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Winter Mower Storage

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Rod
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2000-01-06          11744

Just finished cleaning my mower deck for the winter. (I know, I know, its january) Already greased all of the fittings, but what do you all use to keep the bare metal from rusting? A film of oil? Rust inhibiting paint?I guess I need to get this done before its mowing time again.

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Chris in IN
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2000-01-06          11746

Rod. I get my mower deck ready for spring when I take it off in the fall to get the tractor ready for snow. I use eather motor oil or WD40 on the bare metal. It has worked well for the last 17 years. Chris. ....

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MichaelSnyder
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2000-01-07          11749

I agree with Chris, Always seems like I have used motor oil laying around somewhere. ....

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Bill
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2000-01-07          11768

Fellas, Last summer I got hold of a two part epoxy paint, stripped the factory paint , at least what was left, and rusted areas and applied several coats of the epoxy. I mowed the remainder of the summer, with little grass stickage, and no paint removal. I plan to wax the mower before reinstalling it in the spring, should make it easier to wash after mowing. The oil way works well for rust, but a nice glass like surface helps with keeping it clean during mowing. The rusted surface seems to attreact clippings like a magnet. IMHO. Bill ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2000-01-07          11769

Mike, Chris, I think I must have mis-read your posts, surely in this day & age nobody would advise putting waste (or new) oil on the mower deck when we know it will end up on the lawn next spring... especially since this is illegal (not to mention toxic to your lawn and everything else). As a landscaper I have found that a healthy coating of bio-degradeable dish detergent will provide more than enough protection for winter storage (of almost everything), besides, in the spring a just a little water and you're already to go. If you have luck like mine the first cut of the year is in the rain anyways.... so the lawn is foamy for a couple hours, it'll keep the neighbours thinking.... and help kill the weeds too (but it is harmless to the grass). Best of luck. ....

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Chris in IN
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2000-01-07          11773

Murf. Oil comes from the ground & also makes a good weed killer. Just kidding.
When I coated my 60" mower deck with oil I would brush on a thin coat then wipe it with a rag. All that was left was a very very thin coating of oil. This year I sprayed the deck with WD40 & wiped it. This leaves an even thinner coat of protection & less of a hazard to the environment. I would guess that more oil & grease is lost on the grass from the tractor & mower spindles than from my coating the deck in the fall. Chris ....

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Murf
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2000-01-09          11800

I agree that a thin film does not amount to much but I'll bet your laws are the same as ours, "zero petroleum products in the environment". Not that I ever thought it was a problem either... until I was visited (along with everyone else on the job site) by some Government inspectors. It cost me $154 because I had grease dripping off the pto drive shaft and tractor. That wasn't as bad as the excavator, he had changed the oil in the backhoe (on the ground), it cost him $5,000 and ordered to do the clean-up, the site owner was also charged $5,000 for not stopping or reporting the excavator. Be careful.... ....

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Roger L.
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2000-01-09          11803

Murf, Now you have got me curious about the environmental laws. You don't happen to live in California do you? ....

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Murf
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2000-01-10          11813

Roger, no I live don't live in California, I live in Canada, the Toronto area to be more specific. Check your State & Federal laws, I bet you will be surprised. As an example, it is illegal here (and Id bet there too) to wash your hands in the house sink if they are greasey, there is a law which says you cannot put ANY petroleum products into the environment (sewer or septic, unless there is a petroleum seperator online, of which none exist anywhere in North America) or you are commiting an offense. You MUST remove all petroleum by cleaners which are disposed of properly (i.e. "Safety Kleen" type wash tank, which gets hauled away for treatment), BEFORE you get to the sink. ....

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MichaelSnyder
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2000-01-10          11816

Wow, Amazing how a winter storage question ends up being an environmental issue.
Where were you guys during the oil debate?? I didn't see anyone worried about where a few million gallons of prematurely changed motor oil went!! Come on people....Ted, you bring an excellent point, and no doubt you are right.. On the other side. Your actions are "watched" because you are a business. Can't say I know of anyone stopping by to check out my tractor before mowing. Nor have I or anyone in my area seen a problem from an oil film under the mower. Besides, you have grease dripping off drive shafts and your worried about an oil film?? Just Messin with ya. Now its my turn to be stubborn.."The oil film trick has been used in my area since the creation of the mower...Haven't had a problem yet."...That epoxy idea does spark my interest. ....

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bo
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2000-01-10          11819

Agree with Mike- Ted next time you are in a parking lot of a mall or large store, look at all the oil spills where cars park, some of it soaks in and some washes off into the sewer. Many municipalities have overspill permission where they, during a heavy rain ,can flush the sewage into the waterway untreated. Most gov. environemental regs allow x units of emissions. Most of US regulatory agencies work on a cost/benefit anaylsis where if it costs more to dispose of properly vs. benefit derived, then the reg. either isn't promulgated or not applied. Oil on mower decks, good idea.
The epoxy thing that Bill mentioned is something that interests me. I just put the two part epoxy on the barn floor and in the last three months, I abused the hell out of it. Super tough and nothing yet has damaged it. I used the Rust-o-leum [sp] and it was about 98 bucks and makes two gals. Super easy sweeping and looks real good. Needed two coats and about 300 bucks worth. If it would stick and perform as well on the mower deck then it is worth it if it can be bought in smaller quantities. I have some left over and will try it. too bad the deck isn't new as I'll have to clean the heck out of it to apply the epoxy. When the oil police come for me, I'm starting a Boston Tea Party. bo ....

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MichaelSnyder
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2000-01-10          11822

Bill,
My new 54" deck has less than 20 hours on it. Heck most of the yellow paint is still on it. Before I put it away for the winter, I was wondering if you could elaborate a bit more on what needs to be done as well as if I "really" need to strip the paint before application. Where did you get it? ....

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Reginald W. Lamson
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2000-01-10          11828

Murf.Do you work in the U.S.A. or the U.S.S.R.? ....

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Bill
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2000-01-10          11830

Mike, Depending on what the manufacturer did under the deck paint, ie, is it primered or just painted yellow, will answer that question. Mine was two years old, and cut lots of dusty weeds the first year (remember I did the lawn this last spring. She was sandblasted by the dust and lost most of her paint. So I spent the better part of a day, as Bo would have to cleaning up rusted metal. Got it all nice and shiney. No primer. As to the paint, well it came from work. Old stock, but this is kinda special. It is used for painting military helmets, and is extreamly chip resistant, you know the military. It is a slightly pliable finish, which is still glassy. I would immagine that the floor paint that Bo used would work just as well. Epoxy is extreamly durable, and will stay on provided the prep is done correctly. So if JD preps the underside of the deck correctly, you could probably paint right over it. I would strip it, sand it with say 60 grit, and paint, though. You'll get the glass surface anyway. Epoxy is fairly thick coating, and with two coats it will be great. Doesn't have to be beautiful, just strong and smooth. One trick to harden it after it is mostly dry, would be to cover the deck with a couple of old blankets, and run the wife's hair drier under the deck for a couple of hours. You'll be suprised how much harder it gets. It really helps wet clippings to keep from bogging the deck up, and really makes it easy to hose off when your done. Oil lasts one time if that, and I don't wanna polute my well, no mater how little there is. Good luck and let me know how it turns out! Bill
....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2000-01-12          11873

Reg. I work in Canada (although we do work in N.E. USA also) but I am told that your EPA has the SAME laws in place for you also... Read 'em and weep... or pay! ....

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