How To Clean A Mower Deck – Maintaining Tips

By Philip Yiga | February 26, 2016

Preventive measures like spraying the mower deck help to reduce the rate at which grass and dirt builds up under the mower deck but that does not mean you should abandon cleaning the mower deck completely since it is only part of the solution. Even when it is sprayed if you don’t clean the mower deck eventually grass, weeds and dirt will start to cake up on the deck. Cleaning the mower deck helps to keep the mower performing excellently as there will be maximum lift of grass and flow of air hence give you that first class cut. When there is a lot of grass and dirt build up under the deck it prevent the blade from cutting well, so you really need to clean the mower deck as much as you clean all other parts of the lawn mower.

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• Start by disconnecting the spark plug:I always say that, for maximum safety it is best to start working on the lawn mower after unplugging the spark plug. If you have a gas mower then I recommend that you first empty all the gas with a hand siphon. Support the lawn mower to expose the deck well so that you comfortably work on it.
• Remove the blade: this step is not compulsory, if you don’t feel like going through the burden of removing and re-installing the blade then you can skip it, but if you don’t find it troubling the remove the deck so that you clean the deck without any worry of getting cut by the blade. Also if you plan on applying some spray on the deck then it is better to work without the blade.
• Completely remove all grass build-up: the best tool to use is a wire brush because even it doesn’t only scrape of the grass but also helps to scrub off any rust on the mower deck. When all grass is removed, wipe off with a dump rug to make sure that the deck is thoroughly clean. For safety of the mower’s engine it is advisable that you restrain from cleaning the deck with a high pressure hose.
• Clean the upper part of the deck: when you are through with cleaning the lower part of the deck, you can then clean the upper part which is usually not so dirty. Dampen a rag in warm soapy water and wipe off carefully, make sure you don’t wet the rag, making it damp will be good enough.
• Spray the deck for added protection: after cleaning your deck you probably don’t want to be doing this too often so the best of preventing grass from building under it is by apply some spray. A cheap and good alternative will be spray paint because other paints like plastic paint might cost way too much. When the deck is painted there are less chances of grass sticking under it.

What is the best time for cleaning the mower deck?

In times like summer when grass is growing at a very slow rate and is always dry, some people will even recommend that you never clean the mower deck at all because there is barely any grass sticking to it. But during spring, grass is usually wet and greatly fertile so it grows very fast, the fact that grass is growing fast and is always wet and the soil is wet as well causes the deck to get extremely dirty. This is due to grass and soil sticking too much under the deck and at this time you will surely have to clean the mower deck. In fact during spring you will have to clean the deck really often, after each mowing session.

CLEANING OTHER PARTS OF THE LAWN MOWER

It is not only the mower deck that needscleaning, other parts of the lawn mower like the filter also need to be cleaned.

Air filter

• First take out the filter cover by unscrewing the nuts that keep it locked in position.
• Thoroughly clean the areas around the filter to prevent more rubbish from falling into it
• Use a rag to wipe the filter clean and if there is any resistant dirt, clean it away with a damp rag if it is plastic. Paper filter should just be wiped with a clean cloth.

Carburetor

• The carburetor is one of the parts that need to be really clean for the mower to operate well therefore you must always check and ensure it is free of any dirt. Metallic and plastic parts of the carburetor can be cleaned by dipping them into gasoline. Remember plastic parts should not stay too long in the gasoline.

The lawn mower frame

• It can be cleaned by just wiping with a cloth, try not to spill not to spill too much water on to the machine.

LAWN MOWER CLEANING TIPS

These cleaning tips will not only help when you are cleaning the mower deck but they can be used when cleaning the entire lawn mower.

• Give the engine time to cool before you start cleaning any part of the lawn mower, when the engine is hot it is very likely for you to get burnt on any mistake that you make.
• When using water to clean the lawn mower, try as much as possible to avoid spilling water on to the carburetor and filter. The rest of the mower can be cleaned with water but not this areas, it is very sensitive.
• Always make sure that the spark plug is disconnected to avoid any chances of the lawn mower starting when you are not aware. This can cause you serious harm so you need to super cautious at all times.
• Always empty the catcher on time, if you don’t want you mower to become heavier and keep performing well it is best that you don’t wait for the catcher to get too full before you empty it. Whenever you feel like the grass has filled up too much just empty it.

In conclusion, you will never experience problems with your lawn mower if you always clean the mower deck and all other parts. There is no doubt that a clean lawn mower will always perform to the expected standard.