Couple more newB questions

[Rob89]

Hey Guys-

First of all I want to thank everybody for their help, guidance and patience throughout my mower search, purchase and through my first few hours of mowing with my new Bobcat CRZ!

I've got a couple more newb questions.

First is how often do you guys scrape the underside of your deck. After about 4 hours of mowing I looked under my deck today and WOW! Lots of buildup. Most of it is soft and seems to be willing to come off without a fight. The areas closest to the blade tips seems to be the hardest and most stubborn areas to scrape. Should I be doing this after each mow?

Also- the cold oil level on my passenger side hydro is spot on the line. The cold level of the driver side hyrdo is about 1/4" below the cold fill line. Is it worth the effort and hassle to top it off and have to go through the whole purge procedure or can I just let it be?

Lastly- My deck is is pitched down towards the rear 1/4". This is from the factory- I haven't put a wrench to the adjustment bolts (yet!). Is this OK?

Thanks for the continued help guys!

 

[cpurvis]

I scrape the build-up when I change blades. Rough job; I don't bother with trying to get it all. Best way to avoid buildup is to mow when the grass is dry.

I would top off both hydros. Gonna have to learn how to fill them sooner or later.

Blades need to be pitched DOWN in the front, 1/8th to 1/4 inch.

 

[Darryl G]

I check my decks for buildup at least daily and scrape them if necessary. During some mowing conditions they get scraped after each lawn! A little bit of "crud" is fine but a heavy buildup will adversely affect cut quality and encourage corrosion. So yes, if there's a lot of buildup scrape it, and it's best done right after mowing before it dries.

I wouldn't add hydro fluid if it's that close to the line. Every time you open the system you risk getting contamination in the system and thus can do more harm than good. You wouldn't need to go through the purging procedure though. It's just an expansion reservoir.

As far as the deck pitch, first check your tire pressures. I actually run the deck on my Bob-Cat pitched lower in the rear too based on the recommendation of my dealer, but I have a different deck than you do. It's generally not recommended but can reduce "stringers", random uncut blades of grass, because each grass blade gets cut twice. But it takes more power and can lead to buildup under the deck. For my deck, Bob-Cat actually claims that it cuts best level.

 

[Rob89]

Thanks! I try to mow only after 2 or 3 straight dry days however the ground is always wet it seems. I committed to mowing a client's yard as a favor so I will scrape my deck after that is done.

My Bob-Cat manual also recommends a flat deck for best mowing. It says pitched forward for horsepower and pitched rear for striping. I'm sure that is why the dealer sets it up pitched to the rear.

 

[Darryl G]

I was at my Bob-Cat dealer for some 2-stroke oil and maintenance parts and asked about adding hydro oil for a slightly low level. The head mechanic/owner concurred that it's best to just leave it alone due to risk of contamination opening it and adding oil. This is the same thing I've heard from multiple mechanics over the years, including those here.

 

[cruzenmike]

In a perfect world you would scrape the deck just after or before every mow. Removing clippings from under the deck allows the maximum allowable volume of air to move under the deck aiding in clippings being cut, lifted and discharged from under the deck. While a tedious task, a ZTR lift that simply raises and lowers the front wheels would make this much simpler. If the clippings are fresh a plastic putty knife will work and will not scratch up the bottom side.

What you want to avoid is spraying under the deck immediately after cutting. Most spindles are aluminum and will be hot after mowing. If you introduce potentially cold water to a hot aluminum spindle you risk it cracking. Also, you will want to avoid spraying water anywhere near the bearings in the spindles.

 

[Darryl G]

I'll take this opportunity to agree with Mike 100% - hope you're sitting down buddy. :laughing:

I usually just run one caster wheel up on my trailer ramp. Since I trailer my mowers all the time it's routine to just pull up onto the ramp before I put them away for the evening. I can get to 2 spindles on one side, then I just move it to the other side and get the other spindle or just reach under for that one the best I can. Same for blade changes. I lay on a tarp to keep myself out of the dirt and to collect the clippings. It gets old after you've done it a couple thousand times though, lol.

In my shop I have a floor jack and jack stands but the OP may indeed want to consider a mower jack. There are many types. Here's 1. https://www.qcsupply.com/jungle-jack.html

I never wash the underside of my deck and washing the upper parts of my mower consists of rinsing off dog crap and mud only.

 

[Rob89]

Darryl G- Thank you! That was very nice of you and I will follow the recommendation and leave it alone.

I'm not interested in spraying the deck with water- I will get after it with a scraper. I have a utility trailer that I can run one caster wheel up the ramp to scrape and I also have Rhino ramps. I won't have the time and patience to scrape each time however I see that every 3rd to 4th cut it will be necessary. Most of what is under there is soft and loose. The areas on the side of the deck where the blade tips pass by is the hardest to remove, everything else is soft.

 

[Darryl G]

I don't worry about the hard stuff on the deck sides much. Lush spring growth cakes the most along with crabgrass.