticky mechanisms
• Easy to apply – spray on from aerosol can or brush on like paint from quart or gallon cans
• Up to 200 square feet of coverage per gallon

Applications:

John Deere Graphite Lubricant is the ideal lubricant for any agricultural, industrial, or home surface that needs a slick, protective coating. It provides a perfect maintenance coating for parts during non-use seasons

Uses:

• Keeps grain flowing through augers, gravity-fed grain carts, and combine hoppers
• Reduces vine-tangling and stalk-sticking when applied to corn heads
• Keeps hay sliding easily on baler chutes
• Keeps dirt and mud from sticking to backhoe and excavator buckets
• Reduces friction and increases sliding action on skids and beams used for moving large objects
• Prevents grass from clogging mowers and sticking to mower deck housing and blades
• Lubricates bicycle and motorcycle chains to prevent gum-ups
• Helps garage doors and drawers to slide freely

3 container sizes to choose from

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

Fluid Film might work, just not sure how long it would last.

 

[bkeller500]

I have tried using fluid film and several other teflon like sprays in the past on my previous equipment and none of them lasted very long..although they did make scraping a bit easier but it wears off too quickly and getting the deck clean enough to re-coat takes too long to consider reapplying every couple of weeks.

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

I put 2 coats of this stuff on my brand new 54D, waiting about an hour between each.

Clean Machine Non-Stick Mower Protectant - GV130

www.greenpartstore.com

This was the deck after my first mow. Almost no buildup. Grass was 4-6" tall in most places and it had rained the day before.

 

[Superglidesport]

I'm using CRC LPS 3 this season.

CRC LPS 3 Rust Inhibitor

After cleaning the deck I applied a double-wet coat which dries to a wax like coating. Similar to Fluid Film but substantially more durable.

I've mowed a few times so far and have noticed that grass build up is flaking off the deck between mowings. Only time will tell.........

 

[bkeller500]

I put 2 coats of this stuff on my brand new 54D, waiting about an hour between each.

Clean Machine Non-Stick Mower Protectant - GV130

www.greenpartstore.com

This was the deck after my first mow. Almost no buildup. Grass was 4-6" tall in most places and it had rained the day before.

View attachment 786642

very interesting results.........I just followed the link ( thank you) and clicked on the instructions....last sentence says to reapply

I put 2 coats of this stuff on my brand new 54D, waiting about an hour between each.

Clean Machine Non-Stick Mower Protectant - GV130

www.greenpartstore.com

This was the deck after my first mow. Almost no buildup. Grass was 4-6" tall in most places and it had rained the day before.

View attachment 786642

thank you for the link ..looks interesting but. I followed the link and read the instructions and the last line reads....

1. Apply periodically throughout the season for maximum performance. Maybe I will have to reconsider tryin git again. thank you

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

thank you for the link ..looks interesting but. I followed the link and read the instructions and the last line reads....

1. Apply periodically throughout the season for maximum performance. Maybe I will have to reconsider tryin git again. thank you

Anything you use will most likely need reapplication. The innards of a mower deck is a pretty harsh, abrasive environment, similar to a sandblaster.

This is where I think the Load and Go will pay for itself. I can inspect the deck after every cut and hopefully stay ahead of any issues. On my 30 yr old Cub Cadet the mower went on in the spring and stayed on until late fall/early winter. I would occasionally take it off if the cut appear to off, but for the most part it was neglected.

 

[RichVT]

Another issue with grass buildup is that it holds moisture causing premature rusting of the deck.

I fluid film my deck in the fall before storage and that seems to help get me through the wet spring season without too much buildup.